This compilation DVD from Depressing Prospect Media features a collection of short films by Brian Labracque.
“Fear of Lemonade” concerns a homeless drug addict who sleeps in a dumpster, smoking hash and watching torture porn on a portable television. A hamster stands in for a dumpster rat. After consuming some Czech industrial chemicals, he decides to become a motivational speaker. He helps two tweens rob a house and is then beat up by a twisted girl scout. A professor comments.
Production values are about as cheap as can be. This one was shot with a home video camera, and major problems with focus, exposure, lighting, and stability abound. However, there is some creative sound design here augmenting a few amusingly surreal moments.
20 mins.
“Radio Greg” consists of five video interviews and four radio excerpts with Labracque. In the radio interviews, Labracque – a self-described “avant garde filmmaker” – smarmily reviews films he has not actually seen. Avant-garde is defined as “Characterized by the use of experimental techniques; modern; daring; radical”. I am not sure I’d use these words to describe Labrecque; I’d go with “occasionally funny; lo-fi dabbler; intermittently motivated hobbyist”.
“Fist Full of Pizza” is a crime-comedy story told in monologue, augmented with a few very simple line drawings.
18 mins.
“Meeting Hillary”
A somewhat awkward young girl named Hillary, new in town, finds a slightly older and more confident girl named Christine in an internet chat room. Hillary is interested in Wiccanism, and Christine appears to be a potential spiritual mentor. They meet. While walking in the woods, Hillary reveals herself to be both evil and powerful. She kicks Christine’s a*s, admonishing her: “hasn’t anyone ever told you not to meet someone from a chat room?”. This film is nothing but an excuse for the amateurishly staged catfight that makes up most of the running time.
10 mins.
“Creature Features” consists of four trailers, a music video by Circle of Force (as heard in “Fear of Lemonade”), and two behind-the-scenes slide shows.
