"Hasta La Vista": Exploring The Most Unlikely Earworm Subject Of All ... Hippo Hips
Matt Kazman and Matt Porter's short "Hasta La Vista" is one of those films that may make you cringe as much as cheer. While cringing and laughing at the same time may look questionable, there's no questions about this film: it's a cracking good time from beginning to end. When socially awkward Andy (Josh Rabinowitz) offends his unlikely love interest at a party by confusing an obvious insult with a nursery rhyme about hippos, he embarks on a journey to clear his name and find the answer behind the hippo of all tunes. Little does he know, the answer literally sings to him in the most unlikely of places. Far from a nursery rhyme, will Andy ever discover the source of his anxiety and get the girl? With a longer running time of around 22 minutes, "Hasta La Vista" works well because it makes perfect usage of its length by spending plenty of time building its characters and setting them into motion. What starts as a party film quickly morphs into a detective film of adorably epic and quirky proportions. A well deserved Vimeo staff pick as well as an official selection at various festivals, including the LES Film Festival and the Austin Film Festival, both Matts, as well as lead actor/writer Josh Rabinowitz and cinematographer Ryan Nethery, definitely make a strong team of talent to be on the lookout for in the near future. "Hips like a hippity hippo" may be one of the most endearing and delightfully underhanded insults to be born from a film script. Be warned, you might find this earworm of a ditty playing in your head long after viewing, but you can trust me in saying that you'll be far from complaining after watching this film. Check out an interview the team did with Paste Magazine here. While you're at it, why not check out some more of the best shorts on the web.