Evergreen State College Archives

Accession 76-08

Academic Affairs: Academic Deans: Faculty: Expressive Arts:

Student Films and Videos

Label Info:
GO WEST
Alice Zillah 1997
Format:
VHS
Status:
Run Time:
15:19
Date:
1997
Synopsis:
A short student film about a man who muses about the possible distruction of the world by way of a "false vaccume" while living with his sister and her husband and working at a telemarketing job. In the end he comes to the conclusion that he must become a cowboy and go to Arizona.

TIME:
Description of Content:
00:12

Music fades in with still image of house, then grainy images of children playing in a yard.

00:43

Title: GO WEST and then back to grainy video with narration talking about how the universe might exist in a false vaccume and the possibility of instant obliteration.

written and directed by Alice Zillah

02:17
Man wakes up in bed breathing hard revealing that grainy video and narration previously was possibly part of a dream. Character identified as Jack when he goes down to have breakfast. It's mentioned that he's a philosophy major and hinted at that he's obsessed with the end of the world. He tells his sister and her husband(?) Fred about the "False Vaccume" theory. Fred says mockingly "don't get obliterated today" on his way out.
04:07
Jack is sitting in a garage lighting a cigarette. Someone named Mike drives up and visits with Jack. It's mentioned that Jack is working a telemarketer job. He also mentions that the world could end and anything he does would be pointless. Mike brings up that Jack has been through phases of Daoism and Existentialism before this. Jack says that when he was a kid he wanted to be a cowboy. Mike mentions that someone named Michelle is having a potluck and asks Jack to come along.
06:39
Motivational posters hang on the wall. Jack is working at his telemarketing job on the phone with someone. The person on the other end of the phone turns out to be living off social security checks and Jack lets him go. Brenda, sitting next to him, tells him "You'll never get to wear the hat if you don't try harder". The supervisor also comes by and scolds him and says "We're all just sheep" and that Jack must strive to be "A special sheep that tells others what they want".
08:55
In the evening Jack and Mike head to the potluck. Jack is explaning his theories about the end of the world. Camera pans around to the people at the potluck who all look bored and disinterested in Jack's rambling. Someone finally changes the topic after Jack stops talking to the subject of oregano in the salad.
10:45
Daytime again, Jack goes outside to have a cigarette. A little boy on a bicycle rides up and talks to Jack. His name is identified as Simon by Jack. Simon asks if Jack knows what he's going to do with his life yet.
11:50
Jack's sister and Fred are having breakfast agian. Suddenly they notice Jack who walks in dressed like a cowboy. He says he is going to Arizona. He drives off in a yelllow truck.
13:20
the song "Leavin' Cheyenne" plays; credits roll:

Starring
Bryce S. Brown
as Jack

Cemantha Crain
as Sue

David Hutchingson
as Fred

Mark Mueller
as Mike

Dave Cramton
as Jack's Boss

Nathan Carroll
as Simon

Kyla Carroll
as the girl in the apocalyptic dream

Alice Zillah
as Brenda

Kevin Bunce
as George Liberace

With Potluck Guests
Hans Sendelbach
Sandra Loewe
Sarah
Jenn Kliese
Tony Perkins
Don Roff
Khaela Maricich
John Gaskay
Duncan
Ethan Lund
Dave Forsburg

Camera
Alice Zillah
Dave Cramton
Corey Lopardi

Key Grip
Kevin Bunce

Audio Recording
Jeff Milano
Brian Ridder

Art Direction
Veronica Hunter

Lighting
Kevin Bunce
Dave Cramton

Audio Mixing
Alice Zillah

Grips
Jamie Dunn
Corey Lopardi
John Gaskay
John Evans
Valerie Garrison
Mike Cousino

"Leavin' Cheyenne"
Traditional
Arranged and Performed by
Bryce and the Breathmints
Engineered by
This Skin Machine at
The Transient Gear Werks

All other music
written, performed and engineered by
This Skin Machine at
The Transient Gear Werks

c1997

Big Thanks To

Bryce S. Brown
Ken Wilhelm
Marge Brown
Raoul Berman
Caryn Cline
Mark Schlipper
Melissa Painter
Dave Cramton
Kevin Bunce

More Thanks To

Marlene and Ken at
Gardenworks Nursery
TESC Media Loan
Alpha Cine Lab

c1997
Go West Productions

15:19
end of video.