'Buttwhistle' VOD and DVD: Quirky Post Coming-of-Age Dramedy

The strong quirky/indie vibe of the film "Buttwhistle," which is being released on Video-on-Demand on April 29, 2014 and on DVD a month later, fits in well with its fellow Breaking Glass Pictures titles. It has talented relatively young lesser-known actors presenting a tale of angst in an artistically low-budget manner.

The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of the trailer for "Buttwhistle" clearly shows that this film is not your typical mega-plex theater fare.

Indie chick Beth offering the titular character an orgasm in response to his thwarting the suicide attempt in which she is engaged when they meet has an oddly true ring. This observation is based on personal experience with a new acquaintance come calling with a rejected offer for sex as a reward for programming a universal remote control; one can only imagine what setting up a VCR would have inspired.

This incident in the film, and the resulting destructive relationship are only one aspect of the life of the wonderfully quirky community college student who is known by a couple of identities in addition to one that refers to flatulence. His given name is Ogden, but he follows in the footsteps of the artist formerly known as Prince in recently asking to have the blast of an air horn identify him. This development is the center of a hilarious classroom scene.

Former child actor Trevor Morgan does a great job portraying Ogden as a very likable but slightly damaged laid-back 20-something who has good cause for not being like the other boys. Good deeds of this nice young man include being extremely kind to his grandmother and helping neighbors fix up their home.

The greatest hits of Ogden extend beyond his name change to include a logical cross-dressing incident, repeatedly conversing with a bar of soap, and giving his awesome parents the cutest ever anniversary card and gift.

This wonderful and caring nature further inspires Ogden to "adopt" Beth in the same manner as he would take in a stray dog or cat. The problem is that, like a rarely malicious canine, Beth takes advantage of the good nature of Ogden for her own enjoyment. Purposefully antagonizing a local tough with the objective of having him pummel her savior is only the tip of Iceberg Beth.

Beth additionally overtly and covertly does her best to ensure that Ogden has a bleak future and that the relationships that he treasures are ruined or at least undermined. This climaxes in a predictable ending that still has great entertainment value. Poor Ogden looks like a befuddled puppy being taken to the pound.

Additional great humor comes in the form of hilariously deadpan and incompetent cops whom Ogden outwardly treats with respect while pointing out their stupidity. A scene that involves an investigation into missing dogs is must-see.

The fact that the "actor" who plays the parrot of  Ogden's grandmother gets two listings on the IMDb page for "Buttwhistle" further demonstrates the wonderfully alternative mindset of writer/director Tenney Fairchild.

More notable casting includes having the star of the uber-camp classic "The Bad Seed" Patty McCormack play the grandmother. We additionally get former "Dallas" OS star Charlene Tilton in a bit part.

Anyone with thoughts or questions regarding "Buttwhistle" is welcome to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.