'MAXIE' IS A MONUMENTAL SUCCESS

'MAXIE'

IS A MONUMENTAL SUCCESS

The locally cast and directed film is paving the way for Eugene cinema.

BY SAMMY PIEROTTI TWITTER @SAMMYPIEROTTI

Maxie and Sid can do it today. Get clean, that is. They’re two teen addicts roaming the streets of Eugene and Springfield, bogged down by drug addiction and the traumas of their early lives. The two couldn’t be more different: Maxie’s family is wealthy, wholesome and from the hills of Eugene. Sid’s is trauma-torn and from a Springfield trailer park. Through the judgment-free lens of director Jarrett Byrant, viewers watch Maxie and Sid's relationship develop through the highs and lows of their addiction over the course of a tumultuous weekend.

“Maxie,” a Drama film released on April 29, 2021, was filmed in the early days of the pandemic by Bryant, a Eugene-based director. Filming started on February 15, 2020, but when COVID hit, the production was shut down for three weeks. Bryant then went through a massive rewrite, cutting characters and scenes that involved more people. “When I rewrote, I wanted to drive home the idea of a relationship based on convenience rather than actual love or affection,” he said.

“Maxie” changed the way I look at Eugene. As a college student, my world pretty much spans from Franklin Boulevard to West 24th Avenue. But “Maxie” opened my eyes to the parts of Eugene I don’t see, and what I ignore because I’m uncomfortable looking at it.

The role COVID plays in “Maxie” almost makes it a period piece. Downtown Eugene was deserted, gas prices were notably low and almost no one was out and about. Bryant incorporated the pandemic into the script as almost a throwaway, because to Maxie and Sid, news about COVID means next to nothing.

“You as an audience member will realize that, yeah, you’re right, most homeless people aren’t watching CNN,” Bryant said. “I just wanted to touch on it, sprinkle it in, but not have it be a major thrust in the film.”

Despite its small presence in the film, COVID is apparent in the background of the film, giving it a haunting tone.

One of my favorite parts of “Maxie” was the slew of Eugene and Springfield landmarks that were scattered throughout. Seeing these Easter eggs made me feel involved in the movie; it was almost like I was traversing Eugene with Maxie and Sid. The Eugene Library, downtown district and riverfront are all featured. Bryant was particular about the places he shot, driving to locations days or even weeks ahead to scout out the best spots for each scene. “Henry [the director of photography] and I would drive around for hours scouting out locations, angles, mood and what time we wanted to reach the spot before we shot,” Bryant said.

Eugene locations also played a large role in how actors in “Maxie” executed their roles. Malakhai Schnell played Sid’s older brother Nathan, a fresh out of jail 20-something who is indebted to some sketchy dudes from Eugene. He explained that when doing guerilla filmmaking or smaller indie films in public locations, it’s normal for people to come up and ask about the film. “But during ‘Maxie,’ it was actually people coming up to ask about our two leads, who were dressed as homeless youth, and offer genuine help,” Schnell said.

Miles Dixon, who played Maxie in the film, incorporated the Eugene landscape into his preparation for his character. “I would go to the [homeless] encampment under the bridge in Whitaker and just try to fit in,” Dixon said. When he walked around downtown Eugene in character, often talking or shouting to himself, people would approach him and offer assistance.

Schnell had his own way of getting into character. “I did a lot of research on the way people get into a lifestyle where they start having more and more criminal activity, especially people that end up murdering someone, to try to get into the headspace,” he said. Schnell’s research included watching documentaries and reading articles about true crime.

Bryant nailed the physical characterization of Maxie and Sid though strong makeup and costume choices. Addiction is sometimes glamorized in popular media, but Bryant didn’t shy away from giving his leads unwashed hair and yellow teeth.

“A crucial part of playing Maxie was feeling really lonely, and I think the physical setup helped with that,” Dixon said.

Fake blood was used to create acne splotches on the teen’s skin, and players swished food coloring in their mouths to botch their teeth. “I remember Jarett showed up with baby oil, and he was like ‘I’m putting it in your hair,’” Hope Garcia said. Garcia played Desirre, another young addict in the movie. “I loved feeling all gross and gnarly because I performed my best that way,” she said.

