Haiku Tunnel (2001)

Josh has an offer to "go perm" at his employer and the first task is to mail 17 high priority letters....something that seems a little difficult to do.

Directors:

Jacob Kornbluth, Josh Kornbluth

Writers:

Josh Kornbluth, Jacob Kornbluth

Stars:

Josh Kornbluth, Warren Keith, Sarah Overman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Josh Kornbluth	...	Josh Kornbluth
Warren Keith	...	Bob 'Bob' Shelby
Sarah Overman	...	Julie Faustino
Leah Alperin	...	Temp #1
Jacob Kornbluth	...	Temp #2
Stephen Muller	...	Temp #3
Linda Norton	...	Temp #4
Helen Shumaker	...	Marlina D'Amore
Amy Resnick	...	Mindy
Brian Thorstenson	...	Clifford
June Carryl	...	DaVonne (as June Lomena)
Joanne Evangelista	...	Caryl
Jennifer Laske	...	Helen the Ex-Girlfriend
Patricia Scanlon	...	Helen the Ex-Secretary
Joe Bellan	...	Jimmy the Mail Clerk

Storyline

Haiku Tunnel is a frenetic office comedy about a neurotic male secretary who is a terrific temp but a horrible perm. When his new boss (a tax attorney who just may be Satan) gives him 17 very important letters to mail out, he doesn't, and the ensuing complications bring him face-to-face with a lifetime of personal demons.

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Plot Keywords:

boss | secretary | office | corporate world | based on monologue | 

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Taglines:

An office comedy

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

I'm Just a Secretary

Filming Locations:

Oakland, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$35,386, 16 September 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$251,058, 30 December 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

B9 Films,Hello Hooker Productions,Mike's Movies

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The director's lack of frog anatomy knowledge resulted in the eyeglasses for the frog eventually being jury-rigged with a paper clip and rubber band.

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Goofs

When going through the instructions left for Helen, Joshua says it is "Eleven and a half single-spaced pages", but the document is double-spaced.

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Quotes

Bob 'Bob' Shelby: Go back to your desk. Settle down. Focus. And catch up.

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Crazy Credits

No frogs were harmed in the making of this motion picture

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Alternate Versions

DVD includes outtakes and six deleted scenes:

• Medieval Marlina: a 'secretarial simulation' showing Marlina dressed in medieval garb;
• Neurotic Adventurer: on his way to the Pine building, Josh has a flashback of himself in college;
• Apology: more footage of Josh trying to convinge the guard to let him enter the Pine building;
• Politeness: Josh complains about Bob Shelby's constant politeness;
• Fatelets: Josh delivers a monologue while having sex with Julia;
• Coda: epilogue showing Josh bicycling up on a mountain. He meets Darlene, and they ride away together on her motorcycle.

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Connections

Features Have You Got Any Castles? (1938)

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Soundtracks

Snowball In Hell
Written by They Might Be Giants
Performed by They Might Be Giants
Published by They Might Be Giants Music (ASCAP)

User Reviews

A laugh a minute. This movie rules!

I don't understand the other rating; this movie is excellent.

All the role types that the characters have are as funny as those role types get, and they are are just adorable. The actors are in 100% stand-up comic imitation mode the whole time, and you wind up loving them all. One character, Marlena, who has a very stoic nature, is always accompanied by the sound of wind blowing desolately. Another, Mindy, is the classic over the top sweetness-and-pie secretary who gets a little out of control once she's had a few drinks after work. The main character, Josh, is actually one of my least favorite, but he's very appropriate and necessary for the whole theme of the movie, which is his fear of commitment in going from temp to perm.

The concept is frighteningly accurate for anyone who has ever worked in the law industry (at least in the United States, I can't speak for elsewhere) and has ever felt a measure of trepidation at committing to things. But you needn't have worked in law to be able to relate. Virtually anyone with half a brain who's ever had an office job can relate to this movie.

The flow of the movie is wisely done and finishes with all loose ends concisely and pleasingly tied up.

The soundtrack comprises a variety of independent punk rock and other stuff, all of which I enjoyed very much, and it is very difficult to please me musically right off the bat.

I honestly cannot understand why anyone might hate this movie, let alone walk out on it! It's accurate, fun, hilarious, well-timed, has a great soundtrack, good and funny plot, very appropriate title...

If your taste in comedies goes beyond the "Something About Mary" genre, definitely see Haiku Tunnel.