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A slow-motion car crash of miscalculated charisma, BuzzKill lives and rapidly dies by Daniel Raymont’s grating lead performance. As a struggling screenwriter nearing the end of the line, he’s a man in desperate straits: A former tenant recently died in his apartment, there’s a rotting animal moldering in the walls, and his agent thinks he should give up on his ultra-depressing labor of love and try writing something called Black Santa. Viewers who haven’t already tuned out may recognize the agent’s voice as that of Martin Short in Jiminy Glick mode; Short is one of ...

New feature that I tried out last week and which I plan on continuing into the future: Check Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film’s Facebook page tomorrow (Monday) to see which link got the most clicks.

The L.A. Times published an in-depth profile of filmmaker Nicholas McCarthy about his struggles in trying to get a feature film going. A coda that happened post article publication: McCarthy’s The Pact just got picked up for distribution by IFC Midnight after a few successful Sundance screenings. I remember reviewing the short film version of The Pact about a year ago…Speaking of Sundance, if you want an awesome “boots on the ground” report on what attending the festival is actually like, you have to scroll through donna k.’s tons of film reviews and photo posts about her adventures there. I’ve avoided all other Sundance coverage except hers.

Read our exclusive interview with actor Daniel Raymont, who plays struggling writer Ray Wyatt in the new comedy ‘Buzzkill.’ The film, which was directed and co-written by Steven Kampmann, follows Ray as he becomes upset that his girlfriend, Sara (played by Reiko Aylesworth), wants him to grow up; his landlord wants him to pay his rent; and his girl on the side, Nicole (portrayed by Krysten Ritter), wants him to loosen up. Deciding that he’s finished with life, he hits the road. Ray’s life changes when he meets the notorious serial killer known as the “Karaoke Killer” (played by Darrell Hammond). After stealing Ray’s car and manuscript, the Karaoke Killer...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Feb. 14, 2012

Price: DVD $24.99, Blu-ray $24.99

Studio: Indican

Krysten Ritter and Daniel Raymont drive each other crazy in BuzzKill.

Daniel Raymont (Bride Wars), Krysten Ritter (She Out of My League) and Darrell Hammond (TV’s Saturday Night Live) star in the 2010 independent dark comedy film BuzzKill.

In the movie, Raymont plays Ray, who, between his professional and personal problems, which include a girlfriend who wants him to grow up (Reiko Aylesworth, TV’s Hawaii Five-o) and a girl-toy (Ritter) who wants him to loosen up, decides he’s finished with life. Just as he’s about to give up, Ray becomes famous when a notorious serial killer, named the “Karaoke-Killer,” steals his car and latest book. Fame and fortune are suddenly at Ray’s door-step … but no one can find him.

Directed and co-written by Steve Kampmann (Stealing Home), BuzzKill is presented by the renowned Second City comedy troupe,...

The 6th annual Portland Underground Film Festival is ready to once again take over the historic Clinton St. Theater for four straight nights of demented and deranged movies on June 10-13.

The big highlight of the event — from Bad Lit’s perspective — is the closing night film: The touching and heartwarming story of a man who became a beloved alien, clown and, most importantly, a vampire. That’s right, it’s Every Other Day Is Halloween, the documentary portrait of Dick Dyzel, who transformed himself into Bozo, Captain 20 and Count Gore DeVol on local Washington, D.C. TV.

As for the rest of the fest, there’s the always popular “Bike Porn” short film program; the made-in-Oregon feature The Corners; the Jaws documentary The Shark Is Still Working and more. Plus, don’t miss the short film program that includes Spree All the Way to Mexico, made by one of...