Never Been Thawed

Last updated
Never Been Thawed
Neverbeenthawed.jpg
DVD cover
Directed by Sean Anders
Written bySean Anders
Chuck LeVinus
John Morris
Produced byEvan Astrowsky
Gregg Ghelfi
Chuck LeVinus
StarringAllen Zwolle
Sean Anders
Shelly Frasier
Chuck LeVinus
John Morris
Music byThomas Laufenberg
John Morris
Sean Anders
Distributed byHart Sharp Video
Slippery Chicken Pictures (theatrical)
Release date
  • April 15, 2005 (2005-04-15)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25,000
Box office$47,812

Never Been Thawed (sometimes referred to as NBT: Never Been Thawed) is a 2005 American independent film released on April 15, 2005. It takes its name from the best condition a frozen entree can be in according to the film's fictional Mesa Frozen Entree Enthusiast's Club. It was filmed in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area by director Sean Anders on a budget of approximately $25,000. Various reviewers referred to the comedy as a mockumentary in the tradition of This Is Spinal Tap and Best in Show .

Contents

Plot

The film revolves around the personal life of main character Shawn Anderson (played by writer-director Anders) and his two life pursuits, the Mesa Frozen Entree Enthusiast's Club and his band The Christers. The club is an eclectic group of people who collect frozen entrees. The film follows the group planning their first Frozen Entree Enthusiasts Convention and the power struggles between Shawn and wealthy group member Vince, who is also a corporate trainer who models his training seminars after Viet Cong prison camps. The Christers are Shawn's rock band. Formerly named The Reach Arounds, they have turned from hardcore punk rock to Christian rock believing it will be easier to sign a record deal.

The story documents the interplay among Anderson and supporting characters. Shelly Toue is an "Intercourse Prevention Hotline" councilor who is obsessed with Shawn, but who has attracted the affection of Christers member Al McTavish who works at a hair salon for children named Klown Kutz that requires him to dress up as a clown and go by the title "Smilist". The Christers are managed by Milo Bender (played by Phoenix realtor John Angelo) who also manages an anti-abortion cafe named the No Choice Cafe that he opened next door to a women's health clinic. [1] Milo also organizes a music festival called Christapalooza where Shawn's band is supposed to play.

Other eclectic characters play minor roles in the plot. An effeminate fire fighter named Scott has been "converted" to heterosexuality by a church ministry. He scavenges commemorative plates from house fires and displays them in his home. Shawn's deaf brother Chris hangs around in his underwear and routinely requests beer and cigarettes from Shawn via TDD telephone calls. [2]

Gags

Christian Profiteer Magazine ChristianProfiteerMagazine.jpg
Christian Profiteer Magazine

Never Been Thawed contains a number of gags intended to bolster its comedy. The principal gag is the absurd array of frozen entrees collected by members of the fictional club, including a "Gene Simmons Beef Tongue" meal. The members also store and display their entrees in improbable ways such as cramming a number of huge chest freezers into a tiny apartment. Another gag seen throughout the film is the music of Shawn's band The Christers. A former punk rock band, they replace the word "fuck" in all of their lyrics with the word "pray" to make the transition to Christian rock. Matt participates in a competitive "Alphabet Game" league that involves driving around and locating the letters of the alphabet on road signs and billboards. [3]

Visual gags that make brief appearances include the character Shelly working at the "William Jefferson Clinton Abstinence Center" and the character Matt wearing a portable bladder so he doesn't have to get up to urinate. Director Anders displays his skill as a graphic designer by placing posters, gag magazines such as The Christian Profiteer, Apathy Monthly, and Roadside Memorial, and other visuals throughout the film. [4]

Cast and crew

Anders and LeVinus cast friends and amateur actors for the film, which helped keep the budget low. Many of the people who worked as crew members on the film did double-duty as actors including Anders himself who plays the lead role of Shawn Anderson. Los Angeles therapist and sometime actress Shelly Frasier plays Shelly Toue, Phoenix guitarist and teacher Allen Zwolle plays Al McTavish, producer Chuck LeVinus, who is also a Phoenix firefighter, plays Al's brother Chuck, and co-writer and composer John Morris plays Shawn's deaf brother Chris. Arizona politician Scott Isham agreed to play a gay firefighter in the film believing that it would never be completed or screen anywhere. [5] Anders' actress sister Andrea Anders has a cameo.

Production and release

Never Been Thawed started as more of an experiment in film making than a serious production, with Anders and LeVinus planning it as a "learning experience" before embarking on a real production. However, positive reactions at initial film festival screenings[ which? ] led to a successful project that turned a profit. The idea for the film came from some fictional biographies Anders wrote for his band Stone Bogart. One of the biographies claimed that a member had collection of frozen entrees in freezers in his apartment. People frequently e-mailed Anders about the biography, leading him to create a five-minute short film that eventually inspired the story for Never Been Thawed. [6]

Anders and LeVinus filmed Never Been Thawed in more than 50 Phoenix area locations including local cafes and wine bars, Squaw Peak, Anders' Mesa, Arizona home, [6] and stretches of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande. They used DV camcorders for shooting more than 100 hours of footage and cast friends in the major roles, accomplishing the production in 18 months [7] on an extremely low budget of $25,000. One of the only experienced actors in the film is Shelly Frasier.

