When the apocalypse comes Mad Max super-fans, Woodrow (Evan Glodell, also director) and Aiden (Tyler Dawson), will be riding it out in style. They’ve masterminded the ‘Mother Medusa’ muscle car, complete with explosion-proof gas tank and flamethrower, and spend their days hanging out, welding their vision into a reality. All is going to plan until the impulsive Milly (Jessie Wiseman) enters their lives and Woodrow finds a new obsession.
Bellflower is a classic tale of boy meets girl over a live cricket-eating contest. Boy takes girl on road trip in car with a fitted whiskey dispenser (‘it’s like a James Bond car for drunks’). Boy falls for girl. Girl breaks boy’s heart (and by proxy, body). Boy torches girl’s belongings with a flamethrower. Cue confusing and bloody escalation. The moral of the story: never cheat on a boy with a flamethrower.
Think Kevin Smith meets with Hunter S. Thompson. Think Top Gear meets Robot Wars. Think Pimp My Ride, Mad Max style. Then add flamethrowers.
This is a gem for trivia fans: Glodell and Wiseman actually eat live crickets at the contest. Glodell built his first flamethrower at the age of 12. The film was shot on hand-made, one of a kind cameras. The real life ‘Mother Medusa’ is fully functional, equipped with two flamethrowers, smoke screen, roll cage and surveillance cameras. The car itself caught fire when it shot flames 40 feet into the air, accidentally scorching the power lines above.
It’s also peppered with the kind of memorable dialogue that those that like to quote film scripts back will love:
Woodrow: ‘What if it blows up?’
Aiden: ‘Well, then we’ll be on fire!’
At its best it’s an awkward, funny and grimy (right down to the dirt on the camera lens) coming of age(ish), American indie road movie. At its worst it descends into lazy plotting and takes nonsensical, giant leaps in character development. It over-promises and under-delivers but it’s worth the ride for the camerawork, soundtrack and, of course, the flamethrowers.
106mins.
Bellflower had its UK premier at the 2011 Leeds International Film Festival on Friday 11th November.
For more information:
The official website for the Leeds International Film Festival is www.leedsfilm.com. The box office number is 0113 224 3801. The LIFF25 Box Office is located in The Carriageworks, located on Millennium Square, Leeds. The box office is open from 10am – 6pm Monday to Saturday and on Sundays when there is a performance at The Carriageworks. Advance tickets and passes can be purchased either online, by phone or in person.
Josephine Borg is a newly northern, back-rubber extraordinaire. She offers Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage to the good folks of West Yorkshire, along with a brew and a slice of homemade cake. You can find out more at www.lomimassageleeds.com or by following her on Twitter @ilovelomi or Facebook.