Addison Vodka sits behind the wheel of a yellow 1970 Dodge Challenger RT while Elly Clutch rides shotgun, the muscle car's black racing stripe slicing across the hood. Parked beneath the hazy California sky, the whole setup feels like something ripped straight from a Quentin Tarantino film.
There's just one problem: the car won't start.
Director Ricky Greenwood is already under the hood, trying to figure out the problem. While he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, he has backup on set in the form of Eric and Shawn from On3 Studio Rentals, who are helping wrangle a fleet of vintage muscle cars for "In the Bag," Greenwood's latest Digital Playground production.
The lineup includes a dark blue 1970 Buick Skylark, while a 1972 Plymouth Road Runner is also slated to appear. The cars align with Greenwood's vision for the film's gritty, retro aesthetic.
"You try to match the girl with the car," Eric says, moments before finally getting the Challenger running.
Dirty Cops and Retro Chaos
Greenwood was first introduced to Eric by longtime collaborator David Lord, and the two have worked together ever since.
"He's got a nice, tight-knit group, and everybody is friendly and super nice," Eric says. "It's a very relaxed environment. No one complains, and everyone is just happy they're here."
This time, "here" is the dusty alley of Studios 60, a nondescript location tucked far off the Sunset Strip, where Greenwood and company are shooting the retro-inspired cop comedy. While the film loosely takes place around the late '60s and early '70s, Greenwood admits historical precision isn't a priority.
"Technically, the movie takes place in 1969, but all the cars I wanted were from the early '70s," he says with a shrug. "We may have to change the date, but it's not that important."
For Greenwood, the mood matters far more than timelines. "In the Bag" leans heavily into vintage cop-movie tropes, blending dirty detectives and offbeat humor with the fast-paced energy of modern action comedies.
"'In the Bag' is more of a buddy comedy," he explains. "This isn't one of those movies where they pair a super good cop with the old-timer who wants to retire. It's about two politically incorrect cops who aren’t very good at their jobs and mess everything up. It's the type of movie where the cops are smoking all the time and fucking witnesses."
The film may embrace absurdity, but Greenwood says it never slips fully into spoof territory.
"It's funny, but it's not a parody like 'The Naked Gun,'" says Greenwood, citing films such as "The Nice Guys," "War on Everyone," and other offbeat crime comedies as tonal inspirations. "I watch those movies all the time. They make me laugh."
Bringing Chemistry to Life
For Greenwood, "In the Bag" hinges just as much on chemistry and comedic timing as explosions, sex scenes, and vintage muscle cars. The film stars Clutch and Vodka as detectives investigating the murder of a famous Hollywood actress played by Brittany Andrews.
"We’re playing a couple of dirty, off-the-book-type cops, and it’s been really fun to bring our own personalities into that," Vodka says. "We’re just crazy detective girls uncovering a twisted web."
"And getting a lot of dick along the way," Clutch adds with a laugh.
Clutch plays Davis while Vodka stars as DeSoto, two detectives whose chemistry comes naturally from their real-life friendship.
"We're best friends, but we're also co-workers," Clutch says. "It's been fun bringing our real friendship into the movie and putting our own spin on things. We have great banter and feed off each other really well."
That natural dynamic was exactly what Greenwood hoped for when casting the film.
"I worked with Elly on 'Deadly Vows,' and I really liked her acting," Greenwood says. "I also knew that she and Addison were good friends in real life, and the chemistry here was important, because if you have two girls who get along and are already friends, that will play well. They're also both very funny, which helps."
The comedic side of the project also pushed both performers into new territory. To prepare for the role, Vodka immersed herself in cop movies and TV shows from the era — sort of.
"I watched [2004's] 'Starsky and Hutch,'" she says. "It was really funny. Comedy is definitely something new for me, but I really like it. When you think of a porn film, you think it’s going to be really serious, so being able to show up on set and let loose has been fun."
Meanwhile, Scott Nails co-stars as prime suspect Lenny, a sleazy '70s porn director.
"He's an asshole, so as a method actor, I just shadowed Ricky for three weeks," Nails jokes. "Every ounce of assholeness in this character comes from Ricky."
Veteran performer Isiah Maxwell and rising star Mike Ox play Lenny's associates, Leaky and Reg, while the cast also features Willow Ryder alongside cameos from Lord and Ginger Lynn.
"It's always fun to have my friends and people I admire come in to tackle some small parts," Greenwood says.