The production team initially had problems getting film festivals to accept Never Been Thawed. The Silver Lake Film Festival eventually accepted the film, where Los Angeles Times reviewer Kevin Thomas saw it and subsequently gave it a good review.[ citation needed ] Thomas' review generated more festival interest, and the film screened at the Wisconsin Film Festival and the Sedona Film Festival in early April 2005.[ citation needed ] On April 15, 2005, Never Been Thawed premiered at Harkins Theatres Valley Art theater in Tempe, Arizona. [8] The film ran for a total of eight weeks in Arizona, and in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. [1]

Reception

Never Been Thawed received praise for its independent approach to making a successful comedy [1] and its use of "astute, straight-faced" acting to achieve comedic effect. [4] Some reviewers criticized Anders' use of the film to make fun of various aspects of American culture such as Christian rock, abstinence education, and anti-abortion advocacy, and his heavy use of gags. [9] [10]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesa, Arizona</span> City in Arizona, United States

Mesa is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is the third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson, the 36th-most populous city in the U.S., and the most populous city that is not a county seat. The city is home to 504,258 people as of 2020. It is the most populous city in the East Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area. It is bordered by Tempe on the west, the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community on the north, Chandler and Gilbert on the south along with Queen Creek, and Apache Junction on the east.

The music of Arizona began with Indigenous music of North America made by Indigenous peoples of Arizona. In the 20th century, Mexican immigrants popularized Banda, corridos, mariachi and conjunto. Other major influences come from styles popular throughout the rest of the United States.

<i>The Cooler</i> 2003 film by Wayne Kramer

The Cooler is a 2003 American crime drama film directed by Wayne Kramer, from a screenplay by Frank Hannah and Kramer. The film stars William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Estella Warren, Paul Sorvino, and Alec Baldwin. It follows a casino "cooler" whose mere presence at the gambling tables usually results in a streak of bad luck for the other players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedona Airport</span> Airport in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States

Sedona Airport is a non-towered airport located 2 miles southwest of the central business district of Sedona, a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The airport covers 220 acres (89 ha) and has one runway and one helipad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Adkins</span> American rock musician

James Christopher Adkins is an American musician who is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter of the rock band Jimmy Eat World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coconino National Forest</span> United States protected area in Arizona

The Coconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre United States National Forest located in northern Arizona in the vicinity of Flagstaff, with elevations ranging from 2,600 feet to the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet. Originally established in 1898 as the "San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve", the area was designated a U.S. National Forest by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt on July 2, 1908, when the San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve was merged with lands from other surrounding forest reserves to create the Coconino National Forest. Today, the Coconino National Forest contains diverse landscapes, including deserts, ponderosa pine forests, flatlands, mesas, alpine tundra, and ancient volcanic peaks. The forest surrounds the towns of Sedona and Flagstaff and borders four other national forests; the Kaibab National Forest to the west and northwest, the Prescott National Forest to the southwest, the Tonto National Forest to the south, and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to the southeast. The forest contains all or parts of nine designated wilderness areas, including the Kachina Peaks Wilderness, which includes the summit of the San Francisco Peaks. The headquarters are in Flagstaff. The Coconino National Forest consists of three districts: Flagstaff Ranger District, Mogollon Rim Ranger District, and Red Rock Ranger District, which have local ranger district offices in Flagstaff, Happy Jack, and Sedona.

The Phunk Junkeez is an American rap rock band from Phoenix, Arizona that formed in 1991. The group's original lineup consisted of vocalists Joe Valiente (Soulman) and Kirk Reznik. Other members rotated through over the years.

The Stiletto Formal was a self-proclaimed "eccentric rock and roll" band from Phoenix, Arizona, and were one of the few rock bands featuring a cello and other exotic instruments and effects as an integral part of their sound. In addition to these qualities and unusual time signatures, Kyle Howard's falsetto provided distinction in their music. Their lyrics are often constructed into a short story format. They had gained a local fanbase in Arizona and were attracting national attention after playing nationwide tours and appearing on the Vans Warped Tour; however, band frontman Kyle Howard relocated to Los Angeles in 2009, and the group's Facebook and Myspace profiles have since been devoid of group activity.

