So nice to see this review go up today. We know we will get a varying set of reviews, but it is always nice to get off to a good start:
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/phoenix-oregon-gary-lundgren-review/
“…eclectic indie filmmaker Gary Lundgren has hit his stride with this comedy-drama about two men trying to achieve a modest but arduous goal, and redeem their lives of failure and disappointment.
The film manages to combine some of the goofy naturalism of Napoleon Dynamite, and the barbed workplace humour of Office Space, with a funny but genuinely sympathetic tale of humble yet potentially life-changing aspirations. Small but important personal breakthroughs alternate with larger but more mundane disasters, leading to a bittersweet and hopeful conclusion. Director Lundgren has acknowledged that his own experience with facing middle age inspired the script, which may explain how he and the able cast manage to capture both the pain and the silliness of this universal experience so effectively.”
We feel momentum and traction in all of our markets, and are cautiously optimistic.
At the same time, I am experiencing a good amount of anxiety (along with the rest of the world) about the coronavirus. There is the obvious concern about its effects on cinema attendance in our over 60 audience demographic, and I also have significant worry for our over 70 parents and friends.
Currently, we leave next Thursday to go to LA for Q&As and screenings March 20–21. We will reassess our plans mid-next week. It’s not yet clear how theater attendance will be affected especially since, in our smaller markets, the virus has not yet arrived. It’s possible the release will sneak through, but if not, we may be strategizing a pivot to digital sooner than planned.
Along with everyone else, we will be watching how things progress over the next two weeks, making the best decisions we can, and washing our hands.
♡ Annie
Photo credit Mary WilkinsKelly