The Becomers | |
---|---|
Directed by | Zach Clark |
Written by | Zach Clark |
Produced by | Joe Swanberg Erich Ashworth Eddie Linker |
Starring | Molly Plunk Mike Lopez Russell Mael |
Cinematography | Daryl Pittman |
Edited by | Zach Clark |
Music by | Fritz Myers |
Distributed by | Dark Star Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | >$100,000 |
The Becomers is a 2023 American film by Zach Clark.
Two alien lovers flee their dying planet and seize the bodies of two humans. Their jump from body to body while attempting to find each other and live in the United States.
In February 2021, Joe Swanberg asked Zach Clark if he "had any ideas for $100,000 genre movies that we could shoot in 12 days in Chicago" as Swanberg was trying to produce four to six films. [1] Clark wrote The Becomers in March 2021, [2] and was inspired by B movies from the 1950s. Clark met and cast Russell Mael of the band Sparks as the film's narrator, after the latter was a guest on a Zoom meeting hosted by one of Clarks' friends. [3]
Clark directed and edited the film. It was shot in and around Chicago [3] [4] [5] on a budget greater than $100,000. [1] The cinematography was performed by Daryl Pittman and the soundtrack was composed by Fritz Myers. [6]
The Becomers was shown at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 22, 2023. [7] Dark Star Pictures distributed the film and it theatrically premiered at Cinema Village on August 23, 2024. It will be released to video on demand on September 24. [5] [6]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 92% of 25 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7/10. [8] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [9]
Matt Zoller Seitz, writing in RogerEbert.com , gave the film three stars as it is "an arresting movie, and a great example of how to do a lot with a little", but wrote that he was "not sure that Clark has enough gas in the tank to carry the movie’s premise through". [4] Alison Foreman, writing in IndieWire , gave the film a B-, but wrote that it "loses its way when Clark starts searching for a political message he can’t pin down". [5] Jason Adams, writing in Mashable , praised the film as a "sweet and tender romance under a good dollop of gross-out Cronenbergian body horror". [10]
Ronald David Mael is an American musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is the keyboard player and principal songwriter in the band Sparks, which he founded with vocalist, occasional songwriter and younger brother Russell Mael in 1971. Mael is known for his quirky and idiosyncratic approach to songwriting, his intricate and rhythmic keyboard playing style and for his deadpan and low key, scowling demeanour onstage often remaining motionless over his keyboard in sharp contrast to Russell's animated and hyperactive frontman antics. Ron Mael is also noted for his conservative clothes and distinctive moustache. The Mael brothers are the founders of Lil' Beethoven Records.
Russell Craig Mael is an American singer best known as the lead singer for the band Sparks, which he formed in 1971 with his elder brother Ron Mael. Mael is known for his wide vocal range, in particular his far-reaching falsetto. He has a flamboyant and hyperactive stage presence which contrasts sharply with Ron Mael's inexpressive demeanour. The band released an album with British rock band Franz Ferdinand, as the supergroup FFS, titled FFS, released in 2015. The Mael brothers are the founders of Lil' Beethoven Records.
Sparks is an American pop and rock duo formed by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals) in Los Angeles. The duo is noted for their quirky approach to songwriting; their music is often accompanied by sophisticated and acerbic lyrics—often about women, and sometimes containing literary or cinematic references—and an idiosyncratic, theatrical stage presence, typified by the contrast between Russell's animated, hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's deadpan scowling. Russell Mael has a distinctive wide-ranging voice, while Ron Mael plays keyboards in an intricate and rhythmic style. Their frequently changing styles and visual presentations have kept the band at the forefront of modern, artful pop music.
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Mumblecore is a subgenre of independent film characterized by naturalistic acting and dialogue, low budgets, an emphasis on dialogue over plot, and a focus on the personal relationships of young adults. Filmmakers associated with the genre include Andrew Bujalski, Lynn Shelton, the Duplass brothers Mark and Jay, Greta Gerwig, Aaron Katz, Joe Swanberg, and Ry Russo-Young. In many cases, though, these directors reject the term. The genre is a mostly American phenomenon. The related term mumblegore has been used for films mixing the mumblecore and horror genres.
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RogerEbert.com is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the Chicago Sun-Times, was launched in 2002. Ebert handpicked writers from around the world to contribute to the website. After Ebert died in 2013, the website was relaunched under Ebert Digital, a partnership founded between Ebert, his wife Chaz, and friend Josh Golden.
3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets, also known as 3 1/2 Minutes, is a 2015 American documentary film written and directed by Marc Silver. The film is based on the events surrounding the 2012 murder of Jordan Russell Davis and examines the shooting itself, as well as the subsequent trial, media coverage and protests that resulted from the shooting.
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson is an American sketch comedy television series created by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, with Robinson also starring in most of the sketches. The first season premiered on Netflix on April 23, 2019, while the second season was released on July 6, 2021. The series was renewed for a third season in May 2022, which premiered on May 30, 2023.
Annette is a 2021 musical romantic drama film directed by Leos Carax in his English-language directorial debut. The film's story and music were written by Ron Mael, Russell Mael, with lyrics co-written by Carax. The film, which has been described as a rock opera, follows a stand-up comedian and his opera singer wife, and how their lives are changed when they have their first child. Simon Helberg and Devyn McDowell also appear.
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The Sparks Brothers is a 2021 documentary film about Ron and Russell Mael, members of the pop and rock duo Sparks. The film, directed by Edgar Wright, and produced by Wright, Nira Park, George Hencken and Laura Richardson, premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and was theatrically released the following summer. It received critical acclaim.
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