NBT may refer to:

Loosely Tight is an American hard rock band originally based out of Phoenix, Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Orville</span> Fictional character in 3rd Rock from the Sun

Officer Donald Leslie "Don" Orville is a fictional character in the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. He is portrayed by Wayne Knight and works as a Police Sergeant in the fictional town of Rutherford, Ohio, though he is consistently referred to as "Officer" throughout the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bennie Gonzales</span> American architect (1924–2008)

Bennie M. Gonzales FAIA was an American architect known for a distinctive style of Southwestern architecture which has since been widely copied. Gonzales designed most of Scottsdale, Arizona's, major municipal buildings including Scottsdale City Hall, the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and the Civic Center Library. His resume also included hundreds of private homes and residences throughout Arizona.

Travis Randall is an American actor and musician. He was born in Spooner, Wisconsin. In 2008 he was a regular on Spike Network's MANswers as the exotic food expert appearing in multiple episodes. In 2005 he appeared in the film Never Been Thawed that was directed and written by Sean Anders who would go on to write and direct Sex Drive as well as projects such as Mr. Popper's Penguins, Hot Tub Time Machine, She's Out of My League, and Dumb and Dumber To. Sean and Travis were in the band Stone Bogart together. They made music and covered such songs as Monty Python's "The Lumberjack Song." Travis is also an acclaimed chef with a cookbook due in late 2015 according to his website. Travis also has a BBQ sauce available through his website. He regularly appears on radio and TV segments about food nationally. As of 2011 he was teaching grilling classes periodically in Scottsdale, Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Decker</span> American musician

Brandon Cameron Parks-Decker aka "decker." is an American singer-songwriter based out of Sedona, AZ. He performs and releases albums under the moniker decker. Decker has released 7 albums while consistently touring substantially across the United States. While performing tour stops at traditional music venues, decker. gained notoriety for almost daily impromptu street performances he and his band gave during the course of a 99-show tour for his 2010 release, Long as the Night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Captain Squeegee</span> American psychedelic indie rock band

Captain Squeegee is an American psychedelic indie-rock band from Mesa, Arizona. Formed in 2002. Their songs cover content from a wide range of topics, including: conspiracies, aliens, love, and the paranormal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawn Christensen</span> American filmmaker, musician, and podcaster

Shawn Christensen is an American musician, filmmaker, podcaster and artist. He is a graduate of Pratt Institute, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration and graphic design. Christensen was the frontman of the indie rock band Stellastarr. In 2013, he won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for his short film Curfew.

Tatanka Wanbli Sapa Xila Sabe Means is an American actor and comedian, of Oglala Lakota, Omaha, Yankton Dakota, and Diné descent. He is best known for his roles in Killers of the Flower Moon and The Son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedona Schnebly</span> Arizona pioneer (1877–1950)

Sedona Schnebly was an early pioneer in the Oak Creek area of Arizona. She was the namesake of the town of Sedona, Arizona. She helped in the establishment of the family farm and general store in the town. She also served as the town's bible school teacher. Sedona saved funds to build the Wayside Chapel. Among her legacy is a sculpture of a statue in her likeness by the Sedona Red Rocks Arts Council honoring her memory.

<i>Raising Buchanan</i> 2019 film by Bruce Dellis

Raising Buchanan is a 2019 American comedy film produced by Amanda Melby, Joe Gruberman, Chadwick Struck and Cathy Shim, written and directed by Bruce Dellis. The film stars René Auberjonois in the role of the title character, James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States, and was his final role released in his lifetime. He died in December 2019. The film was Bruce Dellis' first full-length feature. Raising Buchanan was filmed in and near Phoenix, Arizona.

John William Morris is an American film screenwriter and producer best known for his collaborations with director Sean Anders, including Spirited (2022), Daddy's Home (2015), and We're the Millers (2013).

References

  1. 1 2 3 Muller, Bill (2005-04-15). "Thawed is Solid". The Arizona Republic.
  2. ↑ Pela, Robrt L. (2005-04-14). "Never Been Funnier". Phoenix New Times.
  3. ↑ Thomas, Rob (2005-03-30). "10 Good Bets". The Capital Times.
  4. 1 2 Holden, Stephen (2005-02-07). "Collectibles in the Freezer, Religion in the Rock". The New York Times . Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  5. ↑ Ruelas, Richard (2005-04-11). "County staffer warming up to firefighting role in 'Thawed'". The Arizona Republic.
  6. 1 2 Wallach, Craig (2005-04-14). "Thaw Inspiring". Phoenix New Times.
  7. ↑ Lin, Christopher (2005-04-14). "Filmmaker brings 'Never Been Thawed' home". Get Out Magazine.
  8. 1 2 Thomas, Rob (2005-04-20). "City-born filmmaker gets break with 'NBT'". The Capital Times.
  9. ↑ Schager, Nick. "Never Been Thawed". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 2007-06-18.
  10. ↑ Sheib, Ronnie (2005-10-05). "Never Been Thawed". Variety . Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  11. ↑ McNary, Dave (2005-03-21). "Upstarts In The 'Know'". Variety .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.