Jazmin Jamias wrote and directed this short about a brother and sister who own a DVD rental store. Not surprisingly, Sophie and Junior are struggling to keep this store going in the age or Red Box, Netflix and the internet
but they try because the store had been started by their deceased parents. On a lark, Sophie decides to make a short film about their plight and enters it in a film festival
and is shocked to not only win but get a lot of attention for their struggling store. While the plot is pretty simple and not essentially exciting, how this is handled is the key. The characters (particularly Junior) are well written and very exciting to watch and not surprisingly the film earned awards at the Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival including: Best Student Film, Best Supporting Actor. Easy to like and fun.
2 Reviews
It ain't easy being Awesome
ghekster4 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I don't know if her parents said "Someday all this will be yours" or not, but Sophie Mendoza (Kristine Gerolaga) and her younger brother Junior (Jose Angeles) had it happen to them after her parents died in auto accident...life goes on and in this case "Awesome Video", a video rental store, full of "her" movies, is her life. All the great motion pictures she grew up with made her decide that she wanted to make movies, like many before her who worked in the treasure vaults of film...in this day and age of convenience her dreams are crashing on the rocky shores of faded glory...many things are making her see RED...Netflix, REDBOX, and other things...but she is a creature of joy, humor and love...one day she knows its all up to her to decide what to do.
The story is fun with excellent acting, music and camera work. For other movies of video store life check out "Be Kind Rewind", "A Real Job" or "Drop Box"...
Film Locations - considered spoilers for this film:
spacer
spacer
spacer
Opening sequence, a lonely REDBOX in the night... (1189 Admiral Callaghan Ln, Vallejo, CA)
Awesome Video - "345 Main Street, Vallejo, CA" (movie filmed at 5000 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA which then moved to 4524 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA)
Empress Theater (330 Virginia St, Vallejo, CA)
Redbox: Vallejo security cam footage:
Sonoma Blvd (11 SerraVista Square at 411 Gellert Blvd, DalyCity, CA)
Georgia St (137 W Manor Dr, Pacifica, CA)
Spring Rd (293 87th St, Daly City, CA)
Marin St (137 W Manor Dr, Pacifica, CA used twice!, different angle)
The story is fun with excellent acting, music and camera work. For other movies of video store life check out "Be Kind Rewind", "A Real Job" or "Drop Box"...
Film Locations - considered spoilers for this film:
spacer
spacer
spacer
Opening sequence, a lonely REDBOX in the night... (1189 Admiral Callaghan Ln, Vallejo, CA)
Awesome Video - "345 Main Street, Vallejo, CA" (movie filmed at 5000 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA which then moved to 4524 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA)
Empress Theater (330 Virginia St, Vallejo, CA)
Redbox: Vallejo security cam footage:
Sonoma Blvd (11 SerraVista Square at 411 Gellert Blvd, DalyCity, CA)
Georgia St (137 W Manor Dr, Pacifica, CA)
Spring Rd (293 87th St, Daly City, CA)
Marin St (137 W Manor Dr, Pacifica, CA used twice!, different angle)
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
