Bellflower

Now that the Oscars have passed and the awards have been handed down I think it's time to shed some light on the best films you didn't see last year, and in my opinion there's no better place to start then with Bellflower. This hellahsish love story was one of the best film I saw in 2011 and though it'd never pass for a blockbuster you'd be shocked to find out it was made for a mere $17,000.  In true Robert Rodriquez fashion writer, director, and star Evan Glodell knows how to stretch a buck. He build "Medusa", the 72' Buick Skylark converted into a Mad Maxien hell machine, the massive flamethrower producing what I could only guess were 20 foot flames, and the one of a kind Silicon Imaging SI-2K mini digital used to shoot the film. Glodell plays "Woodrow" a hard drinking, weapons building, Apocalypse enthusiast who's consistently flanked by childhood best friend "Aiden"played by Tyler Dawson. The two grew up obsessed with Mad Max(didn't we all) and are determined to remain standing as the rest of the world perishes around them. That plan however gets derailed the second Woodrow meets "Millie"(Jessie Wiseman) a hard drinking hell raiser herself. The two fall in love, fall out of love, and as is always the case when relationships bound by booze and adrenaline end, all hell breaks loose. I can't say enough about this film, much like "Monsters" the year before it's proven yet again that you don't need a million dollar budget to make a great film. I don't quite have my rating system worked out yet so at this point I'll just use stars based on a scale of 1-5. Please do yourself a favor and watch this film, and while you're at it build yourself a flamethrower. I mean it is 2012 isn't it?

****
Bellflower
writ. and dir. Evan Glodell;
feat. Evan Glodel, Tyler Dawson,
and Jessie Wiseman (R)