Recently I was asked to view a screening of FLOS Productions' latest creation, "Get Greedo". This is based on a story told by Kevin Smith (who executive produces) about his time during Jason Mewes' on/off heroin addiction. This has been covered in word (Smith's notable "Me & My Shadow" tale) and on many of his "An Evening With..." DVD's and other Q&A appearances. The crux of the tale is that to keep Mewes busy, he was assigned a task of buying a "chase" Star Wars figure (the titular Greedo) which could then be flipped in The Secret Stash for profit. This would occupy Jason's time and enable Smith to keep a close eye on him whilst fighting his addiction.
What Downie does in this latest short is incredible. The heartfelt performance of Mark Frost's and Chris Bain's as Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes is truly a feat of acting. There is really a relationship, a "bro-mance" if you will that is portrayed as accurately as the real life protagonists themselves.
The main task of filming should also be commended – stock footage of New York, New Jersey and even the interior of The Secret Stash is covered with grace and finesse by Downie and everyone on the crew for this feature.
The short does keep the subject matter light and this keeps you in great spirits throughout the movie. If you're a fan of the "Aksewniverse" you will be in for a treat with voice appearances by Brian O'Halloran ("Dante" from Smith's debut, "Clerks") and even features Git 'Em Steve Dave from Smodco's sister podcast "Tell Em Steve Dave!".
To conclude, if you're a fan of Downie's previous work or a fan of anything by Kevin Smith, this comes highly recommended. As a great man once said "play to your audience" – Downie and his crew do just that and more with aplomb. I look forward to FLOS Productions next vehicle.
