Opie Gets Laid
Encyclopedia
Opie Gets Laid is a 2009 American independent
romantic comedy film
originally titled Sunnyvale
for its film festival submissions. The film is written and directed by James Ricardo
and stars James Ricardo, April Wade
, Ute Werner
and Jesselynn Desmond.
in Los Angeles, in a New York
-style loft, and is partly autobiographical. According to writer/director James Ricardo, it was [originally] called Sunnyvale because he "didn't know what else to call it", and expanding, "Much like movie titles like Eraserhead
. Sunnyvale is a comedic sounding title. It's a city that could only be in California." Under its new title it is distributed by Vivendi Entertainment
.
and eating junk food
. One day a drug dealer named Thai (April Wade) mistakenly comes to his door. She decides to help Opie by finding him a good woman, initially (and unsuccessfully) by online personal adds. Thai and Opie end up sleeping together while high on marijuana, and then end up seeing each other regularly. Opie starts having sex with other women, including Thai's lesbian lover Dakota (Ute Werner) and a "gun-toting" nymphomaniac named Rain (Jesselynn Desmond).
during its film festival
run and was the winner of the William Shatner
Golden Groundhog Award for 'Best Underground Movie' of 2005. The award has been described by critic Joshua Taylor as "maybe... just a veiled promotional tool for William Shatner's new DVD of the month club".
DVD Talk
, offered that the film is "a lowbrow talking head comedy with a wittier than average script", and for "a first time director, Ricardo could have done much worse. His script is good, and he gets good performances from his three lead actresses." In making comparisons between Ricardo and directors such as Woody Allen
and Clint Eastwood
who have acted in films they were also directing, they made note that Ricardo's own lead performance as a deadpan Opie was serviceable, but had a stiffness that a director not himself in front of the camera might have caught. They summarized by stating the film "is a quirky romantic comedy about sex that has no sex and stars a cast of unknowns. But if you can get past that, you should be entertained."
DVD Verdict
noted that the title and packaging led to expectations of a cheapo sex comedy featuring "clichéd plot developments and plenty of gratuitous nudity", but that the film "feels more like a stage adaptation than anything else", with sexual content only being alluded to by dialogue scenes serving "as the 'before' and 'after' for dozens of brief but apparently successful sexual encounters" They commented that the "editing is tight, the dialogue is occasionally quite amusing, and the film rarely becomes terribly boring", noting there were "many individual attributes of merit here, so it's a little disappointing that the film as a whole doesn't quite gel." They commented that the character of Opie as written by Ricardo had lots of potential, but that as played by the director just was not interesting. They noted a paradox in that "Ricardo's performance suggests that he knows his writing is good", in that he "delivers the dialogue with a sort of smug assurance that feels more like a tell than like a natural extension of the character's personality". They concluded that the film "wins points for breaking some genre conventions", and that Ricardo and some of the other cast have potential for future films.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
originally titled Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale may refer to:*Sunnyvale, California, a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, and the most populous place with this name*Sunnyvale, Auckland, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand*Sunnyvale, Otago, a suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand...
for its film festival submissions. The film is written and directed by James Ricardo
James Ricardo
-External links:...
and stars James Ricardo, April Wade
April Wade
April Wade is an American actress, producer and writer.Wade is best known for films and television series such as April Showers, Happy Endings, Creepshow III, Day of the Dead 2: Contagium, Opie Gets Laid and Junction.-External links:...
, Ute Werner
Ute Werner
Ute Werner is an American actress and model.In additional to modeling, Werner is best known for films and television shows such as Succubus: Hell Bent, Opie Gets Laid, How I Met Your Mother, Mind of Mencia, USA High and Las Vegas....
and Jesselynn Desmond.
Background
The film was shot at the Higgins BuildingHiggins Building
The Higgins Building is a proto-Modernist building rendered in the Beaux-Arts style located in downtown Los Angeles, California. Completed in 1910 by owner Thomas Higgins, an Irish American, the 10-story building was originally used for office space. The architects were Albert C. Martin, Sr. and A.L...
in Los Angeles, in a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-style loft, and is partly autobiographical. According to writer/director James Ricardo, it was [originally] called Sunnyvale because he "didn't know what else to call it", and expanding, "Much like movie titles like Eraserhead
Eraserhead
Eraserhead is a 1977 American surrealist film and the first feature film of David Lynch, who wrote, produced and directed. Lynch began working on the film at the AFI Conservatory, which gave him a $10,000 grant to make the film after he had begun working there following his 1971 move to Los Angeles...
. Sunnyvale is a comedic sounding title. It's a city that could only be in California." Under its new title it is distributed by Vivendi Entertainment
Vivendi Entertainment
Vivendi Entertainment is an independent film, television, DVD and digital distribution company operating in the United States and Canada. It is also a distribution partner for independent content providers....
