https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2020-04-11/now-streaming-in-austin-the-bob-zula/

Now Streaming in Austin: "The Bob Zula"

By Richard Whittaker, April 11, 2020, 4:24pm, Picture in Picture

Welcome to Now Streaming in Austin, highlighting locally made titles to watch while self-quarantining.

If Say Anything taught us one thing, it's that standing in the street with a boombox over your head doesn't win anyone over. Shame Bob Zula didn't realize that.

As played by Austin-based filmmaker Brandon Reich in his 2008 short, "The Bob Zula," our hero is stuck in small-town suburban nowhere (actually Magnolia), the archetypical nerdish rom-com hero who thinks a bold move will win back his ex-girlfriend. He is, of course, severely mistaken, and he's less the romantic lead than the guy that finally realizes that Blink-182's "Dammit" is actually about him (also that having friends who turn up to romantic encounters with a crowbar may be reason to reconsider some life choices).

Reich, who also wrote and co-directed the original short, has taken this lo-fi skit and turned it into a full feature called (natch) The Bob Zula. It's already played a few festivals (including hometown screenings at the Lake Travis Film Festival and AFS Cinema) and will be heading to Amazon very soon. We'll have a full interview with Reich for the VOD release, but for now enjoy this little piece of the misadventures of the man they call Bob Zula.

The Bob Zula

• YouTube (Link)