A bizarre, surreal nightmare in the vein of films like Eraserhead and Tetsuo, Laguna Ave feels more like a bad acid trip than an actual movie. It’s weird. It’s provocative. It certainly is not for everyone.
We have the main hero Russell (Russell Steinberg), a former musician who lost his hand in an accident. He’s struggling to find work, while also suspecting his girlfriend Rita (Stephanie Brait) is being unfaithful, as she constantly travels for work. The film, shot in black-and-white, centers on Russell, Rita, and the rest of their neighbors in a Los Angeles apartment complex. This includes the wine-loving Frenchman Pierre (Dan Crane) and drug-dealing Dan (Zachary Taylor), always high/in a bathrobe.
Then a new neighbor Gary (James Hall, Jr.) moves in.
With Rita away on another business trip, bizarre and metallic clanging from Gary’s apartment keeps Russell awake at night. Russell also notices Gary and his cross-dressing friend Charlie (Sheridan Ward) incessantly unloading garbage bags from the trunk of a car. Someone spurs him into investigating, and things escalate. A lot.
Chaos and bloodshed ensue. There are bizarre fight scenes. There are long screeds about the impact technology has on society. There are some found-footage scenes, to put the viewer on even more uneven footing. This isn’t a Rear Window homage, as some may suspect when Gary is introduced. It is instead a mishmash of violence and anarchy, and you truly will not expect what’s happening next. The film would work well in public libraries for fans of surreal cinema, and those studying technology and media.