INDIE DIRECTOR

INDIE DIRECTOR

Independent filmmaker Bill (writer-director Bill Zebub) is not having much luck. His films aren't making money - much to his hot girlfriend's increasing chagrin - and he's given to standing behind tiny stalls in the corner of horror conventions where he's resorted to giving away DVDs of his films to disinterested genre fans who dismiss his work as comedies. Matters disintegrate further when Bill's back catalogue is inexplicably banned from a major chain of video stores.

How, he wonders aloud, is he going to get a royalty cheque - which he desperately needs to put him in a position to make another film.

Worse still, Bill's best mate - who he likes to sit on a couch with and constantly moan about the struggles of being an independent filmmaker - has decided to have a crack at making a horror film of his own with his trusted camcorder. He knows the editor of "Fans of Gore" magazine and seems to be having much more success at getting exposure for his debut DIY effort than Bill ever has.

A stroke of luck comes when Bill's distributor rings him up and advises that adult company FUK have accidentally advertised his soft-core fetish movie BREAKING HER WILL in their porn catalogue. This results in perverts inundating the catalogue with orders for the film.

Suddenly Bill is able to promise his girlfriend a better lifestyle in anticipation of a better income derived from films shot on a greater budget. He's invited to festivals further afield, and things seem to be working out for him at long last.

But at what cost? Will this underdog who stands or falls by his own seething principals - "you can't compete with a Hollywood film but your movie can contain content that a Hollywood movie ever can or will", "movies cost money, contrary to popular belief" etc - gradually get sucked into unconsciously doing what he rants against the loudest: compromising?

Zebub is one diligent filmmaker, and has been impressively prolific over the last decade or so, helming many no-budget gorefest and kinky, nudity-strewn comedies of acerbic nature. The titles alone should clue you in as to what you're getting: ASSMONSTER, JESUS THE TOTAL DOUCHEBAG, FORGIVE ME FOR RAPING YOU ... The guy likes to push buttons, but at least does so with a sense of humour.

And yet, many seem to miss the point. Which is where INDIE DIRECTOR steps in, where the director essentially plays himself (even the films he makes reference to are genuine selections from his own back catalogue), and the tribulations he howls vociferously about are no doubt all based upon personal, frustrating experience. This anger, although delivered with frequently amusing humour, does tend to wear the viewer down a little over the course of the film's mammoth 128 minute running time.

But, all told, INDIE DIRECTOR is a solid comedy with likeable performances and a lot to say about the plights of the no-budget independent filmmaking world. What it reveals about Zebub in particular is debatable, other than he pretty much despises anyone not doing things his way. But you have to ultimately admire a guy whose philosophies include "boobs can be very persuasive", and who ensures we get to see lots of pert examples of said knockers on frequent occasion for good measure.

Overlong and definitely lo-fi in the aesthetics department (the budget was apparently $5,000.00, which presumably also covered the dodgy death metal soundtrack and Zebub's King Diamond T-shirts), INDIE DIRECTOR isn't going to appeal to all tastes. But for those willing to take a chance on something decidedly different, this may just alter your perception of Zebub and raise the odd titter along the way.

Presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and enhanced for 16x9 televisions, INDIE DIRECTOR looks - appropriately enough, perhaps - like a low budget digital video production. It relies largely on natural lighting and while it boasts strong colours, there are moments of noise and compression to contend with. Given the subject matter, it all feels quite natural and never impedes the fun.

English audio gets a clean, clear 2.0 mix.

The disc opens to a pillar-boxed static main menu page. There is no scene-selection menu to speak of. The film does, however, have remote chapter access by virtue of 35 chapters.

Extra features aren't listed on the DVD's cover, but some are present on the disc.

These kick off with 22 minutes of bloopers, which show the shoot to have been as good-natured as it was shoestring. There's a lot of corpsing, the odd boom mic accident and even an unfortunate bedroom farting incident to contend with. In what is a rarity in my experience, some of this footage is actually amusing.

"Deleted Stuff" shows that, contrary to any comments I've made earlier in this review, Bill did in fact have the foresight to at least edit some scenes from his film. 14 minutes' worth, to be precise. There's nothing of real consequence here.

Finally we get 11 minutes worth of trailers that help paint an accurate picture of Bill Zebub's oeuvre: loud rock music, righteous blasphemy, Polonia Brothers production values, tattooed chicks getting naked, crude gore, even cruder blue screen effects, in-your-face humour etc. We get previews for JESUS THE DAUGHTER OF GOD, THE WORST HORROR EVER MADE, ZOMBIE CHRIST, RAP SUCKS, NIGHT OF THE PUMPKIN, JESUS THE TOTAL DOUCHEBAG, DIRTBAGS and the altogether darker, S&M-themed BREAKING HER WILL.

INDIE DIRECTOR is fun, occasionally wearing and definitely overlong. I enjoyed that it was different from the norm, and Zebub comes across as a fundamentally likeable soul who's unafraid of self-effacing comedy.

By Stuart Willis


 
Released by Grimoire
Region 1
Not Rated
Extras :
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