In writer/director/star Adam Vencil’s Pleasure, Bye, a sunbaked Gulf Coast backdrop becomes the launchpad for a scrappy sci-fi tale about temptation, secrecy, and the kind of opportunity that feels too good to be true. Aren’t they all?
Andy (Vencil) is a down-on-his-luck Randy Savage street impersonator in Galveston, Texas, making rent the hard way, one photo-op at a time. One night, Andy’s luck goes from bad to worse when he’s attacked and robbed. Realizing he’s a joke, Andy receives a mysterious phone call from a guy who says he found his wallet. The mysterious man (Chase Cromartie) then offers him an insane amount of money. The next day, the wallet returned, the two chat, and it becomes clear the man thinks Andy is the perfect loner to sign on to a hush-hush government “experiment.” Andy could earn tens of thousands a day as long as he can keep it all a secret.
Andy accepts and soon learns he’ll be testing a clandestine portal to an alien world. Andy will act as a deliveryman, carrying rare minerals back and forth; again, don’t ask questions. Though Andy’s red flags are on high alert, the money is irresistible. He agrees and is launched through the portal. Arriving on the other side, Andy starts to vomit, but other than that, everything seems fine. Back on Earth, Andy’s new financial situation gets him a new girlfriend and makes life much easier. All he has to do is continue the transports and submit to occasional government interviews about the effects of teleportation. All seems well, but Andy is feeling progressively worse, and another person involved in the project is starting to raise questions.
A brutal moment in the desert throws Andy’s “easy money” mission into survival mode in Pleasure, Bye.
“…he’ll be testing a clandestine portal to an alien world. Andy will act as a deliveryman, carrying rare minerals back and forth…”
If you’re a fan of science fiction, the whole exploration of new worlds and technology thing, you’ll find a lot to love about Pleasure, Bye. It’s a solid story about aliens, teleportation, and just how far you would go for financial security, and then some. That said, the first thing you’re going to notice is that this is an ultra-low-budget movie. Yes, the video quality is not great. The sound isn’t perfect. There’s virtually no production value, but we’re teleporting across a galaxy, for crying out loud. There are some visual effects that support the story…someone, get these folks some money! This is sort of the mission of War Works Production: make the most of what little we have to make a movie.
The whole affair centers on Vencil’s performance. Andy’s just a guy desperate to get out of the financial hole he’s in. The actor sells the moral and ethical themes with gravitas and fun. And, yes, he looks like Randy Savage. While you may be dissuaded by the low quality, after watching Star Trek and Star Wars over the last decade, know that this far exceeds them and has something to say about humanity.
Pleasure, Bye may look rough around the edges, but it swings for the fences. The story is a big sci-fi idea and features a very human downfall at the center of it. Easy money always comes at a cost, leaving us to wonder if “get-rich-quick” schemes are worth it at all.
For more information, visit the Pleasure, Bye official website.
"…swings for the fences."
