Hulu’s official trailer for High Hopes introduces the central players of this unscripted series set in the cannabis industry. The six-episode season premieres, of course, on 4/20, and was executive produced by Jimmel Kimmel.
“High Hopes is a workplace reality series following Belarus-born brothers Slava and Mishka, and their stoned crew through the trials and tribulations of taking their cannabis business to new heights,” reads Hulu’s synopsis. “As one of the oldest cannabis dispensaries in Hollywood, Mmd attracts a wild mix of weed-loving customers and is a home away from home for their Og employees who work hard and smoke harder! This season builds to their biggest day of the year—4.20—as the gang attempts to expand nationwide and release their own top-shelf cannabis brand. Will they find what they’re looking for or will their hopes go up in smoke?”
The series stars Mishka Ashbel, Slava Ashbel, Jared Brady,...
“High Hopes is a workplace reality series following Belarus-born brothers Slava and Mishka, and their stoned crew through the trials and tribulations of taking their cannabis business to new heights,” reads Hulu’s synopsis. “As one of the oldest cannabis dispensaries in Hollywood, Mmd attracts a wild mix of weed-loving customers and is a home away from home for their Og employees who work hard and smoke harder! This season builds to their biggest day of the year—4.20—as the gang attempts to expand nationwide and release their own top-shelf cannabis brand. Will they find what they’re looking for or will their hopes go up in smoke?”
The series stars Mishka Ashbel, Slava Ashbel, Jared Brady,...
- 4/2/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Hulu has announced a very appropriate April 20 release date for a new unscripted series set in a Los Angeles marijuana dispensary that hails from executive producer Jimmy Kimmel.
High Hopes is a six-episode series described as a workplace reality series following brothers Slava and Mishka as they try to take their marijuana business to new heights with the help of a motley crue of red-eyed staffers.
The stoner siblings operate Mmd, which is one of the oldest marijuana dispensaries in Hollywood, but they’re trying to grow the business beyond its swanky storefront, as they want to expand nationwide as well as launch their own top-shelf line of cannabis products.
Kimmel partnered with ITV America to document all the fun — and the chaos — in the run-up to the dispensary’s biggest day of the year — 4/20. The talk show host executive produced High Hopes under his production company Kimmelot alongside Kimmelot president Scott Lonker,...
High Hopes is a six-episode series described as a workplace reality series following brothers Slava and Mishka as they try to take their marijuana business to new heights with the help of a motley crue of red-eyed staffers.
The stoner siblings operate Mmd, which is one of the oldest marijuana dispensaries in Hollywood, but they’re trying to grow the business beyond its swanky storefront, as they want to expand nationwide as well as launch their own top-shelf line of cannabis products.
Kimmel partnered with ITV America to document all the fun — and the chaos — in the run-up to the dispensary’s biggest day of the year — 4/20. The talk show host executive produced High Hopes under his production company Kimmelot alongside Kimmelot president Scott Lonker,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Jeff Sneider
- LateNighter
Hulu plans to celebrate April 20 with Jimmy Kimmel.
The Disney-backed streamer has handed out a six-episode series order for High Hopes, a docuseries following two brothers running a cannabis shop in Los Angeles with Kimmel on board to exec produce.
Hulu describes High Hopes as a “workplace reality series following Belarus-born brothers Slava and Mishka and their stoned crew through the trials and tribulations of taking their cannabis business to new heights. As one of the oldest cannabis dispensaries in Hollywood, Mmd attracts a wild mix of weed-loving customers and is a home away from home for their Og employees who work hard and smoke harder! This season builds to their biggest day of the year — 4.20 — as the gang attempts to expand nationwide and release their own top-shelf cannabis brand. Will they find what they’re looking for or will their hopes go up in smoke?”
The series will, fittingly,...
The Disney-backed streamer has handed out a six-episode series order for High Hopes, a docuseries following two brothers running a cannabis shop in Los Angeles with Kimmel on board to exec produce.
Hulu describes High Hopes as a “workplace reality series following Belarus-born brothers Slava and Mishka and their stoned crew through the trials and tribulations of taking their cannabis business to new heights. As one of the oldest cannabis dispensaries in Hollywood, Mmd attracts a wild mix of weed-loving customers and is a home away from home for their Og employees who work hard and smoke harder! This season builds to their biggest day of the year — 4.20 — as the gang attempts to expand nationwide and release their own top-shelf cannabis brand. Will they find what they’re looking for or will their hopes go up in smoke?”
The series will, fittingly,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hulu has greenlit an unscripted series set in a Los Angeles marijuana dispensary. So, emphasis on the “green.” And the “lit.” This is fun.
The TV-ma series, titled “High Hopes,” hails from executive producer Jimmy Kimmel as well ITV America. It will consist of six episodes and will debut on April 20, naturally.
The official description for the series states: “’High Hopes’ is a workplace reality series following Belarus-born brothers Slava and Mishka, and their stoned crew through the trials and tribulations of taking their cannabis business to new heights. As one of the oldest cannabis dispensaries in Hollywood, Mmd attracts a wild mix of weed-loving customers and is a home away from home for their Og employees who work hard and smoke harder! This season builds to their biggest day of the year—4.20—as the gang attempts to expand nationwide and release their own top-shelf cannabis brand. Will they find...
The TV-ma series, titled “High Hopes,” hails from executive producer Jimmy Kimmel as well ITV America. It will consist of six episodes and will debut on April 20, naturally.
The official description for the series states: “’High Hopes’ is a workplace reality series following Belarus-born brothers Slava and Mishka, and their stoned crew through the trials and tribulations of taking their cannabis business to new heights. As one of the oldest cannabis dispensaries in Hollywood, Mmd attracts a wild mix of weed-loving customers and is a home away from home for their Og employees who work hard and smoke harder! This season builds to their biggest day of the year—4.20—as the gang attempts to expand nationwide and release their own top-shelf cannabis brand. Will they find...
- 3/18/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Ari Aster, the horror maestro behind Hereditary and Midsommar, is out with Beau Is Afraid on four screens as A24 presents the film in LA (AMC Century City and Burbank) and New York, in Imax on both coasts, followed next week by a regional Imax expansion and into to a wider national rollout April 21.
The film is getting some love from Martin Scorsese, who will join Aster in conversation Monday night after an Imax showing in NYC. Opening weekend will feature Q&As with Aster and cast, which includes Nathan Lane, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan and Parker Posey.
The director has a dedicated fan base, and that’s invaluable in looking to break out with the specialty market still tentative compared with the Super Mario Bros-sized rebound of the broader box office. Presales indicate a strong debut.
Deadline’s review calls...
The film is getting some love from Martin Scorsese, who will join Aster in conversation Monday night after an Imax showing in NYC. Opening weekend will feature Q&As with Aster and cast, which includes Nathan Lane, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan and Parker Posey.
The director has a dedicated fan base, and that’s invaluable in looking to break out with the specialty market still tentative compared with the Super Mario Bros-sized rebound of the broader box office. Presales indicate a strong debut.
Deadline’s review calls...
