Ivan Kander
The premise might be somewhat tired, but darn it, I’m You, Dickhead—a comedy/time-travel short from director Lucas Testro—is a real charmer. It’s crude, funny, fast-paced and filled with enough punchlines and plot-turns to keep you enthralled throughout. And it’s all predicated upon the inherently ridiculous proposition of using the power of time travel as a way to get laid.
Although it’s often used as a plot element in “serious” movies, time travel—with all its paradoxes and contradictions—makes for a ripe comedy device. And, Testro—along with writer Larry Boxshall—totally take advantage. While the callous, uncaring hero might be a turn off for some, his lack of empathy for anything other than his own sexual cravings makes for some great one-liners. Would this type of character work in a feature? Maybe not. But, that’s the beauty of the short form—give me a crafty premise, a few dick jokes, and I’m locked and loaded for 12 minutes of comedic/sci-fi bliss. The sight gags (time traveling mustaches!) are as plentiful as the dialogue driven jokes—Testro really has a great sense of comedic pace that keeps the narrative moving at a high-velocity clip. The visuals are also polished, with some very strong cinematography and shot composition.
Testro, communicating electronically, explains his gravitation towards the project: “When I first read Larry’s script, I loved how absurdly funny it was, I loved that it was a time travel story (a genre of which I am a huge fan), but I also loved that it was a little badly behaved. It was a tone of script I would probably not write on my own, and I was excited at the prospect of making a film that would push things a little—a film that would not be afraid of walking up to the line and then sticking its toe over it a little to see how Mum and Dad would react.”
Needless to say, it’s not surprising this film was a hit at both Palm Springs and the Austin Film Festival—it’s a comedic crowd pleaser. It’s crude without being too-crude, clever without being confusing. We’re excited to see what this creative team has in store for us next. Director Testro is currently developing a superhero comedy web series, an action comedy feature, and a supernatural period drama series. See his website for more information. Boxshall is working on a documentary about “the greatest movement in art seen in decades, Drawing Dicks on The Herald Sun.” Yes, you read that correctly…click here for a trailer.
And, if you enjoy your time-travel with a side of laughs as much as I do, be sure to check out these other Short of the Week selections, Time Travel Lover and Future Hero.