Austinites rejoice! There is a film that embodies the “Keep Austin Weird!” The Salamander King centers upon the Austin Municipal Golf Course (Austin Munie!) and the ragtag team of oddballs who work there, led by Ray Mueller (Ryan Hansen).
For years, Ray has kept the city paying for the course by taking the city rep out to a strip club and “wining and dining” him. This year, he is taken by surprise when the rep who arrives to do the yearly review turns out to be a woman, Samantha ‘Sam’ Lambert (Adrianne Palicki), someone who is intensely motivated to do her job to the best of her ability.
Suddenly, it’s the Munies against the city in the guise of Sam as the team has to either figure out a way to get rid of the deficit or be shut down.
The Salamander King is a comedy in the vein of such classics as PCU and Caddyshack! It’s a salute to Austin as well as to ne’er-do-wells who prove to have a heart of gold!
In conjunction with this review, I also did a sit-down interview with Director Austin Nichols and Adrianne Palicki (Sam Lambert). I had a great time talking to them!
Director: Austin Nichols
Cast: Ryan Hansen, Adrianne Palicki, Dulce Sloan, Justin Chatwin, Reggie Bush, Temple Baker, Bill Wise, Brad Leland, Joe Hursley, Lilit Avagyan, Bobo Hoang, Christopher St. Mary
MPAA Rating: Not Rated (Yet)
Selig Rating: 4.5 Stars
Runtime: 94 Min.
Release Date: N/A
Language: English
Genre: Comedy
Trailer: THE SALAMANDER KING Teaser Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.