We Make Movies

I'm about twice the age of these filmmakers and with an age difference that large, humor usually gets lost in the translation. But I have to give it to them- they managed to pull off something really funny even when "budget challenged". The amateur filmmaking is what makes it funny- a "gaffer" swinging around huge living room lamp, the director explaining that he thinks a gaffer is someone who lightens up the atmosphere of a film set, Mom bringing a tray of cupcakes into the garage where they are shooting, and "craft services" ALWAYS being frozen corn dogs. I especially liked the "ac-TOR" (recruited from the multiplex due to his cinema experience) insisting on a trailer and being provided a U-Haul in the driveway. Anyone who has ever tried to make a film on the cheap can identify and will get a lot of laughs out of this one.

Hysterical mockumentary that understands in order to be funny, the characters in a movie like this have to first be engaging and likable. Just as with the sitcom The Office for instance, these are comically exaggerated personas we recognize from our own lives, especially those of us who are filmmakers.

We Make Movies is every bit as funny as Christopher Guest films like A Mighty Wind, Waiting For Guffman and Best in Show. It reminded me of the early days of SCTV with John Candy, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy. You can tell they spent a long time on the script, something too many indie filmmakers fail to do, meticulously working out the beats and the comic timing so that it seems effortless but probably was anything but. And it doesn't resort to scatological or bathroom humor for cheap laughs.

No, there are no star names, but it features a future star in the lead by the name of Matt Tory. He's a cross between Jon Favreau and Bob Newhart, with hilarious subtle facial expressions and line deliveries.

Fans of smart-ass, quirky, slice of life comedy, give this a chance. You will not be disappointed.

First off, "We Make Movies" is goofy: this flick does not take itself serious in the least and that ends up being it's greatest strength throughout. This mockumentary is essentially a story of a rag-tag group of friends (and frenemies) that band together over the course of one summer to shoot a feature for their local film festival... Ridiculousness and hilarity ensue.

Across the board, filmmaker Matt Tory makes sure to imbue each element of his movie with an equal measure of screwball: each character is deliciously wacky in their own way, (Stevphen with a "v" is too good), the references to cinema masterpieces seem so appropriate given the (dare I say) crappy film the characters are making within the movie, the cutaways (while familiar) are used to excellent comedic effect... In every way this is an example of an indie movie that shows how indie movies should be done and done right. The one thing that's clear by the end is that Matt Tory and his team of regular collaborators love film, and that adoration seeps into every pore of this goofy ode to shoestring-budget filmmaking, something all indie creators should be able to appreciate.

"We Make Movies" is a very funny satire of making movies "gorilla"-style. My husband, son and I have encountered similar situations on student films our son has made and low-budget thrillers we made when we were younger. The surprise footage that runs over the tail credits is especially charming. In the long run, this is not only a parody of filmmaking but also a toast to lifelong friendships, the kind only conspiracy to commit lunacy can inspire.

Light-hearted comedy about the making of an indie film from inception to release. Shooting style definitely indie, but it feels right for this style of behind-the-scenes 'The Office'-esque film. Really great comedic ideas in here. Definitely a fun watch, especially if you have any experience in filmmaking.