All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

Before we go any farther, one thing needs to be made clear. Angela Bettis fans who are expecting a gory horror movie along the lines of May or Sick Girl are going to be disappointed. This is basically a quirky comedy with supernatural elements, focusing on a backwoods fortune teller and the small army of ghosts that inhabit her house.

Although not a bad film, there isn't much to recommend about it either. For the first half of the picture, the plot does not so much flow as drift, going from one vignette to another with no real reason or logic behind them. Only in the second half, in which we focus on the ghosts' struggle to leave the house, do things begin to pick up.

The tendency of the film to spend minutes on end watching the performances of a group of ghost musicians, which serve no purpose other than to promote the Califones, the band of director Tim Rutili. These sequences are distracting, and detract from the film overall.

Nevertheless, the film strangely works, with a quirky sense of humor that is at times genuinely amusing. The denouement in particular is quite funny.

What an excellent little film. So intriguing and captivating. The story is neat, the imagery is curious and the MUSIC is fascinating. It all fits together to form this really unusual experience. This a film everyone should see. I promise even if you hate it you won't forget it. There really are no other films this can be compared to so you'll have to open your mind and let the visuals overtake you. Then let the music envelope you and transport you into the story - this is the only way to really understand. Some say this is a super natural thriller and you could say that but I'd be more inclined to say it's a journey to the place we go when we see backwards from within or that place in between dream and wish. You know the one, now you have a soundtrack for that place. And the things you might find there.

munch those goodies and sip that wine and i guarantee you will have fun. this movie is not a laugh riot. instead it's a chuckle time story full of trapped spirits that just play all day.

the owner of the spirit filled house is a so-so fortune teller that has a regular clientèle which add to the chuckles. especially the argumentative widow - what a character! then the fortune teller has reason to get the spirits out but how that happens is revealed at the end of the story.

expect no great acting nor expect a logical plot line - i didn't (maybe it was the wine). but it's fun to watch and enjoy for lite entertainment.

All My Friends Are Funeral Singers is a mood-appropriate title for this folksy, low-key, surreal story of a woman and her inherited ghost family. It takes one out of time; there's very little that dates this film to 2010, short of one character's cell phone ring. Besides that this film exists purely in its own world and time-frame, much like the main character Zel herself, whose independence makes her immediately relatable. Her love for the ghosts feels as natural as anything, as if there were nothing supernatural about it. And in many senses that's the approach whole movie seemed to take, taking the charms and superstitions of a dead magick and putting them in a down-to-earth context.

The ghosts themselves keep the film quite entertaining, either through beautiful creative music from the wonderful Califone playing themselves as dead blind men, or through very amusing unpredictable anecdotes and dialog ("I hung myself with my something blue…" says the one in the wedding dress). Even the silent Nyla burned as a radiant core for the film's dreamlike heart.

The mood is half this film, and so it won't be for everyone. Sometimes the shifting images and cacophonous soundscapes can be chaotic, but never in an abrasive or confrontational way. Everything about this film is inviting. Easily put, it's a 'good vibe'. And there is very creative use of imagery and especially props and set design. I can imagine upon repeated viewings, there's always going to be some strange new novel item spotted in Zel's house so full of these uncommon trinkets. There's much to explore in its authentic-feeling space. All these elements and more craft this mood that is like a wonderful dream that you want to tell everyone about but can't find the words to explain.

There's also something quite moving about this film. As one might imagine for those like me who were aware of Califone first, its has that warming but sometimes bittersweet emotion that Califone's music often has.

Despite using motifs of superstition, this film also dispels them in a very subtle way. The final moment brings it all together, and I will admit that I applauded when it was done.

I recommend it for lovers of mood films, and its worth watching with loved ones, as you might find yourself appreciating them very much at the films completion.

The characters and plot of this film are a delight to watch. It takes a bit of patience for them to tell their stories, but when they do, it makes sense for how they have behaved. Zel is both brave and fragile at the same time. She is very aware of her odd circumstances and seems at a crossroad as whether to continue on or allow for big changes. The surprise ending leaves the viewer amused because it is so surreal.

This movie is definitely a supernatural story. Because of the gentle manner in which the tale unfolds, it is a refreshing as well as haunting viewing experience. If you want an in-your-face movie experience, you might want to pass on this one. If you are ready for a sublimely told story of a woman and her ghosts this is a film for you.