THE INSUFFERABLE GROO - Sheffield Doc/Fest 2018

One of the highlights of this year's Sheffield Doc/Fest was The Insufferable Groo, following the exploits of notorious low budget film director Stephen Groo as he tries to raise funding for and then direct a remake of his own elf/human fantasy romance, the Unexpected Race.

Welcome to the world of Stephen Groo, a filmmaker based in Utah who has what can only be described as a DIY aesthetic; writing, directing and starring in his films for a small but dedicated audience of family, friends and subscribers to his YouTube channel. Unlike his most obvious comparison Tommy Wiseau, Stephen Groo is far from a one hit wonder. Firstly, he's yet to have that hit, and secondly, since his graduation from college he has made films constantly. At the most recent count he's at 205 films since the turn of the millennium, not counting his music video tributes to Backstreet Boys and Nickelback.

"I read it to my Mom last night and she felt it was pretty solid". And with that statement you get a fairly good idea of what kind of filmmaker Stephen Groo is. He's a one man Asylum studio, funding unofficial spin offs to Resident Evil and Yu-Gi-Oh, and thinly veiled "homages" to the Twilight and Lord of the Rings series' that would have any copyright lawyer rubbing their hands together with glee. Achieving a certain degree of notoriety and fame through his Kickstarter generated film projects whilst his family lives off his wife's earnings, this doc captures Groo at a turning point in his life; about to embark upon his highest profile film yet, but also in danger of losing the apartment (complete with flooded basement) that he shares with his wife and four boys. Luckily for him he has a fan in Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess (who also produced this documentary), who has spread the work of Stephen Groo to his former cast members, including one Mr Jack Black whose schedule has just opened up.

Using a mixture of animation and behind the scenes filming to tell Groo's story, this film is also intercut with some of Groo's previous work, including his acting masterclass/self-help videos that at first appear to show him as completely delusional, but given time persuade you that this is just a person who has complete faith in his abilities, however misguided that faith might be. In an age when people can be rightly celebrated for the effort they put in and not just the end result, Stephen Groo should be championed. This documentary could quite easily make Groo a figure of fun, and whilst the opportunity to gently mock him is always there, the filmmakers wisely keep their distance and let his work speak for itself. At various times during this film he is shown to be an absolute tyrant on set, unwilling to take on board any of the ideas put forward by his first-time director of photography to the point where she almost walks away from the film, but then also a man who is fully aware of what scenes are vital to complete his vision. Never one to consider applying for permits to shoot on location, when asked to pack up and move on by a park ranger his instincts kick in, mobilising his crew and completing about a dozen set-ups in the space of 15 minutes.

With a slightly bizarre wardrobe that consists of a never ending supply of muscly superhero T-shirts and peroxide blonde hair, reputation as someone who's difficult to work with and a strange and immediately identifiable surname, Groo is a ready made outsider artist/filmmaker in the mould of Tommy Wiseau, just waiting to be discovered and revered by students and stoners across the world.  His life, as well as his films, may be chock full of moments of unexpected comedy and dubious filmmaking standards, but his passion is undeniable and thoroughly endearing.This doc is pre-emptive in that Stephen Groo has yet to have that moment where he tips over into the ranks of classic cult movie directors, but on the evidence of this, it's only a matter of time.

As a study of that special kind of madness that filmmaking stirs up in people, the Insufferable Groo is up there with American Movie, Best Worst Movie and The Disaster Artist. Sure, it's quite probable that Groo's ambition of walking the stage at the Oscars will forever be a pipe dream, that is unless they start to give out awards for perseverance. Then he's a shoo in.

Insufferable? Occasionally. A mad man? Maybe. Admirable? Definitely.

Verdict
4/5

So, This Is Kinda Awesome.

This is already better than Gulliver's Travels, The Other Guys, Your Highness and The Green Hornet put together.

LIMITLESS review

What if you could take a pill that would fix all your problems in life? This new Bradley Cooper starring thriller is now in cinemas. Watch the trailer and read my review, after the jump...

Reasons to be Fearful 1.2.3

After all the hopes I had at the start of the year, 2010 ended up being a bit crap at the cinema, especially for comedies. Well, having looked at these next three trailers for upcoming releases, we may well look back on 2010 being a bit of a classic in comparison. Oh dear...

Hitting the webs this week with all the subtlety of a desperately ageing comedian in a fat suit, we have Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (aka Big Mommas House 3). Do you want to know what's funnier than one guy wearing a fat suit in drag? Well, the answer's sure not two. It's interesting that in the ten years since the first film, the make-up appears to have got worse (or maybe that's just cheaper, like the laughs), and I imagine Lawrence's paycheck has risen the more his dignity has fallen. It's a living I suppose.

Firstly, there's nothing more lazy than using Danny Elfman as a temp track in your trailer. Oooh, it's a mysterious wonderland where anything is possible! Again! Starring the corpulent (jolly and chubby) Kevin James, this looks like Paul Blart: Mall Cop but with more elephant shit-shovelling, complete with the monkey from Pirates of the Caribbean as a comedy sidekick. If this isn't just Night at the Museum...but in a zoo, I'll be shocked. At least it's not out for a while, appearing on our screens...

It's November mate.

I'll be honest that my feeling for this film have been damaged exponentially from the amount of times I've been forced to sit through that damned Jack Black Orange ad at the cinema (I'm up to 14 at last count); but still, it doesn't look great. Pissing all over a classic story, this film (the most of which I think is in the trailer) looks really bad, and even the appearance of Jason Segel and TJ Miller can't save it for me. As for what they're selling it on, the following claim inspires zero confidence.

Gulliver's Travels arrives in cinemas on December 26th, so if you're looking for a way to ruin Boxing day for all the family, you have your answer.


Not to sound too defeatist about next years crop of comedy releases, but 2011 may end up being the year the laughter died. Here's hoping it's a banner year for drama and horror. Please.

The Future's Black, The Future's Orange

If there's one film I'm really looking forward to getting released this year, it's Gulliver's Travels. Not that I want to watch it, lord no...but when it gets released I won't have to watch that stupid Orange ad anymore. If you've had a trip to the cinema recently you may have seen this little film before your main feature.

I've now seen this advert TEN times in cinemas, and I'm sure I'll have to sit through it many more times before Gulliver's Travels gets released at the end of the year. I understand that it's a clever little way to build awareness of an upcoming film, but how many times are we supposed to watch it before it becomes incredibly annoying?


Admittedly, I do visit the cinema more than your average filmgoer, but I've had to sit through it too many times, and never found it amusing. They must have a target viewing amount and I think I've hit mine now. This is Orange's second stab at this kind of ad, following the A-Team sting that was used a couple of months ago. I actually didn't mind that ad (although I lost count of how many times I had to watch it), because it was genuinely mildly amusing and helped to build the anticipation for the film.


Basically, I'm pleading with whoever is in charge to CHANGE IT NOW, or I think I'm going to boycott Gulliver's Travels when it comes out. Or I might start a rumour about Jack Black touching little people.

SLACKER trailer review

Trailers are an important tool in building buzz and anticipation for films. A good trailer can sell a bad movie, a bad trailer can kill a good movie. Here we try and tell the difference between the two and pick out the most anticipated new films.

More after the jump...

Obscurity Files #5 - Tapeheads

SLACKER Obscurity Files aims to put the spotlight onto a series of films that time and audiences have otherwise forgot. With Hot Tub Time Machine out in UK cinemas this week, we thought it would be a good time to look at one of John Cusack's forgotten movies. Today it's Tapeheads.

More after the jump...