Dick Dickster

Upfront, I'll admit that I don't often watch comedies. Even so, I'm certain that I had a stupid grin on my face during most of this movie's running time. I feel it has the potential to become a cult favorite, and hope it receives some well-deserved success for those involved.

Dick Dickster is not an easy man to root for, but it's hard not to like him! He's his own worst enemy; not that the seedy Hollywood underbelly offers many favors. Bobby Ray Shafer delivers a Quaid-esque performance in the titular role! The character is at once larger than life, and bigger than his britches.

When his shady cohorts aren't besting him, Dickster's struggle with the bottle surely gets the better of him. His antics open the door for many colorful, eccentric moments, and the casting for those who have to contend with him was on the nose. Tim Abell was particularly memorable as a heavy, and lovely Jan Broberg proved to be a great foil! I was also impressed by Tim Russ' performance...and voice. It seemed to me that this was a labor of love effort that brought out the best in all involved, which added to my enjoyment.

I viewed this as a send-up of some of the dark comedies of yesteryear, with a modernized spin. The documentary-style BTS adventure offers the sort of insight that movie lovers hope only happens in the movies! Along the way, there are plenty of laughs, a plethora of colorful characters, and some well-delivered twists to elevate the script and humor. A batch of cameos lends a particular sort of Hollywood street cred, as well as some of the best anecdotes about the "artist" known as Dick Dickster.

Well done, Mister Shafer! Not only have you delivered a showpiece for your talents, you've also established a universe filled with potential sequels and movie-within-a-movie antics!