Bennifer
From the Archives
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Comedy, Short Films, 22-Jan-2021
Jed's family isn't how he remembered it. “Bennifer” is an absurd comedy about a strange homecoming, directed by Ryan McGlade and starring Keith Poulson as a deadpan orphan. Arriving to his childhood home after a long absence (by canoe no less), Jed finds his family situation completely different than when he left. His cold, detached mother is now training to be a singer. His dad is nowhere to be found, replaced by a wiry weirdo named Bennifer who tries to fight Jed. The tale of dysfunction swirls out in all directions — a terrible saxophone player is living in Jed’s old room. We learn the disturbing backstory of the family; the more we learn, the less things make sense. With its saturated soft glow visuals (shot on Super 16mm) and bonkers performances, McGlade’s film is a distinctive piece of experimental comedy, free-form, anything goes. -KA. Director: Ryan McGlade. Cast: Keith Poulson, Kristin Griffith, Keith McDermott, Tamio Shiraishi. Director of Photography: Cody Powers. Editor: Ryan McGlade. Producer: Jordan Axelrod. Production Designer: Jayne Clark. Original Score: MV Carbon.
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