Most of the films I like leave an instant good impression on me. There are a few, however, that require me to go back and watch them for a second time before I can fully appreciate them.
Rhett Brinkley, from left, Zach Turner and John Schafer hope to find continued success with their debut feature film, Slumberland. The film will screen Wednesday and Thursday at Riverdale 10 Cinema at 7 and 9 each night.
Thus, I think, is the case with Slumberland, the locally made, quasi-mumblecore film that won the Charles B. Pierce Award for best Arkansas-made film at this year’s Little Rock Film Festival. I saw a screener copy in advance of the festival, and I had mixed feelings about it. It seemed to have moments where it shined and others where it, well, didn’t. I got to hang with the triumvirate of minds behind the film: director John Schafer, screenwriter and actor Rhett Brinkley and actor Zach “Dirty” Turner about a week before the festival.
The trio admitted that they didn’t love every minute of the film they put together, that there were places it dragged, but such was the nature of the film’s style. In some ways it felt like reality television on the big screen, but maybe less scripted.
That’s not to say it didn’t have a script. Brinkley’s caricatures of himself and his friends drew out strong personality traits that translated well to the screen. The weakness and frustration in Brinkley’s character is deeply felt, as is Turner’s narcissism and vulnerability.
I haven’t seen Slumberland since I watched that screener copy, and I’ve been told that the version of the film submitted to the LRFF was a more recent cut than what I saw. The more I reflect on the film, the more I find things to like about it. My guess is a second viewing would only reinforce that.
I’ll get my chance this week as there will be four free screenings of Slumberland at Riverdale 10 Cinema: Wednesday and Thursday at 7 and 9 each night.
This may be a last hurrah for Slumberland in Little Rock. Schafer, Brinkley and Turner are trying to get the film into two festivals this fall – Chicago Underground and Indie Memphis – then it’s on to a new project, tentatively titled 10 Years Gone. Brinkley described the project as having an ensemble cast rather than focusing on one or two characters the way their first project did, but the humor will be similar to that in Slumberland. The three amigos are hoping to begin filming next year, though funding is still a question.
“We can’t make it the way we made Slumberland, with absolutely no budget, so we’re going to have to figure some things out,” Brinkley said.
Stay tuned.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 12:50 pm and is filed under Commentary.
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A film worth watching again
Most of the films I like leave an instant good impression on me. There are a few, however, that require me to go back and watch them for a second time before I can fully appreciate them.
Rhett Brinkley, from left, Zach Turner and John Schafer hope to find continued success with their debut feature film, Slumberland. The film will screen Wednesday and Thursday at Riverdale 10 Cinema at 7 and 9 each night.
Thus, I think, is the case with Slumberland, the locally made, quasi-mumblecore film that won the Charles B. Pierce Award for best Arkansas-made film at this year’s Little Rock Film Festival. I saw a screener copy in advance of the festival, and I had mixed feelings about it. It seemed to have moments where it shined and others where it, well, didn’t. I got to hang with the triumvirate of minds behind the film: director John Schafer, screenwriter and actor Rhett Brinkley and actor Zach “Dirty” Turner about a week before the festival.
The trio admitted that they didn’t love every minute of the film they put together, that there were places it dragged, but such was the nature of the film’s style. In some ways it felt like reality television on the big screen, but maybe less scripted.
That’s not to say it didn’t have a script. Brinkley’s caricatures of himself and his friends drew out strong personality traits that translated well to the screen. The weakness and frustration in Brinkley’s character is deeply felt, as is Turner’s narcissism and vulnerability.
I haven’t seen Slumberland since I watched that screener copy, and I’ve been told that the version of the film submitted to the LRFF was a more recent cut than what I saw. The more I reflect on the film, the more I find things to like about it. My guess is a second viewing would only reinforce that.
I’ll get my chance this week as there will be four free screenings of Slumberland at Riverdale 10 Cinema: Wednesday and Thursday at 7 and 9 each night.
This may be a last hurrah for Slumberland in Little Rock. Schafer, Brinkley and Turner are trying to get the film into two festivals this fall – Chicago Underground and Indie Memphis – then it’s on to a new project, tentatively titled 10 Years Gone. Brinkley described the project as having an ensemble cast rather than focusing on one or two characters the way their first project did, but the humor will be similar to that in Slumberland. The three amigos are hoping to begin filming next year, though funding is still a question.
“We can’t make it the way we made Slumberland, with absolutely no budget, so we’re going to have to figure some things out,” Brinkley said.
Stay tuned.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 12:50 pm and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.