Girl Walks into a Bar
Encyclopedia
Girl Walks Into a Bar is a 2011 multiple story line ensemble
comedy film produced exclusively for Internet distribution
. It is directed by Sebastián Gutiérrez
from his own script, much like the anthology
style of Gutiérrez's Women in Trouble
, and follows a group of apparent strangers in interlocking stories taking place in ten different bars during the course of one evening throughout Los Angeles
.
Girl Walks Into a Bar premiered at The ArcLight Hollywood Cinemas
on March 7, 2011, in Los Angeles
and screened as an official selection of the Spotlight Premieres section at the South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival 2011 in Austin
. The film is currently available in the United States to watch for free exclusively on YouTube
with sponsorship from Lexus
.
), who poses as an assassin, meets a dentist in a Los Angeles bar. His name is Nick (Zachary Quinto
) and he wants his wife Karen (Lauren Lee Smith
) dead. He does not have the upfront payment of $20,000, but he promises he can get it for her before the night is over. When he leaves, Francine meets a young man named Henry (Aaron Tveit
), a photographer who charms her before stealing her wallet and running off into the night. Her wallet contains the device used to record her conversation with Nick, and the evidence is incriminating.
This begins Francine's frantic search through the bars and clubs of Los Angeles. As she journeys, a number of characters are introduced. There is Henry's sister, Teresa (Emmanuelle Chriqui
), an exotic dancer. There is Teresa and Henry's father, Dodge (Robert Forster
), an ex-con who gives his son the most baffling of advice and has a strange fixation on bones. There is Nick's patient, Aldo (Danny DeVito
), a gangster who can get Nick his money ... but only by roping him into participating in a heist. There is a bartender named Camilla (Amber Valletta
), who is having relationship problems with her divorced upstairs neighbor. There is June (Rosario Dawson
), a hatcheck girl for an exclusive nude ping pong club. There is Francine's superior, Sam Salazar (Josh Hartnett
), who is always addressed as Officer but is actually a detective. Then there is Francine's ex-husband, Emmit (Gil Bellows
), who has something Francine wants.
's and Zach Schwartz's Shangri-La Entertainment. Principal photography
took place in Los Angeles
in March 2010. The film was shot in eleven days with a Canon 7D high-definition
camera. Inspired by a scene from Gutiérrez's Elektra Luxx
, it is a kind of Robert Altman
-esque Short Cuts
. Sebastián Gutiérrez
claimed at the South by Southwest Film Festival premiere of Elektra Luxx
that Girl Walks Into a Bar is the first major motion picture with a cast of notable stars created exclusively for Web distribution. Quoted in an official press release, Gutiérrez revealed "We want to prove that Web distribution is a viable medium for theatrical quality movies which rely on story, characters and dialogue as opposed to special effects. For many reasons the theatrical indie landscape has changed drastically in the last few years, leaving many potential breakout hits without an audience. We are excited to break the rules of feature films by letting people watch our movie for free online." Locomotive Distribution is handling worldwide sales.
and Lexus
to present Girl Walks Into a Bar free, exclusively in the YouTube Screening Room, a platform designed to showcase top films from around the world, premiering March 11, 2011, at http://www.youtube.com/screeningroom and viewable only by visitors from the United States. The presentation marks the first time a major motion picture was created exclusively for Web distribution. "With Girl Walks Into a Bar, the cast and crew came together to create something different – a high quality, really fun character-driven film that we could present to audiences for free using a new distribution
model," said Gutierrez. "We found great partners in Lexus
and YouTube
to support the film while providing us with the stage to draw the largest audience possible."
Although it was intended for worldwide distribution, the film has been blocked from the United Kingdom, Canada and the rest of the world on copyright grounds. Girl Walks Into a Bar is currently only available in the United States to watch for free exclusively on YouTube
.
Girl Walks Into a Bar marks Lexus
' first entry into film presentation.
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
comedy film produced exclusively for Internet distribution
Web film
A web film is a film made with the medium of the Internet and its distribution constraints in mind. This term aims to differentiate content made for the Internet from content made for other media, such as cinema or television, that has been converted into a World Wide Web-compatible format...
. It is directed by Sebastián Gutiérrez
Sebastian Gutierrez
Sebastián Gutiérrez is an award-winning Venezuelan-American film director, screenwriter, film producer and occasional actor...
from his own script, much like the anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
style of Gutiérrez's Women in Trouble
Women in Trouble
Women in Trouble is a 2009 American comedy film, written and directed by Sebastian Gutierrez, and starring a cast consisting of Carla Gugino, Adrianne Palicki, Marley Shelton, Connie Britton and Emmanuelle Chriqui.-Plot:...
