No city in Southern California screams gentrification more than Silverlake. Located near Dodger stadium, what was once a predominantly Latin community is now a hipster haven. In Bayou Bennett and Daniel Lir’s Slashing Silverlake, the wife and husband team follow “famed” cultural anthropologist Dr. Addington (Jim Meskimen). The good doctor recently left the beauty of the Amazon to explore the streets of Silverlake, taking in the fast-growing people known as the hipsteralus silverlakia.
“…recently left the beauty of the Amazon to explore the streets of Silverlake…”
Recently, the hipster population has been dwindling; well, more disappearing. Curiosity compels him to immerse himself in the culture with help from his friends Oceana (Megan Holiday), De Las Roca (Justin Barco), and Fripp (Kevin Nelson). With the help of the shaman (Daniel O’Reilly), our gang learns that the citizens of Silverlake are turning into zombies.
Slashing Silverlake is a fast six-minute comedic short that packs a lot of punch and sets up a much bigger story. Bennett and Lir’s story is funny in a silly, fun kind of way. As Dr. Addington, Jim Meskimen narrates the cultural anthropologist’s adventure as a satire of the odd transformation happening in Silverlake in real life. Let’s face it, Silverlake may not be that far off from a real-life zombie outbreak.
Slashing Silverlake is a fun watch that ends far too soon. Let’s cross our fingers for more.
"…No city in Southern California screams gentrification more than Silverlake."