- 4/14/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Lifelong friends Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, two comedians famous for pranking local news stations on live television as the fake strongman duo ‘Chop & Steele,’ find themselves in federal court with a vengeful media conglomerate after their latest morning show stunt goes viral. Some folks just cannot take a joke. Drafthouse Films acquired Berndt Mader and Ben Steinbauer's documentary, the Found Footage Fest Doc Chop & Steele. It will be released it as a double feature along with its sister doc, A Life on the Farm, as part of the Fantastic Fest Presents series. We're the first to share with you the trailer and poster for Chop & Steele. You will find the trailer below the acquisition announcement. We have included...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 3/15/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Exclusive: Drafthouse Films has acquired North American rights to the documentary Chop & Steele, about the creators of the Found Footage Festival, announcing plans to release the film in April at Alamo Drafthouse theaters as part of a double bill with another newly-acquired doc, A Life on the Farm.
Chop & Steele premiered at Tribeca in 2022 and went on to a robust North American festival run that encompassed Calgary, Philadelphia, Seattle, Denver, the Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis, the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, Ala., and the San Francisco Independent Film Festival.
In Chop & Steele, Found Footage Festival principals Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, “lifelong friends who tour the country with their popular VHS oddities festival, are slapped with a federal lawsuit after pranking a local news station as ‘strong men’ Chop and Steele. Many notables are featured in the doc, including David Cross, Bobcat Goldthwait, Reggie Watts, and Howie Mandel.
Chop & Steele premiered at Tribeca in 2022 and went on to a robust North American festival run that encompassed Calgary, Philadelphia, Seattle, Denver, the Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis, the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, Ala., and the San Francisco Independent Film Festival.
In Chop & Steele, Found Footage Festival principals Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, “lifelong friends who tour the country with their popular VHS oddities festival, are slapped with a federal lawsuit after pranking a local news station as ‘strong men’ Chop and Steele. Many notables are featured in the doc, including David Cross, Bobcat Goldthwait, Reggie Watts, and Howie Mandel.
- 3/11/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
A random VHS tape of a Mcdonald’s janitorial training video serves as ground zero for Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher’s lifelong obsession with obscure video clips that eventually morphs into the touring event known as the Found Footage Festival. Directed by Ben Steinbauer (Winnebago Man) and Berndt Madre (Booger Red), Chop & Steele documents the duo over the course of four years. The result is downright hilarious, examining the absurd predicament Pickett and Prueher found themselves in while pulling pranks to break up their 130 days on the road.
Easily getting on smaller-market morning shows as the Found Footage Festival rolls into town, they test the limits by inventing characters that force the anchors to keep their cheery demeanor. They include a chef who specializes in making smoothies from leftover Thanksgiving meals, an incompetent performer who lectures local students on environmental issues via yo-yo skills, and strongman duo Chop & Steele.
Easily getting on smaller-market morning shows as the Found Footage Festival rolls into town, they test the limits by inventing characters that force the anchors to keep their cheery demeanor. They include a chef who specializes in making smoothies from leftover Thanksgiving meals, an incompetent performer who lectures local students on environmental issues via yo-yo skills, and strongman duo Chop & Steele.
- 6/13/2022
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Following the recent announcement of their full film lineup that includes Trainwreck, Get Hard, and Spy, South by Southwest has revealed their lineup of Midnight movies and short films to screen during the festival. Chief among them is the Sundance 2015 hit Turbo Kid (read our review here) and the Sundance ’15 winner of the Short Film Prize World of Tomorrow. SXSW runs from March 13-21. View the full Midnighters and Shorts lineup below via the SXSW website.
****
Midnighters
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó. (World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden...
****
Midnighters
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó. (World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden...
- 2/10/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Article by Dan Clark of Movie Revolt
Welcome to the first installment of Streaming for Your Pleasure where I highlight interesting and unique films now available on Netflix streaming. In each segment I will focus on one major overall category – this first time round I am looking at some intriguing documentaries that are worth checking out.
Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade
Directed By Lincoln Ruchti
Synopsis: At the unassuming Twin Galaxies arcade in Ottumwa, Iowa, early gamers fought for bragging rights at the 1982 Video Game World Championships. See how competitive gaming started, and meet arcade owner Walter Day, who still oversees scoring.
Why You Should Check It Out: There is just something about that arcade experience that I really miss. Today’s online gaming world is full of foul mouth preteen kids mocking you in almost every turn. Back in the day those kids were standing right next to you...
Welcome to the first installment of Streaming for Your Pleasure where I highlight interesting and unique films now available on Netflix streaming. In each segment I will focus on one major overall category – this first time round I am looking at some intriguing documentaries that are worth checking out.
Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade
Directed By Lincoln Ruchti
Synopsis: At the unassuming Twin Galaxies arcade in Ottumwa, Iowa, early gamers fought for bragging rights at the 1982 Video Game World Championships. See how competitive gaming started, and meet arcade owner Walter Day, who still oversees scoring.
Why You Should Check It Out: There is just something about that arcade experience that I really miss. Today’s online gaming world is full of foul mouth preteen kids mocking you in almost every turn. Back in the day those kids were standing right next to you...
- 4/9/2012
- by Guest
- Nerdly
SXSW starts tomorrow, and one of the best parts of the festival is the shorts program, a perennial favorite. I've pre-screened a number of this year's excellent entries, and here is part one of my pre-fest short film coverage.
Tumbleweed! (Texas Shorts)
Wow! Offbeat, whimsical, and completely delightful. Tumbleweed! is an inspirational story of a tumbleweed that refuses to tumble. This seven-minute short is the kind of little nugget that makes the shorts program a must-see. Very loosely set in Texas.
Heimkommen (Narrative Shorts)
A poignant and touching look at sibling tensions in the wake of a tragic accident, Heimkommen (Come Home) tells a story that is simple yet deep. Director Micah Magee is a San Antonio native and Ut Austin grad, and she's also a former Cinematexas co-director.
In the Pines (Narrative Shorts)
In nine minutes, In the Pines managed to re-create the mood I felt after two hours watching Tree of Life.
Tumbleweed! (Texas Shorts)
Wow! Offbeat, whimsical, and completely delightful. Tumbleweed! is an inspirational story of a tumbleweed that refuses to tumble. This seven-minute short is the kind of little nugget that makes the shorts program a must-see. Very loosely set in Texas.
Heimkommen (Narrative Shorts)
A poignant and touching look at sibling tensions in the wake of a tragic accident, Heimkommen (Come Home) tells a story that is simple yet deep. Director Micah Magee is a San Antonio native and Ut Austin grad, and she's also a former Cinematexas co-director.
In the Pines (Narrative Shorts)
In nine minutes, In the Pines managed to re-create the mood I felt after two hours watching Tree of Life.
- 3/8/2012
- by Mike Saulters
- Slackerwood
Say what? You don't recognize the name Ben Steinbauer? Perhaps you remember the hit documentary Winnebago Man, which wowed crowds at film festivals everywhere it played, including SXSW 2009. In 2010, the Austin Film Critics Association awarded it Best Austin Film. This time around, Steinbauer brings a documentary short about Stephen Friedland called Brute Force to SXSW 2012.
Slackerwood: Describe your film for us in a couple of sentences.
Steinbauer: Brute Force is the story of Apple Records recording artist Stephen Friedland, who in 1969 released the song "King of Fuh" that became the most controversial single Apple ever recorded.
What's one thing about the film that is going to make it impossible for people to resist seeing it?
The relationship between Stephen, aka "Brute Force," who is now in his seventies, and his daughter Lilah, aka "Daughter of Force," is funny, charming and endlessly relatable. It will appeal to anyone who has a...
Slackerwood: Describe your film for us in a couple of sentences.
Steinbauer: Brute Force is the story of Apple Records recording artist Stephen Friedland, who in 1969 released the song "King of Fuh" that became the most controversial single Apple ever recorded.
