But first lets take a look at the word & the movement 'Beatnick'
word origin
The word "beatnik" was coined by Herb Caen in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle on April 2, 1958. Caen coined the term by adding the Russian suffix -nik after Sputnik I to the Beat Generation.
definition
media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s
was a synthesis of the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s into violent film images, a cartoonish misrepresentation of the real-life people
Now about the Film
it was a largely ignored indie film that leveraged social media and viral marketing to generate an online fan base over over 20,000 who demanded a release.
Reminds to The Boondock Saints-funny couse Norman Reedus is one of the main characters here too
Plot
The Beatnicks is about a poet, Nick Nero, played by Norman Reedus & a musician, Nick Beat played by Mark Boone Jr
They’re two guys who try to carve the truth out of life and make it their own. Things aren’t looking too good as they owe rent and can’t find a gig. That is until they find a magic box on the beach that creates an odd beat that completely inspires Nero to create riveting, artistic prose. Yet, even though the box seems to be the answer to their prayers, it’s just the beginning of a true trip of self-discovery for both of them.
The Beatnicks is one of the strangest and most unique indie films I've seen in a long time. Its dreamlike sequences and quirky characters definitely makes it a must-see for anyone!!
Norman Reedus is outstanding in his role as Nick Nero-well, he's outstanding in everything!
He possesses that rare ability to superbly deliver a well placed comic turn with existential angst and seduces us with his wise-beyond-his-years whisper of beat poetry
"I walked into your ocean, freed like a slave, Lay down in your waters, like a shallow grave".
This is such a beautifully made film created very much in the European cinema tradition but with a story that is firmly rooted in the slightly altered but seductively sublime united states of The Beatnicks.
