An Indie Film Hit in the Making? Colma: The Musical
In late June, slashfilm.com mentioned an indie film doing big box office on just one screen, so we checked it out. Colma: The Musical premiered in San Francisco, just miles from the title suburb where it was shot, and opened in N.Y.C. July 6.
Read my review on filmcritic.com
TRAILER
This creative gem is teen confusion and anger set to song — produced on a shoestring budget. Armed with about a dozen tunes by screenwriter / actor H.P. Mendoza, first-time director Richard Wong tells of three pals just out of high school, wondering what the hell is next. (We’re working to set up an interview with Mendoza, Wong or both… stay tuned.)
Colma currently carries an 87 rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with positive reviews from Variety, The New York Times, The L.A. Times and Slant (yeah, and yours truly).
If you think a) all teen movies are the same; b) most musicals are overdone crap, you’ll want to see Colma. And if you think it’s impossible to produce an original, entertaining feature film in 18 shooting days, for less than $20,000, you need to see it. (L.A., you’ll get your chance in August.)
And these guys are already talking sequel…
QUESTION: Have you seen the film, and what do you think? What low-budget indie films are your favorites? TELL US
Other Posts of Interest
- Filmmaker Interview — Colma: The Musical
- Soderbergh’s Next? A Musical. In 3D. Seriously.
- First Look: Movie Lineup for Indie Film Festival of Boston
- Review Roundup: HIGH SCHOOL 3, PRIDE AND GLORY, SAW V
- Review Roundup: TRAITOR, HAMLET 2, BABYLON A.D.
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[…] weeks ago, we highlighted Colma: The Musical, the impressive, spirited debut film from director Richard Wong and mega-hyphenate screenwriter / […]