After yesterday’s showing of “Masculinity/Femininity” at the Overby Center, Oxford Film Fest will continue its monthly film series with a showing of “Porches and Private Eyes” tonight and “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Halloween.
“Porches and Private Eyes” centers on the Mississippi town of Brookhaven, where three women – through a number of misadventures – work to solve the murder of a local eccentric.
Photo courtesy: www.facebook.com/porchesmovie
“You could say it is ‘Steel Magnolias’ meets an Agatha Christie crime story,” director and writer Travis Mills said. “Beneath that plot, it is a collection of observations and experiences I have had with various characters around Brookhaven over the years.”
According to Mills, the film has been called a love letter to the town.
“The film was not only shot in Brookhaven – it was written for Brookhaven, meaning that the script was constructed around certain locations and even actors I wanted to work with,” Mills said. “That’s what is different about our work: we adapt our films to the places we film, not the other way around, like Hollywood productions. Besides that, Brookhaven was ideal because of the community support and strong culture to back us up.”
That’s why a number of the characters in “Porches and Private Eyes” are inspired by people living in Mississippi, and it’s why local non-actors were included in the production. Mills said the script was flexible as filming unfolded and as some of the locals helped add their personal stories to the film.
Mills, who has ties to Mississippi but is not necessarily from the state, said the most important pull for him in making the film is the deeply rooted culture in Mississippi.
“That also makes this particular murder mystery unique. But, like most of our films, it’s not the plot that matters: It’s the characters, the people,” Mills said. “The film is definitely about women in Mississippi, not that it, by any means, represents a majority of them. It’s about female friendship, marriage, family and greed among many other things.”
His inspiration from the state doesn’t end with “Porches and Private Eyes.” Mills has also made a documentary about the state and will be producing four more feature films here in the next two years. In fact, he and his company, Running Wild Films, just wrapped up another Mississippi film, “Don’t Come Around Here.”
Catch “Porches and Private Eyes” at 7 p.m. at the Powerhouse Tickets for the screening are $10.
Don’t miss cult-favorite “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31, at the Powerhouse. Tickets are $8 for Arts Council and Oxfilm members and $10 for non-members. The film’s trademark wacky props (among them: water pistols, toast, a latex glove and toilet paper) are allowed for this showing and will be available at the door for $5.
