Skiptracers: Southern-Fried Brains Make for Comic Take on Real Life in the South

Southern-fried brains and more populate “Skiptracers” – a Southern comedy feature film filled with hilarity and, sometimes redneck vulgarity, rock music, fugitives, sordid affairs, and pee wee football.

The fried brains here are not the kind you eat, but those of people we deal with in everyday life – and this film is full of characters you’ll recognize from the church pew to the jailhouse.

Cooked up by Alabama-born film makers Harris Mendheim and Andy Stuckey (best known as half of the NYC-based “Stuckey and Murray” musical comedy team), with writing help from their friend Brian Saliba, SKIPTRACERS embodies the underbelly of a South we all know but seldom see played out on screen.

Accompanied by a winning soundtrack featuring artists Langhorne Slim, The Defibulators, The Avett Brothers and others, the story revolves around the Trawick family. The Trawick’s are a family steeped in south Alabama tradition of bail-bonding and pee wee football, with sons J.D. and Tucker leading the pack, and overbearing father and coach, Big Donald at the helm, backed by the born-again Baptist and former bootlegging matriarch, Nanny.

Their nemeses include trailer-park crack-head Rusty, a fugitive from the law with a penchant for strip clubs and rock music, and their arch rival in both bail bonding and pee wee football, Cletus Yoates.

“Skiptracers” and the Trawick legacy make for a raucous good time at the movies resembling a coupling of “Dukes of Hazard” and the Coen Brothers’ quirky takes on rural life.

Here’s a trailer for the film:

“Skiptracers” has already received several accolades including the Rome International Film Festival’s Audience Award; Best Comedy, Best Actor in a Comedy (Andy Stuckey as Rusty McAndrews) from the Dixie Film Festival; and the Excellence in Feature Film making award at the Accolade Film Fest in La Jolla, CA.

Tennesseans have several chances to see “Skiptracers” from April 20th -26th at the following theaters:
THOROUGHBRED 20 – FRANKLIN, TN
NORTHGATE 14 – HIXSON, TN
WYNNSONG 16 – KNOXVILLE, TN
CARMIKE 14 – JOHNSON CITY, TN

For more info visit the following interweb thing-a-ma-jiggers:

Skiptracersmovie.com
Myspace.com/langhorneslim
Myspace.com/thedefibulators
Myspace.com/theavettbrothers

Doug Stanhope @ Exit/In (4/10)

Doug Stanhope @ Exit/In 2009.04.10

Tickets are selling fast for Doug Stanhope‘s one and only stop in Nashville this year (April 10th at Exit/In with The Mattoid and Chad Riden). This will sell out, so buy your tickets now while you still can. The Facebook event is here.

Stanhope’s material ranges from true-life graphic perversion to volatile social criticism. Doug is vulgar, opinionated, brutally honest and shockingly uninhibited and is certainly not for everybody. He started his career in Las Vegas doing jack-off jokes for free drinks. Not much has changed, save for the mullet.

Here is a short video from Doug’s “Deadbeat Hero” dvd:

A few reviews:
“Ask anyone whose opinion matters, and they’ll tell you Doug Stanhope is one of the top ten stand-ups in the world today. Stanhope’s confrontational stance comes from the rough, blistered underbelly of America ‘s trailer parks; he’s a feral, aggressive man full fuelled by primal urges to drink, fight and screw -­ and the corrosive material has all the venomous aggression you might expect from that background. But what underlines it, and makes it so untouchably good, is the passion and conviction with which he holds his intelligent beliefs, informed by sensibilities that might seem alien to such a no-nonsense, pig-headed persona.” – Chortle, UK

“Stanhope shocks you with the virulence of his lucidity; he shocks you into realising how transparent the confidence trick of western propaganda can be made to seem. What he has in abundance is the charm, don’t-give-a-damn swagger and aggressive intelligence that make for important, exciting comedy.” – Guardian, UK

“Some of the sharpest and most biting cultural commentary you’ll see in a comedy club.” – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Let me tell you something, friends. Doug Stanhope is one funny sumbitch. He’s also one of the most twisted individuals I’ve ever met, but that’s part of his charm. He’s one of those comics that doesn’t make shit up. He lives a mad, mad life and what he remembers he reports back to us. He’s been known to bare his soul, and other things, right there on the stage. If you’re easily offended, stay home this week. Watch Matlock or something. But if you like your comedy rough, raw, and rowdy, there’s no one better than Doug Stanhope. Have I made myself clear?” – The Austin Chronicle

“Sharp, off color, and howlingly funny” – The San Francisco Chronicle

“Stanhope breaks down the walls of decency. He uses profanity, but nothing he says is meant to shock. Everything he says is designed to make the audience laugh. Stanhope has worked his way to become one of the best comics around” – The Reno Gazette Journal

Get more infos about Doug at:
DougStanhope.com
MySpace.com/DougStanhope

THE MATTOID: An ever roving cast but one solid constant, the Mattoid (Ville Kiviniemi) hails from the cold morelle land of Finland. After traveling the countries of Western Europe, Mexico, Thailand, India, and Egypt the Mattoid decided to spread his message amongst his fine American friends. A few years back he resides amongst the Anti-folk presence ala NYC, has had stints in Reno, San Francisco and Phoenix. Now resides in Nashville, (Jiaaaaaa!) Tennessee. Who knows where next! GLORY HOLY THE EP IS NOW AVAILABLE!

MySpace.com/theMattoid

CHAD RIDEN: has been described as “a comedian, a family man, a computer dork and a smart-ass.” He has also been called “America’s Favorite Comedian Of All Time,” a “Legendary Old School Rapper,” a “Moronic, Lying Jackass,” and “The Hardest Working Man In No Business.”

As early as the age of 8, Chad would sneak out of bed to watch David Letterman, thinking “THAT’S what I want to do.” In college Riden majored in Broadcasting, as “Jackassery” was not an option. Amazingly, Chad graduated and began working in local radio and television.. but was fired from nearly every job for being a smart-ass. Eventually, he began to realize that he needed to find work where this kind of behavior was appreciated and decided to embrace poverty and pursue comedy. He currently tours the nation using his smart-ass super powers for good, not evil.

www.ChadRiden.com

Doug Stanhope, The Mattoid, Chad Riden
9pm, April 10th, 2009
Exit/In
2208 Elliston Place
Nashville, TN 37203
615-321-3340

$20 –
tickets are on sale now

(comment on this in the forum thread)