New documentary follows a congregation out to please God by making a movie
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HAS TRIM () —
By Robert W. Butler
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)
The fine line between religious inspiration and lunacy is explored in "Audience of One," Mike Jacobs' riveting documentary about the members of a San Francisco church who received a vision from God, along with orders to make the greatest movie of all time.
The man with the plan is Richard Gazowsky, a Pentecostal preacher who saw his first movie in 1994 at age 40. That was about the time God gave Gazowsky his marching orders: "I want you to be the Rolls-Royce of filmmaking."
First-time documentarist Jacobs began making this film in 2004. At that time the reverend had raised enough money from members of the congregation to shoot several key scenes during a five-day trip to Italy.
The proposed opus, "Gravity," would be a biblical story of Joseph in a setting that mixes sci-fi with primitive tribalism. When someone suggests that sounds awfully "Star Wars," Gazowsky says it can't be, since he just thought it up. Members of the congregation assume key roles as designers. Experience is not necessary. Wannabe actors are cast for unpaid roles.
When not working on the film, the congregants sing, pray, speak in tongues and collapse in God-smacked bliss.
Thing is, Gazowsky is no raving loony. He's smart, sweet, gentle, devoted and sincere, and he gives a good sermon.
But even his mother, who founded their congregation, describes him as naive.
"I realize it's impossible," he says of his mission, "But God is great. ... If we can please God" — an audienceof one — "we can please the masses."
The Italian shoot devolves into amateur-hour chaos. The costumers find the sewing machines they've lugged halfway around the globe won't plug into European wall sockets. The camera jams. The local extras complain they can earn more from welfare.
One actor — not a member of the congregation — is annoyed to find that he's expected to eschew alcohol, tobacco and sex.
Gazowsky, who has sold his house and moved in with his mother to help finance the project, is undeterred: "God has already seen this movie."
The minister and his faithful deem every positive thing that happens as a sign of God's endorsement. The setbacks are quickly shrugged off.
It would be easy enough for a documentary filmmaker to take a mocking tone with this material. Jacobs doesn't, opting instead for a nonjudgmental approach. On some levels he seems to admire Gazowsky's faith.
But at some point won't reality become too much to ignore?
Maybe, but that time hasn't arrived yet. According to a final credit, despite being sued for unpaid rent on a city-owned soundstage, the minister and his followers are still working on their masterpiece.
(EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE)
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Fans of bizarre television hit the mother lode this week with the DVD releases of two witty, wacky and tres weird TV series.
Based on a comic book, "The Middleman" is a lot like the Brit series "Torchwood." A struggling artist (Natalie Morales) is recruited by a super-secret fixer of "exotic problems" called Middleman (Matt Keeslar) to help fight mad scientists, genetic mutations, aliens and all manner of supernatural threats.
Created by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, this ABC Family series lasted 12 episodes, which is about right since it never got a chance to wear out its welcome.
Morales has a sexy/nerdy Tina Fey vibe, and Keeslar gives the ultra-straight Middleman a refreshingly ironic edge. The effects are pretty good, and the show's graphics often reference the '60s series "The Avengers."
The main attraction is the humor, which is heavy on throwaway lines ("It's bad apples like you that put Mr. Hoover in a dressv..."), pop cultural references and goofball supporting characters (like Wendy's neighbor, who converses exclusively in lyrics from pop/rock classics).
In a similar vein is the Brit series "The Mighty Boosh." It's so odd it's darn near indescribable. (The show is now airing on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.)
Call it a comedy of stupidity. Our heroes are thick zookeepers Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) and Vince Noir (Noel Fielding). These nimrods are eternally stumbling upon tears in the time/space continuum and/or fiendish plots by the zoo's scheming operator (Rich Fulcher).
If "Middleman" is all about the zinger lines, "Boosh" is about the characters. Howard and Vince are lovableidiots. There's an aura of savvy innocence surrounding their misadventures — this series reminds me of "PeeWee's Playhouse" bred with some of the goofier Monty Python material.
While the effects are ridiculously low-tech, the psychedelic animation scattered throughout is wildly amusing.
This package offers all three seasons of the show, plus lots of extras.
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The bravest/craziest screen performance ever?
I nominate Harvey Keitel for 1992's "Bad Lieutenant," director Abel Ferrara's NC-17-rated primal scream of lapsed-Catholic angst.
In this lacerating, totally gritty character study, Keitel's unnamed police detective swills booze, snorts coke and shoots heroin. He hangs with hookers, is a compulsive gambler, steals money and drugs.
He has a wife and kids at home, but he lives to hunt — for bad guys, for illicit thrills and, finally, for his lost faith.
Just when you think the character can't get more depraved, Keitel goes there. Like the scene in which he pulls over two New Jersey sisters partying in the Big Apple and sexually assaults the teens without actually touching them.
And then there's Keitel's scene of full frontal nudity, teetering like a woozy Goliath about to topple over from too much fun.
When a nun is raped, our antihero goes ballistic, hoping to find redemption by tracking down the perps. At one point he even has visions of Jesus.
This new DVD package offers an illuminating director's commentary and making-of doc. We learn that "Bad Lieutenant" was a guerrilla shoot done without filming permits, that the crew and other actors often had no idea what Keitel would do once the film was rolling.
It's excessive and over the top, but you can't forget it — even if you'd like to.
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Robert Butler, rbutler@kcstar.com
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(c) 2009, The Kansas City Star.
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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
