Hes married to his wife, Leslie, now. Got me grossed out." Whisnant passed the foot on to the local police, and once the police decided it wasn't criminal evidence, they sent it to the local morgue. In 1977, Shannon was appointed ambassador to Ireland by President Carter. "Yes there's this moment of hilarity of two guys fighting over a leg," says Tweel, "but then how does the rest of it play out? It could have been 10 stars instead of 8.8. Finders Keepers: Directed by Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel. How two filmmakers stumbled across a tabloid story over the battle for an amputated limb, John Wood (left) and Shannon A. Whisnant in 'Finders Keepers. The leg seemed heaven-sent, he said. So that allowed us to go to these places that we didn't initially expect. They decided to make a documentary. Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Would you believe me if I told you the story gets even crazier as it goes along? Legally speaking, Whisnant owns the foot, since he bought it. He liked it, as I thought he would, but he had two complaints: He thought the movie could have been a little longer and that it could have used a little bit more of him in it. [1], Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, Shannon earned a bachelor's degree from Clark University in 1947, and a master's degree in history from Harvard University in 1948. They dont shy away. It was so nice [when the film screened] at Sundance; I think people did get that bigger picture. They all will be answered, along with some you haven't even considered. Terms of Service apply. As for the leg itself,Wood moved it from the bottom of a golf bag and into his closet before finally encasing it in epoxy as a memorial to his father, fulfilling Wood's initial intentions ofkeeping the leg. Whisnant is a blue collar man who felt like a nobody because he was never invited to Woods house as a kid (whether this is meant metaphorically or literally is unclear). But thats all prologue, in a sense. He deals in kind of found goods and trying to resell them for a profit and he is always looking for a way to turn a buck. Issues of drug addiction and childhood trauma appear as we see a deeper story that deals with regrets and poor decisions that have created a major journey that both characters travel through. When we finally started showing it to people and they were like, What! Skip to main content I think tomorrow were having a screening at Lincoln Center, and I think both of them might be Skyping in for the Q&A. Meanwhile, Wood speaks with a bewildered directness, as if he cant believe all the ways in which hes screwed up his life. Sam and Joel reach a new level of intimacy. Like somebody above is really having fun with this story., As for what became of the leg, the filmmakers and Mr. Wood would rather not say. Article ImageAfter a tumultuous back and forth between the two men that saw them turned into local media sensations, they settled their dispute on anepisode of Judge Mathis, with Wood regaining custody of his leg. I teach English to children in China,while sitting in the comfort of my house. He wanted to preserve the leg as a memorial to his dad. Arrangements: Munden F.H., Morehead City. Loved Netflixs Tiger King doc? Where he becomes famous. But morally speaking, its Woods. John lost his leg in the same plane crash where he lost his father's life. Somehow, Carberry and Tweel have managed to fashion an inspirational tale out of what one local newscaster calls a freak show. In the end, Finders Keepers is about Woods recovery and I dont mean of his foot. But Mr. Whisnant, a professed entrepreneur with a flair for promotion and a thirst for the spotlight, did not want to return it to Mr. Wood. Turns out, hed just misplaced it. (The answer is in the movie.) All the essentials: top fashion stories, editors picks, and celebrity style. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. He'd had to have that leg amputated years earlier. But instead of the skeletal remains Wood had expected he was instead given the whole foot and leg complete with tendons, flesh, toenails and all. How did it end up inside the grill? 82 minutes. The two men grew up in the same town, on opposite sides of the class divide. Industry professionals are tweeting their support of guild members. Tweel: I think our job was then to continually to dig deeper and get to the heart of what makes these people tick and they were unbelievably trusting of us and more honest than a lot of people are on camera. As hysterical as it is insightful, this documentary finds the humanity behind a TV news freak show, read the review in Variety. While the documentarians told Vogue in 2015 that generally speaking both Wood and Whisnant were happy with the doc, with Whisnants only complaint being that it was too short and he wasnt in it enough, larger than life Whisnant was less circumspect talking to the In The Mouth Of Dorkness Podcast. Select this result to view Jessica Shannon Whisnant's phone number, address, and more. In the meantime, Wood caught wind that his body part had resurfaced, and sought to reclaim it. Rather than toss it in a dumpster as he was advised, Whisnant saw the dismembered limb as a sign of good fortune. Adam Hobbs. While most people would have sought to return the limb to its proper owner, the fame-seeking hustler went the P.T. Ad Choices, Everything You Need to Know About the 2023 Met Gala, 47 Best Mothers Day Gifts to Give Mom This Year, Where to Watch the 2023 Met Gala Livestream. All rights reserved. Were they both eager to participate in the documentary? This interview has been condensed and edited. He assumed they would give him the bone; however, he was surprised to receive the entire thingwith skin and muscle still intact. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - April 27, 2023 marked 12 years since the devastating tornado outbreak in Alabama. Whisnat charged people to see the leg in person, referring to himself as the "Foot Man" and selling shirts to further his brand. It wasnt a lot of money, but it was enough to say, Hey, nice one, I see what youre doing here, Mr. Wood said, looking skyward. But in the throes of addiction which began after the death of his father, Wood failed to keep up repayments on the storage unit and lost his leg as well as all of his other belongings. Eventually, they decided to appear on the show Judge Mathis, to once and for all decide the legs fate. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Whisnant also had a troubled life, but it wasnt nearly so strange; his family was poor, and his father remorselessly abusive. What If a Whole Stand-up Special Were About Peanut Butter? Starring Shannon Whisnant and John Wood The Orchard Running Time: 82 minutes Release Date: October 2, 2015. Its a glimpse at the strange goings on in a Southern state that would sound unbelievable were it not true. I imagine that their wisdom if thats even the right word for it comes from hindsight. The portly Whisnant can be a fast-talking salesman one minute, gruff and terse and bitter the next. He admitted Thinking Out Loud was actually inspired by Van Morrison, not Marvin Gaye. I didnt really get squeamish, but I felt bad as somebody who washes his hands a lot, I was like, I cant believe shes just holding that leg like its nothing!. If part of the story is this guys search for fame, and desire for fame, thats the story, said Mr. Berlinger, who tread similar tonal and thematic ground with the 1992 film Brothers Keeper. When you go in the editing room, you have to make a great effort to be fair to your subject and fair to your material, whatever that is, he added. Or were there hurdles to getting them on board?BC: By the time Ed Cunningham came around, they had already been interviewed by shows like Urban Legend and Worlds Dumbest Hillbillies. Review: Finders Keepers Finds Humor and Humanity in the Bizarre, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/movies/review-finders-keepers-finds-humor-and-humanity-in-the-bizarre.html. The U2 singer called his Zelenskyy portrait a few squiggles and I just got out of the way.. This would be the last time that Mr. Whisnant ever considered parting with his leg. View Buzz Howard's email address: bxx@bigvalleymortgage.com & phone: +1-xxx-xxx-7332's profile as Senior Vice President at Big Valley Mortgage, located in Roseville, California. On Shannon Whisnant, the man who found the leg. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Huntsville, Alabama. Technically, the body part in question is Wood's lower leg, lopped off a few inches below the knee, but "foot" somehow sounds funnier, even though, as Wood's mother notes, "the tale was born of tragedy.". The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Wood had lived in the disapproving shadow of his larger-than-life father, who was a furniture store owner, erstwhile daredevil, and bush pilot. Theyre not afraid to make fun of themselves sometimes, or make fun of each other. While Tiger King is largely populated by conmen and scumbags, Finders Keepers deals with its subjects in a far more sympathetic fashion. Hes very smart. Lists about some of the most shocking and upsetting documentary films & series that you should totally watch anyway. Even Johns family didnt know if he was going to pull through this time. Did the leg rightfully belong to its original owner, or to the man who had inadvertently paid good money for it? After confirmation by the Senate, he presented his credentials to Irish leaders on July 20, 1977, and had the official title of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Eight years is a long time to think about why youre fighting over a foot. So that was nice. The rest winds thoughtfully through family history, class, and the twin perils and enticements of drugs and celebrity. Did it have the same effect on either of you?BC: I can remember when I first saw some of Eds early footage, when Katy [the amateur forensic veterinarian who eventually preserves the leg] is holding it in her hands without any gloves, I got nauseous that day. But you did a really good job of not poking fun at them, even though we see other