Off camera, the cast chemistry extended throughout much of the ensemble.
"We had really good chemistry for not having much time to build any tension," Ox says of working with Vodka for the first time. "They just got us straight into it, and it was a good time. The sun was beautiful, and she looked great. I was looking at her, and I was like, 'Holy shit, what a goddess.'
Ox plays Reg, the butler who looked after Andrews' murdered movie star, a character he describes as caught in the middle of everyone else's chaos.
"I keep asking myself how I got dragged into this ordeal, because Leaky and Lenny already have a rapport with each other," he says. "I’m basically the people pleaser trying to be on everyone’s side and do everything I can not to get fired or shot at the end of the day."
'Groovy, Baby.'
As filming continues inside Studios 60, Ox prepares to shoot a tense confrontation scene in which Reg watches Lenny's back before everything inevitably spirals out of control. Inside the dressing room, lined with giant mirrors framed by flickering bulbs, Ox rehearses with his co-stars before the cameras roll.
"I'm just chilling in the background with a gun while everything's going down," he explains. "Then shit goes down, I get nervous, I fire my weapon, somebody gets hit, and I end up turning my back on the person who hired me."
That person would be Lenny, Nails' character, who prowls around the set dressed head-to-toe in purple, complete with sparkly shoes Nails picked out himself. Somehow, the look still feels intimidating.
Maxwell, meanwhile, plays Leaky, a conflicted character caught between loyalty, guilt, and survival.
"I'm basically the lover boy who has seen a bunch of things happen, but I’m getting paid off to keep my mouth closed," he explains. "At the end of the day, I have a guilty conscience to find justice for everyone I lost."
He also gets behind the wheel of the Buick Skylark, one of several vintage cars featured throughout the production.
"I've seen all the ‘Fast and Furious’ movies, so I’ve got optic training," he jokes.
The film's retro setting only heightens the vibe.
"The time period makes it even more fun because we get to incorporate the lingo and say things like, 'Groovy, baby,'" Clutch marvels.
Both detectives lean fully into the aesthetic with bell-bottom jeans, oversized earrings, feathered hair, and towering platform heels, while Vodka sports a gold detective badge over layers of denim.
"The outfits are really cool, and I like the vintage vibes," Vodka says. "Driving that yellow car was really scary, though. They were telling me to reverse down the hill, and I'm like, ‘I can’t. It’s not stopping.’ But it was fun, and I felt cool doing it."
A Well-Oiled Machine
Greenwood credits much of the production’s smooth operation to production manager Claudia Ross, who edited many of his previous projects before stepping into a larger behind-the-scenes role.
On a production as sprawling and detail-heavy as “In the Bag,” performers and crew members say that level of organization becomes essential. The film stretches across multiple locations, including a police station, a rundown motel, a sprawling mansion in Sunland populated by roaming peacocks, and a retro porn studio that serves as Lenny’s lair, all while juggling vintage muscle cars, large ensemble scenes, and Greenwood’s carefully controlled visual style.
That attention to detail, performers and crew members say, shapes the atmosphere across the entire set.
“Ricky makes you want to put in more effort because you see all the effort he’s putting in,” Maxwell says. “You feel like you’re doing something significant when you’re on his set.”
Production talent liaison Ezra, who helps oversee everything from performer safety and paperwork to on-set logistics, echoes the sentiment.
“Ricky is a controlled perfectionist who is highly organized and really goal-oriented,” he says. “He knows exactly what he wants, whether it’s wardrobe, hair and makeup, or the camera package. I think it pays to have someone who looks for perfection in their work because then everybody is expected to work at that same level.”
Greenwood says pulling off productions on that scale comes down to the crew he has built around him over the years, including DP Matt Holder, camera assistant Manny Bucks, gaffer DShaun Rivera, sound mixer TJ Westwood, makeup artist Milla Van Damme, wardrobe assistant Pilly Visual, art director Andy Appleton, set designer Kyrie Ireland, and production assistants Rob Bank and Tommy Pistol.
“Everybody works hard, so that crew is very important to me,” Greenwood says. “They’ve known the drill for a long time.”
That well-oiled rhythm carries throughout the production, giving “In the Bag” its distinct blend of sleazy detectives, vintage swagger, chaotic shootouts, and playful absurdity.
“It’s stylish and fun to watch,” Greenwood concludes.
Episode 1 of “In the Bag” is now available on DigitalPlayground.com.
