52nd City

"Hooch & Daddy-O" Goes Canadian

Though the production didn't necessarily get a lot of love from the local film festival (which we otherwise adore, no lie), the locally produced feature film "Hooch & Daddy-O" has been selected for a second fest this autumn. This time, it's the DNA Film Festival in Toronto, held from October 14-20. The work had already secured a slot at the Dixie Film Festival, an Atlanta event running from October 14-15.

Directed by Donna Northcott and written primarily by two of the leads, Jim Ousley and Oscar Madrid (along with some scenes by Northcott), the film is a spoof of 1980s cops shows, as well as the general genre of buddy films. Locally, it's played at both the Tivoli and the Pageant, for an evening apiece.

Since the film stars a number of the regular cast members of the Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre, it's worth noting that the stage troupe's back in action during November, with a new show at the RAC's black-box theatre: "Reefer Madness." Meanwhile, longtime, versatile Monkey actress Julie Layton can be spied on the cover of this week's Riverfront Times, as well as throughout the "Best Of" issue. (Though we're sad to note that she won't be taking part in the "Reefer" fun. Serious bummer.) And in the interests of disclosure, this writer had the briefest walk-through in "Hooch," though you should see it, anyway, the next time it plays in town. Or, heck, in Canada.

(Update: since this posting the film has also been accepted to the Alameda Film Festival, in Alameda, CA. We continue to wave the H&D pom-poms.)