Closing night of the DC APA Film Festival was amazing—even better than I’d expected, actually. Sometimes it’s hard to tell how good a film is going to be just from reading a short synopsis. Short blurbs will give you a good idea of the basic plot, but not any of the nuances of the acting, humor, or wittiness of the script. Surrogate Valentine, by Dave Boyle, is your classic tale of the rambling musician. In this story, indie musician Goh Nakamura (playing himself) is trying to catch his big break, but in the mean time he still has to take on side jobs to pay the bills. His latest job is to teach TV actor Danny (ChaddStoops) how to play the guitar for an upcoming film role, and indirectly to coach him in how to portray a convincing struggling musician. On top of all this, he’s striving to find love, but never quite has the guts to go after the lady he wants (Lynn Chen).
A story like that has the potential to go in a number of different directions. It could have been pensive, or melancholy, or even inspirational. And, we do find a little bit of each of those things here. But, this film surprised me by also being outrageously hilarious. And, it’s the kind of witty, dead-pan humor that really cracks me up. This kind of comedy usually isn’t successful unless there’s real chemistry between the actors. And, Goh Nakamura and Chadd Stoops get on like a house on fire. It feels like they’ve known each other forever the way they casually rib one another, and call each other on their bullshit with only a meaningful glance. And, you can’t write a character more naturally outrageous than Danny. This guys is shameless. He’s one of those narcissistic, frivolous actors with no sense for what’s appropriate or proportionate behavior. But, he means well. However, this film has more going for it than just a few witty laughs. Goh Nakamura’s musical stylings are also pretty incredible. His music is woven throughout the film and it really brings something special to the story. Everything about this film is great. You should definitely check it out. And, you’ll get the chance soon enough. It looks like this film is coming to Netflix pretty soon! This film was a wonderful finish to another delightful film festival.
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The feature film was preceded by an equally hilarious short by Chris Sheridan. Beta to the Max is a blast from the past. It takes us back to the 80s and all the glorious, white suits, sweet shades, and feathered hairdos that decade had to offer—that and the epic VHS/Betamax war. This particular battle is being fought between a pair of pretty outrageous, pompous sales reps. And, these guys fight it out old school—with dance videos, karaoke sing-offs, and good, old-fashioned name calling. It’s goofy, and silly, and full of fun, 80s pop culture references. Those are fun to spot, but they’ll definitely date you.
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