What's one thing about the film that is going to make it impossible for people to resist seeing it?
The relationship between Stephen, aka "Brute Force," who is now in his seventies, and his daughter Lilah, aka "Daughter of Force," is funny, charming and endlessly relatable. It will appeal to anyone who has a...
- 2/27/2012
- by Jenn Brown
- Slackerwood
Robert G. Putka‘s Mouthful and Jared Varava‘s Tumbleweed! are two short films that have been selected to screen at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival, which will run in Austin, TX on March 9-17.
Mouthful is Putka’s second short film, a verbally raunchy comedy starring Eilis Cahill and Conor Casey as a young couple whose relationship becomes strained thanks to an overly frank discussion about their sexual histories. The film was recently reviewed on Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film saying “one shouldn’t assume too much how the premise of a young man and woman discussing [male] anatomy will play out.”
Putka has also mounted an IndieGoGo campaign to help fund his filmmaking team’s trip to SXSW and for marketing material, such as posters, T-shirts, press kits and such. If you want to help out, please visit the Mouthful IndieGoGo page.
Tumbleweed! is the latest collaboration between...
Mouthful is Putka’s second short film, a verbally raunchy comedy starring Eilis Cahill and Conor Casey as a young couple whose relationship becomes strained thanks to an overly frank discussion about their sexual histories. The film was recently reviewed on Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film saying “one shouldn’t assume too much how the premise of a young man and woman discussing [male] anatomy will play out.”
Putka has also mounted an IndieGoGo campaign to help fund his filmmaking team’s trip to SXSW and for marketing material, such as posters, T-shirts, press kits and such. If you want to help out, please visit the Mouthful IndieGoGo page.
Tumbleweed! is the latest collaboration between...
- 2/10/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Here’s the Movies That Became Available to Stream on Netflix Over the Past Week: Red State (R | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #2340
Times Ranked: 2096
Win Percentage: 53%
How Many Top-20′s: 13 Users
________________________________________________
I was pleasantly suprised by how much I liked Red State. It’s a tight little 90 mimute thriller with fantastic performances and it mixes genres quite effectively. The HD version on Netflix looks pretty nice too.
Directed By: Kevin Smith
Starring: Michael Parks • John Goodman • Melissa Leo • Kevin Pollak • Michael Angarano
Genres :Drama • Horror • Religious Drama • Thriller
• • • • • • • •
The Next Three Days (PG13 | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #2302
Times Ranked: 3616
Win Percentage: 48%
How Many Top-20′s: 3 Users
________________________________________________
Directed By: Paul Haggis
Starring: Russell Crowe • Elizabeth Banks • Olivia Wilde
Genres: Crime • Crime Drama • Crime Thriller • Drama • Romance • Romantic Drama • Thriller
• • • • • • • •
Winnebago Man (Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #3403
Times Ranked: 2363
Win Percentage: 54%
How Many Top-20′s: 5 Users
________________________________________________
Directed By: Ben Steinbauer
Genres: Biography • Documentary
• • • • • • • •
F/X (R | 1986)
Flickchart Ranking:...
Flickchart Ranking: #2340
Times Ranked: 2096
Win Percentage: 53%
How Many Top-20′s: 13 Users
________________________________________________
I was pleasantly suprised by how much I liked Red State. It’s a tight little 90 mimute thriller with fantastic performances and it mixes genres quite effectively. The HD version on Netflix looks pretty nice too.
Directed By: Kevin Smith
Starring: Michael Parks • John Goodman • Melissa Leo • Kevin Pollak • Michael Angarano
Genres :Drama • Horror • Religious Drama • Thriller
• • • • • • • •
The Next Three Days (PG13 | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #2302
Times Ranked: 3616
Win Percentage: 48%
How Many Top-20′s: 3 Users
________________________________________________
Directed By: Paul Haggis
Starring: Russell Crowe • Elizabeth Banks • Olivia Wilde
Genres: Crime • Crime Drama • Crime Thriller • Drama • Romance • Romantic Drama • Thriller
• • • • • • • •
Winnebago Man (Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #3403
Times Ranked: 2363
Win Percentage: 54%
How Many Top-20′s: 5 Users
________________________________________________
Directed By: Ben Steinbauer
Genres: Biography • Documentary
• • • • • • • •
F/X (R | 1986)
Flickchart Ranking:...
- 10/24/2011
- by Daniel Rohr
- Flickchart
Directors: Bob Ray, Spencer Parsons, Rusty Kelley, Berndt Mader, Amy Grappell, Karen Skloss, Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, Paul Gordon, Johnny Stranger, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Jay Duplass, John Bryant, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Ben Steinbauer, Elisabeth Sikes, Mike Dolan, Geoff Marslett, Bradley Beesley, Bob Byington, Clay Liford, Carlyn Hudson, Miguel Alvarez, Scott Meyers, Pj Raval, Chris Eska Writers: Bob Ray, Spencer Parsons, Rusty Kelley, Berndt Mader, Amy Grappell, Karen Skloss, Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, Paul Gordon, Johnny Stranger, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Jay Duplass, John Bryant, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Ben Steinbauer, Elisabeth Sikes, Mike Dolan, Geoff Marslett, Bradley Beesley, Bob Byington, Clay Liford, Carlyn Hudson, Miguel Alvarez, Scott Meyers, Pj Raval, Chris Eska Starring: Bob Ray, Chris Doubek, Maggie Lea, Hilah Johnson, Robert Lambert, Leslie Naugle, John Wesley Coleman, Kelli Bland, Justin Meeks, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, Jen Tracy Duplass, Jay Duplass, Chris Trew, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Luke Savisky,...
- 9/4/2011
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Internet hits are the subjects of new documentaries, giving fans a chance to uncover some mysteries. Like, what is 'accoutrema'?
First posted on YouTube in 2007, the viral clip known as Iron Mic: Eli Porter vs Envy is, at first glance, a rap battle between two teenage MCs of questionable talent. But it's also much, much more. Imagine a hip-hop special of Britain's Got Talent – if Britain's Got Talent had a production budget of £4.50 and was crewed entirely by high 16-year-olds – and you're starting to understand why the clip has won 3.4m views. It's also a treasure trove of amateurish camera angles, mic feedback and inexplicable editing choices. For hip-hop fans, it's either the worst rap battle ever or the greatest, depending on your point of view, and a source of endless online musings. The idiosyncratic delivery style of the clip's star, Eli Porter, led some viewers to assume he has...
First posted on YouTube in 2007, the viral clip known as Iron Mic: Eli Porter vs Envy is, at first glance, a rap battle between two teenage MCs of questionable talent. But it's also much, much more. Imagine a hip-hop special of Britain's Got Talent – if Britain's Got Talent had a production budget of £4.50 and was crewed entirely by high 16-year-olds – and you're starting to understand why the clip has won 3.4m views. It's also a treasure trove of amateurish camera angles, mic feedback and inexplicable editing choices. For hip-hop fans, it's either the worst rap battle ever or the greatest, depending on your point of view, and a source of endless online musings. The idiosyncratic delivery style of the clip's star, Eli Porter, led some viewers to assume he has...
