Saw this gem at The Crested Butte Reel Fest in Colorado a few months back, and loved it. The filmmaker was kind enough to send me a DVD copy, which I just watched again over the holidays. I noticed so many new things: little moments, nuances, sparks of genius, that I had to write a comment (my first on this site, btw).
"Auteur" tells the story of a self-absorbed video pirate who thinks he's a genius filmmaker. He is actually regarded as the best in his field, and because of this, is recruited by a couple mafioso types to work for them exclusively. Eric, the pirate, hopes to make enough money from these bozos to finance his own independent feature (all future Sundance applicants, take note).
Beau Clark, who plays the lead, is an amazing young actor, commanding every scene he's in with the charisma and confidence of an actor decades his senior (I assume he's in his 20s). Also standing out were Jonathan Coogan and Jack Rubinoff as the two "hoods," and Granville Van Dusen as legendary actor Jack Burton, the kind of Hollywood scumbag that would make Griffin Mill's skin crawl.
The real stars of this winner, however are the filmmakers: Kevin Abrams (director), Alex Simon (writer/producer), Jeffery Siljenberg (DP) and Stephanie Hernstadt (editor), all of whom were grad students at AFI when they made this, their thesis project! I saw films (and continue to see films) made by "professionals" that can't hold a candle to the brains, wit and heart that this little masterpiece has.
I have no idea if "Auteur" is available for purchase on Amazon.com or the like, but I advise all serious cinema buffs to seek it out, sooner rather than later. The young people who made it are faces to watch.
Joe Turner AKA Condor
"Auteur" tells the story of a self-absorbed video pirate who thinks he's a genius filmmaker. He is actually regarded as the best in his field, and because of this, is recruited by a couple mafioso types to work for them exclusively. Eric, the pirate, hopes to make enough money from these bozos to finance his own independent feature (all future Sundance applicants, take note).
Beau Clark, who plays the lead, is an amazing young actor, commanding every scene he's in with the charisma and confidence of an actor decades his senior (I assume he's in his 20s). Also standing out were Jonathan Coogan and Jack Rubinoff as the two "hoods," and Granville Van Dusen as legendary actor Jack Burton, the kind of Hollywood scumbag that would make Griffin Mill's skin crawl.
The real stars of this winner, however are the filmmakers: Kevin Abrams (director), Alex Simon (writer/producer), Jeffery Siljenberg (DP) and Stephanie Hernstadt (editor), all of whom were grad students at AFI when they made this, their thesis project! I saw films (and continue to see films) made by "professionals" that can't hold a candle to the brains, wit and heart that this little masterpiece has.
I have no idea if "Auteur" is available for purchase on Amazon.com or the like, but I advise all serious cinema buffs to seek it out, sooner rather than later. The young people who made it are faces to watch.
Joe Turner AKA Condor