Midnight Chimes and Mise En Scène Company have released additional first look images of Forelock, a dark comedy starring David Krumholtz that will premiere on October 23rd as a marquee selection at the Austin Film Festival Opening Night.
The “Oppenheimer” actor, who also serves as an executive producer, steps into the realm of gritty character actors with this indie film, which marks the solo feature directorial debut of writer-director Caleb Alexander Smith, who also stars.
David Krumholtz – “Forelock”
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“Playing Randy was an opportunity to pay homage to the way actors like Nicholson, Pacino, and Dustin Hoffman portrayed the character, the obnoxious underdog characters that you can’t help rooting for,” Krumholtz says. “My Lasso Rizzo moment was perfectly imagined in a modern context by Caleb.”
The reference to Ratso Rizzo, the iconic downtrodden hustler played by Dustin Hoffman in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, points to a meaty, morally ambiguous character role that allows the actor to display dramatic range.
The film is about Kaiden (Smith), a down-on-his-luck fitness enthusiast who moves to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a trainer, but is distracted by opportunistic Hollywood Boulevard conman Randy (Krumholtz), who exploits his resemblance to the world’s most famous superhero. The pair must work their way out of trouble involving an ill-tempered drug boss and a volatile police officer investigating a celebrity murder.
Named after the iconic curl on the forehead of a superhero, “Forelock” is based on Smith’s real-life experience of being asked to “stand on Hollywood Boulevard” as a superhero lookalike after arriving in Los Angeles.
Shot entirely on location in Los Angeles, the film takes an unflinching look at the city, from the homelessness crisis and public disorder to the residents of Bel Air mansions.
“Forelock is something between a love letter to L.A. and a passionately scrawled farewell note crumpled and tossed to a city full of possibilities and contradictions,” says Smith. “Inspired by the way ‘Midnight Cowboy’ highlighted the gritty atmosphere of late ’60s Manhattan, we strived to capture a frighteningly authentic snapshot of downtown Hollywood.”
Caleb Alexander Smith – “Forelock”
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As executive producer, Krumholtz says he wanted to be more than just a performer on set. “Making independent work is an uphill battle, but making independent work on the streets of Los Angeles is especially difficult,” he points out. “The result is a dynamic, comedic thrill ride that taps into a relatable theme of a particular brand of despair: Hollywood despair.”
Now in its 32nd year, the Austin Film Festival is showing “Forelock” in its main lineup, alongside the Texas premieres of Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” and Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice.”
Robert Schaefer (“Quantum of Solace,” “Stranger Than Fiction”) served as director of photography. The film was produced by Midnight Chimes, a company founded by Smith and entrepreneur Lindsey McCormick.
Krumholtz’s upcoming credits include Deliver me from Nowhere, A24’s Altar, and the role of Zor-El in DC Studios’ 2026 feature Supergirl.
Smith, whose TV credits include “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Modern Family,” will also be reprising his role in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming Hulu series “Old’s Fair,” whose recently released trailer received more than 57 million views in 24 hours, making it the streamer’s biggest trailer release ever.
Mise-en-Scaine sells it worldwide.
Caleb Alexander Smith, David Krumholtz – “Forelock”
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