King Leisure, S.O.B.

I was lucky enough to catch a viewing of King Leisure SOB in LA last week. It's refreshing to see a truly independent film. And it was even more fun to see Pat DiNizio "biting the hand" that's fed him for so many years...the music industry. This is a good Indie film. No, there are no Oscar-type performances, but there is a heart to this film. And Pat's self-deprecating humor made it an enjoyable experience for me.

I was pretty let down by the premiere of this movie, I was looking forward to it but I actually fell asleep for a minute or two about a third of the way through. Lots of the scenes didn't seem to have a reason to be there, the sound was pretty rough, and the acting was completely flat. It seemed like the filmmakers didn't care about entertaining the audience. There weren't many funny moments, and some of the stuff wound up just being annoying. I just didn't see a reason to watch the movie, and I didn't see why the festival decided to show it. I wished they had shown more shorts at the festival, there were some really good ones, and after watching the excellent shorts program it was a mistake to show such a slow movie. I was pretty unhappy when I left.

Pat DiNizio is a man out of time. A man of many talents, DiNizio's "King Leisure SOB" (his directorial and screen writing debut, I believe) is a statement of his perceptions of the music business and life in the 21st Century, and feeling a bit out of place in both. The film is a semi-autobiographical semi-farce in which a once-popular rock musician seeks to reclaim mass acceptance. In turn, he completely compromises his musical integrity, has visions of ghosts, and contemplates the world he once knew versus the reality of today. Taking a "This Is Spinal Tap" approach, the film was highly improvised and does include many music-biz location jokes, but the real point made is that of the delicate and difficult balance between honor and making concessions. The film does have its drawbacks - one more general editing session could cover it, and doing so would make DiNizio's point clearer - but this picture succeeds at not only a laughable look at the "industry" of popular music but also a whimsical glance at ourselves and when to say when. DiNizio's protagonist makes some goofy choices, sometimes stumbles, and yet there is a happy ending, with some smiles along the way. Isn't that how life should be?

I saw this film as the exact sort of art I enjoy the most. That is, I love to see people getting together to play and entertain one another without excessive self-consciousness or seriousness. I thought the acting was good, especially considering the actors aren't professionals. I was moved, I laughed, and I actually enjoyed the song (though I understand Pat meant it to be awful). There are interesting bits about the music industry that people with a fair understanding of capitalism will get, whether or not they have experience in the arts. The movie is also a fun look at fan culture. I highly recommend it for people for whom 'cinema' is more than just polished, high-dollar products.

I saw King Leisure and will comment because I read a negative review here that is just nonsense -- obviously some kind of agenda going on. King Leisure is a very entertaining satire of the music industry. It could be slicked up and tightened in a couple places, but overall it's well done and moves along quite well. I'm not in the music industry but still felt I got the references and jokes. It's clever. The characters are funny and DiNizio is especially sympathetic. I'm in LA, in the belly of the Hollywood beast, and this was worth the time and effort. I'd be happy to see it again, and I'd buy it on DVD.