Actors and actresses in Los Angeles would probably be grateful for a superhero like The Server (Dominic Pace). Not quite in the ranks or as comic-book like as Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man are, The Server fights for the rights of waiters and waitresses who should get the tips they deserve and should not have to face the bad-mouthing of so many customers day in and day out.
The boss of this operation is Wesley Higgins (John Renzulli), who delivers orders by cell phone and The Server is not without his own sidekick, a silent one named Sancho (Miguel Alcantara) who can be handy with whatever the situation calls for, be it a pot of coffee or a pepper grinder. “The Server” even goes so far to cover all the bases of being superhero, with an arch-villain named Eliza Schwarfstein (Jeanine DiTomasso), who yells and screams about all the problems that she finds with her meal, and really gives one waitress a load of grief, reducing her to a bubbling pile of tears.
The concept for “The Server” is an excellent idea. Waiters and waitresses, even of the struggling actor kind, will find much to guffaw over, especially with unruly customers being given their due. Both hero and sidekick, decked out in a Phantom of the Opera-type black mask really put it to them and it’s a credit to Dominic Pace and Miguel Alcantara to make it work like he does. And the funny thing is that even though he doesn’t speak a word, there’s a certain appeal to Sancho that makes him worth watching just as much as The Server.
Because this is already not your typical superhero story, Pace has added marital problems to The Server’s already-growing list of troubles. His wife (Jennifer Kwantes) is constantly cheating on him with Batman (Spiro Stanboulis) and a fat schmo, and constantly wonders why in the hell The Server does the work that he does, because once those actors and actresses make it, they’re going to forget him and everything he did. And as always, The Server must defend his stance on his way of justice.
It’s a credit to Pace’s writing and direction that the short remains as comical and entertaining as it does. Perhaps there’ll be further adventures of “The Server” one day, but for now, this is a great start.
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