Bitters and Blue Ruin
Encyclopedia
Bitters and Blue Ruin is a black-and-white neo-noir
film shot in Philadelphia which centers on the ills of absinthe
addiction
.
and producer Scott Elwell, the plot centers on Professor Roddy Schiffman (Bruce P. Wilson), a big wheel in the psychological community of the day, who is knee-deep in his latest research project: an academic text on pathological narcissism. Though his last book was a big hit, things don't look so rosy this time around; Roddy has writer's block
.
Things take a further nosedive when Roddy loses control and decks graduate student Sal Unmarino, who slinks back to his advisor and Roddy's rival Professor Slavko P. Slavko (John Bravo). Sal spills his guts, painting a picture of a Roddy who's not only desperate to complete the book, but who has lapsed back into his old ways, hitting the cups hard.
Slavco senses that something is not quite right, but even he is shocked when a clandestine search through Roddy's office reveals that Roddy has been blowing Sal off and running with a former Hollywood pretty boy, now full-time nobody named Chester Trunche. What in blue blazes could Roddy be up to?...
What follows is the story of a desperate man searching to regain his former inspiration, but instead finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into the pit of dependency and hedonism as he becomes hooked on a potent and mysterious beverage known only as "The Blue Muse".
Roddy's quest for the Muse takes him from atop the lofty ivory tower
s of academia down to the lowest gutters of the seedy under-culture of Philadelphia. But whether he's at a swanky urbane soiree or in the company of garrulous prostitutes, Roddy always finds himself a man out at sea. His newly found Muse has quickly become his only true love.
And just when things start to turn around for him, Sal and Slavco call in the big guns in the form of one Dr. Emil Halbfass (Rick Bravo), dean
of the school, a guy who himself has more than a few screws loose. The jig is truly up when Halbfass decides to commit Roddy to an insane asylum. This touches off a chain of events that brings everything crashing down on their heads.
.
According to the Kelley and Elwell, an edited and colorized version of the film will likely be released commercially in 2008 under a new title. Initial reports are that the film's title will be changed to "The Third Degree." Additionally, filming will commence soon on Kelley and Elwell's long-rumored comedy "The Luxury Problem."
Neo-noir
Neo-noir is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.-History:The term Film Noir was coined by...
film shot in Philadelphia which centers on the ills of absinthe
Absinthe
Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as "grande wormwood", together with green anise and sweet fennel...
addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
.
Plot
Written by director Sean KelleySean Kelley
Sean Kelley is an American soccer player currently playing for Orlando City in the USL Professional Division.-College and amateur:...
and producer Scott Elwell, the plot centers on Professor Roddy Schiffman (Bruce P. Wilson), a big wheel in the psychological community of the day, who is knee-deep in his latest research project: an academic text on pathological narcissism. Though his last book was a big hit, things don't look so rosy this time around; Roddy has writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
.
Things take a further nosedive when Roddy loses control and decks graduate student Sal Unmarino, who slinks back to his advisor and Roddy's rival Professor Slavko P. Slavko (John Bravo). Sal spills his guts, painting a picture of a Roddy who's not only desperate to complete the book, but who has lapsed back into his old ways, hitting the cups hard.
Slavco senses that something is not quite right, but even he is shocked when a clandestine search through Roddy's office reveals that Roddy has been blowing Sal off and running with a former Hollywood pretty boy, now full-time nobody named Chester Trunche. What in blue blazes could Roddy be up to?...
What follows is the story of a desperate man searching to regain his former inspiration, but instead finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into the pit of dependency and hedonism as he becomes hooked on a potent and mysterious beverage known only as "The Blue Muse".
Roddy's quest for the Muse takes him from atop the lofty ivory tower
Ivory Tower
The term Ivory Tower originates in the Biblical Song of Solomon , and was later used as an epithet for Mary.From the 19th century it has been used to designate a world or atmosphere where intellectuals engage in pursuits that are disconnected from the practical concerns of everyday life...
s of academia down to the lowest gutters of the seedy under-culture of Philadelphia. But whether he's at a swanky urbane soiree or in the company of garrulous prostitutes, Roddy always finds himself a man out at sea. His newly found Muse has quickly become his only true love.
And just when things start to turn around for him, Sal and Slavco call in the big guns in the form of one Dr. Emil Halbfass (Rick Bravo), dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the school, a guy who himself has more than a few screws loose. The jig is truly up when Halbfass decides to commit Roddy to an insane asylum. This touches off a chain of events that brings everything crashing down on their heads.
History
The film had a world premiere on December 14, 2001, at International House at the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
According to the Kelley and Elwell, an edited and colorized version of the film will likely be released commercially in 2008 under a new title. Initial reports are that the film's title will be changed to "The Third Degree." Additionally, filming will commence soon on Kelley and Elwell's long-rumored comedy "The Luxury Problem."