Customer Reviews

The Independent

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me begin by saying you have to love Jerry Stiller to love this movie, because he's in just about every scene. And he's the Jerry you loved in Seinfeld, as well as many other incarnations. He's loud, he's rude, and he's hilarious. This movie would not have worked with anyone else in the lead role.

The idea of the film is that Stiller is the ultimate independent film producer, Morty Fineman. His movies may not be great art, but there sure are a lot of them. One of the best gags in this film is to just sit back and enjoy the titles for all the films. A lot of work went into conjuring up literally hundreds of titles--some of which will make you laugh out loud. To catch them all, you should check out the very well-done companion web site...

You'll probably enjoy this movie best if you're in the 35-45 age range, because it will take you back to all those drive-in movie classics you loved as a teenager.

But that shouldn't stop you from laughing and pointing at the baldheaded monkeyboy in the audience shots during the filmfest at the end. Yes, I'm an extra, so what? Plus that's my hometown of Colfax, CA standing in for the fictitious, hooker-founded Chapparral, NV... and yes, I got to meet Ginger Lynn, who plays The Mayor. She had some trouble saying the few lines that were scripted for her (and you'll see that some of her lines have music playing over them instead of voice) but that's okay. I'm pretty sure dialogue is not one of her strong points. Oh yeah, and I met Mr. Stiller, who is as sweet and funny and cool as you would guess he'd be. Same of director Steven Kessler. Same of me. Just kidding; I'm a dick.

Ten minutes into the movie and I was beginning to think it wasn't going anywhere. I'd just about decided to get up and pop the disc out of the player. But, what the heck, I didn't want to go back to the video store, so I decided to give it a few more minutes. Besides, I'd just poured my second glass of wine. So I settled back and prepared for more of the same.

So why did I wind up laughing so hard and so long? It looks like Ron Howard and Peter Bogdanovich new a little something I didn't. This movie took me back over the years and made me laugh, made think about the last four decades, made me sympathize and understand a man like Morty Fineman who just wants his day in the sun, just wants a little recognition. Don't we all.

Reviewed by Vesta Irene, Number One fan of Ken Douglas, writer of Tangerine Dream and Desperation Moon. One of the advantages of being married to a writer is that there are always plenty of good books around the house. It's turned me into quite a reader and allowed me to discover many new books.

THE INDEPENDENT is a witty Hollywood film about Hollywood, a zany little satire that stars Jerry Stiller as Morty Fineman, the worst producer in motion picture history. Some of his classic bombs:

THE MAN WITH TWO THINGS
I SEE ENGLAND, I SEE FRANCE
TWELVE ANGRY MEN AND A BABY
NUDE COP
WORLD WAR III II
JOAN OF ARKANSAS
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER BLISTER
PULL MY FINGER
LSÐ DAY
THREE HO PUNCHOUT
A VERY MALCOLM XMAS
TO HELL IN A PICNIC BASKET
PRIÇKLY HEAT
THONG MONSTER

The funniest moment was left on the cutting room floor but is offered as a deleted scene extra. At a Hollywood party, a producer is touting his latest project, " 'PROZAC,' the feel-good movie of the summer."

Several funny testimonial cameos in this mocumentary include those of Ron Howard and Roger Corman. Ben Stiller has an amusing bit role as a human whale. His dad's co-stars are Janeanne Garafalo (as daughter Paloma) and Max Perlich (Brody on TV's HOMICIDE) as Morty's long-time protegé. Anne Meara has a small role as Stiller's ex-wife (what else?). She's now living in a Rolls Royce in the 90210 zip code.

*SPOILERS*
Somehow, despite being unable to start work on a serial killer's biopic and faced with overwhelming debts that cause the seizure of his meager possessions and extensive personal film library, our talentless but undaunted hero is honored with a one-man retrospective at a start-up Colorado film festival. The show's centerpiece is a long-lost Armed Forces training film (by Corporal Fineman) called: SIMPLEX COMPLEX. After this triumph, Morty is invited to make cheap-o pictures in Malaysia, where 36 cinematic sausage trifles get cranked out in just a few months time. Thus in the end, mediocrity conquers all!


(Don't miss the bonus video of Nancy Sinatra's in-studio recording of the movie's spy-flavored theme song.