MOVIE REVIEW [SHORT FILM] . Sex, Love & Z-Parts

by Chris   ⋅   February 5, 2007   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

The second short film to be reviewed on Dreamlogic.net comes to us from Marcus Russel, a Los Angeles resident, filmmaker, and philosopher. His Sex, Love & Z-Parts “The Prequel” is a neo-noir/heist/black comedy that aims to represent Generation X’ers as they are, rather than as the media perceives them. Being a proud member of the X generation (Born the last year. Just barely made it), you could say I found the prospect interesting.

The film follows Disco and Mitch (to a much lesser extent), two downwardly mobile friends who find themselves in a sticky situation (with the mob, naturally) after a money making scheme goes awry. Disco, the optimist of the two, claims he can make everything right, that is if he can get near everyone he knows to forget the money he owes them, and grant him one last favor. The Z of the title refers to a Datsun 280Z the two had pooled their money together in order to purchase, and which will presumably be their escape vehicle in the feature film.

Now, being that the film’s production was a “by the skin of your teeth” affair, there are plenty of technical shortcomings I’m more than willing to make allowances for. I’ve worked on a couple short films myself (even played a supporting role in one) so I know the hardships and frustrations an independent production can face. That said, there are a few things worth talking about. The title, Sex, Love & Z-Parts is a bit of a misnomer. No one has sex, no one falls in love, and while the Nissan Z breaks down, no mention of a need for car parts ever occurs. Even the “prequel” notion is suspect, as the real Sex, Love and Z-Parts film has yet to be made (prequels follow existing works, but their stories take place prior to events already depicted). Editing is something of a mess, with a good chunk of the film edited in a Jonas Akerlund Spun hyper-cut fashion, while the remainder (primarily in the latter half) slows down to a less frantic pace. Russell also falls into the green filmmaker’s trap of “cool swearing”, with a liberal carpeting of awkward F-Bombs in many of the scenes. It’s certainly not as bad as that found in Boondock Saints, and being that the characters spouting the words are criminals it could definitely be overlooked, but Mr. Russell did include some writings with the film that demonstrated an eloquence and thoughtfulness not found in said lines.

That said, there are definitely good elements to be found in Sex, Love & Z-Parts. Being that the film is an attempt to truly represent and appeal to the media weaned Generation X, references abound to other Gen X cult favorites. Pulp Fiction, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, The Big Lebowski, Slacker (with which it shares a similar tone), and many more receive knowing nods throughout the narrative. But Russell makes sure his project doesn’t get sidetracked into a simple homage-a-thon. There are actually some nice twists on the familiar to be found. In once fun sequence, a group of gangsters quarrel while playing high-stakes Uno. In another two of the film’s supporting characters have a lively discussion on the true nature of hip-hop that, while familar, seems fresh and natural. The Gen X vibe, while not completely explored, when featured feels genuine. Furthermore when the story finally does get going, it definitely grabs your interest. And, Russell gets mad props for putting Yoko Kanno songs on the soundtrack.

Sex, Love & Z-Parts may not be the greatest short, but it’s certainly not bad. God knows Kris and I have seen mountains of terrible films together, and Sex, Love & Z-Parts doesn’t deserve a place in that heap. As a teaser, it is certainly enticing. Russell shows a lot of promise, and with the right budget and right crew his feature length Sex, Love & Z-Parts might just shine. I wish him luck.

If you would like to learn more about Sex, Love & Z-Parts, check out its official website, here.

About the Author

Chris Nelson has been a film fanatic since age six. A former film and English major, he is now a Software Engineer and contract Technical Writer living in the Silicon Valley.

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