By Geno McGahee
The internet has leveled the playing field when it comes to filmmakers. It has allowed those that are far away from the mainstream to get their shot and have their voice heard. YouTube has given birth to such talents as the Angry Video Game Nerd, The Nostalgia Critic and the Cinema Snob (Brad Jones). Jones has taken a character to the net and has found a loyal audience and has now released a full length movie called: “THE CINEMA SNOB MOVIE.”
Craig (Brad Jones) and his friend Neil (Jake Norvell) have plans to make a black exploitation movie called “BLACK ANGUS,” similar to SHAFT and TRUCK TURNER, but are having a tough time making it due to budget restrictions and lack of locations to shoot. They approach Dan Phillips (Ryan Mitchelle), the head of a pretentious film commission for help, but he sees no value in his work and declines. I did really like the idea of sharks loose in a casino…another idea by these two that they called “CARD SHARKS.” That could be a real winner.
After that failed attempt, they find a producer to help them make the movie. Gene (Noah Antwiler) comes forward to support them, but Dan Phillips gets annoyed and makes sure that they are blocked due to their lack of permits. Craig decides the best way to get around this is to infiltrate the snooty group headed up by Phillips and become the Cinema Snob.
It was rather amusing to watch the group of artsy-fartsy film fans discuss the hidden messages in the movies that they were watching, but the most amusing thing and the big draw of this film was Brad Jones and his character. There were others that held their own, but the film was carried on the charisma and entertainment value of Jones.
Craig hooks up with Dan’s wife, Nancy (Jillian Zurawski), and that’s when this movie takes a turn. A person in black leather gloves is going around killing members of this film group. Nancy and Craig get together to try to uncover the mystery. The nature of the murders is sick and amusing. One of the men killed had a baseball bat with barbed wire shoved up his ass and driven through his mouth, knocking out his teeth. Candy (Sarah Lewis), a member of the group, tearfully tells Craig that “he would have wanted to go out that way.” It was hilarious.
The murders continue and both Craig and Nancy become suspects, leading to more death and a big reveal. I guess this film would be considered a hybrid horror/comedy/mystery.
The film is really a mixed bag. At 2 hours and 4 minutes, the movie does run long. In the indie world, it is sometimes difficult to lose any scene because you are too close to the project, but the film could have been trimmed. At points, it did drag a little and there was some repetition. The acting is what you would expect from a micro-budget film, but Zurawski, Mitchelle, Antwiler and especially Jones do very well in bringing believability to the characters. I was reminded of the work of the Campbell brothers as I watched this…and I love the Campbell Brothers (DEMON SUMMER, MIDNIGHT SKATER), but, for some reason, the move “555” kept coming into my head a lot too. I loved the look of this and the heart that was so obvious. This movie was built on heart and that is the most important thing when it comes to making a film. At one point, Dan shakes Craig’s hand and says that he never noticed the passion behind the work and that is probably a direct message from Brad Jones, the writer and star, to the viewers. This film and the work of indie filmmakers isn’t about making mainstream productions. It’s about following your heart and gut and that’s what we see here.
I liked and recommend THE CINEMA SNOB. It was a great effort and if you are a fan of the work of Jones, then you will enjoy this. It needed some work here and there, but this is a micro-budget film and if you know that going in and understand them, then this is something that you should give a chance. Jones is now working on a horror anthology and that is something that I’m really excited to see…more-so now after watching this.
Rating: 6.5/10
