"A Kiwi nerd love story and loopy portrait of Down Under underachievers, Eagle vs. Shark offers a deadpan take on family, friendship, obsession and self-delusion." (Philadelphia Inquirer) Lily is a depressed cashier at the Meaty Boy fast food joint; she harbors a crush on Jarrod, the awkward game store clerk across the Mall. When Jarrod invites her to his "Dress as your Favorite Animal Party," she impresses him with her choice—a shark. "I almost came as a shark, actually" he says in his feathered costume, "but then I realized that an eagle's slightly better." A match made in heaven, but Jarrod can't commit: he needs to train his mind and body to beat up the bully who tormented him in high school. Featuring endearing performances and marvelous chemistry by Jemaine Clement, one half of Flight of the Conchords, and newcomer Loren Horsely, Eagle vs. Shark is quirky enough to invite comparisons to Napoleon Dynamite, but easily stands on its own charms. "The film is punctuated by a literal knock down, drag out affair that has all the perverse curiosity of watching a 'late career' Mike Tyson bout. But by the end, the real knockout is the discovery of this comic gem." (Premiere) More at eaglevsshark.net 35mm
2007, color, 1 hour 28 minutes, New Zealand