Bergeron Brothers: Wedding Videographers

source: Bergeron Brothers: Wedding Videographers

In 2017, I saw a horror movie called Slaughter Drive. While it wasn't perfect, it reminded me about why I loved movies-and moviemaking. It was a group of friends working hard to bring their vision to life and it was a firm reminder of why filmmaking is so special. Fast forward 4-years and the maniacs from BPO Films are back with Bergeron Brothers: Wedding Videographers, a comedy that focuses on two ne'er-do-well brothers trying to break into the wedding videography business-at any cost. The film is framed as a documentary with a film crew filming the brothers going about their day-to-day business, training for weddings (complete with obstacle courses), and trying to secure their first gig as videographers. There's a fun This Is Spinal Tap-meets-The Office thing going on here, but the filmmakers also mix in a real 1980s sensibility where the brothers become the Delta Tau Chi house as they battle the Omega Theta Pi house (using Animal House as a reference point)-in the form of a rival videographer. All of this is balanced by a 90s slacker vibe that we also saw in Slaughter Drive. The film is damn funny with absurdist humor found in pretty much every scene (and a few gross-out moments for good measure), but it's all sold wonderfully by the cast. Ben Dietels, Blake O'Donnell (who both write and direct here), and Ryan Lintner are all funny as hell and are obviously having a great time here. The film balances comedy with character nicely with fun arcs for both brothers that are relatable for anyone who's ever felt down on their luck. Credit is also due to both Matt Schultz (who steals every scene he's in) and the endlessly frustrated Lance Parkin (also a filmmaker, who works with Schultz). This movie is a clear labor of love and a true example of independent filmmaking. You can see the heart and the hard work that went into this and it's all endearing as hell. These guys have upped their skillset from 2017 as well, with a stronger overall production. Fans of weird comedy should check this out. This team deserves our love, for sure!

You know when you start hanging out with someone and they tell you that they have a band and when you go see them they're horrible and you wonder, "How can I still be friends when this band is so bad?" and then you just never talk about it and it gets awkward? Well, Ben Dietels is half of the podcast Neon Brainiacs with his friend Gregg Harrington and they watched Silent Scream and Disconnected with us on the Drive-In Asylum Double Feature and Ben told us about this movie that he made and his taste seems pretty solid, so I was kind of worried if the movie that he co-directed, co-wrote and co-stars in with Blake O'Donnell would play out like that Rage Against the Machine cover band - Rage Against the Machine 2 - that used to practice above us in that storage place in Allentown. Whew. This movie's awesome. I feel so good about that. Flynn and August Bergeron (Ben and Blake) are obsessed with being the best wedding videographers they can be, which means living next to a Pittsburgh toilet in a basement, and non-stop training themselves - and filming themselves - as they prepare for their first wedding. Nothing goes right at all, which is expected, but the emotional story under all the humor was. I kind of love that the idea of this movie exists, because when you wonder, "How did the guy who shot my wedding learn how to do it?" your mind reels. As for my wife and me, when she got to the altar and asked, "Where's the guy shooting our wedding?" and I had to quickly explain that he no-showed, the end of this movie rings so true. And even if I never met Ben, I'd still laugh at this movie for the right reasons.

While this story is looked at through the lens of a mockumentary style film it still maintains such a classic 80s adventure wacky comedy feel thanks to the actors, plot, style, pacing, jokes, AND the music. While not an absolutely perfect film, it really delivers a lot of good that is worth seeing. The performances, especially from Dietels and O'Donnell, are worthy of widespread praise and love. Additionally Matt Schultz steals the spotlight while on screen, with Sarah Brunner and Lance Parkin being total joys in their own right. Hollywood just doesn't make comedy films like this anymore: Low stakes/small scale and high weirdness. This absolutely feels like the kind of film you would have seen Chevy Chase and/or Bill Murray in if this was made in 1982, just with a modern take. I absolutely recommend this film as a watch to anyone that likes that sort of style of comedy.

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Bergeron Brothers: Wedding Videographers