AUTEUR

So, the story goes like this: up-and-coming horror film director Charlie (Ian Hutton) has been mooted as the next big thing within the genre. But on the set of his latest film, 'Demonic', something happened that sent the filmmaker loopy. He subsequently disappeared, taking all of the footage that had been shot up to that point with him.

Jack (B J Hendricks), the son of the producer of 'Demonic', is a failed filmmaker himself. Fancying himself now as a documentarian, he sees this bizarre tale as his perfect opportunity to join the ranks of Michael Moore and Nick Broomfield.

AUTEUR invites to follow Jack on his investigations, a silent cameraman filming our host's monologues and clumsy interviews with various cast or crew members from 'Demonic's shoot along the way.

What he soon learns is that the film's production was a troubled one. People involved in its filming died in mysterious circumstances; even Charlie's own parents met their death in an inexplicable car accident.

Most intriguingly, Jack gains access to Hollywood star Tom Sizemore - appearing here as himself, and being very candid in doing so - in a local bar. Sizemore, we hear, fell on hard times (as he did in reality) and was reduced to appearing in Charlie's low budget horror film in a bid to win back his career. His remarks to Jack - interspersed throughout the film in an effort to justify his top billing despite his limited time actually on-screen - are predictably bolshie, sweaty and cynical.

Eventually Jack receives a postcard anonymously, suggesting that he'll be able to find the elusive Charlie in Santa Monica. He promptly travels there and, sure enough, soon locates the scruffy auteur. Once he plucks up the courage to approach Charlie, Jack is given unprecedented access to the reels of footage shot for 'Demonic', and begins to understand why its director is so afraid of its star - a lead actress who started out as demure but, through the course of umpteen takes while shooting a pivotal exorcism scene, transformed into a sultry diva who may or may not be possessed by the devil...

AUTEUR was directed by George Romero. No, not that one. This one has Cameron as his middle name and is largely known for directing commercials. It was co-written by J D Fairman and James Cullen Bressack. If that latter name seems familiar to you, that's because he's the guy who directed HATE CRIME - the latest film to be banned outright by the BBFC.

What we have here is another fly-on-the-wall faux documentary, heavy on breaking the fourth wall and rife with handheld camerawork throughout. It's all very formulaic, offering few surprises and unfortunately brings to mind the superior THE DEVIL'S MUSIC too often for comfort.

Performances are uneven throughout. Hendricks is never convincing. In fact, there are a couple of scenes where he shies away from female advances on camera which are just painfully inauthentic. Bad acting isn't necessarily a deal-clincher in horror films, but when you're making something in a documentary style, people do expect a little in the way of suspension of reality. There's only Hutton here, and Matt Mercer - a genuinely good turn as a film crew member - who approach that level of conviction.

The trump card, presumably, was bagging Sizemore for the film. But he's only in it in fits and starts, supping on his red wine and perspiring while talking lazily about the nature of acting. Some of it seems really natural, as if it's been ad libbed; later scenes feel like we're spying on a really bad actors' workshop. I like the troubled actor, don't get me wrong (he's outstanding in NATURAL BORN KILLERS, HEAT, PIGGY BANKS etc) but he doesn't need this performance on his resume.

There's no tension either, and the plot doesn't intrigue enough to justify the wait for the rushed, anticlimactic denouement. To say that of a 74-minute film is not a good thing.

AUTEUR comes to region-free DVD courtesy of MVD Visual. It's presented in 16x9 widescreen and the picture quality is excellent: deep blacks, rich colours, sharp definition.

English 2.0 audio is similarly impressive. There are no complaints with regards to how this film has been presented here.

The only extra is a 69-second trailer. To be honest, it'll suffice.

It's sad to see a once-formidable screen presence such as Tom Sizemore relegated to appearing as an afterthought in something as drab and unimaginative as AUTEUR. The film itself clutches to clichés and convention for dear life, and is further nailed into the ground by too many unconvincing performances that undermine all attempts at the tired old faux documentary style.

Review by Stuart Willis