Box Elder (film)

Last updated
Box Elder
Box Elder.jpg
A comedy about dudes, bros, and dude-bros.
Directed by Todd Sklar
Written byTodd Sklar
Produced byTodd Sklar
Brock Williams
StarringAlex Rennie
Nick Renkoski
Chad Haas
Todd Sklar
CinematographyJ. Rockwell Seebach
Edited byKamau Bilal
Distributed byRange Life Entertainment
Release date
  • March 3, 2008 (2008-03-03)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Box Elder is a 2008 American independent film. It was written and directed by Todd Sklar, his first feature film. The film stars Alex Rennie, Nick Renkoski, Chad Haas, as well as Sklar.

Contents

Plot

Box Elder follows best friends and roommates, John Scott (Sklar) Alex, Nick, and Chad (Haas) through their final years of college at the University of Missouri. The loose narrative structure is anchored by John's breakup with his girlfriend Laura (Hina Abdullah). The four dudes party, eat sandwiches, and repeatedly ignore their scholastic responsibilities.

Cast

ActorRole
Alex RennieRennie
Nicholas RenkoskiNick Becker
Chad HaasBradley Fletcher
Todd Sklar John Scott
Hina AbdullahLaura Glaser
James Ponsoldt Robby "Couv" McGouven
Brian SturgillMatt Vaggey
Kyle AyersPhil Ryerson

Distribution

In the Spring of 2008, Sklar and a number of cast and crew from the film toured the film from city to city, mostly focusing on college campuses and art-house cinemas. [1] Sklar, via his distribution company, Range Life Entertainment, entered into direct 50-50 revenue-sharing deals with the majority of the theaters at which Box Elder screened. [2] According to the filmmaker at numerous post-screening Q&A sessions, Sklar will be bringing Box Elder, along with a number of other films, back on the road and into theaters in the fall of 2008.

Critical reception

During the film's engagement at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, Time Out Chicago gave the film 3 stars and said it, "plays like a cross between Richard Linklater’s Slacker and TV’s Seinfeld ." [3] The Chicago Reader gave a brief review, praising, "the dialogue has actual wit in addition to the usual ironic gloss and Sklar's vision of college is the fond fiction we all like to remember in adulthood." [4]

Soundtrack

SongBand
"Roadrunner" The Modern Lovers
"Get Real" Hockey Night
"Charm School" Bishop Allen
"Mazatlan" The Plastic Constellations
"This Western Lot" The Plastic Constellations
"I Need You" The Rationals
"Stand Up (Let's Get Murdered)" P.O.S
"The Monster Mash" Bobby Pickett
"Bad Kids" The Black Lips
"It's Us" The Plastic Constellations
"Gusto" Ha Ha Tonka
"Manpark" Lifter Puller
"Cold Hands" The Black Lips
"Set You Free" The Black Keys
"Back to the Lake" Guided by Voices
"Old World" The Modern Lovers

Related Research Articles

<i>The Thin Red Line</i> (1998 film) 1998 film by Terrence Malick

The Thin Red Line is a 1998 American epic war film written and directed by Terrence Malick. It is the second screen adaptation of the 1962 novel of the same name by James Jones, following the 1964 film. Telling a fictionalized version of the Battle of Mount Austen, which was part of the Guadalcanal Campaign in the Pacific Theater of World War II, it portrays U.S. soldiers of C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, played by Sean Penn, Jim Caviezel, Nick Nolte, Elias Koteas and Ben Chaplin. The novel's title alludes to a line from Rudyard Kipling's poem "Tommy", from Barrack-Room Ballads, in which he calls British foot soldiers "the thin red line of heroes", referring to the stand of the 93rd Regiment in the Battle of Balaclava of the Crimean War.

<i>Delgo</i> 2008 film

Delgo is a 2008 American computer-animated fantasy adventure film directed by Marc F. Adler and Jason Maurer, written by Scott Biear, Patrick J. Cowan, Carl Dream, and Jennifer A. Jones. It stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, Anne Bancroft, Chris Kattan, Louis Gossett Jr., Burt Reynolds, Eric Idle, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kelly Ripa, Val Kilmer, and Malcolm McDowell with narration by Sally Kellerman. It was distributed by Freestyle Releasing with music by Geoff Zanelli and produced by Electric Eye Entertainment Corporation and Fathom Studios, a division of Macquarium Intelligent Communications, which began development of the project in 1999.

<i>House of Wax</i> (2005 film) 2005 slasher film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

House of Wax is a 2005 slasher film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, in his feature directorial debut, and written by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes. The film stars Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Brian Van Holt in a dual role, Paris Hilton, Jared Padalecki, Jon Abrahams, and Robert Ri'chard. It is a loose remake of the 1953 film of the same name, itself a remake of the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum, based on the story "The Wax Works" by Charles S. Belden. The film soundtrack features music by Deftones, My Chemical Romance, and Interpol.

<i>Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay</i> 2008 film by Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is a 2008 American buddy stoner comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. The sequel to Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), it is the second installment in the Harold & Kumar franchise, and stars John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris. The film follows Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) as their planned trip to Amsterdam is derailed after being wrongly imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

<i>Under Fire</i> (1983 film) 1983 film by Roger Spottiswoode

Under Fire is a 1983 American political thriller film set during the last days of the Nicaraguan Revolution that ended the Somoza regime in 1979. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode, it stars Nick Nolte, Gene Hackman and Joanna Cassidy. The musical score by Jerry Goldsmith, which featured jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Score. The editing by Mark Conte and John Bloom was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Editing. The film was shot in the Mexican states of Chiapas and Oaxaca.

