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As with her short films,
Tamara Hernandez's first feature, MEN CRY BULLETS, received much praise
for its dynamic, funny, and unpredictable female characters that are said
to subvert traditional feminine roles.
Described as "a wickedly
funny cross between John Waters and Roman Polanski," and a "stylistic heir
to Russ Meyer," this wildly shot film, with its vibrant color scheme, is
a unique dark comedy about a truly disturbed love triangle and one unlucky
pig.
Enter the strange world of
Billy, (STEVEN NELSON), an innocent young male ingenue, imprisoned by the
memories of his past, who tries to redeem himself by performing on stage
in drag each night as his mother in a seedy freak club. Unfortunately,
one night his act is ruined in a drunken brawl by an insane cigar smoking
writer named Gloria, (HONEY LAUREN). Instantly drawn to her, Billy makes
the mistake of falling in love with this sexy and sadistic older woman
who rapes and abuses him until he submits to her every whim. But Gloria's
worst behavior doesn't kick in until her disgustingly beautiful debutante
cousin, (JERI RYAN), arrives for a visit and decides to steal Billy away.
So begins a twisted psychosexual
roller coaster ride through three crazy minds filled with hysterically
funny dialogue and violent emotions that result in a depraved menage a
trois, the brutal butchering of a beloved pet, and a spontaneous cold blooded
murder.
Winner of six major festival awards, including Grand Prizes at South by Southwest, Avignon, and the Audience Choice Award at Chicago Underground. "Writer/Director Hernandez has single-handedly resuscitated underground film..."
"Geniune pathos...'looks closer' than American Beauty."
"Darkly funny... disturbingly authentic."
"Violent, perverse emotions... that keeps one watching. Hernandez is a
talent to watch."
"* * * *, A picture that stares deep into the heart of violence, and doesn't
look back. A tough, strong, and powerful film... Often shocking, always
compelling."
"Hernandez suffuses with
emotion even the most eccentric moments."
"An incredibly emotional,
touching, and bizarre fever dream. Fun for your entire dysfunctional family."
"Honey Lauren offers a
bold and robust performance of the mood-swinging Gloria."
"Tightly conceived...
A precious balance between shock and pathos."
"Moving... The complexity of its emotional effect makes it well worth seeing." --NPR\National Public Radio "The film ranges from
bizarre humor to operatic angst."
"Hernandez directs like
a surgeon in an operating room of the absurd."
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I've heard my film described as this "crazy story about a gun-toting chick in a Betty Page wig shooting at a boy wearing a halter top and lipstick," and I see how people could think it's just an absurd comedy. Well truthfully it is an absurd comedy, but a tragic one because the brutal relationship in the story is quite real. Today domestic violence is the highest growing crime among teenage boys and every nine seconds a woman is battered in a domestic dispute. By reversing the genders I tried to express to men what it feels like to be a vulnerable girl, and to show that a lot of times abusers are very witty, charming, and charismatic. My hope is that this film will help young people see that when someone with little self-respect gets involved with an alluring, yet abusive, person it can sadly result in very destructive consequences. Tamara Hernandez
writer\director of Men Cry Bullets
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