John Schafer, Rhett Brinkley and Zach Turner.

In our Q&A yesterday, John Schafer was bluntly honest. He said he and his collaborators didn’t know what they were doing and made a film that looks like a homemade movie. So, yeah, there’s a fair amount of shaky camera work and several stunted or overlong scenes, but within that, there’s a strong story, even stronger characters and a lot of smart, almost lyrical camera work.

Advertisement

It’s a film a piece with the mumblecore movement — ultra-lo-fi, dialogue heavy, concerned with drifting 20somethings struggling to relate. Much to its credit, “Slumberland” presents the same sort of emotionally honest characters that you find in the best mumblecore movies, but without the intense navel-gazing that, for me, derails a lot of them. It’s a movie that isn’t afraid to play it wacky. There’s a lot of broad comedy. Pratfalls. Funny flashbacks. Folks were rolling.

But most of all, what impressive performances cast-round. Sure everyone’s playing slightly fictionalized versions of themselves, but it’s hard to present a convincing version of yourself in front of camera. As the local lothario, Zach Turner turns up the smarm hilariously, but when he needs to, plays it down to something close to tenderness. Murdock Jones needs his own movie. And Rhett Brinkley does hapless with enough charisma to anchor an indie franchise.

Advertisement

The dudes made the movie like no one makes movies. They shot and edited almost concurrently. So, as you might expect, as the movie goes a long, it looks a lot better. You can tell they were figuring out as they went.

Time for another one!

Advertisement

After the screening, which was full — people were turned away, too — the after party at the Peabody was a madhouse. There was an open bar. A fashion show featuring bikinied models and Korto. And a typically excellent, if short, performance from Velvet Kente. By the look of the dancefloor, it looked like the band had some new converts.

Arkansas Times: Your voice in the fight

Are you tired of watered-down news and biased reporting? The Arkansas Times has been fighting for truth and justice for 50 years. As an alternative newspaper in Little Rock, we are tough, determined, and unafraid to take on powerful forces. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, we are making a difference. But we can't do it without you. Join the 3,400 paid subscribers who support our great journalism and help us hire more writers. Sign up for a subscription today or make a donation of as little as $1 and help keep the Arkansas Times feisty for years to come.

Previous article Friday To-Do: Dirt Nasty Next article Face-off