New Paste Magazine Article

Photo by Loni Workman

Story from:
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/06/filmmaker-brothers-embark-on-a-search-for-the-best.html

Filmmaker Brothers Discuss Search for The Best Bar in America

By

Jeffrey Bloomer

on June 22, 2009 11:30 AM

When fledgling filmmakers Damon and Eric Ristau put together their first feature, The Best Bar in America, they had their priorities more or less in order. “We set out to make a movie about one man’s journey—a very simple story that we think everyone can relate to on a certain level,” one brother offers.

“And we wanted to make a movie about bars,” the other adds later, almost as an interjection.

He wasn't kidding, at least not completely. To make the movie, a fictional story that follows the travels of a man who sets out to write a bar guidebook, they visited at least 65 bars in the West. Fifty or so made it into the film.

The result is a debut feature the brothers describe as "a labor of love." The Montana-based filmmakers, who run their own production company, Firewater Film Company, talk about the film with a mixture of enthusiasm and relief.

"In a nutshell, it’s about self-discovery: a man who’s on the road, and he’s more blind when the journey begins, and through him meeting a variety of different people and characters along the way, his eyes are opened to the world and kind of a better sense of himself,” Damon says. "It’s our first feature film co-directing together, and it was an experiment. And now, it’s pretty amazing that it’s almost done.”

The brothers plan to put a rough cut in front of a hometown audience next month, and they have begun to shop the movie around to festivals. In the meantime, check out the trailer below and follow blog updates on the movie here.

Cover of Mountain Gazette!

If you live in the mountain states pick up a copy of the April issue of Mountain Gazette! The legendary magazine tracked us down for the scoop on the film and gave us the cover! They did us right with a two-page spread showing off some of Loni Workman's great photos, and printed a few road weary pages of the original script. The feature also includes an email exchange between the editor, John Fayhee, and Damon Ristau. The spread is not yet online, but I'll try to post it when it makes its way into cyberspace. For now, here's the cover

Post Production Madness

Over the last couple of months, since wrapping production, we've been holed up editing like madmen. Eric has set up his editing HQ in a converted woodshed up on Blue Mountain, and my post production digs are in my garage behind my house. This has been a long winter, but very productive indeed. Watching the film come together is quite possibly the most rewarding part of this entire process. Post is also MUCH less stressful than actual production. There are no more impossible logistics to pull off, no last minute preproduction and extras casting, no actors to direct , no waiting for the weather to change and no more Wild Turkey (thank God)! We have completed around 2/3 of the film and are very happy with what we are seeing and we're hoping to complete the rough cut by mid-March. We have also been working with a small group of wildly talented musicians who are creating a wicked soundtrack that will undoubtedly blow your mind.

Loni Workman

All photos by Loni Workman
Loni Workman, the film's official Still Photographer and Associate Producer, has been along for the ride since Day 1. She moved to Missoula in September for the production on her own dime and has tolerated our crankiness, disorganization and poverty. She gets paid in hugs and beers, and frequently Elisabeth and I "let" her babysit for us. Not only is she an extremely talented photographer, but she conquered her fear of water to become a fantastic Mermaid at the Sip N Dip (see earlier post), and let go of her public speaking fear when she played the part of the Bar Slut in a hilarious scene. Loni has proven herself to be a crazy-hard worker, top-notch drinker, music connoisseur, and most of all, a great friend. By the way she also happens to be the girlfriend of Gregory Collet (Tex)!

Here is an assortment of some of her fantastic pics:

Lights! Camera! Ackroyd!

David Ackroyd, who plays the wise old character "Northway" in the film, recently dedicated his weekly two-hour internet radio show, "Lights, Camera, Ackroyd," to his latest experience on the set of "The Best Bar in America." You can listen to his hilarious and detailed behind-the-scenes account of independent guerrilla filmmaking at its finest.

Click on David's photo to listen to his podcast.

David Ackroyd brings you Lights! Camera! Ackroyd! every Tuesday at 10 a.m. David has spent over 40 years in the sometimes wonderful and sometimes really strange world known as "show biz." He's done everything from major features to low-budget films including his latest, "The Best Bar in America."

Montana Mermaids

Photos by Loni Workman and John Ansotegui. We recently returned from the famous Sip N Dip Lounge in Great Falls, Montana. Even though we talked to a ton of people about this place and were aware that GQ Magazine rated it as the #1 Bar in the world, nothing could quite prepare us for what we experienced. We shot for two days in the lounge, starting at 6 am and ending in the early afternoon. The wonderful management at the O'Haire Motor Inn (where the lounge is located) let us film in the bar outside business hours. Tim Huffman, (who plays a cowboy bartender in the beginning of the film) rented us SCUBA gear and built a giant bubbler out of PVC pipe and a scuba tank. Using our underwater housing, Eric recorded some amazing footage of our mermaids.

The Sip N Dip is an authentic tiki bar will bamboo walls and ceiling, the house drink is a blue-colored fish bowl that contains something like 10 shots of booze. Most evenings Piano Pat comes out and plays classic hits from the likes of Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond.

Here's the kicker. Behind the bar are two large windows that look underwater into the swimming pool. At 9pm the mermaids appear and the place gets packed, everyone drinking blue drinks, laughing and dancing to Piano Pat's tunes.

Several key scenes in the film happen at the Sip N Dip. Including the meeting of two the film's main characters: Sanders and Eden.

Check out the pics and youtube mermaid montage.

"Best Bar in America" Trailer

Here is the recently-completed trailer for the film. Let us know what you think. For a high-res version of the trailer click HERE

More Production Pics

Entering the "Golden Circle" on
Going to the Sun Road

Credit where credit is due

BEST BAR IN AMERICA CAST

Sanders.......................................Andrew Rizzo
Northway....................................David Ackroyd
Tex...............................................Gregory Collet
Eden............................................Lee McAfee
Daria...........................................Monique Lanier
Trucker.......................................Steve Hodgson
Jersey Lilly Bartender..............Tim Huffman

Jim Harrison!

Photos by Loni Workman

We recently returned from shooting a scene at the Old Saloon in Paradise Valley, Montana where legendary author and poet, Jim Harrison (Legends of the Fall, Dalva, Saving Daylight, etc.), met us for a cameo in the film. Harrison's general view on life, combined with his love for the land, the drink and the road, fall in line with many of our personal sentiments. In our limited encounters with Jim, he has been quite supportive of the project. During our last meeting with him over many drinks in Salt Lake City, Eric and I pitched him the idea. We also somehow convinced him it would be a good idea for him to appear in the film. Harrison appears near the very end of the film so you'll have to watch it in its entirety to hear his joke, laugh and profound wisdom.
On the set, we were also very pleased to be joined by the great author and activist Doug Peacock, as well as Dennis Sizemore, Executive Director of Round River Conservation.