The Size of Watermelons

Running time: N/A

Meet Alex, the "every artist". We know the type-doesn't quite fit in. Alex finds his calling by moving to Venice Beach and enrolling in art school. While his friends have a cause or talent (Gnome wants to be president, Patrick and Lizzie are destined to be the next big thing in music, and Maggie is already a video producer), Alex "wants to do it all" but doesn't have a clue how. The answer is soon obvious. Make a movie. A black and white, of course, about Gnome's crazy political aspirations e.g., Gnome would love to see Hawaii liberated from U.S. oppression. Next step? Collect some film students, raise money, find music and become a famous filmmaker. Nothing ever goes quite as planned, however, and Alex's trek soon leads to many detours, including a bus of film students on their way to Vegas. Kari Skogland's The Size of Watermelons is an extremely funny film which looks at the world of the outcast artist in much the same way that Swingers looked at the life of the struggling actor/waiter. The humor is sharp and screwy at the same time, and L.A.'ss ubiquitous film school denizens take a particular ribbing. --Rodger Hughes