Kung Fu Elliot

Becoming Canada’s first action hero is Elliot “White Lightning” Scott’s sole motivation. He ambitiously embarks on producing his no-budget karate epic Blood Fight, hot on the heels of his successful genre flick They Killed My Cat. With support from Linda (his girlfriend/cinematographer/producer/caterer) and an outrageous cast, Scott takes a no-holds-barred approach to completing his film. Comparisons to American Movie are inevitable, but Smith is a more enigmatic character than his underdog persona first appears. The “so bad they’re good” movies of independent filmmakers have a dedicated following, but Jaret Belliveau and Matthew Bauckman don’t force scenarios or aim for easy punch lines in their Slamdance award-winning film. Instead, they wisely follow the adventure and place their faith in Scott like the rest of his quirky cast, while letting laughs and shock arise naturally. At the same time they maintain an observational eye and realize, over two years, that dreams and reality rarely cross paths.