Let's just say...

you are a writer/director. And let's just say that you write a film with your friends and then direct the thing. A comedy. Now, let's just say that you release the film and now your tomatometer is at about 40%. That means that 60% of the people that reviewed your film didn't like it. Ok, now, for example, let's just say that some of the reviews say things like this:

"One problem: the movie's just not funny." - Ty Burr, Boston Globe

"... for special ed students. Bizarre and bewildering." - Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times

"Despite many giddy moments, the conceit becomes gradually more exhausting." - Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times

"A lame and irritating comedy that is an endurance test to sit through." - Tom Keogh
Seattle Times


Obviously a review isn't everything, but if reviews like this from reputable critics stack up, at what point do you admit that the film you created might not be as funny as you thought?


Alright, clearly I am talking about The Ten, written by Ken Marino and David Wain and directed by David Wain. I should preface by saying that I am a big fan of these guys and The State and Stella and Wet Hot American Summer. I think their random and offbeat brand of comedy is great. I think that because I respect Wain's talent so much, I tended to be totally biased when I watch his work, because I wanted it so much to be funny that it just becomes funny. No longer the case, read on.

What caught my eye the most in sorting through the reviews of the film was the word "conceit" in Chocano's review. And then, David Wain posts a link to another review on his page, where his film gets SLAMMED by Ann Elder and Les Roberts. (Even I think it was a bit harsh.) And Wain just says, "what do you think of this review?" My first thought was, "Ok, so David Wain needs his fans to stroke his ego right now, is this really what's happening?"

And bam, like robots, here come the fans. Of course, the most common response is "oh, they just don't get it." Well, it's easy to dismiss a reviewer by saying they "don't get it" or they "aren't in the target demo."

But at what point is it time to get over yourself (this is where that word conceit comes in) long enough to admit that maybe your movie missed the mark a little bit? Maybe it was just a little too self-indulgent? And that's ok, if you can accept that the film isn't going to be wildly successful. But, please, don't act like everyone is crazy or doesn't understand comedy except for the makers of the film and the fans that worship the filmmakers so much that even they might not admit that some of it works and some of it just doesn't.

And yeah, that's what I thought of The Ten... some of it worked and some of it didn't. I think being a real fan is being able to be critical and not just vacantly accepting everything someone does as brilliant.


Maybe, Wain, if your friend didn't slam the door on me that one time...