[usr 2.5]
Alex (Alex Magaña) and Matt (Matt Lowe) are best friends who are complete opposites. Alex is responsible, in-shape and lonely. Matt is immature, overweight and smothered. Secretly, they envy each other’s lives and after a strange encounter with a magical bum, swap bodies. Realizing neither had it as easy as they thought, they embark on a crazy journey to get their lives back.
Alex Magaña stars, directs, shoots, co-writes, lights, edits, and designs the sound for “Slapped! The Movie.” Co-producer, co-writer, location scout and first assistant director Matt Lowe co-stars in this graphic comedy that gets a lot of mileage with sights and sounds not suitable for polite company.
Described as “Freaky Friday” meets “American Pie,” the film certainly aspires to that billing. Viewers will find themselves squirming in their seats more than once as numerous gross-out scenes call to mind “There’s Something About Mary,” and, of course, “American Pie.”
The first of two friends, Alex, trains for an upcoming triathlon while listening to over-the-top self-help podcasts. Irony oozes from the guttural guru’s recording while Alex blends kale and green apples: “If you were an animal, you would be a dinosaur.”
Matt, by contrast, slumbers underneath a sleep apnea device, when not eating obsessively and indulging in various mind-altering substances – all with the zest and gusto of Bacchus. Underneath, however, lies a heart of gold – or at least a heart of lust – that all manner of women seem to find oddly attractive.
The plot unfolds as Alex and Matt, after an evening of heavy drinking, try to collect themselves in the alley outside the bar. Alex admires Matt’s easy way with women. On the other hand, given his toned physique and natural good looks, Matt thinks that Alex should have women crawling all over him. As they yearn aloud to trade places, a homeless man with mystic powers named Magic Mike (RodneyMason) overhears the conversation and grants the wish in the manner implied by the film’s title.
The cast is filled with young actors that will likely show up again in future, bigger-budget productions. Aimée Binford portrays Matt’s doting, lesbian mom, Ms. Gay. She calls Matt “Sugar-Booger” as she hugs her lover, Shaniqua, played by Erin Hagen.
Shelby Meader does an affecting turn as Jenna, the love interest of Alex. Similarly, Alysse Fozmark endearingly plays Matt’s lovely girlfriend, Holly.
Dante Acevedo as Virgil, or “Vir-gina” as he is nicknamed by Alex and Matt, appears frequently as a cute, potty-mouthed kid bent on tormenting the two men. Tristan David Luciotti serves up quite a bit of outsized flair as Kratos, the animated drug dealer – apparently the only person that can see the real Alex and Matt behind the facades.
The dialog periodically provides pleasant surprises, such as a detailed explanation of a Jabba the Hutt reference over drinks. In another exchange, Matt remarks how bad Alex is at conversations with women. “It’s like watching one of those shitty novellas,” he says, referring to popular, typically steamy Spanish language soap operas.
“All novellas are shitty,” replies Alex matter-of-factly.
Several scenes, including the closing credits, explore opportunities for social satire. A hypocritical rightwing politician named Winfred Wayde Wallace (Jim Carathers) dives head-first into any opportunity to debauch himself, despite hoary campaign rhetoric to the contrary.
In another sequence, a foul-mouthed oven mitt shaves the head of a drunken party-goer. Afterward, the green potholder, resembling a puppet, admonishes viewers not to pass out at a party. Despite the source, good advice just the same.
The cinematography is superb, particularly for an inexpensively produced film, boasting crisp images of sunny Southern California and other settings. By the same token, however, sound editing would have benefited from post-production dubbing of dialog, too often missing in low-budget outings.
Certainly not for everyone, “Slapped! The Movie” may find its most salient audience with internet surfers seeking sexually explicit comedy. Regardless, for prospective independent filmmakers, Alex Magaña and Matt Lowe’s bawdy narrative provides a welcome dose of inspiration.
Now available on Digital Platforms including Amazon Prime
