Sam Anderson

Sam “Funky Man” Anderson, the original co-creator of STRIKE A POSE!!! Films was there LITERALLY AT THE BEGINNING. To convince him and his friends Stuart DeMattia and Bob Novich to join in, Dylan simply told him “we’re going to go into your back yard and film you guys hitting each other with lightsabers.” Thus, the first official Strike a Pose!!! Film, The Third Path, was born, and so was the Funkyman’s acting career!

Striking it down with Stu DeMattia and falling at the hands of Bob Novich’s apprentice played by Trevor, Sam showed he had mucho heroic charisma. As a big fan of all things Good Times, Sam would prove to be the ultimate hero for the crew.

That is, until the end of his second role in an SAP film: Curse of Bodangofish, a grindhousey film about two friends on vacation at the most evil place on Earth: The Outer Banks, North Carolina. Sam would undertake a role that was at the same time dramatic, comedic, tragic, and completely insane as he went from body-surfer dude to killer fish monster over the course of the 40 minute featurette. It was a great little buddy movie for the two pals, and lead to two spin offs!

Joe Belivitz in CAR TROUBLE may have come first- a prequel to Curse of Bodangofish that involved Sam as Joe facing the horrors of his local outdoor shopping center on a cold, rainy night. There he would encounter both Damien McCoy as the Mechanic and Robert Ramirez as the Stick Man in their first acting cross-paths of weird, Lynchian horror! Suffice it to say, the bizarre waltz that was Car Trouble has since been a fan favorite for many reason, not the least of which is Sam’s “Zoinks!” styled performance.

Returning as the creature in RETURN OF BODANGOFISH, Sam reteamed with Stu DeMattia who was hunting him down as FireBrand Frank. The classic Predator spoof had many little injokes, and a final battle that didn’t quite work out so well for the soldier, but the FISH STILL LIVES! Who knows when he’ll return? We’re all sure Sam is hoping for NEVER!

After a long hiatus, Dylan returned from college and got a new camera, and decided to use Sam’s amazing chinstrap as another guinea pig for his filming needs. Dylan recast Sam in a darker role, one of the duo’s first pure dramas, CLARITY, an improvised mystery thriller costarring Damien again, with this time Bob Novich returning as the shadowy villain. Sam would have to go through his own inner demons as The Detective, and learn the secrets of his own past to solve a mystery that may or may not have been in the imagination of a young boy. This was certainly the most cinematically complex film the two had worked on, and Sam’s range was shown to be just as strong as his manly jaw line!

Finally, a few weeks later, Dylan decided he needed to do a less serious action movie, and Line of Sight was born, with Sam taking back the role of supporting comic-relief as Flintlock-– a crazy gun nut who was hunting our two heroes in the post-apocalyptic Peregrine Saga. His final performance so far was in the unreleased short, “The Worst Story Ever Told: A Walk in the Woods” as Jed Aye, a spoof on his character from…well…everything SAP has ever done! Maybe one day you’ll get to see it…but who knows!

Since then, Sam has gone on to graduate from James Madison University, having earned degrees in Education and Mathematics, whiles also attending and co-running the JMU Swing Dance club- showing off his funky skills to all the world! He has also made his own short film, CODEBREAKERS, which was an edutainment piece for his students while he attended college. Sam has also contributed music to Gullman: Defender of Salisbury.

Sam has been a great friend to the group, and huge inspiration to Dylan, who couldn’t have done a damned thing without the guy, his own personal Bruce Campbell!

STRIKE A POSE!!! Filmography:

The Third Path as Jedi
Curse of Bodangofish as Joe Belivitz
Joe Belivitz in: Car Trouble as Joe Belivitz
RETURN OF BODANGOFISH as Bodangofish
Gullman: Defender of Salisbury as a Musical Contributor
CLARITY as The Detective
Line of Sight as Flintlock
The Worst Story Ever Told: A Walk in the Woods as Jed Aye