Short Film Has Long List of Big Names

Moviegoers will be served a small but potentially tasty hors d’oeuvre this weekend with the debut of a short film about restaurant life.

“Arduous Moon,” showing today through Sunday in Encino, is one of those snippets that fledgling directors create as a calling card for when they shop the studios in search of a major picture deal. Julie Cypher gathered a half-dozen friends to help her with this maiden project.

What makes “Arduous Moon” noteworthy is that Cypher has some impressive friends.

In this half-hour movie, Lou Diamond Phillips shows up as the janitor. Joe Pantoliano, of “Risky Business” and “Midnight Run,” and Danielle Von Zerneck, who played Richie Valens’ girlfriend in “La Bamba” with Phillips, are on hand. k.d. lang plays an outraged customer. Pop singer Melissa Etheridge plays the piano bar.

“Going to restaurants, I see so many ridiculous situations occurring,” said Cypher, who was formerly married to Phillips. “I wanted to put my friends in those types of situations.”

Shot last June at the old Linda’s Restaurant on Melrose Avenue, the story offers a smorgasbord of trials and tribulations, an evening in the often pretentious and pathetic life of Los Angeles eateries. “It’s a real simple film,” the director said. “It doesn’t scream anything at you and goes just about nowhere.

“Maybe it says something about humanity and being nice to each other,” she said.

Cypher had previously directed three music videos for Etheridge, the sultry vocalist who makes her film debut and has written an original song for the movie. Miguel Ferrer and Dermot Mulroney, who starred in last May’s “Bright Angel,” also appear.

“Arduous Moon” is the first product of Phillips’ new production company, Facet Films. It will hereafter be shown at film festivals, she said.

“Arduous Moon” will be screened at Laemmle’s Town & Country Theatres, 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino. Show times are at 4 and 11 p.m. today, 1:45 and 11:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call, (818) 981-9811.