Madeleine Olnek's back! THE FOXY MERKINS is another bizarre charmer with occasional guffaws

Remember Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same? If you managed to see that weird little movie, you're not at all likely to have forgotten it. Its creator, director-and-co-writer, Madeleine Olnek, is back two years later with another small wonder that is likely to have a similar effect on you. And if THE FOXY MERKINS is not quite all that its predecessor was, this may be due mostly to the subject matter -- space aliens -- mixed with a certain loose, low-keyed style. There is indeed something about this odd combo that has resulted in a few unfor-gettably charming successes on the independent film front: The History of Future Folk, One-Eyed Monster and Ms Olnek's earlier movie.

There's one other very good thing that inhabits the two full-length movies that Ms Olnek (shown at right) has made: their star (and co-writer of this film), a young woman named Lisa Haas, shown below, left, whose entire acting resume is made up of Olnek's two films plus two more shorts by another filmmaker, Laura Terruso. Ms Haas is something else. Once witnessed in either of these films, she will re-main in your mem-ory as one of the sweetest, most bizarre movie stars (and she is a star!) you've ever seen.

Once again, as in Codependent Space Alien, Ms Haas is playing a woman (this time named Margaret) who is apparently clueless-to-just-about-everything, including how our society reacts to obese people. Her style is utterly deadpan, but nothing like the knowing deadpan of a Bill Murray or the some of those irony-sotted comic performers who dot today's TV screen. No. Ms Haas remains always sweet and alert, hopeful and game. And this is her great strength as both a performer and as the character who holds together Olneks' films.

There is one scene here (I think it happens twice, actually) in which Ms Haas must rise from a bed in an extended few moments in which she is fully nude and full-frontal, with her folds of fat on the kind of display that we are not used to seeing. That she carries this off so beautifully and, well, so fully -- she is at once sad, funny, brave and utterly dear -- gifts us with one of the true amazements of this movie year, putting immediately in the shade all those great "acting" performances of the Birdman cast.

The story this time 'round has Haas intent on earning her keep by becoming a lesbian hooker. To this end, and after some unsuccessful early attempts, she falls in with a thinner and more conventionally attractive woman (the equally oddball Jackie Monahan, also from Codependent Lesbian Alien and a co-writer here) who proclaims herself heterosexual, even though she, too, earns her keep via lesbian liaisons. These two have their ups and downs, as we alternately chuckle, marvel, question and guffaw. (A particularly good scene takes place at New York's Cinema Village, where one or another version of Lassie -- yes! -- is screening.)

Much fun is made of everything from closeted Republican lesbians to role playing in police attire, Talbots clothing store, and composting -- and in the end we meet an adorably cute Italian young man (Gian Maria Annovi) who used to know Margaret's mother. We also get another chance to see the terrific Alex Karpovsky, who is now making his mark in Girls but earlier graced Olnek's other movie. He is, as usual, wonderfully weird, goofy, and slightly dark -- first as the merkin salesman (don't ask) the ladies meet in a cemetery, who later somehow graduates to become a high-level honcho at CNN.

So where can you see this unusual film? It opens tomorrow, Friday, December 5, at the Made in New York Media Center by IFP (30 John Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn) for a one-week run. You can procure tickets and/or directions by clicking either of the links preceding.

CODEPENDENT LESBIAN SPACE ALIEN SEEKS SAME: Olnek's film opens in L.A.

Sometimes "amateur" is exactly what is needed. Especially when that non-professional exhibits an intuitive talent and sophistication that can put more "professional" names to shame.

CODEPENDENT LESBIAN SPACE ALIEN SEEKS SAME is the first full-length feature from writer/director/producer Madeleine Olnek, and it's a honey. Combining themes of the "other" (that gal/guy who just never fits in) with space aliens (even more "otherly"), love and the return of said emotion, this 76-minute movie is lots of fun and sweet without being cloying (it's too humorous for that).

Ms Olnek, shown at right, appears to have the gift for taking the hoariest cliches of both the sci-fi genre and the rom-com and infusing them with new life via a combination of charm, honesty (particularly in the performances) and a now-and-then surprise. The writing is crisp and often clever, the direction fleet enough to cover the occasional longueur, and the acting -- which ranges from the necessarily bizarre (those space aliens) to absolutely real and dear (the leading lady, beautifully portrayed by Lisa Haas, below, left) to another smart and well-considered stint by the increasingly versatile Alex Karpovsky.

The filmmaker rings smart changes on the rom-com's usual "looking for love" theme, and Ms Haas bring oodles of natural, non-pushed charm to the proceedings. The space aliens (Susan Ziegler, Jackie Monahan and Cynthia Kaplan) are delightfully screwy and not a little "human," both on their home turf and here on earth.

The final touch is provided by the two undercover "Agency" guys -- Dennis Davis (below, left) making a terrific movie debut, easily matching Ms Haas for credibility, specificity and charm; and the aforementioned Mr Karpovsky (below, right) -- whose task it is to follow and apprehend the aliens but who seem to have much more to talk about and mull over regarding their personal lives.

The special effects are as tacky as you could want: silly, amateur and, by the finale, kind of beautiful, and the aliens' costumes are crackerjack (their speech patterns are wonderfully funny, too). Filmed in glorious black-and-white (with a dollop of color now and again), the movie is too slight to overpraise (but so much fun that it's difficult not to). So I'd best end this review right here.

Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same opened in NYC some months back, to mostly sterling notices, and is only now making its Los Angeles debut, August 17th through the 23rd, at the Downtown Independent Theater. You can click here to see all future screenings, with dates and venues, and if you've missed it, not to worry: There will be a DVD coming soon or eventually.

Update: We've just learned that, as of October 16, 2012, the film will be available via iTunes!

The photos above are from the film itself, with the 

exception of the one of Ms Olnek, which is 

by Michael Buckner, courtesy of Getty Images.