James C. Burns, who portrays Sergeant Frank Woods in the popular Call of Duty Black Ops franchise, calls his new role “very fortuitous. I didn’t have to do much research, I’m already playing him!”
In the new independent film Coldwater, scheduled for release by Breaking Glass Pictures on August 15 in select U.S. cities, Burns plays former Marine war colonel Frank Reichert, the strict commander of a juvenile wilderness reform boot camp. Promising to rehabilitate troubled/at-risk youth, Reichert and camp counselors use extreme behavior modification methods including intimidation, starvation and physical brutality to break inmates’ spirits and correct delinquent behavior.
“Frank Reichert is very much an extension of the Woods character in Black Ops–as if they took Sgt Woods, and when he retires, he runs the juvenile rehabilitation center,” says Burns.
That’s not to say Burns didn’t prepare for his role in Coldwater, produced by Flying Pigs Production and directed by Vincent Grashaw (“Bellflower”).
“The prep for Black Ops was 6-7 months of research and PT (Physical Training). Immersion in weapons and tactics training and a lot of time studying the military in general,” says Burns. “These are very strong, angular characters, complex and mission oriented, but thoughtful and empathetic. It was our goal to blend the WOODS elements into the COLONEL, both being of these characters being nuanced and authentic.”
The drama made its world premier at the SXSW Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival and also stars newcomer P.J. Boudousqué as teenager Brad Lunders who’s forcefully abducted from his home in the middle of the night with his mother’s consent to go to the harsh facility.
“In the film, here’s a kid trying to change, but the environment he’s in doesn’t let him,” says Burns. “Although everyone’s trying to do what’s right, they have an inability to see what’s really going on; they all have the limitation of their own flawed perception.”
“That’s what I love about the gaming community, at home or in school many of these kids are misunderstood. Put a controller in their hand and they feel empowered. They come together with like minded people and feel supported,” believes Burns. “Finding confidence and self esteem is crucial at any age… And when you don’t have that, the system can eat you alive.”
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