media people doing that. Mr. Wood now lives in the mountains of North Carolina; Mr. Whisnant moved to the coast. Theyve both now seen the film. Back up a second. He spends a lot of time with his mom and his sister again. View the profiles of people named Shannon Whisnant. But as John says at the end of the movie, I think there is an appreciation that had anybody else found this leg other than Shannon, John might not have been able to get himself sober and get his life back on track. Many thanks for the follow! Mike Shannon, the St. Louis native who became the voice of his hometown team for 50 years, has died. Rounding up our favorite funny videos of the month. Its really been amazing to see their family come back together. John successfully recovers, gets a Job, a house, and a fiance. This is the stranger-than-fiction tale like Carson McCullers come to life chronicled in the documentary Finders Keepers, opening on Friday, Sept. 25. Shannon Whisnant died on 11 November 2016 in Morehead City, North Carolina, USA. Shannon Whisnant on IMDb: Movies, Tv, Celebrities, and more. Did the shop know it was there? Thats a pretty fascinating story right there, but in the documentaryFinders Keepers, directors Clay Tweel and Bryan Carberry find something more in it: The story of two men struggling with their respective demons. In 82 svelte minutes,Finders Keepersencapsulates something ineffable about the modern American experience. Whisnant bought Woods barbecue smoker, took it home, opened it up, and discovered inside the mummified limb. It was tied so much into this tragedy, and getting past Johns fathers passing. The 50 Worst Decisions in Music History Inside the unit was a smoker. 1 was putting it in the freezer. A story about fame, addiction and a custody battle over a man's leg. They looked pained. On what the subjects thought when they saw the documentary. Finders Keepers, a film by Clay Tweel, left, and Bryan Carberry, right, explores the feud between Mr. Wood and Shannon A. Whisnant, who found Mr. Wood's amputated leg. They (oddly) agreed, and Wood, after attempting to store it in the refrigerator at a nearby Hardees, employed some makeshift preserving techniques to, as he said, mummify it.. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google How then do we reconcile that? On Shannon Whisnant, the man who found the leg. When Wood heard what was happening, he asked for his leg back, but Whisnant was unrelenting in his insistence that the leg belonged to him. He called 911 and the police came to confiscate the leg. Eight years ago, a man named Shannon Whisnant found an amputated human foot in a barbecue smoker he'd purchased from a storage locker in Maiden, North Carolina. Greg Warren dared to go where no comedian has gone before. [3] Boston University established the William V. Shannon Memorial Fellowships in his memory, to benefit Irish citizens pursuing graduate study at the university.[5]. The cameras began rolling after a producer, Ed Cunningham (the Oscar winner Undefeated), overheard Mr. Woods high school football coach unspooling the tale in a steakhouse. Hell always go on to say, Will I ever have him over for dinner? Tendons, toenails and all. Shannon Whisnant, 42, of Stacy, originally of Hickory, died Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, at Carteret Health Care in Morehead City. If a fictional movie were to be made of Shannon Whisnants life, I imagine that hed be played by O Brother, Where Art Thou?era John Goodman. His addictions have never gone away, and hes become estranged from his family. Caller: "My name is Shannon Whisnant, and it's plum nasty. No. And Shannon said something on Twitter after he saw the movie, about how hes just happy he can help people. And so I think all of that kind of got tied up in his wanting to hold onto this leg. For reasons that will mystify many, Wood took custody of the surgical remains, and after mummifying it, stored the foot inside an unused smoker grill that he placed in a storage locker after he was evicted from his home. What Happened To 'Finders Keepers John Wood After He Won The Custody Battle For His Amputated Leg. Mike Dubberly got a chance to talk with former Alabama All-American Defensive Lineman and Co-Captain Shannon Brown, who's now the principal at Liberty Middle School in Madison, Alabama. All rights reserved. The team confirmed the news Sunday afternoon. What they found, with the spotlight gone, was a rich tragicomedy about two men who were clinging to the leg for different reasons one as a memento mori, the other as a ticket to homespun celebrity. Did you have to be careful about that?BC: Its always a very fine line. Whisnant doesnt want to give it back. Since the documentary made waves in 2015, both Wood and Whisnant have appeared in several urban legend TV episodes, and Wood has performed charity work at the Woodford Landfill in North Carolina as a recyclables organizer. In September of 2007, North Carolina entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant bought a used smoker grill at an auction; inside he found a partially-mummified