A Poetic Take On Teen Angst In "universal" Film

"A universal film. Poetic." That's how French criticsdescribed "Trip Out," the cutting-edge new feature film from 26-year-old writer-director James Hausler. After theatrical releases in Paris, London and Washington, D.C., the film is now set for worldwide distribution on DVD and through the brand-new medium of digital video-on-demand.

In "Trip Out"'s witty black comedic plot, three adolescent boys and one sinfully attractive cheerleader embark on a hallucinogenic journey that leads them nowhere good. A high school party planned with the worst of intentions pits brother against brother and brings on vindictive drug dealers, a fevered sexual encounter and the possibility of murder.


"Trip Out" is a "character-driven triptych," as other critics have called it. Its colorful and sometimes dreamlike technique shatters the mold of typical high school movies. The film's story-telling style ties together three intense, interlocking tales with an original rap, rock and orchestral sound track.

For independent filmmakers like Hausler, who used to rely just on art-house theatrical and DVD distribution, digital distribution offers a new channel well-matched to the under-25 market. It also matches up well with the spread of popular digital devices such as the iPhone that are designed to display video.

According to VOD Wizard founder Tony Kandah, a leader in digital independent film distribution, video-on-demand film distribution takes advantage of the Internet's social network. According to Kandah, "Digital film downloads allow people to e-mail links to intriguing content with you-gotta-see-this messaging."

Writer-director James M. Hausler.

"Trip Out" is a witty cutting edge film about teen isolation and anger distributed online though video on demand and coming soon on DVD.