Man finds leg in grill. Amputee wants leg back. Man sues amputee for leg. Things get ugly, go viral, it gets documented. While that is the way the feature documentary Finders Keepers could be summarized on Twitter, it also sums up the local story of John Wood and the insanity that ensued after he lost his leg in a plane crash.
The story of Maiden, NC native, John Wood gained national headlines in 2007 when through a bizarre set of circumstances, he lost possession of his severed leg and it ended up in the possession of Shannon Whisnant. Now there is a feature documentary about the story in the works being shot right here in Charlotte and features local producer Tim Grant and cinematographer Adam Hobbs.
Grant and Hobbs are part of a production team that features Academy Award winning producer, Ed Cunningham (Undefeated, King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters), producer Adam Gibbs and director, Bryan Carberry. The production team is 50-hours into “Finders Keepers,” which is being touted as a behind-the-scenes look at one of nation’s most riveting news stories about a severed human foot that is found in a grill bought at a 2007 auction in rural North Carolina. The documentary pulls back the curtain on the people at the center of the widely publicized and outrageous custody battle that ensued between the amputee and the grill’s purchaser over ownership of the leg.
The filmmakers are using Kickstarter to help finish the financing of the film. The unique platform allows for members of the public to make donations to help finish the film. The filmmakers in turn offer rewards for those who want to participate including access to online broadcasts of the finished movie, listening to Shannon’s 911, the original t-shirts Shannon made while possessing the leg and coveted ‘producer’ credits.
With their Kickstarter campaign finishing on Tuesday at 12:18PM, the filmmakers have already raised nearly $70,000 toward their goal of $80,000. It’s not everyday that the movie business comes to Charlotte asking for help, but then again, it’s not everyday a storyline worthy of being made into a movie unfolds in your backyard. So if you have a few extra bucks and want to help a team of filmmakers with a great track record ensure that this story gets told, head on over to Kickstarter to see what they are up to and if you want to participate.
But first paragraph says the name as ‘Fingers Keepers”, which would not be a great name for a leg story.