Kylie Mungenast directs and writes a Cold War pastiche short, Peppermint Pixie Dream Girl, set in a fantastical and nightmarish take on the 1950s. Shirley May (Zoey Luna) is a transgender waitress. During her shift, a bully greaser, Earnest (Alec Barnett), repeatedly taunts her. His girlfriend, Patricia (Destiny Greer), requests a peppermint milkshake. Just as Shirley is about to finish crafting the shake, a beautiful pinup girl, Dorothy (Abby Langh), snatches it. Peppermint is her favorite flavor, and an instant meet-cute moment is born! Shirley and Dorothy hit it off rather quickly. Earnest is pissed at Shirley because the shake was supposed to be for his girlfriend. On the radio, a news anchor reports the threats of the atomic bomb and transsexuals. Shirley asks Dorothy to go on a drive-in date.
The date goes smoothly until she learns that Dorothy has a boyfriend. She has an imaginative fantasy of her and Dorothy making out, which is complemented by lustful atomic-bomb imagery. Dorothy feels sorry for the miscommunication. This prompts Shirley to recite a vulnerable poem by John Blomquist. This moment of vulnerability is quickly sabotaged by Earnest’s gang. His friends tie up Dorothy, while Ernest brutally assaults Shirley. His assault is so painful that it leads Dorothy to presume her friend may be dead.
“Mungenast’s film shines with its vintage cinematography; it is a hybrid between the color technology of CineColor and DeLuxe Color.”
Mungenast’s film shines with its vintage cinematography; it is a hybrid of the color technologies CineColor and DeLuxe Color. The cinematography blossoms with a palette of cherry red, bubblegum pink, and minty turquoise. J. Abraham Montes has a clear eye for mid-century aesthetics. Shaelan Walker’s set decoration complements the vivid imagery.
The cast nails the stilted, melodramatic acting of classic exploitation films. The camera loves Abby Langh, a beauty with gorgeous red hair. She is a natural onscreen in her performance as Dorothy. Langh is visually a cross between Rita Hayworth, Maureen O’Hara, and other Technicolor starlets. Alec Barnett plays his villain role with the appropriate amount of sleaze. There is dramatic imagery throughout thanks to Jenny Situ’s dynamic storyboarding.
While the vintage aesthetics may draw in audiences, the second half of the film can be grotesque at times. It takes away from the witty foreplay, genuine acting, and imaginative imagery.
As someone who worships the Classic Hollywood vibe, I appreciate Kylie Mungenast’s bold swing to embrace a hybrid of big-budget and B-movie elements. It is very encouraging for retro-inspired filmmakers (me included)! Peppermint Pixie Dream Girl is a film that speaks to finding one’s hidden beauty and expressing vulnerability during a terrible moment in life.
"…On the radio, a news anchor reports the threats of the atomic bomb and transsexuals."