- 8/26/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
In the days before YouTube or viral Internet videos, people were passing around third-rate copies on videotape of the outtakes of a Winnebago commercial featuring one Jack Rebney, whose gift for colorful profanity under pressure was immense. Hearing his outbursts can be oddly uplifting if you're having a bad day yourself. Local filmmaker Ben Steinbauer, intrigued by the lasting popularity of the "Winnebago Man" video, set out to find Rebney and get the whole story behind the videotape in the documentary Winnebago Man.
Winnebago Man premiered at SXSW in 2009 and has enjoyed a fair amount of popularity since then. Don Clinchy calls it "funny and sometimes poignant" in his review. The movie won several prizes on the film-fest circuit, as well as the Austin Film Critics Association award for Best Austin Film in 2010. One of Rebney's catch phrases from the video, "Will you do me a kindness?" turns up frequently...
Winnebago Man premiered at SXSW in 2009 and has enjoyed a fair amount of popularity since then. Don Clinchy calls it "funny and sometimes poignant" in his review. The movie won several prizes on the film-fest circuit, as well as the Austin Film Critics Association award for Best Austin Film in 2010. One of Rebney's catch phrases from the video, "Will you do me a kindness?" turns up frequently...
- 8/15/2011
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
When Ryan Gosling turns to Emma Stone in Crazy Stupid Love and says, “Will you do me a kindness?” he becomes the latest movie character to reveal the unlikely influence of Jack Rebney, the cantankerous eccentric turned cult figure who is the subject of the film Winnebago Man. Director Ben Steinbauer’s movie charts his search for Rebney, who had vanished even as his fame was growing. Partly a suspense film and partly a documentary with a fun, breezy feel, the film also illustrates how catch phrases and fringe characters make their way into pop culture. Rebney’s slim claim to our…...
- 8/12/2011
- James on ScreenS
Right now I would easily pay $10 -- hell, even 3D rates of $15 -- to watch a rainstorm in person here in Austin. (I know one happened Tuesday night but I was asleep.) While I wait for such a diverting entertainment, I'll have to settle for watching movies instead. Do any of them have scenes of precipitation? Probably not. I may just have to settle for a very good documentary, a top-notch performance from Christopher Plummer or a raunchy comedy instead.
My plans for this week include finally seeing Midnight in Paris (Debbie's review) -- you all have talked me into it, since even non-Woody Allen fans are recommending it heartily. On Sunday night, Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz brings local filmmaker Ben Steinbauer (whom Elizabeth just interviewed) to Cinema Club to screen the Mayles brothers' documentary Salesman. I may have to sneak over to Alamo on South Lamar at...
My plans for this week include finally seeing Midnight in Paris (Debbie's review) -- you all have talked me into it, since even non-Woody Allen fans are recommending it heartily. On Sunday night, Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz brings local filmmaker Ben Steinbauer (whom Elizabeth just interviewed) to Cinema Club to screen the Mayles brothers' documentary Salesman. I may have to sneak over to Alamo on South Lamar at...
- 6/24/2011
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund. As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the Austinites participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project.
Today's interview is with Ben Steinbauer, director of the 2009 acclaimed documentary Winnebago Man (Don's review), which won the Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Austin Film in 2010.
Slackerwood: Which scene from the film are you reshooting?
Ben Steinbauer: I'm re-shooting the scene with the angry hitchhiker who gets interviewed by a young video crew outside Les Amis Cafe. The hitchhiker is bumming cigarettes off the people sitting on the patio and gets approached by a video crew who inadvertently give him the opportunity to rant directly into their camera.
read more...
Today's interview is with Ben Steinbauer, director of the 2009 acclaimed documentary Winnebago Man (Don's review), which won the Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Austin Film in 2010.
Slackerwood: Which scene from the film are you reshooting?
Ben Steinbauer: I'm re-shooting the scene with the angry hitchhiker who gets interviewed by a young video crew outside Les Amis Cafe. The hitchhiker is bumming cigarettes off the people sitting on the patio and gets approached by a video crew who inadvertently give him the opportunity to rant directly into their camera.
read more...
- 6/22/2011
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
Without Richard Linklater's slice of life film [1] Slacker, the independent film boom of the 1990s might not have happened. Unlike almost anything American audiences had seen before, it inspired a generation of filmmakers to go out and make their own movies. Kevin Smith often credits seeing the film at the Angelika Film Center in New York as his inspiration to make Clerks, the film's success gave Linklater the ability to make Dazed and Confused and so much more. First released in 1991, Slacker celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and the Austin Film Society and the Alamo Drafthouse are teaming up for a remake. In typical Austin and Drafthouse style, though, isn't a by the book remake. There aren't any big special effects or A-list actors. Instead, 23 Austin filmmakers will reshoot scenes using the same dialogue and locations from the original film and string them together as a meta-homage. Read...
- 5/3/2011
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Richard Linklater made a splash back in 1991 with his independent low budget film Slacker. The film was unique in its structure and seemingly plotless film, following a single day in the life of an ensemble of mostly twenty-something youths in Austin, Texas. The film followed various characters and scenes, never staying with one character or conversation for more than a few minutes before picking up someone else in the scene and following them. A similar idea was also explored at around the same time in a film called Twenty Bucks, that well followed a 20 dollar bill around for a day.
Now two decades later, the Austin Film Society and The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas are teaming up with 23 Austin filmmakers to remake Richard Linklater’s critically acclaimed movie to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. According to the Austin Film Society [via The Playlist] “Each scene will be recreated, using the original dialogue and...
Now two decades later, the Austin Film Society and The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas are teaming up with 23 Austin filmmakers to remake Richard Linklater’s critically acclaimed movie to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. According to the Austin Film Society [via The Playlist] “Each scene will be recreated, using the original dialogue and...
- 5/3/2011
- by Kyle Reese
- SoundOnSight
The Austin Film Society and The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas are excited to announce that 23 of the most celebrated Austin filmmakers will remake vignettes from Afs Founder & Artistic Director Richard Linklater’s seminal film Slacker. This homage project was conceived by The Alamo Drafthouse team to celebrate Slacker’s 20th anniversary year by bringing the film community together to honor one of Texas’ best homegrown films. Afs came aboard with a stellar group of filmmakers and a Kickstarter-like campaign to raise an additional $60,000 toward the 2011 Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (accepting applications until June 1).
Each scene will be recreated, using the original dialogue and locations (whenever possible), and individual scenes will then be compiled to create the remake, presenting the city’s changing face while showcasing some of its most exciting talent.
Participating Filmmakers & Teams: Miguel Alvarez, Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, Afs Film Club, Bradley Beesley, John Bryant, Bob Byington, Mike Dolan, Sam Wainwright Douglas,...
Each scene will be recreated, using the original dialogue and locations (whenever possible), and individual scenes will then be compiled to create the remake, presenting the city’s changing face while showcasing some of its most exciting talent.
Participating Filmmakers & Teams: Miguel Alvarez, Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, Afs Film Club, Bradley Beesley, John Bryant, Bob Byington, Mike Dolan, Sam Wainwright Douglas,...
- 4/28/2011
- by Daniel Metz
- OriginalAlamo.com
Documentaries became a box office factor with the rise of such films as "Hoop Dreams" and "Roger & Me." Before then, there were hit music documentaries like "Woodstock" but most other nonfiction films could expect short runs in few theaters before dutiful audiences. What a small but growing minority of Friday night moviegoers is beginning to discover is that there's a good chance the movie they might enjoy most at the multiplex is a doc.
