A few weeks ago I received the Crooked Features DVD AKA ‘The Making of “Attack ofthe Clowns”‘. It’s a low budget mockumentary about the making of a low budget movie. Whilst the humour was a bit too much from the Office school for me to like it had its moments.

Rod Shuffler is a seasoned porn director- the number of films he claims to have made goes up as the film progresses- who wants to make a mainstream film and/or win a best film award at the SHAFTAs rather than yet another LIfetime Achievement gong. However his efforts are stymied by his use of his usual cast and crew, though with a new leading lady, and the funder Mr. Barclays threats of dire consequences if there are no sex scenes.

The film follows an obvious trajectory through casting, location shoots and rewrites toward the final orgy scene that you know isn’t going to happen and a somewhat anti-climactic “let’s just shoot the film we always meant to” ending. It would have worked better for me if it had been less like an attempt to do The Office meets Boogie Nights, but that’s personal taste. Still it’s worthy try, on a fraction of the budget of I Want Candy.