FISH 'N CHICKS

A DeLeo Productions, Inc. film

2002, Digital Video, Color, 28 minutes

Directed, produced, and written by Joseph E. DeLeo

Starring Mike Dufays, Mark Tyler, Shelly Sereda, Justin Chatwin, Simone Mendes

Reviewed on VHS

Two longtime friends, George (Mike Dufays) and Arnold (Mark Tyler) spend the day on a fishing expedition and pursuing the male art of bragging about their sexual exploits. But amidst the braggadocio and hooking of fish, there’s a hidden agenda being pursued by one of the men, which could have dire consequences. This dark comedy from Canadian filmmaker Joseph DeLeo treads over the same ground that Neil LaBute has claimed as his own – namely, the psychological battleground defined as male/female relationships, and the savagery that lurks behind the most innocuous and civilized human behavior. But it’s more than just “LaBute Lite.” DeLeo’s script is pretty sharp; there’s a lot of mileage gotten out of both definitions of “fish,” and he handles the humorous and the darker aspects adroitly. As a director, he gets good performances from both his male leads. Shelly Sereda also makes an impression as one of Arnold’s “catches” that he relates to George. FISH ‘N CHICKS is a poisonous little gem of a short that makes you squirm in your seat, even as you’re laughing. And there is a twist ending, of a kind. Let’s just say that in this case, cooler heads don’t necessarily win every disagreement. –

Robert Hubbard

MICRO-FILM #6

October 2003