Director: Patrick Roddy
Producer: Brian McLaughlin, Patrick Roddy, Victoria Westover
Screenplay: Ken Henderson
Cinematography: Patrick Roddy
Cast: Nathan Ginn, Michelle Belegrin, Ted Parks, Josh Marcantel, Angus Scrimm

Synopsis: Lorain convinces a man named Shane who is infatuated with her to invest in her husband Charley’s night club Red 71. Unknown to Shane Lorain is secretly having an affair with a man Del who she fears might cause harm to her husband if he is not kept in check. Everything reaches a fever pitch one evening when Charley is murder and suddenly everyone in town becomes as suspect when the police’s prime suspect is also murdered.

Earlier this year I had a chance to see director Patrick Roddy’s directorial debut Mercy a film which showed great promise of a very talented filmmaker. Roddy return’s in grand style with his second film Red 71 which opens with some beautiful shots of a car driving in the desert while the titles appear across the screen. One thing that immediately grabbed my attention was the superb score for the film which as composed by Friends of Dean Martinez. The score is just subtle enough that it never overplays it hand and like most classic works of cinema it plays an important part in the overall tone and structure of the film.
 
This time around director Patrick Roddy uses color instead of black & white like he had with Mercy. Visually his style adapts flawlessly from black & white into color. The look of the film is very much like watching a black & white film in color. Roddy’s visual tapestry falls effortlessly into place with Red 71’s dream like pacing and stark compositions. Those who have seen Mercy will be blown away at just how much Patrick Roddy has grown as a filmmaker.

Also I think it should be said that the acting in Red 71 is better than 99% of the independent films that I seen to date. Two things I credit to the solid acting in this film Roddy’s direction and the fact that cast is hired professionals and not friends like so many independent filmmakers tend to use. Horror icon actor Angus Scrimm has a brief cameo in the film. Ultimately Red 71 is a cross between Orson Welles “Touch of Evil” and the lost highway’s of David Lynch’s bizarre landscapes.

For more information about Red 71 visit Patrick Roddy’s website here.