‘Leh we get some kicks!’. This local phrase is the tagline and general idea of the LEXO TV brand popularly known as ‘The Santana series of shorts’. Tales of life on ‘LEXO Street’ expose the whispered bacchanal that is common to many West Indian communities. There’s no sugar coating here, this is tell it like it is gossip brought to life. But, as the producers of their new movie would declare, it’s also a ‘love story’.

LEXO TV has released their full length film version which is now showing at local cinemas…

Show times at Caribbean Cinemas 8: 

Monday - Friday:- 1pm, 2.55pm, 4.50pm, 6.45pm, 9.40pm

Saturdays and Sundays:- the same as above plus 11.05am

Show times at Digicel Imax:

Monday - Friday:- 6:30pm

Saturdays and Sundays:- 6:00pm 

Roger Alexis along with co-producer Ian Pantin and the rest of the creative team have pulled the back stories and connected lives of these adult puppets into one 75 minute ‘drama’, done more or less on a shoestring budget. This film, complete with hit man suspense, corny one liners and “just kiss the girl quickly and get out of there” moments has been a labour of love.

We saw a few obvious technical flaws, a couple glaring ones actually, but there are many well crafted scenes that make up for the spots of post production oversights. The faults could be forgiven once you think about the incredible effort it took to bring this to the big screen. The audience loved it and laughed on cue at all the intended punchlines. People love these characters. Six million YouTube hits to the series of shorts aren’t telling a lie.

Paparazzi moments with the people behind the main characters. (See full team on the Company page on their website)

If you like the shorts. you’ll like the full feature. Your appreciation or aversion to it pretty much depends on how greatly the material affects your sensibilities. It’s possible that over 80 percent of Trinidad and Tobago’s population is quite at home with the content – the close to capacity paying crowd clapped heartily in appreciation at the end. Fans have been looking forward to this and Roger and his team didn’t disappoint.

Go see the film. Support the effort, it’s local. When you see it, air your views constructively. Local creatives need honest feedback. 

When we first meet Roger to discuss his website many months ago, we personally asked loads of questions that we had about the series. Why the cheapening of domestic violence… Why the stereotyping… Why not use the puppets for more positive messages? ‘They are a reflection of a large sector of the society’ he said. ‘My target is the grassroots, they can relate’. He also mentioned that this is just one facet of what he intends for LEXO TV, he has many other areas to explore.

Seeing ‘Trinidad’ on the screen this way may be uncomfortable to some but don’t we rush to the box office when Hollywood’s film diet of violence and infidelity is served? The ‘I’m Santana Movie’ is well within its right for dishing the same.

The film is rated pg13. Parents be advised.

Read a recent interview with Roger Alexis here for further insight.