In alphabetical order, these were the best documentaries I saw in 2010:
"45365" is the zip code of Sidney, Ohio. The brothers Bill and Turner Ross were born there perhaps 30 years ago. They knew everybody in town, and when they spent seven months of 2007 filming its daily life, their presence must have become commonplace. Their film evokes what Winesburg, Ohio might have looked like as a documentary.
The film is privileged. No one is filmed with a hidden camera.
In alphabetical order, these were the best documentaries I saw in 2010:
"45365" is the zip code of Sidney, Ohio. The brothers Bill and Turner Ross were born there perhaps 30 years ago. They knew everybody in town, and when they spent seven months of 2007 filming its daily life, their presence must have become commonplace. Their film evokes what Winesburg, Ohio might have looked like as a documentary.
The film is privileged. No one is filmed with a hidden camera.
- 1/14/2011
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
In the Alamo programming office, movies are sort of our thing. We watch ‘em, we fight about ‘em, and sometimes we even book ‘em for our theatres. We bring you the greatest and most bizarre movies from the past 100 years, and also highlight some of the greatest achievements in new cinema, too.
It’s a tough job…especially when it comes time to narrow down our favorites at the end of each year. But we do it all for you.
The lists below represent the most powerful and/or entertaining films of 2010, according to Alamo programmers Tim League, Lars Nilsen, Zack Carlson, Henri Mazza, Kayla Williams, Daniel Metz, Bret Neuman, George Bragdon, and Caitlin Stevens. We hope you have some time on your hands, because you’re going to want to read everything.
In case you’re interested, you can see our combined list as a group on Badass Digest.
It’s a tough job…especially when it comes time to narrow down our favorites at the end of each year. But we do it all for you.
The lists below represent the most powerful and/or entertaining films of 2010, according to Alamo programmers Tim League, Lars Nilsen, Zack Carlson, Henri Mazza, Kayla Williams, Daniel Metz, Bret Neuman, George Bragdon, and Caitlin Stevens. We hope you have some time on your hands, because you’re going to want to read everything.
In case you’re interested, you can see our combined list as a group on Badass Digest.
- 1/4/2011
- by Daniel Metz
- OriginalAlamo.com
The Austin Film Critics Association announced its 2010 awards on Wednesday. It's hard for me to write this up as a straight news story since I'm a voting member, and I got to pick some of these awards -- Jenn is a member too this year. I'm happy to say that the movie that won Best Film is currently my favorite of the year: Black Swan. The movie also was awarded Best Director (Darren Aronofsky), Best Actress for Natalie Portman, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.
Another pleasant surprise is that the Best Austin Film award went to an indie documentary: Winnebago Man, which first played Austin at SXSW 2009. Director Ben Steinbauer and producer Joel Heller are both Austinites. The doc about Jack Rebney won the award against some tough competition this year. I liked this film very much when I saw it at Alamo Drafthouse this summer; you can read...
Another pleasant surprise is that the Best Austin Film award went to an indie documentary: Winnebago Man, which first played Austin at SXSW 2009. Director Ben Steinbauer and producer Joel Heller are both Austinites. The doc about Jack Rebney won the award against some tough competition this year. I liked this film very much when I saw it at Alamo Drafthouse this summer; you can read...
- 12/23/2010
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
If you'd like to discuss the latest round of critics awards, have at it.
Three more groups have announced and so the usual suspects play the game of musical chairs. The most interesting note right off the bat is that the Women Film Critics Circle have bestowed an award on Black Swan that isn't a flattering one. They've given it "Worst Female Images in a Movie".
I understand the impulse behind this sort of "tsk-tsk"ing having been burned over the years with the often problematic depiction of gay characters but I think it's wrong-headed to a degree.
Black Swan is about a very specific drumtight world and a very specific tightly strung character completely encased in that world. In other words, this is not a portrait of Woman in the broader sense. What's more one can even argue that just about every person in the film is presented in an unreliable way,...
Three more groups have announced and so the usual suspects play the game of musical chairs. The most interesting note right off the bat is that the Women Film Critics Circle have bestowed an award on Black Swan that isn't a flattering one. They've given it "Worst Female Images in a Movie".
I understand the impulse behind this sort of "tsk-tsk"ing having been burned over the years with the often problematic depiction of gay characters but I think it's wrong-headed to a degree.
Black Swan is about a very specific drumtight world and a very specific tightly strung character completely encased in that world. In other words, this is not a portrait of Woman in the broader sense. What's more one can even argue that just about every person in the film is presented in an unreliable way,...
- 12/23/2010
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
In 1989, a man named Jack Rebney endured the summer heat in Iowa to shoot an industrial film for the motor home company Winnebago. Between takes for an otherwise cheery Rv sales video, Rebney flubbed lines, shouted in frustration, and blurted obscenities, unknowingly contributing to a sizzle reel of hilarious proportions.
The VHS tape was copied countless times and swapped amongst friends until the introduction of YouTube in 2005, when Rebney’s profane outtakes truly went viral. But the video’s millions of viewers never knew Jack’s real name, instead dubbing him “The Angriest Man in the World” or simply Winnebago Man.
First time filmmaker Ben Steinbauer was one of the tape’s early disciples before a growing curiosity compelled him to embark on a mission to solve the video’s unanswered questions. Who was this man? Why was he so angry? Was he aware of his Internet celebrity status? And if so,...
The VHS tape was copied countless times and swapped amongst friends until the introduction of YouTube in 2005, when Rebney’s profane outtakes truly went viral. But the video’s millions of viewers never knew Jack’s real name, instead dubbing him “The Angriest Man in the World” or simply Winnebago Man.
First time filmmaker Ben Steinbauer was one of the tape’s early disciples before a growing curiosity compelled him to embark on a mission to solve the video’s unanswered questions. Who was this man? Why was he so angry? Was he aware of his Internet celebrity status? And if so,...
- 11/4/2010
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"ExTerminators" (2010)
Directed by John Inwood
Released by Image Entertainment
Also appearing on VOD, Heather Graham, Amber Heard and Jennifer Coolidge team up to launch a service that will permanently wipe away your exes from your address book (and life) under the cover of Coolidge's bug extermination business in this comedy from cinematographer-turned-director John Inwood.
"Bad Ass" (2009)
Directed by Adamo Cultraro
Released by Well Go USA
A hitman (Tom Sizemore) has a change of heart when his latest job leaves the nurse of an aging mob boss as the prime suspect in Adamo Cultraro's feature debut. Frank Stallone co-stars.
"Centurion" (2010)
Directed by Neil Marshall
Released by Magnolia Home Entertainment
Following "Doomsday," Marshall returns to Hadrian's Wall in England for the story of surviving group of Roman soldiers in 117 A.D., including Michael Fassbender, Dominic West and Liam Cunningham among their ranks, who defend...
"ExTerminators" (2010)
Directed by John Inwood
Released by Image Entertainment
Also appearing on VOD, Heather Graham, Amber Heard and Jennifer Coolidge team up to launch a service that will permanently wipe away your exes from your address book (and life) under the cover of Coolidge's bug extermination business in this comedy from cinematographer-turned-director John Inwood.
"Bad Ass" (2009)
Directed by Adamo Cultraro
Released by Well Go USA
A hitman (Tom Sizemore) has a change of heart when his latest job leaves the nurse of an aging mob boss as the prime suspect in Adamo Cultraro's feature debut. Frank Stallone co-stars.
"Centurion" (2010)
Directed by Neil Marshall
Released by Magnolia Home Entertainment
Following "Doomsday," Marshall returns to Hadrian's Wall in England for the story of surviving group of Roman soldiers in 117 A.D., including Michael Fassbender, Dominic West and Liam Cunningham among their ranks, who defend...