, and follows a group of apparent strangers in interlocking stories taking place in ten different bars during the course of one evening throughout Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Girl Walks Into a Bar premiered at The ArcLight Hollywood Cinemas
ArcLight Hollywood
The ArcLight Hollywood is a 14-screen multiplex located at 6360 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, in the United States of America. All 14 screens feature stadium seating, and carry a THX certification for optimal sound and picture presentation. The building is located adjacent to the...
on March 7, 2011, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and screened as an official selection of the Spotlight Premieres section at the South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival 2011 in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
. The film is currently available in the United States to watch for free exclusively on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
with sponsorship from Lexus
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
.
Plot
An undercover ex-cop named Francine Driver (Carla GuginoCarla Gugino
Carla Gugino is an American actress known for her roles of Sally Jupiter in Watchmen, Dr. Vera Gorski in Sucker Punch, Lucille in Sin City, Amanda Daniels in seasons 3, 5 and 7 of Entourage, Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids film trilogy, and as the lead characters of the television series Karen Sisco...
), who poses as an assassin, meets a dentist in a Los Angeles bar. His name is Nick (Zachary Quinto
Zachary Quinto
Zachary John Quinto is an American actor and producer. Quinto grew up in Pennsylvania and was active in high school musical theater. In the early 2000s he guest starred in television series and appeared in a recurring role in the serial drama 24 from 2003 to 2004...
) and he wants his wife Karen (Lauren Lee Smith
Lauren Lee Smith
-Early life:Lauren attended Henry James Cambie Secondary School. Smith was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The stepdaughter of a documentary filmmaker, Lauren travelled around the world with her family. When she was 14, her family moved to Los Angeles, California...
) dead. He does not have the upfront payment of $20,000, but he promises he can get it for her before the night is over. When he leaves, Francine meets a young man named Henry (Aaron Tveit
Aaron Tveit
Aaron Kyle Tveit is an American theatre and film actor originally from Middletown, New York. He is known for originating the roles of Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale Jr...
), a photographer who charms her before stealing her wallet and running off into the night. Her wallet contains the device used to record her conversation with Nick, and the evidence is incriminating.
This begins Francine's frantic search through the bars and clubs of Los Angeles. As she journeys, a number of characters are introduced. There is Henry's sister, Teresa (Emmanuelle Chriqui
Emmanuelle Chriqui
Emmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui is a Canadian film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on HBO's Entourage as Sloan McQuewick, as well as the love interest of Adam Sandler in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan...
), an exotic dancer. There is Teresa and Henry's father, Dodge (Robert Forster
Robert Forster
Robert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
), an ex-con who gives his son the most baffling of advice and has a strange fixation on bones. There is Nick's patient, Aldo (Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
), a gangster who can get Nick his money ... but only by roping him into participating in a heist. There is a bartender named Camilla (Amber Valletta
Amber Valletta
Amber Evangeline Valletta is an American actress and model. She began her career as a model for fashion agencies, and appeared on cover pages of internationally recognized magazines. She made her film debut in Drop Back Ten . She then starred in the hit film Hitch...
), who is having relationship problems with her divorced upstairs neighbor. There is June (Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
), a hatcheck girl for an exclusive nude ping pong club. There is Francine's superior, Sam Salazar (Josh Hartnett
Josh Hartnett
Joshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...
), who is always addressed as Officer but is actually a detective. Then there is Francine's ex-husband, Emmit (Gil Bellows
Gil Bellows
Gil Bellows is a Canadian film and television actor. He is best known for the roles of Tommy Williams in The Shawshank Redemption, Billy Thomas in the television series Ally McBeal and as CIA agent Matt Callan in the television series The Agency.-Early life:Bellows was born in Vancouver, British...
), who has something Francine wants.
Cast
- Carla GuginoCarla GuginoCarla Gugino is an American actress known for her roles of Sally Jupiter in Watchmen, Dr. Vera Gorski in Sucker Punch, Lucille in Sin City, Amanda Daniels in seasons 3, 5 and 7 of Entourage, Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids film trilogy, and as the lead characters of the television series Karen Sisco...
as Francine Driver - Zachary QuintoZachary QuintoZachary John Quinto is an American actor and producer. Quinto grew up in Pennsylvania and was active in high school musical theater. In the early 2000s he guest starred in television series and appeared in a recurring role in the serial drama 24 from 2003 to 2004...
as Nick - Josh HartnettJosh HartnettJoshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...
as Sam Salazar - Danny DeVitoDanny DeVitoDaniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
as Aldo - Rosario DawsonRosario DawsonRosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
as June - Emmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui is a Canadian film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on HBO's Entourage as Sloan McQuewick, as well as the love interest of Adam Sandler in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan...
as Teresa - Robert ForsterRobert ForsterRobert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
as Dodge - Aaron TveitAaron TveitAaron Kyle Tveit is an American theatre and film actor originally from Middletown, New York. He is known for originating the roles of Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale Jr...
as Henry - Amber VallettaAmber VallettaAmber Evangeline Valletta is an American actress and model. She began her career as a model for fashion agencies, and appeared on cover pages of internationally recognized magazines. She made her film debut in Drop Back Ten . She then starred in the hit film Hitch...