human leg. When the documentary footage began, he was just 30 days sober. And then Shannons wife, Lisa, really liked it. Eventually, Wood left his leg in his storage unit, but he was so grief-stricken over the loss of his father and the trauma of the accident that he fell deeper into a substance dependency and couldn't keep up with his finances. Everyone knew John; he was the cool kid, he was the rebel. In 1977, Shannon was appointed ambassador to Ireland by President Carter. Its not impossible that hes playing that up a little bit. William Vincent Shannon (August 24, 1927 - September 27, 1988) was an American journalist, author, . His discovery turned him into a local celebrity; Whisnant had t-shirts . Everybody wants to make a leg pun, Mr. Tweel explained. Rosie Fletcher is the UK Editor of Den Of Geek. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Its a never-ending story, said Bryan Carberry, a director of the film, but you have to stop shooting at some point.. The most gripping TV drama of the year is happening behind closed doors. The foot belonged to John Wood, a troubled addict from a wealthy background who lost it in the plane crash that killed his father. The documentary unfolds in wild ways which we wouldnt want to spoil, though it almost plays like a softer, sadder but no less bizarre sister piece to Tiger King, with two lives linked for better or worse. But hes developed this persona of always joking around and being a fun guy and not taking anything seriously. Despite heavy Southern accents (and, on Whisnants part, the occasional malapropism) that make the two protagonists and their friends and family sound a bit like the bumpkins you might assume them to be, Wood and Whisnant come across as surprisingly thoughtful and introspective interview subjects. Revealing its humanity slowly and a little tardily, Finders Keepers finally does justice to its dueling antiheroes, one addicted to attention and the other to multiple substances; one indulged and the other violently abused; one who finds himself and one who becomes increasingly lost. In 1975 he received the Gold Medal of the ire Society of Boston for service to literature. It was . But Whisnant, who put a sign on the empty smoker. Malapropisms and mummified remains. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Mr. Wood described Mr. Whisnant as my Antichrist. Mr. Whisnant sometimes appeared jealous and disdainful of the foe he called the one-legged man. And yet, eight years in, their fortunes are inextricably linked. Both have tragic backstories (one is addicted to drugs the other addicted to fame) and their parallel paths lead to redemption, disillusionment and a plan to run for President in the 2016 US. ', Two Men and a Severed Foot: Inside the Most Bizarre Doc of the Year, Revisiting Hours: Ships Ahoy Master and Commander, Revisiting Hours: The Manchurian Candidate and Our Era of Perpetual War, Roy Wood Jr. Anyone can read what you share. But morally, thats not the right thing to do.. Hes a great salesman, a P. T. Barnum type of figure. Self: Finders Keepers. Shannon was born and raised in St . The film ends with Whisnant going on talk radio to announce his candidacy for President of the United States in the 2016 Presidential Election. What drew each of you to this story? And John was the co-pilot that day, kind of took home some guilt from that, even if it wasn't his fault. [3] He also authored the books The American Irish: A Political and Social Portrait (1964), The Heir Apparent (1967), and They Could Not Trust the King (1974). It was very one-sided and only 10 percent of actually, really what happened, he said. Inside the smoker, a mummified human foot. I've heard from many a folk, kin to me, and close to me, and the ones that know me. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Emmys Women's History Month STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events The movie leaves things on a tenuous note in both of their personal lives . See production, box office & company info, The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. Only one of the initial accounts, Mr. Carberry said, explained why Mr. Wood was an amputee: He lost his leg in a plane crash that killed his father. Its a story that feels like it could only happen in America. Has seeing the movie softened John toward Shannon or softened Shannon toward John?CT: I think they still are not super fond of each other. . Afterward, Mr. Wood spiraled into drug and alcohol addiction. He's had 13 near-death experiences electrocuted twice, a couple out of body experiences. The biggest challenge, the filmmakers said, was finding the right tone. Shirley's present occupation is listed as a Vice President at H And W Enterprises INC. Finders Keepers begins in Maidan, North Carolina where local wheeler-dealer Shannon Whisnant buys a storage unit at auction containing a smoker. In 2008, Mr. Cunningham arrived in Maiden (population: 3,340) to get the back story. