A video store employee from South Carolina travels to Hollywood when he learns that his favorite director is holding auditions for his next big film.
Fran Kranz plays “Fanboy,” a.k.a. Jeremiah Brennan from Beaufort, South Carolina. As Sam Raimi’s biggest fan, Jeremiah seems to eat, sleep and breathe the directorial icon. Perhaps not surprisingly, our intrepid protagonist works in a video store – a venue that has provided fertile ground for numerous entertainment industry hopefuls over the years.
Jeremiah is prone to impromptu fantasies, whether as an expert on the auteur theory, a savvy investor – or even a romantic lead. His returns to reality, however, depict him more accurately as a dweeby nerd. In this regard, Jeremiah remains utterly in love with his co-worker, Tracy (Emily Arlook) who hardly notices him.
One day during a location shoot near work, Jeremiah runs into a couple of extras who heard that Sam Raimi is casting for John C. Relly’s role in the planned sequel to “For Love of the Game” starring Kevin Costner. Jeremiah regards the film as one of Sam Raimi’s underappreciated masterpieces – he should know since he can recite the dialog verbatim.
Later, the video store manager named Greg (Reggie Lee) counters that there are at least a dozen better baseball movies. In true video store form, there’s a nice exchange between Greg and Jeremiah about whether a movie is great because it spawned a sequel.
Fueled by the desire to win over Tracy, Jeremiah hocks his unpackaged Raimi production memorabilia to scrape up enough to buy a plane ticket to L.A. Upon his arrival, the palm trees lining the highway clearly signify that he has arrived in the land of movie stars.
Jeremiah’s cousin (Jed Rees) essentially offers his version of the newcomer’s guide to success in show business, having spent eighteen years wandering the wasteland himself. Unfortunately, Jeremiah only wants to do what he wants to do – in this case, to audition for just one film. His naiveté is both irritating and instructive. He matter-of-factly intones, for example, that he’s only in town for a few days – as if Hollywood has been holding a place for him.
The cast of characters is rich and revealing, with many of the stereotypes hitting close to home. The condescendingly venal acting coach (Mike Binder) preying upon the earnest, hopeful students. The “talent manager” (Matt Lanter) who works in the mailroom and doubles as a delivery boy, yet spouts dubious career advice with the assurance of a seasoned veteran. An actor (Dileep Rao) pretending to know Jeremiah, only to then ignore him immediately. A brusque casting assistant (Jillian Armenante) and supercilious Maître D (Ian Bohen) round out the mix. At the same time, Jeremiah sort of gets what he deserves as the transplanted yokel, wandering around clueless. He is dumbfounded at all the standard questions. What agency sent you? Who referred you to this office? Are you a friend of Sam Raimi? I’m sorry, who are you?
It’s all about who you know, after all, if you’re going to reach the people on the inside. Jeremiah confronts one obstacle after another in a status-conscious town. Among the more revealing encounters takes place with hotshot agent Josh Goldman (Gonzalo Menendez), who oozes self-important, patronizing charm in just the correct measure.
When Jeremiah finally appears at his wits’ end – announcing to a stranger (David Paymer) that he just kept pitching because he wanted something different – lo and behold, who should appear but Sam Rami, who grants an audition.
The cast is a veritable cornucopia of L.A.-based industry professionals. Each actor features a string of IMDB credits to their name. Short appearances by the better known David Paymer and J.K. Simmons provide welcome additions as well.
Directed and produced by Gillian Greene, this updated and expanded release of the short film “Fanboy” offers an insightful forty-minute journey through the myriad gatekeepers that line the corridors of power in Hollywood. While unfulfilled dreams and projects are legion, occasionally you just might get lucky – even if you do have to pay for lunch.
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video Friday, March 22nd