“The whole idea behind [Maxie] was to show the underbelly of Eugene and Springfield, but that’s any city, USA,” Bryant said. “There’s always that undercurrent that people don’t see because we just drive by it. You’re going to work, or you’re going to school, or whatever, and until it affects us directly, we don’t acknowledge it.”

A crucial part of playing Maxie was feeling really lonely, and I think the physical setup helped with that.”

MILES DIXON

Played Maxie in the film (Mia McCall/Emerald)

A STORE OF ACTIONPACKED STORYLINES

Nostalgia Collectibles houses comics and memorabilia from a wide variety of fan bases. Customers float in and out of the unique store. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

Nostalgia Collectibles offers a plethora of magazines that are catered to fiction lovers. (Ali Watson/Emerald)

Customers who visit Nostalgia Collectables reflect on the history of comic books and discover complex storylines that are always up for interpretation.

BY BRANDON ROTH

Have you ever tried picking up a comic book? At Nostalgia Collectibles, customers are immersed with all kinds of visually stunning comic book covers. Iconic figures such as Batman, Wonder Woman and the X-Men line the shelves as one searches for something to read. The space has a nostalgic past with brick walls and wooden floors, suggesting there have been generations of comic book fans who have traversed through here. The store also sells collectible items such as Magic: The Gathering trading cards, minted superhero action figures and rare statues such as the gold and blue painted “Egyptian Queen” by science fiction artist Frank Frazetta.

Carrie Braun, a sales clerk at Nostalgia Collectibles, has worked for the store for over 30 years. Braun said the current location has been operating for four years. Although Nostalgia has been in service since 1987, their previous storefront that merged with Nostalgia a few years ago, Emerald City, opened in the early 1970s. Braun said their business is the oldest comic book store in Oregon.

Loyal customers from all over the country come to Eugene to buy the unique items from the store, Braun said. Nostalgia has a box subscriber program for customers who request items to be saved in the slot files behind the cashier desk. If a customer can’t find something on the store floor, they can ask Braun and other employees for help and have them look in the back. Their back room is an endless hall of graphics that are arranged by genre and stacked to the ceiling.

“We have a good niche of people who come to Eugene, such as our box subscribers,” Braun said. “They come in once a week, sometimes once a month to pick up the comics. They also buy graphic novels and toys. There's one guy who comes from New York once every year or so just to come and see if there are any throwback editions.”

Comics were historically an accessible and easily produced piece of media for children, Braun said. In the Golden and Silver Age of comics from 1938 to 1970, comics were not taken seriously as a form of adult entertainment. Children would just throw out their stories or recycle them for the war effort in World War II, Braun said. The comics that survived this period are considered rare because the majority of them were destroyed or in bad condition.

“Comics back in the beginning were just for kids and not really taken as any kind of adult entertainment,” Braun said. “The kids would fold them in half, write their names on them or throw them around. So when you can find one of those other comics in good condition, that's why they go for over a million dollars.”

Braun suffers from memory loss due to multiple sclerosis and finds the imagery of comics or graphic novels “stick with you longer than the words will.” She believes people with reading issues such as dyslexia need alternative ways of comprehending language.

There is a comic book for everyone, from Braun’s favorite Neil Gaiman's fantasy series to Japanese artist Junji Ito’s manga series about cats, Braun said, and they only get better as you read them.

“The first time you read something, it doesn't quite penetrate as much as it does the second time because there are things you can miss,” Braun said. “If you have a favorite movie and you watched it a whole bunch of times, you may notice stuff in the background the third or fourth time around. There are things you just won't notice at first, and with comics, you can keep reading it again.”

Sean Coats, a local high school student and first time Nostalgia customer, said ever since he was little, the Flash has been a character he could always relate to because of “the morale that can be learned from him.” Coats was a previous customer of the old Emerald City location before it closed. Coats said his last time at a comic book store was before the pandemic. His favorite thing about comics is the guidance they provide for people of any age.

“I think comics are a moral compass for showing people how to find the good in others,” Coats said. “Comics for me bring me back to my inner child but also gives me hope about the world.”

Nostalgia Collectibles is located at 1280 Charnelton Street, Eugene, OR 97401. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.