- 11/1/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
I usually link to Making Light of It in these posts — when Jacob’s not disappearing on me — but I really want to make sure people look at Jacob’s most recent article, so I’m listing him first this week. Jacob’s scanned a bunch of covers of old Film Culture magazines that are really sweet looking. I don’t recognize everybody’s picture, but I see Stan Vanderbeek, Harry Smith, Robert Breer and more. And, I think Jacob has the second only photo ever of Ron Rice on the Internet, after mine. Fangoria conducted a fascinating interview with one of Bad Lit’s favorite people, C.W. Prather of the Spooky Movie Festival, which is currently going on. Funniest thing I saw this week — hell, funniest thing I’ve seen in months! — was the Twitter stream of Ted Nope, a parody of indie film producer Ted Hope’s airless Twitter musings.
- 10/24/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Filed under: Documentaries
Thanks to the leak of impressively profane outtakes from the set of an '80s Winnebago sales video shoot, Jack Rebney became an unwitting VHS folk hero. Now, In the age of YouTube, Rebney has gone viral. Know to his legions of fans as the "Winnebago Man" or, if you prefer, "The Angriest Man in the World," his rants have seeped into pop culture, appearing everywhere from 'SpongeBob SquarePants' to 'Iron Man 2.'
And now, a documentary about Rebney. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer tracked down the former news producer to a mountaintop in Northern California to find out how Rebney felt about his unintentional celebrity. The resulting interaction with the acerbic but undeniably charismatic man forms the basis for the surprisingly poignant documentary, 'Winnebago Man.'
Since filming, the two have taken the documentary on the road, hitting film festivals and screenings around...
Thanks to the leak of impressively profane outtakes from the set of an '80s Winnebago sales video shoot, Jack Rebney became an unwitting VHS folk hero. Now, In the age of YouTube, Rebney has gone viral. Know to his legions of fans as the "Winnebago Man" or, if you prefer, "The Angriest Man in the World," his rants have seeped into pop culture, appearing everywhere from 'SpongeBob SquarePants' to 'Iron Man 2.'
And now, a documentary about Rebney. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer tracked down the former news producer to a mountaintop in Northern California to find out how Rebney felt about his unintentional celebrity. The resulting interaction with the acerbic but undeniably charismatic man forms the basis for the surprisingly poignant documentary, 'Winnebago Man.'
Since filming, the two have taken the documentary on the road, hitting film festivals and screenings around...
- 10/22/2010
- by Rick Mele
- Moviefone
/Film La is my attempt to highlight the coolest film screenings and events happening in Los Angeles. In today's edition, we take a sneak peek at Disneyland California's Tron: Legacy night-time weekend dance party ElecTRONica, Cinefamily's Japanese Gore Night, see Halo: Reach The Show hosted by Paul Scheer featuring Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk, and your chance to watch The Usual Suspects with director Bryan Singer, a double feature of Pet Sematary/Pet Sematary II with Director Mary Lambert., Winnebago Man at Kevin Smith's Smodcastle with Director Ben Steinbauer and Producer Joel Heller , or Box of Moonlight/Conviction double feature with star Sam Rockwell. Hit the jump! Beginning October 8th, Disney will hold a nighttime dance party/experience called ElecTRONica every Friday, Saturday and Sunday this Fall at Hollywood Pictures Backlot in Disney California Adventure park. You might recall that we posted about this on the front page in early September.
- 10/7/2010
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
By Sam Weisberg - September 12, 2010
[explicit] TV blooper reels are getting to be as routine a commodity as TV news itself. You've seen them all over YouTube: clips of well-groomed, airbrushed anchors and other media professionals sluffing lines, missing cues, losing their over-rehearsed cool on air, all while some abused and vengeful crew member keeps the cameras rolling. But somehow, it remains a perverse pleasure to gain access to these golden gaffes—especially when flagrant profanity is involved.
Perhaps no video of this sort is more popular than that of Jack Rebney, a former ad-man whose literal fifteen minutes of fame came from a highly circulated video of his botched Winnebago ad. Taped on a scorching hot, fly-infested day in 1988, the ad's film crew, partially outraged but mostly humored by Rebney's resulting fury, compiled an assortment of his best outtakes. They range from the standard impulsive reactions to messed-up lines (“They've developed a multi-functional bathroom,...
[explicit] TV blooper reels are getting to be as routine a commodity as TV news itself. You've seen them all over YouTube: clips of well-groomed, airbrushed anchors and other media professionals sluffing lines, missing cues, losing their over-rehearsed cool on air, all while some abused and vengeful crew member keeps the cameras rolling. But somehow, it remains a perverse pleasure to gain access to these golden gaffes—especially when flagrant profanity is involved.
Perhaps no video of this sort is more popular than that of Jack Rebney, a former ad-man whose literal fifteen minutes of fame came from a highly circulated video of his botched Winnebago ad. Taped on a scorching hot, fly-infested day in 1988, the ad's film crew, partially outraged but mostly humored by Rebney's resulting fury, compiled an assortment of his best outtakes. They range from the standard impulsive reactions to messed-up lines (“They've developed a multi-functional bathroom,...
- 9/11/2010
- by Screen Comment
- Screen Comment
It's a bridge week here at the ol' DVD announcement column. Those expecting word on Inception, Eclipse or even The A-Team will have to wait a little longer. Instead you get a chance to infuse your Netflix queues and Amazon shopping carts with some of the films from the festival circuit that opened quietly and at least one that hasn't even opened yet.
Theatrical
The choice of the week is, unquestionably, Kino's release of Ben Steinbauer's wonderful documentary Winnebago Man on November 2. Some of you may still have an old bootleg VHS of the Jack Rebney outtakes; the Winnebago salesman whose behind-the-scenes commercial flubs have become legendary. We're in the digital age now so you can revisit it all on YouTube, but Rebney was probably the first guy to deserve a "web redemption" on Tosh.O. Even better though, Steinbauer gave him one in feature film form. He tracked down Rebney,...
Theatrical
The choice of the week is, unquestionably, Kino's release of Ben Steinbauer's wonderful documentary Winnebago Man on November 2. Some of you may still have an old bootleg VHS of the Jack Rebney outtakes; the Winnebago salesman whose behind-the-scenes commercial flubs have become legendary. We're in the digital age now so you can revisit it all on YouTube, but Rebney was probably the first guy to deserve a "web redemption" on Tosh.O. Even better though, Steinbauer gave him one in feature film form. He tracked down Rebney,...
- 9/3/2010
- by Erik Childress
- Cinematical
Last night Smells Like Screen Spirit Executive Writer Don Simpson (Winnebago Man | Review) and I had the pleasure to attend the Winnebago Man homecoming screening at The Alamo Drafthouse S. Lamar in Austin, TX. Not only did we get to sit and enjoy the film with an Alamo Drafthouse crowd, but the filmmakers (Director: Ben Steinbauer, Producer: Joel Heller) were also in attendance to bring the documentary full-circle by introducing and holding a special Q&A after the screening. What made this Q&A so special you ask? Well, just as the Q&A was getting fired up, director Ben Steinbauer pulls out his mobile phone and calls up the legendary Winnebago Man himself, Jack Rebney. For those of you that are unaware of the man who is also known as 'The Angriest Man in the World"... Winnebago Man tells the story of an unlikely folk hero named Jack Rebney,...
