VERTICAL POOL PRESENTS
AN ANTERO ALLI FILM
THE MIND IS
A LIAR AND
A WHORE. 
JUST YOUR TYPICAL BERKELEY CALIFORNIA HOUSEHOLD
an anxious X-mas comedy
WATCH THE TRAILER
NO SCREENINGS SCHEDULED AT THIS TIME
"This film offers many of the virtues found throughout Alli’s canon:
subversively funny dialogue, an inventive musical score by collaborator
Sylvi Alli, and the ability to connect loose threads of intellectualism and
emotions into a body of maturity and grace. The challenge of perceived
and genuine threats posed in this film clearly parallels the logic that
lead to the Iraqi fiasco." -- Phil Hall for filmthreat.com
SYNOPSIS
Present Day; Christmas in Berkeley California. A quirky household is forced indoors during an unexpected citywide lockdown initiated by the federal government. Ona, a webcast diva with her own show, thinks the feds are shifting into a fullblown police state. Her roomies think she's paranoid. Havoc and hilarity prevail as they all race to their own conclusions about what they think is happening during the escalating uncertainty.
CASSIE POWELL as the webcast diva
"Click my image for an episode of my show!"
xx
DAVID GAUNTLETT as the fanatical lovelorn astrologer
"Your life purpose is delineated in your astrology chart."
BRADY M. WOOLERY as the Satanic chess master
"Conscience is a curse on the will to pleasure!"
xx
DUNCAN COOK
as the freelance pilot
"Have you ever considered the true nature of beer?"
ALAN READE as the Gulf War vet landlord
"They call it Gulf War Syndrome because it doesn't exist."
REBEKAH L. BARNETT
as the Inuit opera singer
"The Inuit people have this ritual for harvesting whales."
NICK WALKER as the Pathological Liar
"I hear Guantanamo Bay is lovely this time of year."
also featuring...
PAT PARKER as The Grandmother
SHAUNA ROGAN as Herself
JEFE HANDY as the TV News Anchor
JENNIFER BRUCE as the C.D.C. Authority
MELISSA BELLOFF as the Girl Who Wants to be Napolean
Antero Alli at I.M.D.b xxDirector's Blog vvvVision statement
FilmographyxVxSan Francisco Chronicle interview
ANTERO ALLI (b. 11/11/1952) is a Finnish born, Berkeley-based underground filmmaker whose feature-length art films have garnered critical praise at the prestigious filmthreat.com and which screen in rare, limited runs on the west coast arthouse circuit.
DEDICATION, CREW, PRODUCTION NOTES
dedicated to
ROBERT ANTON WILSON
(1932-2007)
Writer/Director: Antero Alli
Producers: Antero Alli and Sylvi Alli
Director of Photography: Chris Rasmussen
Editors: Chris Odell (online) and Antero Alli (offline)
Production Manager & Research Assistant: Jennifer Bruce
Executive Producer: Vertical Pool Productions
Soundtrack: Sylvi Alli
Tech Details
Principal camera: Sony Z-1 HDV (color)
Second unit camera: Canon GL-2 mini-DV (B/W)
Total hours work footage: 13 ...Running time: 92 minutes
Edited on Final Cut Pro. Project completed after 7 months.
contacts
[email protected]
PO BOX 10144, Berkeley CA USA 94709
(510) 464-4640
MP3 music file; "Whistler"
(from the soundtrack) by SYLVI ALLI