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EAST BAY WATCH PICTURE EDITOR ROBERT KOMATSU HELPED REVIVE 1980S OAKLAND IN 'FREAKY TALES' 32 C I N E M O N T A G E F E A T U R E By Kristin Marguerite Doidge I n 1987, Oakland, California, was "hel- la freaky." At least that's what the new film "Freaky Tales" tells us. Written and directed by Bay Area native Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, the film takes the audience on a wild ride through four separate but inter- twining stories based on Fleck's memories, both real and imagined. Although the title is inspired by the Too $hort hip-hop anthem of the same name, the movie, which took Sundance by storm last year and hit theaters earlier this year, looks beyond the emerging hip-hop scene in Oakland toward several wildly different cultures living side by side in the same city. These distinct subcultures are linked by the events of the film, as well as by a mysterious "green force" that electrifies the East Bay during these pivotal days in May 1987. The filmmakers knew they wanted to experiment with different aspect ratios and varying tones for each story segment to capture the vibe of other movies from the era and to create a mixtape feel. That's where picture editor Robert Komatsu, ACE came in. He began experimenting in the cut- ting room with the visual style developed by cinematographer Jac Fitzgerald, including the use of chapter cards and unique transi- tions, which evolved significantly over the course of post-production. Komatsu previously worked with Boden and Fleck on the limited series "Mrs. Amer- ica," which earned him award nominations for an Emmy and an ACE Eddie. Their close working relationship meant he was able to collaborate creatively with the directors from start to finish, tinkering with animat- ed characters, VHS-like effects and comic book-inspired visual elements, a variety of music cues and different approaches to the live performance sequences, and unique visual effects throughout the movie, such as a split-screen sequence about how hard it was to be a vegetarian in North Carolina in 1987 — a style choice he said was a nod to the split-screen sequences he created in "Mrs. America." "Rob brings so much enthusiasm and a willingness to experiment to every project we work on with him," Fleck said. "Some editors see themselves as conduits for ex- ecuting the director's vision, which is fine, but we want to collaborate with everyone we work with." Since Boden served as the editor on the pair's first four movies, Fleck added that they especially appreciated Komatsu's work ethic and creative sensibility. "Rob has so many fresh ideas and works tirelessly to find that special moment that we may have overlooked," he said. Komatsu felt a personal connection to the film's setting. "Coincidentally, I also grew up in the Bay Area," he said. "That's what made this one all the more special. The guy's house where they fight at the end is a two-minute walk from my grandparents' house. When I went there over the Christ- mas hiatus, I stood in the driveway where they filmed and could see my grandparents' house from there." The all-star ensemble cast includes Pedro Pascal ("The Last of Us," "The Man- dalorian"), Ben Mendelsohn ("Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"), Jay Ellis ("Running Point," "Top Gun: Maverick"), Dominique Thorne ("Black Panther: Wakanda Forev- er"), Jack Champion ("Avatar: The Way of Water"), Ji-young Yoo ("Smoking Tigers"), and fellow Bay Area native Tom Hanks, who makes a hilarious cameo as a cantankerous video store owner. The filmmakers noted that the 12 miles separating the cities of Oakland and San Francisco might as well be 1,200 miles, giv- en their cultural differences. Oakland has a history and identity deeply rooted in social justice and anti-racism. By the late 1980s, rap artists like Too Robert Komatsu.