Mojave Phone Booth (film)
Encyclopedia
Mojave Phone Booth is an independently produced 2006 film directed by John Putch
. The movie is based on a real phone booth in the Mojave Desert
that once accepted incoming calls, but has since been removed.
The film is composed of the intertwined stories of four Las Vegas
people whose lives are each connected by the vandalized but functioning Mojave phone booth
. An isolated structure in the desert, some 15 miles from the nearest highway and miles from any other building, the booth became an internet phenomenon in 1997. The movie portrays the stories of four fictional travelers, separately drawn to visit the booth in the hopes the phone there might suddenly ring, allowing them to randomly connect with a stranger (this type of pilgrimage was actually practiced by many people prior to the real booth being removed on May 17, 2000 by Pacific Bell
).
The travelers are: Beth, who is trying to resolve problems with her love-life, as well as a mysterious, recurring crime; Mary, who is considering resorting to prostitution to escape the depressing circumstances of her life; Alex, a woman who is losing her lover, Glory, to a belief she is plagued by aliens; and Richard, an alcoholic, severely depressed by being separated from his wife, who chances upon the booth after the failure of his suicide attempt.
John Putch
John Putch is an American actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for his recurring role as Bob Morton on the 1980s sitcom One Day at a Time and as Sean Brody in the film Jaws 3-D.-Career:...
. The movie is based on a real phone booth in the Mojave Desert
Mojave phone booth
The Mojave phone booth was a lone telephone booth in what is now the Mojave National Preserve in California, which attracted online attention in 1997 due to its unusual location. Placed in the 1960s, the booth was eight miles from the nearest paved road, fifteen miles from the nearest numbered...
that once accepted incoming calls, but has since been removed.
The film is composed of the intertwined stories of four Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
people whose lives are each connected by the vandalized but functioning Mojave phone booth
Mojave phone booth
The Mojave phone booth was a lone telephone booth in what is now the Mojave National Preserve in California, which attracted online attention in 1997 due to its unusual location. Placed in the 1960s, the booth was eight miles from the nearest paved road, fifteen miles from the nearest numbered...
. An isolated structure in the desert, some 15 miles from the nearest highway and miles from any other building, the booth became an internet phenomenon in 1997. The movie portrays the stories of four fictional travelers, separately drawn to visit the booth in the hopes the phone there might suddenly ring, allowing them to randomly connect with a stranger (this type of pilgrimage was actually practiced by many people prior to the real booth being removed on May 17, 2000 by Pacific Bell
Pacific Bell
The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California. It gained in size by acquiring smaller telephone companies along the Pacific coast, such as Sunset Telephone & Telegraph in 1917...
).
The travelers are: Beth, who is trying to resolve problems with her love-life, as well as a mysterious, recurring crime; Mary, who is considering resorting to prostitution to escape the depressing circumstances of her life; Alex, a woman who is losing her lover, Glory, to a belief she is plagued by aliens; and Richard, an alcoholic, severely depressed by being separated from his wife, who chances upon the booth after the failure of his suicide attempt.
Awards
In 2006 & 2007, the film won these awards:- HDFest 2006: "Best Directing in an HD Feature", "Best High-Definition Feature", "Best Screenplay in an HD Feature"
- Kansas International Film Festival 2006: "Audience Award"
- Stony Brook Film FestivalStony Brook Film FestivalThe Stony Brook Film Festival, produced by Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, presents a program of new, independent films every summer since 1996. Features and short films from the U.S. and around the world are screened over ten days at Staller Center, which has been the venue...
2006: "Best Feature" - Valley Film Festival 2006: "10 Degrees Hotter Award"
- Wine Country Film Festival 2006: "Best Independent Feature Under $100,000"
- Oxford International Film Festival 2007: "Audience Award: Best *Narrative Feature"
- Del Ray Beach Film Festival "Best Feature 2006"
- Real To Reel Film Festival 2007 "Jury Award Best Feature"
- Evil City Film Festival 2007 "Best Screenplay"
- Palm Springs Film Festival 2007 "Best of Fest List"
- Santa Fe Film Festival 2007 "Best of Southwest"
- First Glance Hollywood FF 2006 "Third Place Feature"
- Seattle True Independent Film Festival 2007 "Best use of Mike Damone"