Screw your eyes into Frankie Latina's Modus Operandi.Grindhouse action at AFI
By John Esther
During an extensively long roll of the opening credits, writer-director-editor-set designer Frankie Latina sets the tone and texture of Modus Operandi. Worshiping the most vulgar aspects of independent cinema circa early 1970s, the film adheres, deconstructs, and reworks those iconographic signs of exploitation, politics, motifs and hardcore of the times while maintaining a joyous feeling of collaborative filmmaking.
Once an international legend of his own making, former CIA agent, Stanley Cashay (Randy Russell), downs his days in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with booze and thoughts of avenging his wife's death. On the verge of suicide, Stanley receives an offer from his former boss (Danny Trejo) that he will not refuse: recover a few caches belonging to a conservative presidential candidate, Squire Parks (Michael Sottile), and he can have his wife's killers. Why they have been withholding this information from their their top assassin is one of the many miscues (and questions) of the movie's convoluted plot. Or is it just missing reel or two?
Recharged with a purpose, Cashay sobers up and calls on a few hit-persons he knew before the hitting-the-bottle days. Quickly the blood starts flowing, heads start exploding, double agents are double crossed and sadistic torture is the death du jour. Oh, but not to worry, dear hippies, there is probably more nudity, sex and camaraderie than killing -- although the two frequently collide.
Many of the murders are extremely violent (a head is blown off; another head is dragged off by a horse; snuff films) while a few are downright silly (a playing card to the forehead; a sheik takes a nunchucka to the noggin). The violent special effects work to various effect -- no doubt sometimes deliberately.
As far as tapping into the massive misogyny of its predecessors, unlike the vast array of movies of exploitative ilk, Modus Operandi has its share of miscegenation, sex with multiple partners of different sexes, and plenty of nudity from different genders (something those two primary prudes behind Grindhouse geek-ly avoided while going gaga for gore).
Latina and his large multicultural cast and crew are clearly enjoying the collaborative effort of making a cheesy, low budget movie set in their town. A lot of the actors here have no more to do than show up for a scene, strip, play party, kill and die. Independent cinema will never die with as long as there is artistic collaboration (thus, supposing, the long opening credits giving them their due).
Part of the Alt_Cinema at this year's AFI Fest, Modus Operandi offers grinds out a little more than what one expected. If you like this kind of content in general, you are in for some fun.
(Modus Operandi is scheduled to screen Oct. 31, 12:15 a.m. at Mann Chinese Theater, 6801 Hollywood Blvd. For more information: 866/AFI FEST or www.afi.com)
