Hey folks, Harry here. Unfortunately I am getting ready to go up to North Texas to handle my grandmother's estate for the next couple of days, and I'm going to try to update... catch up on reviews... a report on my panel with Robert Rodriguez and John Carpenter and many other adventures... But before I go I simply have to introduce you to Claire Standish. She rocks. And so does the film she is writing about first. THE INDEPENDENT is funny as hell. I mean... really really funny. Like in that fall down and break a hip sort of way. When you see the clip from TEENY WEENIE BIKINI BEACH or... well... here's my favorite line in the film, "You told me to milk the cow till it was dry then sell the hamburger and the wallets." I LOVE THAT LINE. And there are about a ton of em left here. This is like MATINEE and ED WOOD in their charm and quaintness of character.... but at the same time it is very much in the same genre as THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON. But, I'll let Claire paint it for ya! Here she is...
Last night I had the utmost pleasure of watching the hilariously original film The Independent, directed by Stephan Kessler (Vegas Vacation) starring Jerry Stiller ,Janeane Garofalo, and Max Perlich, not to mention evryones favorite porn star Ginger Lynn Allen (watchout soon for Tom Joad’s loaded interview), with Billy Burke, Andy Dick, Ethan Embry, Jonathon Katz, Laura Kightlinger, Jonny Rotten, Fred Dryer, Dana Gould, Fred Williamson, and of course, Ben Stiller. Also included are interviews on the life and career of the infamous Fineman provided by the likes of Ron Howard, Roger Corman, Peter Bogdanovich, and Karen Black. Whew!!! Man this movie fucking rocked!!
Jerry plays independent filmmaker and egomaniac Morty Fineman, with Janeane as daughter Paloma. The film is based upon Morty’s 30 years of films, and is the story of the quirks of independent filmmaking, especially with the films of quality like Fineman’s Heil Titler, LSD-Day, Teenie Weenie Bikini Beach, Eco-Angels, S-E-X, that Spells Sex!, Christ for the Defense, Bald Justice, The Foxy Chocolate Robot, and many, many more! Morty and his crew are trying to enter his films in any film festival, get snubbed by Hollywood types, and strike a deal to do a musical/documentary with a serial killer. In the midst of all the hoopla, Morty tries to appease his disaffected daughter Paloma who is addicted to diet food and tanning cream. Fineman attempts to work out his personal kinks while “floating”. I will leave it at that, no spoilers; you have to see this one for yourself. We saw the premiere during SXSW opening weekend at the Paramount with the entourage. I sat in between Harry and Annette, where we laughed till our sides hurt and got swooped a couple of times by a stray bat. I assured Jerry after the show that we were laughing at the film and not the fluttering pest. He told us some interesting stories about prior bat problems (one gruesome story involving a radiator!). After, in the lobby it was a beautiful site. Jerry , Janeane, and Max greeted every fan with sincerity, doing pictures, autographs, the whole lot with a smile. Next we caught the after party and reopened the bar at the hotel where myself, Harry, Father Geek, Tom Joad, Annette, Quint, Peter Blood, and the Dude. Also in attendance was Ron Mann, creator of the bad ass documentary Grass. We hob-knobbed till the wee hours, with a jovial Jerry who sang, glowed in happiness, and told us with his infamous charisma that this was the height of heights in his career. I finally pulled myself away, dropped the Dude off, and drove to my bed where I fell to a pillowy slumber with the geekiest smile plastered upon my face.
For more information on The Independent, and to find out more about one of the 427 unique films of the legendary Morty Fineman, go to FinemanFilms.Com.
