Equal parts horror movie, fairy tale, and satiric political allegory, this darkly comic crime thriller follows a tyrannical landlady in Hemet, California who lords it over her tenants during an epidemic, pitting them against each other in a web of paranoia spun for deadly results.
Brian Patrick Butler stars with film and theater actress Kimberly Weinberger and viral content creator and actress Aimee La Joie. The cast of characters feature television actor Merrick McCartha, who costars with Ted Raimi in ‘Failure!’, Randy Davison, who has roles in the Oscar films ‘Mank’ and ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’, ‘Rubaru’ star Matthew Rhodes, ‘Friend of the World’ star Nick Young, Mega64 co-founder Derrick Acosta, and ‘FBOY Island’ contestant Pierce Wallace, who is an inductee of ESPN’s Fan Hall of Fame for his Georgia Joker alter ego at UGA football games. Rounding out the cast are actors Jake Golden, Mia Gascon, Mark Atkinson and Aleksander D’Avignon.
‘Hemet, or the Landlady Don’t Drink Tea’ is directed by Tony Olmos and written by Brian Patrick Butler. Charybdis Pictures, Butler’s production company, produced the film in association with Olmos’ company, Rosewood Five, and Rob Padilla Jr. of Irontree Entertainment. Justin Burquist is the director of photography, and filming occurred during the summer of 2021 in San Diego County.
In a statement, Butler said, “Nobody wants you to see this movie. It’s been rejected not only by notable fests, but also by much smaller fests that previously showcased and awarded many of our creative team’s rougher, shorter, older projects almost a decade ago. Much to my surprise, the only feedback I’ve received as to why this film was not chosen to screen at a particular fest had nothing to do with technical issues or excessive gore. What they deemed too intense for audiences is the language. And I think it’s more than just profanity that unsettles – it’s the themes discussed, the pictures painted with the words. A worldview expressed that is truly despicable.”
‘Hemet, or the Landlady Don’t Drink Tea’ will premiere Saturday, November 18th at Digital Gym Cinema as part of San Diego Film Week.
Tickets: https://sdfilmweek.com/2023/programs/feature-block-hemet-or-the-landlady-dont-drink-tea/
