Waydowntown

I had the pleasure of seeing this flick on a visit up to Canada. It's quite a hilarious portrayal of young professionals trying to find some sort of amusement within the dull world of modern corporate culture. It was supposed to have been released in the U.S. back in late 2001, but was postponed (canceled?) due to some of the content and the events of 9/11. Fortunately though, it is soon being released on DVD. Watch and enjoy!

OK, I'm not from Calgary, but I headed down there for the film festival to check this one out. I spent an afternoon in Calgary's Plus 15 system being totally, utterly, lost. Then I saw the Alberta premiere of waydowntown. Finally a film from the prairies that doesn't involve hearts breaking in wintry farmhouses! Clever use of digital Beta, 35mm, and security cameras. Brilliant use of colour. Exceptionally well acted, fine deadpan performances from all. And most importantly, WELL WRITTEN. Smart, funny, unpretentious. Gary Burns rocks.

This movie was hilarious! Simply put, it is purely great humour. Practically anyone will like this movie for it's many very realistic characters who all seem to go insane! This movie sits somewhere between reality and fantasy, for it uses both aspects in a beautiful way, somehow finding a perfect point between the two.

It's about these people who make a bet that they will not go outside of this connected office building complex in the heart of downtown CITYX which looks sorta like Calgary. Anyhow, it shows their lives, interactions, and trying to live a human life in the strange box they call home... It makes for a weird, but interesting scenario, and the main character's ant-farm clearly parallels the film's main scenario.

This film not only has excellent acting, but the directing was great too. The script was intelligent and well written, and everything about this movie screams WELL DONE! I mean, for the small little Canadian budget they had, they did excellent! I wouldn't be surprised if this movie becomes an underground classic. Or gets rereleased by a bigger company to rake in the dough at the box office.... frankly, I am surprised how little anyone knows about this movie. Well... See this movie if you havn't yet! It is not to be missed! I reccommend to all, for you will all love this movie. SEE IT!

P.S.

Oh, and the superhero scenes are just awesome! You'll know what I mean! *L* :) Ahh, just thinking about this movie makes me want to start laughing, it's the funniest thing I've seen ever..... in a movie at least. Watch and enjoy. Don't miss it!

A hilarious psychological comedy where 4 Calgary coworkers bet on who can go the longest without going outside. The exaggerated personality degradation and hallucinations are funny and successful at drawing the audience into their warped world. There is a glass ant farm that is shown often as an allegory to the people living in the channeled tubes of sky walks & high-rises, and it serves a narration at a couple points. The actors did convey a sense of disorientation from having been indoors for 24 days, but it seemed from their behavior that they were indoors somewhat longer. The story takes place in one fateful day when several big events occur that they can't fully handle because of the bet induced stress, but a critical enlightenment is also realized. In this 18 day low budget shoot, the location and background information are left fuzzy intentionally as are the costume changes that occur randomly. This was shot in DV which made the post production effects much easier on a budget, so they are used with good results throughout the story. Film maker Gary Burns feels that the sky walk system "ruined down town Calgary," and even the title is part of his film statement of "modernization gone terribly wrong." This movie is worth going to see if you can find it.

I'm going to be honest. I saw Fab Filippo on Queer As Folk and wanted to check out some of his other work. Yeah, he's gorgeous, but that isn't the only thing I liked about this movie. It's so funny, and so well done that it has become one of my favorite indie films. If you've ever had to work in a cubicle and felt like a rat in a maze; if you've ever had co-workers you were sure would be starring in a hostage negotiation; If you've ever let someone continue to call you by the wrong name because it's just easier, WayDownTown is about YOU. The bet that these 4 co-workers have undertaken requires that they stay indoors for 24 days and counting. Their voluntary confinement combined with that all-too-familiar daily grind has resulted in a wicked sort of "mall buzz". Tom (played to absolute perfection by Filippo) carries the movie along with running narration that we hear as he tries to multi-task while stoned. He runs into an assortment of difficult people and to make matters worse, he's starting to hallucinate. The head trips he's pulled on the other 3 involved in the bet are taking full effect and we gradually watch them all come unglued in situations that are funny because of their familiarity. The movie does a great job of making one day run into the next, just like real life. What color is his tie? What color is her sweater? Wait wasn't he wearing a blue shirt? The colors in the movie are used to enhance the stifling artificiality of the office and the attached mall. You won't be able to resist trying to figure out who the Bradley in your office is...