White and Lazy
From the Archives
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02-May-2017
Set in 1991, this comedic portrait of a mumbling and indecisive young man trying to collect rent from his eccentric roommates taps into the grand lineage of poor college kids living as weirdo artists in houses with way too many people. It’s tried and true and "White and Lazy" captures it with perfect authenticity. On February 1st, rent is due, and it’s Steve’s job to go around the house and get everyones money. Except no one is particularly interested or able to pay up. The drummer roommate in the attic claims he’s already given enough money to the rich landowner, while the new-age-bedroom-poet downstairs figures she has two days left to pay as she insists on using last years calendar. Steve knows the landlord won’t take kindly to the news and becomes increasingly anxious about the impending encounter. Shot on 16mm (in one of America's great college towns Madison, Wisconsin), it’s a throwback to the indie age of Slacker and Clerks, and it would stand up to either. There’s gently satire at play in the bohemian lifestyles and laid-back deflection of responsibility, but director and actor James Runde obviously knows and loves the scene. He's cobbled together a new slacker classic.
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