Colma: The Musical (2006)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Richard Wong

Writers:

H.P. Mendoza (screenplay)
H.P. Mendoza (story)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Musical

Plot:

In the town of Colma, just south of San Francisco, the dead outnumber the living one thousand to one...

Plot Keywords:

Teenager | Cemetery | Mall | Gay Interest | Play Within Film

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jake Moreno	...	Billy
H.P. Mendoza	...	Rodel
L.A. Renigen	...	Maribel
Sigrid Sutter	...	Tara
Brian Raffi	...	Julio
Gigi Guizado	...	Kattia
Larry Soriano	...	Rodel's Father
Paul Kolsanoff	...	Kevin
Allison Torneros	...	Amanda
Paula Baldin	...	Young Girl
Jim Wierzba	...	Hulk Hogan
Kat Kneisel	...	Joanne
David Scott Keller	...	Michael
Dustin North	...	Colma Player / John / Bar Patron
Jeremiah Cothren	...	Colma Player / Bar Patron

Runtime:

USA:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Colma, California, USA

Company:

Greenrocksolid

Goofs:

Continuity: During "Can We Get Any Older" in the party scene, Rodel walks past a man and immediately walks past him again.

Quotes:

Maribel: I don't know about you guys, but mama's gettin' laid tonight.
Billy: All the guys here have girlfriends.
Maribel: Good, it means they won't call me in the morning...

Soundtrack:

Crash the Party

I laughed, I cried, I went home happy

This has to be one of the very best musicals I've ever seen, in terms of sheer entertainment value. It's funny, emotional, and ambitiously produced.

The music is a key element. It's intentionally simplistic and, yes, even a tad campy. But it's perfect. I don't even think I would want to hear a fully orchestrated version. The instrumental arrangements, even the occasionally shaky vocal deliveries are spot on. If everything was perfect, it would be a Hollywood musical. But it's not. It's the brilliant indie revelation that is Colma.

Jake Morreno is a genius. He's the new Jim Carrey, but with twice the heart. The whole cast deserves major kudos for their performances. And the director has my utmost respect for even daring to do something like this.

It takes guts to make a movie like this. Too often do filmmakers fall flat on their face in such an ambitious pursuit. But Colma is a joyous, remarkable, and thoroughly enjoyable film.