Locally grown film, ‘Sudsy Slim Rides Again’ premieres at the Valley Cinema

WASILLA — The fruits of the Carpenter brothers, NOMAD Cinematics, and many locals’ efforts bloomed on the silver screen this weekend with a cast and crew then public screening of their second feature length film, “Sudsy Slim Rides Again.”

“It’s fun to see this happening in Alaska. I think you’ll be surprised at how good it looks. You’ll understand when you see it,” said Darin Carpenter, writer/creative consultant.

Sudsy Slim is the second NOMAD and Carpenter film, after “Moose, the Movie” released back in 2015. The story follows two criminals who escaped prison to find themselves in a one horse town called Scratcher Pass (filmed at the Independence Mine up Hatcher Pass).The few townsfolk rely solely on tourism to survive, specifically to show tourists the preserved carcass of the infamous outlaw, Sudsy Slim (based on the real Alaskan outlaw from the Gold Rush Era: Soapy Smith). An Alaskan Bureau of Criminal Investigation (ABCD) agent shows up in Scratcher Pass to investigate the case of Sudsy’s missing body and apparent “zombie” attacks.

Described as a “Spaghetti Northwestern,” the film is a combination of slapstick comedy and old west style shoot outs with sharp and witty dialogue. The film moves from goofy takes to elements of ominous mysticism, probing the audience to expect a final showdown with apocalyptic repercussions.

During the cast and crew release, the Sudsy team came with their friends and family to watch the final cut of the film. For much of the cast and crew, this was the first time they would see the final products of their labors. For two of the lead actors and the films villains, Zack Lanphier and Joseph le Compte, the moments before the screening were “nerve racking.” They were tenderly excited and nervous to see how everything turned out and how the audience would react. Lanphier had only peeked at the rough cut of the film prior to the release.

“Once we hit play, there’s no turning back,” Lanphier said.

This was Lanphier’s second film with NOMAD and the Carpenter brothers. He played the main protagonist in “Moose the Movie” as the everyman park ranger investigating reports of a killer moose. His journey from hero to villain has been a fun a one, he said. He improvised a lot of his lines in Sudsy Slim.

“There were no real perimeters — as long as I was the ‘bad guy.’ It was a lot of fun,” Lanphier said.

Lanphier was asked to bulk up for his role as the hardened, escaped criminal who ceaselessly tries to reel in his erratic and feeble accomplice, played by Compte.

“They did an amazing job. I could not believe how good they did. They really fit into their roles,” Darin said.

As the movie rolled, the audience shook the room with laughter and bouts of cheer. Since this was a cast and crew release, the jokes hit harder. People would whoop and holler when certain actors appeared or said their lines, often nudging their seatmate beside them. This screening was like a cinematic exposition melded with a family reunion, with what must have felt like half of the Valley in the room. Numerous people were involved with this film for one reason or another.

“There were so many volunteers!” Darin said.

Chad Carpenter, the creator of Tundra Comic and his brother Darin wrote the movie together, with Chad as the idea man and Darin fleshing everything out on the script.

“The movie would not have happened without Darin, that’s for sure,” Chad said.

Darin said that his brother and he have similar senses of humor, so putting their heads together was seamless.

“It’s different this time,” Darin said. “We have more experience and better equipment. The cast and crew have done this before.”

As the on-site creative consultant, Darin said that he also spent a lot of time checking on all the details, especially the seemingly minute ones with drastic implications. When it comes to translating “paper to reality,” Darin said there are a lot of subtle things to catch — a person’s facial expression, their tone, where they look, and so on — in order to get the most laughs.

“If you don’t catch it, the gag doesn’t work as well and you lose laughs,” Darin said.

Before the movie started, Chad joked to one his kids, “if you don’t like it, there’s no refunds.” Standing in front of the big screen and tables filled with free popcorn, pizza, and soda, Chad thanked everyone who made the film possible, from the cast and crew to friends, family, sponsors, and members of the community, like the Hatcher Pass property owners, Dan and Al Renshaw. Chad said that using that location really added production value to their film.

“There was no way we could afford to build sets like that ourselves,” Chad said.

NOMAD director, Logan Dellinger was one of the last speakers to get on the mic before the movie. He said that his parents raised him with a philosophy: you should do what you want, then find a way to get make money doing it.” As he wrapped up his thanks, he concluded by thanking his girlfriend, Lynsey Johnson for being the “most supportive and wonderful and bright, creative person” he ever met.

“With that being said… I have more question,” Dellinger said, getting down on one knee.

The crowd erupted.

“Do it!” one man yelled.

Johnson immediately welled up and her face flushed. She held her hands over her face staring right back at Dellinger. As the crowd swelled with energy, she said yes.

“Did any of you expect that?” Dellinger asked the audience.

The crowd got to their feet for a standing ovation. Chad went to the couple and hugged them warmly.

“I really hope he’s not successful to move but just successful enough to stay with me,” Chad joked.

Anyone interested in seeing “Sudsy Slim Rides Again” can come see it at the Valley Cinema for the next few weeks. For show times, call 907-357-3000.