SAN DIEGO — The pandemic has inspired many people to try new things, like write their first novel. For one San Diego man that meant finishing his first movie. In this Zevely Zone, I went to the Casbah nightclub to profile a film called 'Fanboy'.
I met Ben Johnson, a San Diego musician and longtime bartender at the Casbah who just finished his first full length feature film. Ben told me what he knew about making movies before this project, "Nothing, in a word," said Ben.
After publishing two novels, Ben decided to write a movie about an unhinged drummer desperate to join a band. The thriller is called 'Fanboy' and it was shot on a shoestring budget that stars, "My mother, my daughter, three nephews, two nieces, two sisters-in-law," said Ben. Throw in a few co-workers, band mates and bar goers and Ben admits he needed people to work for cheap. "Exactly, ha, ha," he laughed.
Ben made the movie for $10,000 which meant directing, producing, editing, and doing his own stunts. "We really got to get into it. The fight scenes are basically framed up and we fight, and you try to miss but a lot of times you don't miss," said Ben. He was unaware he'd broken his pinky finger until weeks later while shooting the film's finale when he was playing the drums. "And it's just smacking it every time, it's hitting my hand it's just like 'Oh no'. Which was good for the actual acting," said Ben.
He poured all of that pain and passion into a film that premiered at the South Bay Drive-In in front of a sold-out crowd. "Amazing. It feels so good," said Ben.
During a screen check for the movie, he sat in his car overwhelmed by tears. "Yeah, just welling up, it got to the point where I could not even see the screen. I am crying so much," said Ben.
After five years of movie making, Ben hopes you'll become a fan of 'Fanboy'. "I'm overwhelmingly proud of it. You are not going to confuse it with a Spielberg Production. But it is a raw story, it's a rock and roll thriller. It's a slammer and for what it is, it's amazing and I love it," said Ben.
A second showing of Fanboy is scheduled on February 11. For ticket information click here or to follow the Fanboy Facebook page click here.