Tyler Stout's sick FP one-sheet.
It takes a lot of balls to make a film like The FP— to dedicate that kind of time and energy to an insane joke played so straight that it doesn’t seem to even give a fuck if you laugh. But you will, if you have any appreciation for the absurd, or for a Michael Bay parody done right. I certainly did and so, apparently, did the folks at Drafthouse Films who have picked up the film for distribution.
It’s too early to have many details about the scale and style of the release, but I imagine we can expect something similar to the release Hobo With A Shotgun with a light theatrical release (early 2012), and a big push on the VOD side. The success of these kinds of releases are still kind of nebulous and not particularly transparent, but the Drafthouse wouldn’t keep it up with these small, weird films if there wasn’t something to it. Obviously this is an exciting day for the filmmakers, so I reached out to star/co-writer/co-director Jason Trost to get his reaction…
“Excited would be an understatement. Having our movie picked up by the Drafthouse can only be compared to being accepted by Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. Our lives will never be the same and a world of danger, mischief and magic awaits. As they say in The FP, “Shit’s about to get hot!”
I’m sure his brother Brandon, co-writer/co-director and cinematographer, would agree.
The Trost brothers (with some indispensable help from their sister Sarah) are the driving forces between The FP, which if you’re not caught up is a Mad Max-styled, 90s Bay-informed, shit-crazy look at a world where DDR matches are matches of life and death, while alcohol and blow-jobs are pretty much one’s sole reason for existing. Along with its crazy concept the film has manic energy to spare, imbued by Brandon Trost’s cinematography. Brandon is the only cinematographer out there capable of keeping up with Neveldine and Taylor (he shot Crank 2, and is on the new Ghost Rider as well), so that should tell you something. If that piques your interest, Iain posted an excellent interview with Brandon on CHUD during SXSW that you can find right here.
I still stand by my thoughts on the potential audience for the film…
“The film will work best playing for large groups of enthusiastic young people, but there’s a dedication to irony here that I think a wider range of film goers can appreciate, even if they never need another film to do it again. Ever. Like, fucking ever. But full of balls, beats, and bitches, The FP is a film that happens to you in the best way possible, and one you aren’t going to forget.”
…and I think many chewers will be a part of those cool people that appreciate the film.
The full press release is below, and you can keep up with news via the Drafthouse twitter.
Thoughts? Twitter, Comments, and Boards
————
The FP – Trailer from Trost Bros. on Vimeo.
DRAFTHOUSE FILMS ACQUIRES US RIGHTS TO “THE FP,” APPOINTS NEW COMPANY DIRECTOR
AUSTIN, TX – Monday, August 1, 2011 – Drafthouse Films, the film distribution arm of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, today announced the acquisition of US rights to THE FP from its July 30th screening at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival. Set in a near post-apocalyptic future, THE FP centers on two rival neon-clad gangs raging an underground turf war for dominance of Fraizer Park (“The FP”) in the deadly arena of “Beat-Beat Revelation” – a competitive dance-fight video game. THE FP is a nod to ‘80s sci-fi/action genre fare and is directed by brothers Jason and Brandon Trost (Cinematographer, CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE and the upcoming GHOST RIDER 2: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE), and Executive Produced by Jason Blum and Steven Schneider of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and INSIDIOUS fame. A limited theatrical release for the “rare ready-made cult hit” (Moviefone) is planned for Q1 of 2012.
“I fell in love with THE FP from its world premiere in Austin,” says Tim League, CEO/Founder of Drafthouse Films who programmed the film for SXSW’s midnight features lineup at SXFantastic, “and for the same reasons, we decided to pick up the film for distribution. The Trost brothers have an amazing, fresh creative vision and I want to be a part of the team that helps evangelize their strange new gospel.”
It was also announced today that Drafthouse Films has appointed Evan Husney as the company’s new director who will oversee all aspects of acquisitions, distribution, promotion and marketing for their future slate of new and repertory releases. Minneapolis-born Husney began in professional entertainment at the age of 11, helping his promoter/manager father A&R albums that included a polka compilation curated by satirist “Weird Al” Yankovic, and several discs for the famed ‘as seen on TV’ label K-Tel Records. Eight years later, Husney started his full-time career as the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the infamous Troma Entertainment in New York City. There, he earned a glowing write-up in The New York Times by launching a line of DVD releases that included such cult hits as the ‘80s indie shocker COMBAT SHOCK and South Park creator Trey Parker’s debut CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL. In 2009, Husney was hired at premier boutique label Severin Films, where as Integrated Marketing Director he designed and implemented the company’s digital strategy and oversaw such top-selling DVD releases as HARDWARE, SANTA SANGRE and THE STUNT MAN as well as the theatrical release of BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR, which Husney discovered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Most recently, Husney supervised branding and acquisitions for Severin’s ‘outsider video’ subsidiary label Intervision Picture Corporation and, together with the Alamo Drafthouse’s collectible art boutique Mondo, resurrected the VHS format for a sold-out line of product that celebrated the direct-to-video movement of the 1980s.
For more information on Drafthouse Films or THE FP, visit:
http://twitter.com/drafthousefilms
http://facebook.com/drafthousefilms
http://youtube.com/drafthousefilms
Drafthouse Films, the distribution arm of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, debuted in 2010 with the theatrical release of FOUR LIONS (Top 10 Film of 2010 by Time Magazine. Drafthouse Films is dedicated to scouring the globe in search of amazing, challenging and unique films that we are passionate about sharing with a wide audience. Drafthouse Films along with the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Mondo, Fantastic Fest and Badass Digest comprise the growing Alamo Drafthouse entertainment lifestyle brand.