the creep behind the camera

The evolution of home video extras probably deserves its own documentary by now. From polished studio Making Ofs to the candid talkfests on cult titles, there's a delicate balance of photos, interviews and narration that separates truly special features from just a pile of promotional fluff. But The Creep Behind the Camera (2014) takes things to a whole new level. Ostensibly a profile of one-time-director A. J. Savage (aka Vic Savage) whose 1964 sci-fi flick The Creeping Terror is on the ever growing list of "worst movies ever made," in this case the Making Of is actually the main feature, composed of re-enactments from Nelson's life along with sound bites from crew and critics...while The Creeping Terror itself is relegated to supporting extra status.

Minus the interviews, writer / director Pete Schuermann's film is set-up just like a narrative feature with A.J. Nelson (played with Bill Paxton-ish relish by Josh Phillips) arriving in Hollywood determined to produce the greatest monster movie ever made. And for a man of such obvious inexperience, his connections develop surprisingly quick. The money is fronted by a wealthy investor convinced they'll produce a Roger Corman quickie with a bit return on investment. But things go wrong from the start

Nelson mistakenly hires Robert Silliphant, brother of Oscar winner Sterling Silliphant, to come up with a script. But there isn't room in the budget to create a convincing alien menace from outer space. So Nelson's cut-rate monster is nothing more than a parade float with googly eyes motorized by a small army of crewmembers shuffling underneath. Victims aren't so much consumed as dragged into the monster's mouth in an unconvincing fashion. And it quickly becomes apparent that Nelson is using most of the production budget on drugs, booze and women.

Shot with an abundance of style, The Creep Behind the Camera is far more professional than the film it's documenting (how could it not be!). And there's an obvious Ed Wood quality with a little John Waters filth thrown in for good measure. But Nelson, raised in juvenile homes and living it up his bad seed reputation, isn't just quirky...he's borderline psychotic. So the innocent fun of his incompetence behind the camera is cancelled out by the very serious allegations of celebrity stalking, spousal abuse and child molestation. It's a tough sell as a main character. And despite all the panache Schuermann injects into his film (it really looks terrific), he can't settle on a tone that works across the board.

Luckily Synapse Film's Blu-ray release also includes a 2K scan of The Creeping Terror, which is just as amusing without the MST3K comments. Made up almost entirely of voice-over narration (the audio tracks all went missing along with Nelson at the end of production), the production is inept on so many levels that there's never a dull moment. The transfer itself is surprisingly great, looking far better than any public domain copy available.

Ironically, there are even more extras for The Creep Behind the Camera, including an audio commentary, Making Of, deleted scenes, alternate ending, Screamfest Q & A with Frank Conniff and trailers.