Films Outside the Loop Jeanne Chappé

I have a tremendous admiration for independent filmmakers and I was able to view a new feature film written and directed by Tom Sawyer. This is his first feature film. It is both hysterically funny and heartbreakingly sad. The producers of this film are David "Frenchy" O'Brien, Darlene Ford and Adrienne Cox.

This film begins with the apparent suicide of Charles who is (or was) an AI researcher at UCLA. He was a totally isolated human being who lived continually in his lab coat and ate breakfast cereal with bourbon (actually that doesn't sound bad). He had also created a robot that lives within his home. Charles was apparently a neglected and ignored child and the 'child' that he has created also feels neglected. The howl that the robot emits literally tears at your soul! It is the sound of incredible loneliness and terror. You must be very careful about what you create.

Charles lives in a large home. This is where he was born and this is where his parents died. He has no children but there are children's toys everywhere. The robot's narrative about his "Father" is fascinating and quite hilarious at certain points. The robot NEEDS intellectual stimulation, has an incredible thirst for knowledge and there is no one there to give it to him! In walks Carlotta Sanchez, the Latin housekeeper, who forms a relationship with the robot. The scenes between Carlotta and the robot fluctuate between funny and extremely touching.

The robot begins to understand the meaning of human life and determines that: "A simple chicken bone has the power of life and death!" No matter how a human being lives, the ultimate result is always the same...they die.

Linda is Charles' girlfriend and she is possibly the most obnoxious girlfriend imaginable! How far will a guy go to get laid? Especially if he is a virgin and has to deal with a 7-year old angel food cake? The robot gives himself a name...Ike. Ike decides that his "Father" will die without a girlfriend and he decides to provide him with one. Thus, we get into 900 number phone calls made by Ike.

There is so much to say about this totally independent film. The dialogue is both unexpected and wonderfully hysterical. The actor who plays Charles is fascinating as is a bug beneath the microscope! The ultimate compliment that I can give this film is that I never lost interest and I cannot give that compliment to very many high-budget Hollywood films.

It may turn out that there is more warmth from a robot than from a living human being. Sad but amusing turn of events.

This film is available on DVD and VHS.

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