as Camilla - Gil BellowsGil BellowsGil Bellows is a Canadian film and television actor. He is best known for the roles of Tommy Williams in The Shawshank Redemption, Billy Thomas in the television series Ally McBeal and as CIA agent Matt Callan in the television series The Agency.-Early life:Bellows was born in Vancouver, British...
as Emmit - Kevin ZegersKevin ZegersKevin Joseph Zegers is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for his leading roles as Josh Framm in the Air Bud series, as well as playing Damien Dalgaard in the Gossip Girl series and the protagonist in Rock Mafia's The Big Bang...
as Billy - Alexis BledelAlexis BledelAlexis Bledel is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Rory Gilmore in the television series Gilmore Girls and Lena Kaligaris in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.-Early life:Bledel was born Kimberly Alexis Bledel in Houston, Texas...
as Kim - Michelle RyanMichelle RyanMichelle Claire Ryan is an English actress.She is best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater on BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2007, she starred in the short lived American television series Bionic Woman...
as Loretta - Xander BerkeleyXander BerkeleyAlexander Harper "Xander" Berkeley is an American actor. His roles include George Mason on the television series 24.-Early life:Berkeley was born in Brooklyn, New York, but has lived most of his life in New Jersey...
as Moe - Lauren Lee SmithLauren Lee Smith-Early life:Lauren attended Henry James Cambie Secondary School. Smith was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The stepdaughter of a documentary filmmaker, Lauren travelled around the world with her family. When she was 14, her family moved to Los Angeles, California...
as Karen
Production
Girl Walks Into a Bar is produced by Gutiérrez's Gato Negro Films and co-produced by Steve BingSteve Bing
Stephen Leo "Steve" Bing is an American businessman, film producer, and donor to progressive causes. He is the founder of the Shangri-La business group, an organization with interests in property, construction, entertainment, and music....
's and Zach Schwartz's Shangri-La Entertainment. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
took place in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in March 2010. The film was shot in eleven days with a Canon 7D high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
camera. Inspired by a scene from Gutiérrez's Elektra Luxx
Elektra Luxx
Elektra Luxx is a 2010 comedy film directed and written by Sebastian Gutierrez featuring Carla Gugino. The film is a sequel to the ensemble comedy, Women in Trouble. The film premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival 2010, and was released to the rest of the country on March 11, 2011...
, it is a kind of Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
-esque Short Cuts
Short Cuts
Short Cuts is a 1993 American drama film directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Robert Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver...
. Sebastián Gutiérrez
Sebastian Gutierrez
Sebastián Gutiérrez is an award-winning Venezuelan-American film director, screenwriter, film producer and occasional actor...
claimed at the South by Southwest Film Festival premiere of Elektra Luxx
Elektra Luxx
Elektra Luxx is a 2010 comedy film directed and written by Sebastian Gutierrez featuring Carla Gugino. The film is a sequel to the ensemble comedy, Women in Trouble. The film premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival 2010, and was released to the rest of the country on March 11, 2011...
that Girl Walks Into a Bar is the first major motion picture with a cast of notable stars created exclusively for Web distribution. Quoted in an official press release, Gutiérrez revealed "We want to prove that Web distribution is a viable medium for theatrical quality movies which rely on story, characters and dialogue as opposed to special effects. For many reasons the theatrical indie landscape has changed drastically in the last few years, leaving many potential breakout hits without an audience. We are excited to break the rules of feature films by letting people watch our movie for free online." Locomotive Distribution is handling worldwide sales.
Release
Shangri-La Entertainment has entered into an agreement with YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and Lexus
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
to present Girl Walks Into a Bar free, exclusively in the YouTube Screening Room, a platform designed to showcase top films from around the world, premiering March 11, 2011, at http://www.youtube.com/screeningroom and viewable only by visitors from the United States. The presentation marks the first time a major motion picture was created exclusively for Web distribution. "With Girl Walks Into a Bar, the cast and crew came together to create something different – a high quality, really fun character-driven film that we could present to audiences for free using a new distribution
Film distribution
The distribution of a film is the process through which a movie is made available to watch for an audience by a film distributor...
model," said Gutierrez. "We found great partners in Lexus
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
to support the film while providing us with the stage to draw the largest audience possible."
Although it was intended for worldwide distribution, the film has been blocked from the United Kingdom, Canada and the rest of the world on copyright grounds. Girl Walks Into a Bar is currently only available in the United States to watch for free exclusively on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Girl Walks Into a Bar marks Lexus
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
' first entry into film presentation.
Reception
The film received mixed to positive commenting reviews on its own YouTube channel. Chris Pandolfi from Popzara praised Gutierrez's dialogue, saying "those he casts should consider themselves lucky, for they have been given an opportunity so few directors give nowadays: To be in an intelligent, witty movie that relies less on physicality and more on the power of speech."External links
- Girl Walks Into a Bar at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- International Sales (Locomotive Distribution)
- Official Trailer