Ralph Styles Ultra
From the Archives
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Comedy, 14-Oct-2019
A faithfully recreated 1970s cigarettes advertisement unspools into a surreal satire on melodramatic marketing. “Ralph Styles Ultra,” by director Nic fforde, is an exquisitely-realized mockup complete with period-perfect performances, music, art design, costuming, and hair and make up. A debonair man named Luca Pistachio introduces a new line of cigarettes assuring the viewer these smokes rank up there with the finest wine and jewelry in the world. “They’re more than special, they’re ultra.” But when the commercial ends, no one yells cut, and the actors continue to inhabit the world of the ad. What could have easily become a one-note parody twists into an arousing tale of lust and jealousy, absurdly comic yet transfixing. -KA. Written and directed by Nic fforde. Co-writer: Giulia Watson. Producers: Nic fforde, Giulia Watson, Rob Osbourn. Cast: Jamie Fischer, Josh Burdett, Lily Cooper, Alexander Allin. DP: Richard Dunton. Editor: John Smith ACE. Music: Chris Hill.
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