- 8/23/2010
- by Dave Campbell
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Editor’s Note: This interview was originally posted on June 27, 2009.
You’re probably thinking, “escalator interview…huh?” and the answer to that is “exactly.”
Ladies and gentlemen, we at gordonandthewhale.com proudly present our very first interview that took place on an escalator, and we’re even more proud that our interviewee was Ben Steinbauer, writer and director of the super-cool documentary, Winnebago Man.
Read more on CineVegas Escalator Interview: Ben Steinbauer (writer/director, Winnebago Man)…...
You’re probably thinking, “escalator interview…huh?” and the answer to that is “exactly.”
Ladies and gentlemen, we at gordonandthewhale.com proudly present our very first interview that took place on an escalator, and we’re even more proud that our interviewee was Ben Steinbauer, writer and director of the super-cool documentary, Winnebago Man.
Read more on CineVegas Escalator Interview: Ben Steinbauer (writer/director, Winnebago Man)…...
- 8/20/2010
- by James Wallace
- GordonandtheWhale
This weekend is a good weekend for Austin film. Austinite Ben Steinbauer’s Winnebago Man is having a limited theatrical run at the South Lamar and Ritz. He’s been getting some great press for his documentary about the most angry viral video in history; Michael Moore calls the film “One of the funniest documentaries ever made,” and Roger Ebert tweeted, “Holy shit, is this a fucking funny documentary.” He and the film’s subject, Jack Rebney, even got on The Tonight Show last month!
We’re very proud to support Austin filmmaking and show this great doc. But there’s also another Austin film we’re excited about presenting this weekend, a film that isn’t getting quite the wide promotion that Winnebago Man is. Bob Byington, the writer/director of last year’s Harmony And Me, is bringing his film [Rso] Registered Sex Offender to the Ritz this Sunday.
We’re very proud to support Austin filmmaking and show this great doc. But there’s also another Austin film we’re excited about presenting this weekend, a film that isn’t getting quite the wide promotion that Winnebago Man is. Bob Byington, the writer/director of last year’s Harmony And Me, is bringing his film [Rso] Registered Sex Offender to the Ritz this Sunday.
- 8/17/2010
- by Daniel Metz
- OriginalAlamo.com
Winnebago Man – Comes Home To Austin! This Weekend Join the Austin filmmakers for the theatrical premiere of the acclaimed comedy documentary, Winnebago Man! Friday night, August 20th, and Saturday night, August 21st at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar Screenings begin at 7:30 Pm both nights, followed by Q&As with Austin filmmakers Ben Steinbauer (director) and Joel Heller (producer). The star of the film, Jack Rebney, will join the audience by phone to answer questions. Afterwards, meet the filmmakers at the Highball next door to celebrate. The film will continue its initial one week run at the Alamo Ritz Sun-Thu, with nightly screenings, also followed by filmmaker Q&As. Seating is limited. Reserve your Advance tickets for Friday & Saturday. About the film: Winnebago Man tells the story of an unlikely folk hero named Jack Rebney, an 80-year-old curmudgeon, who The New Yorker describes as a cross between John Wayne, Robin Williams and a Royal Tenenbaum.
- 8/17/2010
- by Dave Campbell
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Director: Ben Steinbauer Writers: Malcolm Pullinger, Ben Steinbauer Starring: Jack Rebney, Ben Steinbauer, Keith Gordon, Nick Prueher, Joe Pickett, Douglas Rushkoff, Charlie Sotelo, Cinco Barnes, Alan Berliner, Mike Mitchell, Alexsey Vayner The bootleg VHS footage of an angry Rv salesman’s expletive-riddled rants rescued from the cutting room floor of a Winnebago commercial garnered cult acclaim via The Found Footage Festival and Austin’s infamous access television program The Show With No Name; then YouTube came along and skyrocketed the footage and the Rv salesman man, Jack Rebney (dubbed “the angriest man in the world”), to international stardom. Some fans boast to have watched the foul footage thousands of times, others claim it is their surefire cure to a bad day at work. No one seemed to care about the man himself (nor did Rebney care about his fan base); that is until writer-director Ben Steinbauer decided to make it...
- 8/4/2010
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
There is like, nothing on TV tonight. I know that's said a lot around here, but usually what's meant is there's nothing on that's good. I mean it for real, the site I consult for TV listings has the shortest page I think I've ever seen on it and this is going to be shorter because they list a few shows I feel comfortable ignoring. (Unless there's a huge amount of WWE fans out there who are disappointed because I'm not mentioning that testosterone-laden soap opera. I'm happy to start doing so if you want. Just be prepared for the mocking I'm sure to do of a show prominently featuring a dance troupe wrestling gang called "The Nexus" facing off against a similar gang put together by a gentleman who runs around in jean shorts, a baseball cap, and no shirt, or so I surmise from the commercials.) So, um,...
- 7/22/2010
- by Intern Rusty
If we've learned nothing else from reality television, it's that as a culture we love watching people get hurt. Whether it's the slapstick physical pain delight of a Wiffleball bat to the baby batter blaster, the unabashed glee of seeing someone else's children crashing a runaway snow sled into a parked Datsun, or watching a sleazy gangsta wannabe crumple up when Maury tells him that he Is, in fact, the father, we live for that shit. It's these disposable moments we've all experienced one way or another that makes us laugh and feel a little better about our own empty and meaningless lives. Well, maybe not the paternity test, but you see where I'm coming from. We enjoy the punchline; we don't want the backstory. Nutshots are funny. We don't want to know the father ended up sterile and beat his resentment into his son until he grew up and joined the army.
- 7/21/2010
- by Brian Prisco
One could say the viral campaign for the blisteringly funny new doc "Winnebago Man" preceded even the Internet when the profane outtakes of Rv salesman Jack Rebney leaked out from the production of an industrial video during the '80s (you can see it here, millions of others have) and made their way out into the world on fuzzy VHS copies and eventually YouTube.
Soon, Rebney would be anointed the "world's angriest man" by the legions that discovered the video, including celebrity fans like Conan O'Brien and director Mike Mitchell (who would have Ben Affleck recite Rebney's most famous line, "would you do me a kindness" in "Surviving Christmas").
However, it would be one of Rebney's less famous admirers who would set out to discover that if the former Winnebago salesman is angry about anything these days, it's Dick Cheney, and while he remains quite the character, he's an emotionally...
Soon, Rebney would be anointed the "world's angriest man" by the legions that discovered the video, including celebrity fans like Conan O'Brien and director Mike Mitchell (who would have Ben Affleck recite Rebney's most famous line, "would you do me a kindness" in "Surviving Christmas").
However, it would be one of Rebney's less famous admirers who would set out to discover that if the former Winnebago salesman is angry about anything these days, it's Dick Cheney, and while he remains quite the character, he's an emotionally...
- 7/17/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
For me, the most interesting documentaries involve some sort of accident of fate. When the end result of a documentary, whatever it’s about, is pretty much what the filmmaker envisioned at the start, I’m not interested. You may end up with something great, and certainly something worth the time, but it’s never as brilliant an adventure, or (for me) as entertaining in terms of the world of filmcraft.
Winnebago Man doesn’t quite have the scope of accident that something like Capturing the Friedmans brings forward, but there is a certain twist that turns things into an entirely different film. That twist adds the oddity that probably kept director Ben Steinbauer interested enough to bother with a complete film.
