Dancing in the Dark

"I don't live in the land of maybe, I live in Texas," declares one of Two Step's villainous characters during a moment of philosophical bullying. This sentiment could apply to the movie as a whole, because for the duration of this darkly enjoyable film, you never forget where you are.

Filmed in Austin and directed by local resident Alex R. Johnson, Two Step is heavy with Texas accents, folksy sayings, and country noir. It's also intense, violent, and often funny. Johnson aimed to capture an "era-less Austin" that resembles the city outsiders probably imagine it to be. It's the Austin that people romanticize, "besides all the murder" his film supplies, laughs Johnson.

Filming locations included Town Lake, the Broken Spoke, and the ever festive Lala's, and filming was often challenging because Johnson wanted to avoid catching any modern buildings onscreen. This is no small feat considering that condos now loom over many classic landmarks, and our crane-filled skyline looks different every day, but Johnson pulls it off.

That doesn't mean you'll want to visit this particular version of Austin. Based on a news story about a home invasion that he read while living in Brooklyn (Johnson lived there for 18 years and has been here for the last three), Two Step features a frightening protagonist named Webb (James Landry Hébert) and a college slacker named James (Skyy Moore) who is plagued by bad luck.

Strange versions of the same loner, Webb and James are matched together by chance and throughout the film engage in a suspenseful and bloody struggle. Cash, lies, threats, and knives collide with greed, cynicism, and the fight to survive that make for a tense ride that builds speed toward a breathless conclusion.

Enough about the men, though. One of the best parts of Two Step is a character named Dot, played by Beth Broderick. Single, confident, and occupied with her own jobs and interests, Dot is a former ballerina who now teaches country dance lessons to elementary schoolers by day and tipsy couples by night.

"I loved writing her," says Johnson. "She's like a classic South Austin woman," and in a largely dark and often violent film, "there needed to be some light." Dot's salty observations and suffer-no-fools way of life are an asset to the story, and in her role as James' sharp-eyed neighbor she brings balance to what would otherwise be just another male-dominated film.

A longtime producer, Johnson reached the point a few years ago when he realized it was time for him to direct. "Producing is really about taking the director's vision and stretching it to the point that the budget will allow ... it's exhausting sometimes – it's hard to be doing it for someone else's vision."

Thanks to a smooth shoot, excellent crew, and a city filled with places and people happy to participate (Jesse Dayton, Laurie Gallardo, and Dale Watson included), Johnson is satisfied with how his first feature turned out and confident in his career shift. "This is absolutely what I want to be doing with my life professionally," he says.

---

Two Step will screen Aug. 27 & 30 at the Violet Crown Cinema.