In the world of period pieces, meticulous sets and authentic costumes often reign supreme, but Austin filmmakers Carl Fry and Maxwell Nalevansky have taken a refreshingly candid approach in their new gonzo comedy, ‘Rats!’. Set in 2007, the film leverages simple elements like haircuts, T-shirts, and a nostalgic playlist of post-rock deep cuts to effectively capture the essence of the time.
The story follows Rafael, portrayed by Luke Wilcox, a bored teen navigating the monotony of life in a sleepy subdivision in Pfresno. After an incident involving tagging a historic phone booth, Rafael’s mundane world spirals into an absurd chaos complete with drugs, eccentric neighbors, backyard barbecues, rogue cops, and a shocking number of severed hands. For many, this scenario could be seen as an exaggeration of suburban life in Texas.
After a successful theatrical release, ‘Rats!’ has made a splash across digital platforms, paving its way to a home on the horror-centric platform Shudder. Its blend of stoner-centric humor, wild action, and visceral gore aligns it with other cult classics such as ‘The Deadly Spawn’, ‘Rabid Grannies’, and ‘The Toxic Avenger’. “With the gruesome scenes, we thought the best fit would be on Shudder because they’re used to all the blood,” expressed Fry.
Nalevansky further pointed out, “Genre fans and horror enthusiasts tend to be more receptive to unconventional comedies. They’ve seen films like ‘Street Trash’ and ‘Repo Man’, which have blurred the lines between horror and comedy.”
Creating an authentic 2007 vibe presented its own challenges for the filmmakers. “We knew we didn’t have much money. So we had to decide how we could faithfully recreate that period. T-shirts and hair became our primary focus,” Fry noted.
The haircuts proved easily manageable with plenty of buzz cuts and fluffy fringes appearing onscreen, but the costume design required a deeper dive. “It was the era of T-shirts, and this film is very much a T-shirt movie,” Fry said, crediting Justin Pearson of Three One G Records for his extensive contributions. Pearson supplied a collection of shirts, including some that hadn’t been printed in years. A standout was a Some Girls shirt worn by Wilcox in the opening scene, which Fry claimed transported them right back to 2007.
However, acquiring rights to iconic post-hardcore tracks from influential bands like Thursday, Propagandhi, and Blood Brothers presented a major hurdle. Surprisingly, the independent music scene proved cooperative, with the filmmakers lauding the work of music coordinator Alison Moses. “They’re not going to tell artists ‘No.’ They’ve been told ‘No’ for most of their lives and now they finally get to say ‘Yes’. Luckily, they ended up liking the film,” Nalevansky explained.
In an interesting twist, Blood Brothers’ co-lead vocalist Johnny Whitney even participated in a Q&A session at a screening in San Francisco. He shared that the band had never been licensed for a film before, emphasizing their excitement over being featured in ‘Rats!’. This interaction reminded Nalevansky of the stark similarities between indie filmmakers and musicians, both often living in the shadows of mainstream success.
The collaborative spirit surrounding ‘Rats!’ extended beyond the music world. Fry noted that the majority of the crew consisted of friends, and roughly half of the cast had prior connections with the filmmakers.
The film’s DIY approach emerged partially from the pandemic’s disruption of their original project, a feature adaptation of their short ‘With Pleasure’. Just two days before filming was set to begin in Alaska, COVID-19 brought everything to a halt, leading Fry and Nalevansky into a six-month period of despair and reflection. Ultimately, they decided to pivot. “We just need to write something we can make for any budget—$10,000, $200,000, $1 million, or even $50. We had to make it work,” Fry stated.
Using this adaptability, they crafted a new script inspired by their personal experiences, particularly their run-ins with graffiti. The film was shot primarily in Pflugerville, and Nalevansky likened the experience to filming in Austin during the 1990s. Local residents were enthusiastic about the filmmakers using their spaces, often inquiring about how much they needed to pay them, to which they responded, “We’re paying you to film here.”
The cast included familiar faces from Austin’s independent film scene, showcasing standout performances from the likes of Pineapple Tangaroa (Drunk Bus) and John Valley (The Pizzagate Massacre). One of the most notable performances came from Danielle Evon Ploeger, who portrayed the manic Officer Williams. From her explosive entrance to the film’s final moments, Ploeger’s portrayal captivates audiences; Nalevansky called her performance the “real all-star performance of the movie.”
Fry described their approach to directing Ploeger, drawing inspiration from Nicolas Cage’s unhinged performance in ‘Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans’. The duo encouraged Ploeger to reach even further into her character. “If we asked her to give more, we communicated in our own language: ‘More troll!’ and she would respond, ‘Got it!’.”
The overarching philosophy while filming often became about allowing Ploeger the freedom to improvise. Fry noted, “The less cuts for Officer Williams, the better, because the audience just wants to see Danielle cook. We wanted her to fully embody the role.”
Thus, ‘Rats!’ stands as a startling departure from conventional period pieces, capturing an unparalleled snapshot of 2007 through hair, T-shirts, and a dash of absurdity. The film, now available on digital platforms, invites viewers into a chaotic yet nostalgic trip down memory lane through the lens of 21st-century suburban chaos.
image source from：austinchronicle
