Guitar virtuoso, and now, actor and director Omar Rodríguez-LópezOmar Rodríguez-López, of At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta fame, has released the first trailer for his film directing debut, The Sentimental Engine Slayer. Rodríguez-López, Juan Alderete, fellow band member Pablo Hinojos-Gonzalez along with musical collaborator and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante produced the film. The film stars Rodríguez-López, his younger brother Marcel, Tatiana Velaquez, and Sonny Kay. Omar is not only directing and acting the lead part, he is also making the music for the film. So, be excited.

Omar shot the film in his hometown, El Paso, TX, with scenes in English and Spanish. The Sentimental Engine Slayer will premiere at the 2010 Rotterdam Film Festival in February.

Here's the synopsis:

The Sentimental Engine Slayer tells the compelling, confounding tale of the overdue coming of age of a twenty-something misfit named Barlam. Barlam's awkward transition from boy to man is as much the story of struggling to find one's essence in a world of stereotypes as it is an indictment of the distorted reality of family life in the disengaged 21st century. A bottom-rung grocery bagger whose neo-incestuous relationship with his addict sister, Natalia, causes him no small amount of grief and disillusionment, Barlam seeks solace in the convoluted wisdom of what few male peers are available, namely his androgynous, alcoholic boss, Oscar, and the sister's simple-minded boyfriend, Zack. Seeking an explanation as to the strange circumstances of his apparent lack of family structure, as well as the respect from others fundamentally absent in his mundane model-building existence, Barlam is soon led astray amid a seedy underworld of prostitutes, hustlers and addicts. The labyrinthine plot soon begs questioning as to where reality ends and fantasy begins, Barlam shifting effortlessly between hapless punching bag, assertive surrogate father figure, and rage-prone psychopath.

Personally, I'm psyched. If the film is half as crazy, frenetic and energetic as his music then this could be a really great flick. Enjoy the trailer!

Thanks FordK for the heads up!