.
Plot
At 30 years old, Opie (James Ricardo) is a virgin whose existence is made up of watching pornographyPornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
and eating junk food
Junk food
Junk food is an informal term applied to some foods that are perceived to have little or no nutritional value ; to products with nutritional value, but which also have ingredients considered unhealthy when regularly eaten; or to those considered unhealthy to consume at all...
. One day a drug dealer named Thai (April Wade) mistakenly comes to his door. She decides to help Opie by finding him a good woman, initially (and unsuccessfully) by online personal adds. Thai and Opie end up sleeping together while high on marijuana, and then end up seeing each other regularly. Opie starts having sex with other women, including Thai's lesbian lover Dakota (Ute Werner) and a "gun-toting" nymphomaniac named Rain (Jesselynn Desmond).
Cast
- James RicardoJames Ricardo-External links:...
as Opie - April WadeApril WadeApril Wade is an American actress, producer and writer.Wade is best known for films and television series such as April Showers, Happy Endings, Creepshow III, Day of the Dead 2: Contagium, Opie Gets Laid and Junction.-External links:...
as Thai - Ute WernerUte WernerUte Werner is an American actress and model.In additional to modeling, Werner is best known for films and television shows such as Succubus: Hell Bent, Opie Gets Laid, How I Met Your Mother, Mind of Mencia, USA High and Las Vegas....
as Dakota - Jesselynn Desmond as Rain
- Gina DeVettoriGina DeVettoriGina DeVettori is an American actress and writer. DeVettori was born on Cinco de Mayo and is a native Californian.-Movies:DeVettori has appeared in the films 40 Days and 40 Nights, Party Animalz, High Hopes, Opie Gets Laid, The Shiftling, Gothic Vampires from Hell and The Mexican Dream.-Voice...
as Alicia - Samantha Turk as Randi
- Heidemarie FuentesHeidemarie FuentesHeidemarie Fuentes is an American actress and producer.Fuentes is best known for such films as Hey DJ, Opie Gets Laid, Mrs. Harris and La Femme Vampir.-External links:...
as Jackie - Mark Wood as Travis
- Hutchi Hancock as Kimmy
- Ellen Hughes as Mom
- Peder Fedde as Dad
- Michael L. Connelly as Mike
Recognition
The film was titled SunnyvaleSunnyvale
Sunnyvale may refer to:*Sunnyvale, California, a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, and the most populous place with this name*Sunnyvale, Auckland, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand*Sunnyvale, Otago, a suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand...
during its film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
run and was the winner of the William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
Golden Groundhog Award for 'Best Underground Movie' of 2005. The award has been described by critic Joshua Taylor as "maybe... just a veiled promotional tool for William Shatner's new DVD of the month club".
Critcial response
SFist wrote that "...writer/director James Ricardo also starred in the movie and he was definitely the weakest of the actors. So it was hard to tell if it was just wooden acting that make Ricardo, the character, so passive or if he was intended to be. Talking to other filmgoers about it afterwards, we all seemed confused. No one really disliked it but everyone seemed unsure if they liked it really, or if they just wanted to like it."DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
, offered that the film is "a lowbrow talking head comedy with a wittier than average script", and for "a first time director, Ricardo could have done much worse. His script is good, and he gets good performances from his three lead actresses." In making comparisons between Ricardo and directors such as Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
and Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
who have acted in films they were also directing, they made note that Ricardo's own lead performance as a deadpan Opie was serviceable, but had a stiffness that a director not himself in front of the camera might have caught. They summarized by stating the film "is a quirky romantic comedy about sex that has no sex and stars a cast of unknowns. But if you can get past that, you should be entertained."
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict is a judicial themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. Current editor in chief is Michael Stailey, who also reviews for Rotten Tomatoes...
noted that the title and packaging led to expectations of a cheapo sex comedy featuring "clichéd plot developments and plenty of gratuitous nudity", but that the film "feels more like a stage adaptation than anything else", with sexual content only being alluded to by dialogue scenes serving "as the 'before' and 'after' for dozens of brief but apparently successful sexual encounters" They commented that the "editing is tight, the dialogue is occasionally quite amusing, and the film rarely becomes terribly boring", noting there were "many individual attributes of merit here, so it's a little disappointing that the film as a whole doesn't quite gel." They commented that the character of Opie as written by Ricardo had lots of potential, but that as played by the director just was not interesting. They noted a paradox in that "Ricardo's performance suggests that he knows his writing is good", in that he "delivers the dialogue with a sort of smug assurance that feels more like a tell than like a natural extension of the character's personality". They concluded that the film "wins points for breaking some genre conventions", and that Ricardo and some of the other cast have potential for future films.