www.theholestoryfilm.com
LATEST NEWS
THE HOLE STORY is now available atNetflix , Blockbuster ,Hollywood Video , and major retail outlets nationwide.
KIND WORDS
"I fell in love with it and have not been able to get it out of my head. It was one of my favorite unreleased films of last year and one of the saddest and funniest debuts I've ever seen... I hope it gets a theatrical distributor so that audiences have a chance to discover Karpovsky, a distinctive comic voice and significant American filmmaker."
-- Matt Zoller Seitz, NEW YORK PRESS
"Equal measures Woody Allen and Werner Herzog, "The Hole Story" is one of the most original American comedies we’ve seen in a long time."
-- Matthew Ross, FILMMAKER MAGAZINE
“Amazing: hilarious, smart, and surprisingly profound... "The Hole Story" is one of those films that you want to push on people… It’s a fine achievement and a wonderful debut. Why hasn't anyone picked this up?â€
-- Michael Tully, indieWIRE
"Take note of an important, talented, and original filmmaker in our midst. After weary years as a Boston-based editor of corporate and karaoke videos, Karpovsky achieved this feature, and what a feature! It's a kind of "mockumentary," but so much more, as there's little "mock" in this fictionalized non-fiction work and lots of drive and spiritual-existential ambition... The Hole Story can be hilariously funny, but it also dares ask, and seriously, why the hell are we on this earth? Karpovsky's movie needs a distributor."
-- Gerald Peary, THE BOSTON PHOENIX
"Alex and his crew do a great job keeping it real yet funny... We laugh at him, with him, yet we are along for the journey. We want Alex to solve the mystery, we care. And this is why the film transcends other films in the genre."
-- Peter Sciretta, CINEMATICAL
"very funny. Karpovsky recognizes that the set-up is often funnier than the punchline... There's good things in Karpovsky's future; he stages comedy very well."
-- Jay Seaver, eFILMCRITIC.COM
"A hilarious account of Karpovsky's maniacal search for success, meaning, human connection, America, and a 40-foot Paul Bunyan statue... The film has no sex, no violence, and no stars, but it doesn't need them. It's what you could call an ''out loud" movie: one sure to leave audiences laughing out loud at its gentle ironies, groaning at Karpovsky's outrageous attempts to save the project, and gasping at least once. Moreover, it combines a good story with a compelling arc and a portrait of a real place, its people, and life's unexpected poignancies. Shot in documentary style, focused on a fictional Alex (but based on and starring the real Karpovsky), and set in real situations with real people who may or may not be acting, ''The Hole Story" is neither feature film, documentary, or mockumentary. Perhaps it's time to start talking about ficumentaries."
-- Denise Taylor, THE BOSTON GLOBE
"the cutting edge of fringe filmmaking. A hilarious, Herzog-esque look at one man's descent into madness."
-- David Walker, PORTLANDS WILLIAMETTE WEEK
"Performance art, faux-u-mentary and 85-minute cosmic kvetch, Alex Karpovskys offbeat The Hole Story is also an amusing demonstration of the art of turning nothing into something The film is a new kind of existential exhibitionism, a Blair Witch-like descent into a hole in one mans head".
--James, Verniere, THE BOSTON HERALD
"What makes this film so captivating and hilarious is its unpredictably and off-the-cuff quintessence. Suffice it to say that writer/director Alex Karpovsky is treading thin ice from beginning to end, and following his quaky journey is a priceless experience Everything about this film is innovative, from the unscripted yet somehow brilliant content, to the haphazard and seemingly incongruous composition. It, of course, though probably unintentionally, comes together by the gratifying finale. The film is so unique, so incomparable, that viewers would be foolish not to champion its ascent to the mainstream."
-- Abby Weingarten, THE SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE
"Karpovsky is hilarious in the role of a narcissistic karaoke-video editor who arrives too late in Paul Bunyanville... Increasingly existential, at once melancholic and gut-busting, this triumphant indie gets more from nothing than any in years."
-- Rob Nelson, MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL CITY PAGES
"It's actually pretty funny"
-- Stephen Hunter, THE WASHINGTON POST
SYNOPSIS
Winter. Brainerd, Minnesota. Despite arctic temperatures sheathing hundreds of surrounding lakes in three feet of solid ice, a massive stretch of water opens up on the surface of North Long Lake. With repeated scientific investigations yielding no answers, the "Black Hole" captures the heart of the nearby community while attracting national, even international attention. Convinced this charming story would be perfect for the small town mystery show he's been fervently pitching to cable executives for years, Alex decides to cash in his savings from editing karaoke videos, hire a small crew, and make the pilot episode himself. Upon arrival however, this black hole mystery reveals itself to be much disturbing and personal than expected, slowly engulfing Alex in an existential search that consumes not only his cherished pilot, but with it the very underpinnings of his sanity. Witnessing a humanity and desperation that can only reveal itself through the cracks of a fractured dream, the crew's cameraman veers his focus away from the pilot to the tragedy of our unraveling hero. Interweaving real footage intended for the pilot along with private phone calls and journal recordings, "The Hole Story" is a troubling yet hilarious journey into the burden of dreams and the making of American legends.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Indep. Film Festival of Boston - Special Sneak Preview
Northampton Indep. Film Festival - Directors Choice Award
Sedona Int'l Film Festival
DC Indep. Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize: Best Feature
Fargo Film Festival - Opening Night Film
Big Muddy Film Festival
Sarasota Film Festival - Best of Fest
Memphis Int'l Film Festival
Harvard Film Archive
Longbaugh Film Festival - Best of Fest
Minn-St. Paul Int'l Film Festival - Best of Fest
Filmstock Int'l Film Festival (U.K.)
Seattle True Independent Film Festival
Rooftop Films
Newport Int'l Film Festival
Plymouth Indep. Film Festival
Woods Hole Film Festival - Emerging Filmmaker Award
Free Range Film Festival - Closing Night Film
Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival
George Eastman House
Ojai Film Festival
S.N.O.B. Film Festival
Mass Bay Film Festival
Kansas Int'l Film Festival
narrative feature - 83 minutes
