Flick Pick

Standards of Ethical Conduct, premiering on Saturday, June 6, is the sort of local production worth rooting for, despite its many imperfections. Written and directed by Roman Hardgrave, the mid-length flick — at just over forty minutes, it’s too long for a short, too brief for a feature — revolves around Heff (Savage Henry lead singer Damon Guerrasio), who soon regrets landing a job at a prototypically soulless corporation. What passes for a plot is actually a series of sketches whose tone will be familiar to anyone who’s seen Office Space or The Office or pretty much any movie, TV show, commercial or comic strip from the past twenty years that’s featured scenes shot in cubicles. Originality clearly isn’t Hardgrave’s strong suit, but he manages to wrangle energetic performances from Robert Bottelsen Jr., as the firm’s martinet boss; Pamela McCreary, portraying a chirpy assistant; and comic Chuck Roy, who plays a stoner like someone who’s taken the time to do research. The result is an amiable trifle showcasing Denver talent capable of doing even more with fresher material.

Catch the film at 8 p.m. at the Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo Street; tickets are $10. To learn more, visit www.standardsofethicalconduct.com or www.bugtheatre.org, or call 303-477-9984.
Sat., June 6, 8 p.m., 2009