There are lesbians, there are gangsters, and in the surreal world of 3 Bits there are lesbian gangsters galore. The 3 Bits, a webseries written and directed by Max Freemont and Margaret Singer, documents the lives of three very different siblings, two of whom are gay.
Roman, played by Singer, is an androgynous lothario who tries (and fails) to trade a life of selling weed in for a life of growing weed. Unfortunately for Roman, no one else in her life is very enthusiastic about her drastic change in fortunes. Over a three episode span, Roman stumbles through a variety of misadventures ranging from horny housewives, criminal studs, and constant break up threats from her money-grubbing girlfriend Kelly.
From the very first scene of Episode 1 it is made unmistakably clear that 3 Bits is a world where common ethics-and circumstances-do not apply. A punk inked with “fancy boy” steals snacks and drugs from a half-dressed hook up, smacking the girl down when she tries to defend her stash with a knife. Roman then gets a “blow job” from a horny housewife before bickering with her shrew of a girlfriend about exclusivity. This sets the tone for the rest of the series: Roman shrugging in sexy disbelief while watching the world collapse into chaos.I spoke to Max and Margaret for the inspiration behind Roman’s baffled casanova game.
“Inspiration is tricky, because there’s no one quite like Roman!” they wrote in an email. “Right now seems to be an era of TV bad boys-we wanted to make a sexy badass lesbian protagonist with girl problems, money problems, gang problems and family problems.”
It’s a testament to Margaret and Max’s talent as filmmakers that Roman bumbles through hell and high water with such believability. At certain points I actually found myself talking to her like, “Oh seriously girl that is not a good idea,” and if making people talk to themselves isn’t a sign of cinematic skill than what it? Not to mention that the effect is entirely intentional.
“We also think of Roman as a character who is street smart but otherwise sometimes a little slow on the uptake” said 3 Bits‘ creators, “unlike her very verbal girlfriend. We had a 1979 movie, The Warriors, in mind when thinking about these two gangs tricked out in very different styles.”
So other than Roman, who is looking very Shane today and everyday (with bigger boobs), why else should you watch 3 Bits? How about unethical choices, a rival gang led by a petite lesbian who calls herself Mr.Pussy and a tranq gun? 3 Bits isn’t about lesbians working out feelings defending their sexuality against a hostile world, it’s a good old fashioned shoot ’em up! Mr. Pussy’s crew talks like Al Capone but dresses like Bill Cosby, and Mr. Pussy’s arm candy is a dead ringer for Grace Jones. It’s s all quite a mad really but fun sort of mad that you must see at once.
Watch full episodes of The 3 Bits at the3bits.com.
