As Peter Parker's Uncle Ben notes in "Spider-Man," "with great power there must also come great responsibility." Jack Carrol, the anti-hero of Oregon State University senior Kyle Cowgill's latest film, "Entertaining Angels," learns this lesson nearly too late, after he manipulates his guardian angel and fools everyone into thinking he's a superhero.

Cowgill wrote, directed and starred in the 77-minute comedy that explores issues such as spirituality, pride, deception and redemption.

Cowgill, 23, is a liberal studies major, with a film direction emphasis. This is his second movie. After the first, "Spade on the River," wrapped in the summer of 2005, he started writing "Entertaining Angels."

Production began in November of that year, and involved a cast of about 50 OSU student actors. They filmed in Corvallis and Albany, so locals will be able to pick out OSU buildings, the Book Bin and other landmarks.

On a shoestring budget (about $500 total), Cowgill has come away with a project that he called "immensely satisfying." He plans to enter it in the New York, Sundance and Gotham City Film Festivals, among others.

Locally, film aficionados will have the chance to check out "Entertaining Angels" Saturday at a screening on campus.

"Entertaining Angels" is a bit like "Bruce Almighty," with Jack (Cowgill) sharing the Jim Carrey character's penchant for exaggerated physical comedy.

The movie is set in present-day New Cumberland, Penn., a place where Cowgill once lived and really loved. Jack is going through a tough spell, missing a job interview, finding out he has a big presentation due and embarrassing himself in front of Kate (Angela LeFore), the girl every guy wants.

"He's an idiot," Cowgill said. "His life is in shambles."

When his guardian angel, Kitsy (Sami Haj), steps in and - under God's orders - protects him from all physical harm, Jack takes advantage of the situation and becomes The Guardian.

Like black-suited Spider-Man in the third installment of the Sam Raimi series, Jack becomes a swaggering jerk. He ends up driving Kate even further away as he tries too hard to impress her, before an encounter with God helps him get back on the right path.

Because Jack is the only one who can see or hear Kitsy, there's plenty of room for embarrassing, funny scenarios with Jack appearing to talk to himself or get in fights with an imaginary foe.

Directing himself was a challenge, and Cowgill said he spent plenty of time practicing in front of the mirror.

Other actors also had to buckle down for their roles. As Professor Heinshkit, a crazy, Nazi-esque academic not entirely unlike Franz Liebkind in "The Producers," OSU junior Ken Dickason had his work cut out for him.

"I will always look back on shooting days as the most tiring, stressful, painful moments of my life," he said. "I wouldn't trade them for the world."

Dickason, who's majoring in speech communication and political science, said his favorite scenes were the banter between Jack and a mafia-type photographer, and his own "gibberish" rants.

After graduating next month, Cowgill, who calls Marino Valley, Calif., home, plans to move to Los Angeles and try to break into the film industry.

"I wish to be able to do this my entire life," he said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: "Entertaining Angels" premiere

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 26

WHERE: Milam Auditorium, 2520 S.W. Campus Way

Mary Ann Albright can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.