VERTICAL POOL PRESENTS
an Anxious X-mas Comedy
---> ABOVE IMAGE LINKS TO THE MOVIE <---
"Smart dialogue, compassionate and perceptive character writing,
a heightened sense of both the comic and dramatic potential of
the situation, sharp editing, and nuanced, powerful performances
all come togetherto explore what it means to be human,
and live in a dangerous and unpredictable world".
- David Finkelsten, film threat.com (4 stars)CLICK THIS TO WATCH THE TRAILER
SYNOPSIS (no spoilers) and THE CAST
Present Day; Christmas in Berkeley, California. An Astrologer, a Closet Satanist, a WebCast Diva, A Gulf War Vet, an Inuit Opera Singer and her mysterious boyfriend are all forced indoors during an unexpected citywide lockdown initiated by the federal government. Ona, the webcast diva with her own show, thinks the feds are shifting into a fullblown police state. Her roomies think she's paranoid. Havoc and hilarity prevail as they all race to their own conclusions about what they think is happening during the escalating uncertainty.
CASSIE POWELL as Ona, the webcast diva
"Click my image for an episode of my show!"
DAVID GAUNTLETT as Sam, the lovelorn astrologer
"Your life purpose is delineated in your astrology chart."
BRADY M. WOOLERY as Brent the closet Satanist
"Conscience is a curse on the will to pleasure!"
DUNCAN COOK
as Hank, the mysterious boyfriend
"Have you ever considered the true nature of beer?"
ALAN READE as Blake, the Gulf War vet & landlord
"They call it Gulf War Syndrome because it doesn't exist."
BEKAH L. BARNETT
as Lily the Inuit opera singer
"The Inuit people have this ritual for harvesting whales."
NICK WALKER as the Pathological Liar
"I hear Guantanamo Bay is lovely this time of year."
also featuring...
PAT PARKER as The Grandmother
SHAUNA ROGAN as Herself
JEFF HANDY as the TV News Anchorman
JENNIFER BRUCE as the C.D.C. Authority
MELISSA BELLOFF as the Girl Who Wants to be Napolean
ANTERO is a West coast-based filmmaker whose deep
background
in
experimental theatre
(since 1975) imprints his underground films with
their surrealistic
sensibility.
His films occasionally screen on the arthouse
circuit from Seattle to Los Angeles and points in between and, are
available online. Antero is also book author residing in Portland OR
with
his partner and collaborator Sylvi
San Francisco Chronicle interview
THE CREW
Writer/Director: Antero Alli
Producers: Antero and Sylvi Alli
Director of Photography: Chris Rasmussen
Editors: Chris Odell (online) and Antero Alli (offline)
Production Manager & Research Assistant: Jennifer Bruce
Executive Producer: Vertical Pool Productions
Soundtrack: Sylvi Alli - also featuring ATU.