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time In memoryof his father, Wood asked if he could keep the part of hisleg that had beenremoved. SHANNON WHISNANT OBITUARY. Shannon Whisnant always craved the limelight. The first man, John Wood, is the original possessor of said foot meaning that it was once attached to the end of his leg, until doctors amputated it after he was injured in the 2004 airplane crash that killed his father. John Wood (left) and Shannon A. Whisnant in 'Finders Keepers.'. A story about fame, addiction and a custody battle over a man's leg.A story about fame, addiction and a custody battle over a man's leg.A story about fame, addiction and a custody battle over a man's leg. The letter of the law is, I think, pretty clear that Shannon should get it, because thats on the fine print of those storage agreements. This password will be used to sign into all, AI Singers Are Unnervingly Good and Already Ubiquitous, The Potential 2023 WGA Strike for Dummies. On how the leg ended up in the grill in the storage locker. Instead he sees the leg as an opportunity for the fame and fortune he has always desired, initially setting up the smoker as a roadside attraction, and later producing merchandise around the leg and calling himself Foot Man. This case was filed in Orange County Superior Courts, Orange County Central Justice Center located in Orange, California. John did the only natural thing. Since the custody battle made it to Judge Mathis, Warner Bros. sent him toone of the top five treatment centers in the country, calledRidgeview Institute in Atlanta, and Wood sobered up. Junk dealer Shannon Whisnant, is the, er, lucky guy who found Woods appendage, in 2007, rolled up in a length of window screen like a taquito, after winning the contents of Woods storage locker at auction when Wood fell into arrears on his rental payments. . By what name was Finders Keepers (2015) officially released in Canada in English? Shannon Whisnant @footmannc Nov 16, 2016 This is Shannon Whisnant wife he passed away November 11 around 9 pm give or take autopsy is being preformed I will keep everyone informed 11 19 25 Shannon Whisnant @footmannc Nov 11, 2016 @RemfertLouHowdy! Youre like, Okay, I could see why he did this. After spending a year and a half looking at that footage every day, the story stops being weird to you. April 30, 2023, at 2:29 p.m. Cardinals Broadcaster, World Series Champ Mike Shannon Dies. hide caption. The buyer, Shannon Whisnant, told Mathis that he wanted the leg for a tourist attraction. He called 911 and the police came to confiscate the leg. Its a redemption story about Woods struggles with addiction. Once home he shared the footage with Seth Gordon, another producer on the film, and directors Clay Tweel and Bryan Carberry. Menu. There was definitely an awareness of what the media is capable of. Its important to Wood that he gives back to his community, and that his reputation extends beyond this strange scenario. When the local media began covering the story of the legs strange odyssey, Whisnant woke up to the unique opportunity it presented, both to make some money and to seize the sort of fame hed always imagined for himself. I kind of love the idea of the intersection between the incredibly wacky and stupid with this much deeper meaning. Done grossed me out.. 16 on a season of Worlds Dumbest Hillbillies) built the tension, and pinned the tabloid coverage as a villain. Join Facebook to connect with Shannon Whisnant and others you may know. Tweel: Shannon is a kind of self-made man, an entrepreneur of sorts. The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. He deals in kind of found goods and trying to resell them for a profit and he . Barry Recap: A Tragic Death Shakes Up Bill Haders Dark Satire, John is a guy whos dealt with loss and addiction, Carberry says. So Ed and then Clay and I just didnt know how this story was going to end. The film is about two men: John Wood, a drug addict who lost his leg in an airplane crash, and Shannon Whisnant, who found the mummified remains of that appendage in an old barbecue grill . A part of me just died. Whisnant bought Wood's barbecue smoker, took it home, opened it up, and discovered inside the mummified limb. I think what happened was, he saw that the local media took to the story so quickly, and it gave him this kind of sense of fame and sort of energy around being on camera that he so longed for. Succession Recap: Logan Roy Makes Shock Return, Shiv and Tom Get Kinky If you didnt have your birthday party at John Woods house, then you were nobody, Whisnant recalls. John is doing really well. John was in such a bad spot and its a piece of his own body. He now lives in Atlanta but says he's returning to Charlotte on. Both these men, as well as their families, have their own brand of eloquence. They are each more self-aware and comically self-deprecating than you might think. There are 3 professionals named "Shannon Whisnant", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. He had saved it because he wanted eventually to be buried with it, but he fell on hard times, struggled with addiction, lost his home, and, eventually, his storage unit.