Mick Jagger once said, “You can’t always get what you want.” Yet, he continued, “But if you try sometimes, you just might find (that) you get what you need.”
This is the philosophy of budding directors Elias Pate and Bryan Young, directors of the documentary film “The Misbehaviors,” who will screen their film for free Saturday night at the Union Theatre.
The documentary outlines the struggles of an aggressive young team of guerilla filmmakers who, after being excluded from the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, will stop at nothing to market their films and kick open the door to indie-success. The rule for “The Misbehaviors” is that the rules were made to be broken-even shattered, if necessary-and break them, they do.
The courageous hardcore capitalists violently infiltrate the industry-creating fake credentials, lying to festival organizers, and holding independent screenings for clueless Sundance tourists. The team created three projects, the most prominent of which was “Abby Singer,” which generated a buzz among industry execs and brass after copies of the script were mysteriously left on the desks of higher-ups throughout Hollywood.
Their exploits don’t stop there, though, and “The Misbehavers” details a continual plethora of such unabashed ploys, in addition to internal struggle and creative differences between the filmmakers. Somewhere between all of this, they manage to scam their way into cameo appearances from Danny DeVito, Forest Whitaker and Sally Field, among others.
The screening starts at 7:30 p.m., and is free to all, as the cash-strapped crew vies to make a name before they make bank. After all, networking might be a warrior’s game, but aren’t troublemakers always looking for an audience? Apparently so.
The question still remains as to whether or not those behind “The Misbehaviors” have actually found any success since Sundance (or will with this film).
What is known, however, is that they have posted their flyers all over campus, and bombarded every possible publicity outlet with multiple press kits. They’re taking the industry hostage, demanding only your attention. And it’s not their policy to negotiate.
Maybe “The Misbehaviors” is worth the trouble. After all-they have our attention.
Free Screening
“The Misbehaviors”
Directed by Elias Pate and Bryan Young
Saturday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Union Theatre