Director and producer Anthony Ambrosino had his world premiere of his debut film 'Sleather' at the 10th Annual Rhode Island International Film Festival. The movie is now winning over the hearts of audiences on both coasts.
As the author of the no BS book on screen writing 'Cut The Crap and WRITE THAT DAMN SCREENPLAY!', I can say straight up that this film embodies every concept that my book purports from a writing perspective. But even more than that, from a moviegoer's perspective: 'Sleather' rocks! This work is a light-hearted live action send up 'It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' though Ambrosino and co-writer/producer Nicholas Delmenico lay a deeper story about one man's dream for a more meaningful life.
There's the protagonist Linus, skillfully played by Michael A. LoCicero. He's got just the right balance of humility and hopefulness that makes the audience root for this underdog.
He's spurred on by his best friend, JB. An irreverent character that Jeff Hodge plays like a genuine cross between Woody Harrelson in 'White Men Can't Jump', and Chris Tucker in 'Rush Hour'. You love him but want to ring his neck.
Rounding out the trio troupe of buddies is the straight-man Charlie played by Brad Morrissey. His sister, Sally (played by Lindsey Cranshaw), is a love interest for Linus.
And finally, what great story would be complete without a really unique antagonist? Susan T. Travers' portrayal of Linus' sister Lucy is classic opposition for our wayward heroes.
Travers is so good in this role that she makes you cringe but then you fall in love with her when you see how much she truly cares about her brother's well-being.
'Sleather''s tagline is: A comedic adventure about friends, family and fame.
And is certainly comes through on all those elements.
***Spoilers Ahead***
From the beginning we see Linus languishing in a dead-end job wanting to do something better with his life. His friend JB provides the catalyst to get him out of his ennui and into a more exciting (though not terribly successful) career path seeking the one thing that lots of people desire: fame.
However, Linus must deal with his exceedingly pragmatic sister Lucy and her relentless efforts to get him to take a "real job" and live a responsible life.
There are many scenes in which we see both JB and Lucy fighting to get him to follow their advice. Such as Lucy's getting Linus ready for a job interview at a bank—which includes picking out his clothes.
Or, JB's speech: "You work sixty hours a week to buy a house you can't afford, spend your weekends doing yard work, and pay for that S-U-V that your wife made you buy only to take the kids to soccer games that you can't even enjoy!" This theme is repeated several times throughout the film. And just underneath the surface of the film's plot is a great subplot involving a man's attempt to define himself.
Ambrosino handles this material with a deft touch never getting too heavy-handed while entertaining the audience with the characters' antics and peculiar situations.
Take for example Linus' commercial audition for "Asstastick!"—a fictional hemorrhoid treatment. The hilarious audition that precedes Linus' is over-the-top declamatory acting that fits the scene beautifully.
Or the best of Linus' attempts at reaching fame by apprenticing with the notorious Professor Evel, The Evil Magician. J.P. McCormick almost steals the show as he practically terrorizes kids at a birthday.
And let's not forget JB's character arc. He is one of the most memorable counter-productive best friend characters to come along in film since Vince Vaughn 's Trent in 'Swingers'. He never follows his own advice, lives vicariously through Linus, and is a self-declared hedonist. There are many examples of this throughout the movie but the best one is the rigged karaoke contest that he surreptitiously wins.
Linus' dream is to become a successful Hollywood screenwriter. He's been sitting on a script he wrote for years and never had the guts to try to sell it. That is until he is hit with the glaring epiphany of the movie's theme about dying a slow death in a corporate cubist hell.
Linus decides to be pro-active (something that he's not used to doing) and go for it! Mythologically, famous filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is supposed to appear at The Patch (a.k.a. The Pumpkin Patch, a local bar) every Halloween to hang with his buddies (an allegory for the iconic Great Pumpkin). This is where Linus might have an opportunity to pitch Tarantino his screenplay.
In keeping with the holiday classic, Tarantino never shows and Linus is left outside The Patch to be picked up by Lucy. The tender concern she displays for her brother really transcends her obtuse veneer.
There are many homages to other films made in this movie—too numerous to mention here but a few stood out for me:
'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly' in the convenience store hold-up scene
'Star Wars' quips in the dialogue
'Psycho' when Lucy shows up in Linus' mirror in the bathroom
The movie was written, financed, shot, and produced entirely in The Ocean State. Ambrosino, Delmenico, and the fine staff at The 989 Project have achieved a place in the professional filmmakers echelon without having to go to Hollywood to do it.
'Sleather' is a must-see for those who are looking for a real-world lesson on how to make a Hollywood-quality film outside of LA.
'Sleather' is also a must-see for its rollicking comedy that'll have you in stitches for an hour and a half—and long afterwards. I'd hold it up against Kevin Smith's 'Clerks', Rifkin's 'Detroit Rock City', and Linklater's 'Dazed and Confused' any day!
