Rooftop Films presents Winnebago Man June 19, 2009

Winnebago Man [sneak preview] (Ben Steinbauer | Austin, TX | www.winnebagoman.com | 84 min.)
Jack Rebney. The World’s Angriest Man. A middle aged Winnebago salesman going nuts. You’ve all seen the clip. We even showed it at Rooftop Films as part of the Found Footage Fest. You’d think by now Rebney would’ve climbed into a tower and capped a few folks, or parlayed his internet infamy into a short-lived late-night cable show, or at least sold his cussing clips as cell phone ring tones or something. But in fact, no one has heard a peep from him—not even those who’ve tried to find him. Until now.

Director Ben Steinbauer will be in attendance for a Q & A. Filmmaker (and Rooftop alum) Ben Steinbauer hires a private detective, who scours a long list of address changes and misdirections, and successfully tracks down this icon of foul-mouthed freakouts. The results will startle you. Turns out, he’s living peacefully alone in the woods, more J.D. Salinger than Ted Kaczynski.

Steinbauer works hard to discover and reveal the “real” Jack Rebney, and tries to lead Jack to discover himself. It’s an interesting question as to whether it’s possible to discover a “real self,” for Jack or anyone in this media-saturated self-referential world. Jack is very moody, somewhat elusive, and ultimately unprepared for this next round of attention. He attempts to engage his fans with his fiery politics, but he is repeatedly stymied, often by his own internal conflicts. And so he goes back and forth, cooperating one minute and cursing the next.

But his frustration and failures are what redeem him in the end. His ups and downs, his changes of heart, his inability to find what he wants (until the ending…maybe), make him a fascinating character, and makes the film a real journey for the viewer. The glorious climax of the film, is mindblowingly meta, yet heartwarmingly humble.

This form of fame, this contemporary culture, they can be brutal and cruel. But it’s what we’ve got. We can accept our culture, shape it when we can, embrace the humor while acknowledging the suffering, and “goddamn son of a bitch, fuck, oh fuck, shit,” that’s life. Winnebago Man is a funny, intelligent, and inspiring slice.

Venue: on the roof of the Open Road Rooftop
Address: 350 Grand Street @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan)
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Sound Fix presents live music
9:00PM: Films
11:30PM - 1:00AM: Open Bar at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge St), courtesy of Radeberger beer
Tickets: $9-$25

No refunds. In the event of rain, the show will be indoors at the same locations. Seating is first come, first served. Physical seats are limited. This means you may not get a chair. You are welcome to bring a blanket and sit picnic-style, but NO ALCOHOL IS PERMITTED.