Bo Duke, AC/DC, And “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Together At Last

By Drew Magary

| Wednesday, May 30, 2012 | Updated 1:47 PM CDT

View Comments (

)

Bo Duke, AC/DC, And “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Together At Last

Getty Images

Nov. 27, 2005: Actor John Schneider poses prior to participating in the 2005 Hollywood Christmas Parade. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

I’m a big fan of nascent Hollywood projects that sound completely insane on paper. What’s that? It stars Mickey Rourke? And he’s playing a pro wrestler? And Marilyn Manson’s galpal is his kid? Juh? Head-scratchers like that always portend something spectacularly unpredictable. This can end up in either an excellent movie, or something so terrible, it has its own bizarre entertainment value. There’s really no in between, particularly if said project involves Bo Duke, AC/DC, and a story cribbed from “It’s A Wonderful Life.” It’s called “Doonby” (even the title is goofy), and The Hollywood Reporter gives us the details:

In the feature film, John Schneider stars as Sam Doonby, a happy-go-lucky drifter who takes up residence in a small Texas town but seems suspiciously immune to the misfortunes that beset the other townsfolk.
The film is described as a cross between "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Crazy Heart" and also stars Robert Davi as the town sheriff.

Tommy Warren, who was behind the "Teed Off" series of golf comedies from National Lampoon, is producing with Mark Joseph, a marketing veteran whose campaigns included "The Passion of the Christ" and "Facing the Giants."

Joseph also is co-producing the film's soundtrack, which includes music from AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson.

Schneider has been in a rash of Christian movies lately, and I presume “Doonby” is also a project designed to be marketed to the “Fireproof” crowd. Honestly, you could not find a more random collection of people and ideas for a feature film. Bo Duke. AC/DC. The scumbag strip club owner from “Showgirls”. And a producing team that worked on both the biggest Christian movie of all time, and a cut-rate National Lampoon direct-to-video franchise. It’s like refrigerator poetry. You will not forget “Doonby,” my friends. Just you wait.