The Foxy Merkins

The Foxy Merkins is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Madeleine Olnek[1][2] and the lowest budget narrative feature in the Sundance 2014 film festival. The film had its world premiere at Sundance NEXT Weekend on August 9, 2013[3] and later screened at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2014.[4][5] It had its international premiere at the Moscow International Film Festival on June 25, 2014,[6] selected for screening despite the hostile climate towards LGBT people in Russia.

The Foxy Merkins
Film poster
Directed byMadeleine Olnek
Written byMadeleine Olnek
Lisa Haas
Jackie Monahan
Produced byMadeleine Olnek
Laura Terruso
StarringLisa Haas
Jackie Monahan
Alex Karpovsky
Susan Ziegler
Sally Sockwell
Deb Margolin
CinematographyAnna Stypko
Edited byCurtis Grout
Music byDan Bartfield
Release date
  • August 9, 2013 (2013-08-09) (Sundance)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film had its theatrical release December 5, 2014 in Brooklyn, NY, presented by the Independent Film Project (IFP).

Premise

Margaret is a down-on-her-luck hooker in training, who meets up with Jo, a beautiful and self-assured grifter from a wealthy family and an expert on servicing women, even as she considers herself proudly heterosexual.

Cast
  • Lisa Haas as Margaret
  • Jackie Monahan as Jo
  • Alex Karpovsky as The Mumbling Erotic Accessory Salesman/CNN Executive
  • Susan Ziegler as Kinky Republican Lady
  • Sally Sockwell as Eloise
  • Deb Margolin as The MFA Drama Student
  • Dennis Davis as Margaret's brother
  • Diane Ciesla as Jo's mother
  • Rae C Wright as the jittery cancelling businesswoman

Reception

The Foxy Merkins received generally positive reviews from critics. Mark Adams, chief film critic of Screen International, wrote, "The film, though clearly micro-budget and at times acted with enthusiasm rather than precision, is a gentle charmer and punctuated with some delightful dialogue and set-piece sequences." Dennis Harvey of Variety, said in his review that "This equally absurdist exercise gets off to a good start portraying an unlikely Manhattan prostitution trade in homeless but well-educated females serving closeted lesbian socialites."[7] Emma Myers an “aspiring writer”[8] at Sundance as part of a critic training program at Indiewire graded the film C- and wrote, ""The Foxy Merkins" has all the right ingredients to please Olnek's niche audience. Unfortunately, after a truly hilarious and fresh first act, the film can no longer sustain its premise.”[9] In contrast, Peter Knegt, a senior editor at Indiewire, praised the film as “Downright hilarious,” naming it one of "10 Great LGBT Films From This Year's Sundance Film Festival" and also one of "8 Queer Women Films to Watch in 2014." Stephen Holden from the NY Times wrote about The Foxy Merkins “One of its charms is its cheerful demolition of female stereotypes, gay and straight” and called it “sly” “funny” and “sweet.”[10]

Justin Lowe in his review for The Hollywood Reporter said of star and co-writer Lisa Haas, "Haas, who also played the lead in Codependent, reprises a similar, wide-eyed role, but is so effective at drawing out some of the film’s more ridiculously awkward moments that it’s hard to imagine any established actress outdoing her."."[11]

References
  1. "Women of Sundance: The Foxy Merkins". 21 January 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  2. "'The Foxy Merkins' director Madeleine Olnek talks Sundance, weirdos, and the freedom of filmmaking on the cheap". 23 January 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  3. "Sundance Trades Utah Snow for L.A. Traffic With 'Next Weekend' Festival". 8 August 2013. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  4. "Sundance 2014: The Next <=> Lineup". 10 January 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  5. "The Foxy Merkins - Director Madeleine Olnek". 19 January 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  6. "THE FOXY MERKINS :: Film catalogue :: Moscow International Film Festival". www.moscowfilmfestival.ru. Archived from the original on 2014-12-10.
  7. "Sundance Film Review: 'The Foxy Merkins'". 20 January 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  8. "Meet the Indiewire | Sundance Institute Film Criticism Fellows for 2014 | Criticwire". blogs.indiewire.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-18.
  9. "Sundance Review: Despite a Hilarious Setup, Madeleine Olnek's 'The Foxy Merkins' Is a Disappointing Sophomore Effort". 21 January 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  10. Holden, Stephen (4 December 2014). "No Midnight Cowgirl". The New York Times.
  11. "The Foxy Merkins: Sundance NEXT WEEKEND Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 15 August 2013. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
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