Reboot Camp

"I think the audiences for Austin Film Festival films will relate to Reboot Camp, and hopefully they will appreciate the surface humor and deeper messages of the film. The camp is a Frankenstein of social engineering, a fake group created for a 'good' purpose which takes on a life of its own and turns into the very thing it was supposed to expose. It's a social satire with plenty of physical comedy; a mockumentary that shows how plastic shamanism can be highly profitable for those who develop a 'cult' following, which the film exposes in a humorous way" - Ivo Raza

As part of our press coverage of the Austin Film Festival we were able to discover the second film written and directed by Ivo Raza Reboot camp after Jarring (2009). In this comedy shot as a documentary we discover two brothers who create a Reboot Camp program (a fake self-help group) in order to expose the exploitative practices of fake gurus and show how easy it is to make gullible people believe anything. To their surprise, their program became a real success with a dedicated audience and also movie stars ready to do whatever it takes to regain their full potential. As Seymour transforms into Gordon St. Pierre, a larger-than-life character who teaches the path to bliss through a process called reboot, Danny films. They do well because even the most ridiculous group activities are greeted with unbridled enthusiasm by the members. But as Reboot Camp grows, Seymour and Danny have to ask the producer for additional funding, which prompts them to hire his niece Claire to supervise. From that point on, things get out of control...

While our attention is mainly focused on films from the major Hollywood studios, it is interesting to discover new independent films that deserve more visibility like Reboot Camp. By showing the excesses of certain wellness programs that can be perceived as real cults and their numerous developments in the United States in the difficult moments we are currently going through, the film shows us that we should perhaps be more wary of them than laughing about them, as is the case in many scenes of this jubilant comedy. One will retain in particular the few scenes with the actors Eric Roberts and David Koechner which are worth discovering this film.

The casting of this comedy is also one of its strong points.We finds in particular David Koechner, Shar Jackson (According to Him + Her, Moesha), Pierson Fodé (The Bold and the Beautiful, MDNA, Jessie, Storytellers), Maya Stojan (Newness, Castle, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ), Keli Price (On Thin Ice, The Hyperions, Side Effects, The Clique), Ja Rule (Assault on Precinct 13, Scary Movie 3, The Fast and the Furious), Eric Roberts (Suits, Lost Girls, The Expendables, The Dark Knight), Johnny Bananas (The Challenge, The Real World, The Challenge : Champs vs Stars), Billy Morrison (K-11, Californication, The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll), Corinne Olympios (The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise), Eddie McClintock (No Good Luck, Shooter, Warehouse 13), Rachelle Carson (Atwill at Large, Amelia 2. 0, Guest Appearances), Maxim Roy (Shadowhunters, 19-2, Bad Blood), Ximena Córdoba (El tierras salvajes, El gordo y la flaca, Tony Tango), Eliza Roberts (Class Act, Lone Star Deception, Water, Frank and Ava, Days of Power), Daniel Nguyen (Mom, Better Things, Game Shakers), June Lee (Painted Beauty), Jessica Belkin (Just Add Magic, American Horror Story), Melanie Marden (Body High, Friends to Lovers), Carolyn Michelle Smith (Sunny Daze, Code Black, Luke Cage, The Oath, How to Get Away With Murder), Michelle Argyris (General Hospital, Big Top Academy, Shadowhunters, Hellcats), Kipp Tribble (Char Man, Coffin 1 & 2), Rich Rose (Sunny Daze, The Killers), Nicole Aniston (The Parodies, Summer Loving), Darin Brooks (The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives), Kelly Kruger (The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful), Rob Prior (Painted Beauty), Beverly Hynds (The Golden Age, Synapse), Jeff Danzer (Jeff The 420 Chef) et Kailah Casillas (Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club, The Challenge, The Real World).

Reboot camp shows us a new the great vitality of independent American cinema. With Hollywood studios repeatedly postponing their worldwide releases and most theaters closed or not in different countries, it may be time to discover new films that may be lower-budget but compete for audience attention.

Reboot camp
Written and directed by Ivo Raza
Produced by James Johnston, David Lipper, Ivo Raza, Tina Sutakanat
Starring David Lipper, David Koechner, Ed Begley Jr., Chaz Bono, Lindsey Shaw, Eric Roberts, Shar Jackson, Ja Rule, Maya Stojan, Keli Price, Maxim Roy, Eddie McClintock, Daniel Nguyen
Music by Erick Schroder
Cinematography : Derrick Cohan
Production companies : Northern Productions
Running time : 91 minutes

Seen on October 24, 2020 (online access Austin Film Festival)

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