By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Andrew Gibson
Starring: Andrew Yackel | Geoff Van Wyck | Hannah Mosqueda | Justin Pietropaolo | Leigh Lanocha | Mary Hronicek | Paul Kandarian
Country: united_states
Year: 2020
Running time: 101
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7604948/reference
Diane says: “Highly recommended. GUTTERBUG was made by longtime Allston roomies and shot mostly in Allston (a section of Boston). It’s an original story of street life, addiction, and the strong pull of family. Reminded me of REQUIEM FOR A DREAM in its grittiness, surrealism, and emotional wallop.
“Co-written by director Andrew Gibson and Chris Tobin, the film was shot in 17 days with no changes to the 95-page script. Every actor in the large cast is excellent (including a Willy Wonka-like dealer), with the exception of one minor role that was filled by a producer when one actor bowed out. The camera work is varied and excellent. Awesome soundtrack, from gritty punk in a basement to dreamy xylophone in a cemetery. Two timelines are braided, and even when you know the ending, you’re surprised how you got there.
“It was a delight to see a dozen cast and crew up for the Q&A. A celebration of a fine accomplishment.
“(IFFBoston)”
Julie says: “I was thrilled to see GUTTERBUG at the IFFBoston 2019, written by local Allstonites Andrew Gibson and Chris Tobin and filmed primarily in the Allston area. Having lived and visited that area myself in the 90’s and since, I knew it was an authentic portrayal of that particular Allston feel and visual/aesthetic content.
“The story is about a perceptive, soulful, intelligent kid (Bug) who leaves home at 18 with no other choice but to be homeless. Along the way he finds camaraderie in the crust punk world and a kinship with those with varying degrees of mental illness. It’s a melancholic look at the world of homelessness and as well as a reckoning with coming of age and how important friendship and family bonds can be.
“It had all the right elements. Believable and well done performances by all involved, with exceptional, and stand out performances by Andrew Yackel as Bug, Justin Pietropaolo as Slim, Hannah Mosqueda as Jenny and Geoff Van Wyck as Raleigh.
“The choice of music and blend with sound (and well placed sound effects) was superb. Fantastic cinematography and editing as well.
“I envision best ensemble nomination for this film as well as other nominations for performances and more.
“Seen at the IFF Boston April 28, 2019.
“(This was the second showing ever after its World Premiere, added to the IFF schedule due to audience demand!)”
Diane says: “I just noticed that GUTTERBUG is available on Amazon. Julie and I saw it at IFFB in 2019 and loved it. Consider watching this one—a story about street life, addiction, and the pull of family, set in Boston’s Allston nabe.”
Bob says: “Bug is a denizen of the streets of Allston (aka Rock City), the Boston neighborhood that’s home to BU students, old Russian ladies, unsigned bands that perform in basements, the cinema I managed for 12 years (arguably the crappiest theater in all of Boston) and the marketing agency where I’ve worked for the past five years and counting. Bug gets by, sleeping in Ringer Park and dumpster diving for food and redeemable bottles and cans, sometimes making enough cash to get himself sufficiently fucked up. Despite all that, he’s thinking he might want to die.
“The back story, the tragic climax, and the uplifting denouement all feel unnecessary to me, but as a slice of (low) life, the movie has a lot going for it. If only Mr. Butch, the Mayor of Allston, had lived long enough to appear in a cameo.
“I think I noticed an Easter egg: there’s a scene in which Bug’s parents are in Allston looking for him. His father is gassing up the car, and he’s wearing a shirt with a name patch on it. I thought at first that the patch read ‘Vincent’ (the character’s name is Roger), but I think it’s actually ‘Vivant,’ the name of the vintage clothing store on Lincoln Street.”
Michael says: “There’s a really nice story at the heart of GUTTERBUG. It’s too bad writer/director Andrew Gibson and his co-wcripter Chris Tobin felt the need to dress it up in what I can only assume they thought would make it a more dramatic movie. The themes of responsibility and growing up are thrown into harsh light under the additional burdens of mental illness and addiction, throwing ‘Bug’ down a path of darkness that ultimately leaves to a certain amount of redemption. I think if they had pared the story down to a more subtle and less dramatic level, I would have really enjoyed GUTTERBUG. As a first, low-budget film shot in the Allston area, I’ve got to applaud the filmmakers for making a film that looked quite good. Production values and cinematography were strong.