The Independent review
by David Kingsley

Morty Fineman has made 427 films, combining the prolificness of Roger Corman, the lasciviousness of Russ Meyer, and the talent of Ed Wood. You won't find any of his films on Mystery Science Theater 3000 or at the video store, because he's a fictional filmmaker who is the subject of The Independent, a "mockumentary" starring Jerry Stiller as Fineman and Janeane Garofalo as his daughter.

The movie opens during the filming of Ms. Kevorkian, with B-movie queen Julie Strain in the title role. Fineman is in financial trouble, primarily due to borrowing money to make a big budget bomb, The Whole Story of America, which bears a slight resemblance to Dancing With Wolves. He tries to find a film festival that's willing to show his movies, without any luck until he's approached by representatives of a small Nevada town, whose primary commerce is of questionable moral value. He also negotiates to tell the story of a convicted serial killer, who has some unusual demands for the movie.

The film clips are hilarious, with appropriately bad dialogue, acting, and plots. The movie has several cameo appearances, including Corman, Ron Howard, Peter Bogdanovich, Nick Cassavetes, Ted Demme, and Karen Black, who play themselves commenting on Fineman and his films.

The closing credits list a complete filmography of Fineman's movies, which may also be found at www.finemanfilms.com. The films include sci-fi/fantasy inspired titles such as Dracula Lambada, E. Teen, The Justice League of Superfreaks, RoboHomo, and Uncle Sampire.

The Independent

Four and a Half Beakers
(out of five)

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