Melvin Goes to Dinner

Director Bob Odenkirk is best known for his work on Mr. Show, which was often the funniest thing on TV even when it was up against George Bush claiming that he knew exactly where the weapons of mass destruction were. In Melvin Goes to Dinner, he leaves the broad yuks behind and directs a quiet and intensely engaging story about four people sitting around a table talking. It’s sort of like My Dinner With Andre if Andre and Wallace were sexually attracted to each other and wanted to talk about everyone they’d ever had sex with. Sadly, Odenkirk does not have a distributor for Melvin, but Tucson is lucky to have gotten a screening of this really fine film, and Odenkirk himself will be around to talk about it. Odenkirk will attend a pre-screening party at 6 p.m. at the Red Garter Bar & Grill (3143 E. Speedway Blvd.) and then answer questions after the 8 p.m. screening of Melvin Goes to Dinner at the Loft on Wednesday, Oct. 22. He’ll also hold a free workshop for filmmakers and writers at the LOFT at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23. He also makes a cameo in the film, as does the hilarious David Cross, in case you needed more incentive to get out and see this excellent, well-acted and truly deserving film.