The focus is on Jack Rebney, in case you don’t know him as Winnebago Man (or The Angriest Man on Earth), one of the earliest viral video legends.
Winnebago Man doesn’t quite have the scope of accident that something like Capturing the Friedmans brings forward, but there is a certain twist that turns things into an entirely different film. That twist adds the oddity that probably kept director Ben Steinbauer interested enough to bother with a complete film.
The focus is on Jack Rebney, in case you don’t know him as Winnebago Man (or The Angriest Man on Earth), one of the earliest viral video legends.
- 7/15/2010
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
"Humor is a risky thing sometimes," said director Michael Moore (right) last Friday at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema in New York for a screening of the raucous documentary "Winnebago Man," directed by Ben Steinbauer. "When I saw I was so thrilled to be in the midst of kindred spirits." The film came to New York following a win for Best Comedy Documentary at the Traverse City Film Festival, which Moore himself ...
- 7/13/2010
- Indiewire
It might seem counterintuitive to craft a feature-length documentary around a viral clip concerning one man's explicit outtakes during a 1989 industrial video production, but Winnebago Man director, producer and cowriter Ben Steinbauer has truly made an entertaining portrait with a complicated range of emotions:
Jack Rebney is the most famous man you've never heard of—an Rv salesman whose hilarious, foul-mouthed outbursts circulated underground on VHS tapes in the '90s before turning into a full-blown Internet phenomenon in 2005. Today, the "Winnebago Man" has been seen by more than 20 million people worldwide, and is regarded as one of the first and funniest viral videos. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer goes in search of Rebney—and finds him living alone on a mountain top, unaware of his fame. Winnebago Man is a laugh-out-loud look at viral culture and an unexpectedly poignant tale of one man's response to unintended celebrity.
While in New York for the film's premiere,...
Jack Rebney is the most famous man you've never heard of—an Rv salesman whose hilarious, foul-mouthed outbursts circulated underground on VHS tapes in the '90s before turning into a full-blown Internet phenomenon in 2005. Today, the "Winnebago Man" has been seen by more than 20 million people worldwide, and is regarded as one of the first and funniest viral videos. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer goes in search of Rebney—and finds him living alone on a mountain top, unaware of his fame. Winnebago Man is a laugh-out-loud look at viral culture and an unexpectedly poignant tale of one man's response to unintended celebrity.
While in New York for the film's premiere,...
- 7/13/2010
- GreenCine Daily
By: Scott Weinberg, reprinted from SXSW 3/18/09
There's a fine line between being laughed at and being laughed with -- especially in an "instant video" culture that seemingly loves to see people humiliate themselves on YouTube. But what are we laughing at, really? For example, check out the (extremely profane and Nsfw) video after the jump. I'll wait.
Ok, the man you just witnessed is one Jack Rebney, an average citizen who got caught on film while having a Very bad day on the job. Did the clip make you laugh? Was it the profanity? The frustration? The flies? And here's the question that interests me the most: As you watched Jack's meltdown, were you takingpleasure in his misery -- or were you able to empathize with Jack because you know exactly how he feels?
This is one of the themes that runs through Ben Steinbauer's excellent independent documentary Winnebago Man.
There's a fine line between being laughed at and being laughed with -- especially in an "instant video" culture that seemingly loves to see people humiliate themselves on YouTube. But what are we laughing at, really? For example, check out the (extremely profane and Nsfw) video after the jump. I'll wait.
Ok, the man you just witnessed is one Jack Rebney, an average citizen who got caught on film while having a Very bad day on the job. Did the clip make you laugh? Was it the profanity? The frustration? The flies? And here's the question that interests me the most: As you watched Jack's meltdown, were you takingpleasure in his misery -- or were you able to empathize with Jack because you know exactly how he feels?
This is one of the themes that runs through Ben Steinbauer's excellent independent documentary Winnebago Man.
- 7/11/2010
- by Cinematical staff
- Cinematical
I have this really funny video of my father. My family was on vacation in Aruba years ago. We were hanging out by the pool and we had brought one of those inflatable rafts. My father tried to get on it, and slipped off. Then tried again, and fell. Again and again and again. You'd think he'd covered himself in castor oil before he got in the pool or something. It's absurd. I have no doubt that if I put this video up on YouTube eventually thousands of people would watch it because -- trust me -- this video is funny. But I wouldn't do it because it might embarrass my dad or hurt his feelings (though I seem to think writing about it won't piss him off. Let's hope I'm right).
The people in the YouTube videos we pass around to our friends and co-workers are exactly that: people.
The people in the YouTube videos we pass around to our friends and co-workers are exactly that: people.
- 7/9/2010
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Jack Rebney in Winnebago Man
Photo: Kino International I'd never heard of Jack Rebney, a.k.a. "The Angriest Man in the World" or as he's now known, the "Winnebago Man." I'd never seen his foul-mouthed outtakes recorded while making a sales video for the Winnebago company back in 1989. The outtakes eluded me as they became a VHS phenomenon in the '90s and have since racked up millions of views on YouTube as the age of the Internet rolled around. However, I've now met Rebney in documentary filmmaker Ben Steinbauer's Winnebago Man, as he took it upon himself to find the man and see what's come of him. After all, he's an Internet phenomenon and it seems Steinbauer's hoping it's affected him greatly.
Winnebago Man has earned some notoriety on the festival circuit, but I have a hard time figuring out why. Rebney appears to be no different...
Photo: Kino International I'd never heard of Jack Rebney, a.k.a. "The Angriest Man in the World" or as he's now known, the "Winnebago Man." I'd never seen his foul-mouthed outtakes recorded while making a sales video for the Winnebago company back in 1989. The outtakes eluded me as they became a VHS phenomenon in the '90s and have since racked up millions of views on YouTube as the age of the Internet rolled around. However, I've now met Rebney in documentary filmmaker Ben Steinbauer's Winnebago Man, as he took it upon himself to find the man and see what's come of him. After all, he's an Internet phenomenon and it seems Steinbauer's hoping it's affected him greatly.
Winnebago Man has earned some notoriety on the festival circuit, but I have a hard time figuring out why. Rebney appears to be no different...
- 7/9/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
One of the most anticipated specialty releases of the summer, Lisa Cholodenko's "The Kids are All Right," finally arrives in theaters this week amidst a batch of newcomers that also includes Ben Steinbauer's festival circuit favorite "Winnebago Man" and the sequel to "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," Swedish import "The Girl Who Played With Fire," which is being released just a few months after its predecessor. But despite warm notices ...
- 7/6/2010
- Indiewire
In his debut documentary Winnebago Man, director Ben Steinbauer tracks down one of his heroes. You might think, Oh, his favorite baseball player from his youth? Or perhaps an astronaut? Or maybe simply his third-grade teacher? Nope, Steinbauer is not one to stick to such cliched notions of heroism - his idol is a cranky Rv salesman with a foul temper and a truck driver's way with words. Jack Rebney, aka Winnebago Man, is the star of a hilarious, viral-before-we-knew-what-viral-was VHS tape that made the rounds throughout the 90s, leaving nothing but fond admiration in its wake. (If you, like me, were not part of the circulation route, check out this trailer to get a sense of what Rebney's onscreen antics were all about. Warning: the language is, as they say, explicit and Nsfw.) With the onset of YouTube, fans of Winnebago Man could retire their outdated tapes in favor...
- 7/6/2010
- TribecaFilm.com
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