Written by Aaron Roxby

 

These two American symbols collide in the un-authorized costumed characters that lurk outside of LA tourist traps, such Grauman’s Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.  These intrepid and often smelly entertainers, considered barely above pan-handlers by some, haunt the public sidewalks, offering the uniquely Hollywood chance to have your picture taken while being groped by Mister Incredible.  Matt Ogen’s Confessions of a Superhero is a documentary that focuses on four of these fame-hungry eccentrics.  Superman (Christopher Dennis) is a former meth-addict who, after going sober, became absolutely obsessed with the Man of Steel.  His tiny apartment is covered from ceiling to dirty floor with a memorabilia collection that he estimates to be worth over a million dollars.  I believe it.  He has an ass-ton of Superman crap.  He also claims to be the son of actress Sandy Dennis, although there seems to be no evidence of this relation and other, confirmed, family members deny it.  Wonder Woman (Jennifer Gerht) is a homecoming queen from the Deep South who moved to Los Angeles almost on a whim, to escape her small town roots and found herself married almost immediately upon arriving.  The Incredible Hulk (Joe McQueen) is also Southern.  He sold his Super Nintendo for bus ticket, arrived during the riots and spent several years homeless before landing on the Hulk gig.  Batman (Maxwell Allen) claims to be a karate expert and former mafia hit man.  He also appears more than a bit delusional, at one point visiting his psychiatrist while in full Batman attire.

The film follows these four aspiring actors through their day to day lives.  The results range from funny to soul crushingly grim.  While it would be easy to turn out a film that simply made fun of its subjects, Ogen treats them with respect, the movie focusing more time on their struggle to make it in the entertainment industry than on the unorthodox way they make their living.  Despite the fact that they dress up and, arguably, harass tourists for a living, these are exactly the kinds of every day folks you meet in Los Angeles, following a nearly impossible dream, trying to survive every day life in the process.  Not that the film is short on strange and striking images.  Superman sticking a wad of bills into his briefs, valet attendants leering at Wonder Woman’s ass as she gets something out of her car, Batman on a smoke break and The Hulk showing off the back alley where he used to sleep are just a few of the sights you will be treated to here.

The film doesn’t have a distributor yet and that is a pity.  Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if it never finds one.  Besides the fact that almost every frame of the film features a copy written character, I think the tone is going to turn a lot of people off here.  A festival crowd is composed of a lot of the same kinds of people that this film is analyzing and while it certainly has inspirational moments, it is something of a buzz kill when it comes to aspirations of stardom.  If you get a chance, however, see this thing.  At the very least, it is an engrossing look at the lives of four people whose jobs are weirder than yours is.

This film has a myspace page and you see it here.