<i>Half Nelson</i> (film) 2006 American film

Half Nelson is a 2006 American drama film directed by Ryan Fleck and written by Fleck and Anna Boden. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps and Anthony Mackie. It was scored by Canadian band Broken Social Scene. 26-year-old Gosling was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, becoming the eighth-youngest nominee in the category.

<i>Its My Party</i> (film) 1996 American film

It's My Party is a 1996 American drama film written and directed by Randal Kleiser, it was one of the first feature films to address the topic of AIDS patients dying with dignity. The film is based on the true events of the death of Harry Stein, accomplished architect and designer, who was actually director Kleiser's ex-lover. Stein's actual farewell party was held in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Martin (comedian)</span>

Robert Martin is a television and musical theatre actor and writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

<i>High School Musical 3: Senior Year</i> 2008 American film

High School Musical 3: Senior Year is a 2008 American musical film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Peter Barsocchini. The sequel to High School Musical 2 (2007) and the third installment of the High School Musical film series, the film follows Troy Bolton, Gabriella Montez, Sharpay Evans, her twin brother Ryan Evans, Chad Danforth, and Taylor McKessie, who are in their final year of high school and face the daunting prospect of being separated as they go off to college. Joined by the rest of their East High classmates, they stage their last spring musical, reflecting their experiences, hopes, and fears about the future.

<i>Leatherheads</i> 2008 American film

Leatherheads is a 2008 American sports comedy film from Universal Pictures directed by and starring George Clooney. The film also stars Renée Zellweger, Jonathan Pryce, and John Krasinski and focuses on the early years of professional American football. The film was released on April 4, 2008. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed just $41 million against its $58 million budget.

<i>Religulous</i> 2008 American film

Religulous is a 2008 American documentary film written by and starring comedian Bill Maher and directed by Larry Charles. The title of the film is a portmanteau derived from the words religious and ridiculous. The documentary examines and challenges religion and religious belief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Timbers</span> American dramatist

Alex Timbers is an American writer and director and the recipient of Tony, Golden Globe, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and London Evening Standard Awards, as well as two OBIE and Lucile Lortel Awards. He also received the 2019 Drama League Founder's Award for Excellence in Directing and the 2016 Jerome Robbins Award for Directing. He was nominated for a 2020 Grammy Award. For his work on Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Timbers won a 2021 Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical.

<i>The Final Destination</i> 2009 American 3D supernatural horror film

The Final Destination is a 2009 American 3D supernatural horror film written by Eric Bress and directed by David R. Ellis. It is the fourth installment in the Final Destination film series and the second standalone sequel after Final Destination 2 (2003), and stars Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, and Mykelti Williamson. Produced by New Line Cinema, the film follows a group of people after they escape a car crash during a race, with Death stalking and killing them one by one.

Scarrie! the Musical is an unauthorized musical stage spoof of the 1976 Brian De Palma film Carrie and the 1988 Broadway musical, both based on the 1974 novel of the same name by Stephen King, the tale of a high school misfit. The musical had a script by David Cerda with music and lyrics by Cerda, Scott Lamberty and Taylor E. Ross. The musical spoof played in two different productions in Illinois. The musical uses a 1970s influenced score and "lots of pigs blood".

<i>The Twilight Saga</i> (film series) Series of romance fantasy films about vampires

The Twilight Saga is a series of romance fantasy films based on the book series Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The series has grossed over $3.4 billion worldwide. The first installment, Twilight, was released on November 21, 2008. The second installment, New Moon, followed on November 20, 2009. The third installment, Eclipse, was released on June 30, 2010. The fourth installment, Breaking Dawn – Part 1, was released on November 18, 2011, while the fifth installment, Breaking Dawn – Part 2, was released on November 16, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cthulhu Mythos in popular culture</span> Cultural references to H. P. Lovecraft

This article provides a list of cultural references to the work of author H. P. Lovecraft. These references are collectively known as the Cthulhu Mythos. For works that are stylistically Lovecraftian, including comics and film adaptations influenced by Lovecraft, see Lovecraftian horror.

<i>Gods Pocket</i> 2014 American film

God's Pocket is a 2014 American drama film directed by John Slattery, his feature film directorial debut. Slattery co-wrote the screenplay with Alex Metcalf, based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Pete Dexter. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Turturro, Christina Hendricks, and Richard Jenkins. The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival to mixed critical reviews, and was picked up for domestic distribution by IFC Films. The film is set in a poor working class South Philadelphia neighborhood modeled on Devil's Pocket, but filmed in Yonkers and New Jersey.

Todd Sklar is an American film director, screenwriter and actor. His feature directorial debut, Box Elder, gained national attention after being self-distributed around the country. Sklar's most recent film, Awful Nice, premiered in competition at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival and was released theatrically in 2014.

<i>Pig</i> (2021 film) 2021 American drama film by Michael Sarnoski

Pig is a 2021 American drama film written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, from a story by Vanessa Block and Sarnoski. The film stars Nicolas Cage as a truffle-hunter who lives alone in the Oregon wilderness and must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped. It also stars Alex Wolff and Adam Arkin.

<i>Mercury in Retrograde</i> 2017 film, directed by Michael Glover Smith

Mercury in Retrograde is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Michael Glover Smith, and starring French actress Roxane Mesquida. The film follows three couples from Chicago as they navigate personal challenges while vacationing together for a weekend in southwestern Michigan. The film premiered at the 2017 Full Bloom Film Festival in Statesville, North Carolina where it won the Best Narrative Feature award.

References

  1. August, John (6 July 2008). "JohnAugust.com: Self-distributing an indie-feature". johnaugust.com. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  2. Flasher, Eli. "The Great American Bromance". Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on 2008-04-08. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
  3. Gronvall, Andrea. "Box Elder Review". timeout.com. Archived from the original on 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
  4. Jones, J.R. "Box Elder". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2008-05-15.