Smart Alex (lost unreleased Steve Oedekerk comedy film; 1987)
Status: Lost
Smart Alex was an unreleased comedy film known for being one of the first works of Steve Oedekerk outside of stand up, having been directed and written by him, and also starring himself.
Production
The film was initially called Levitation Blues but changed upon shooting for the film. Production for the film was done in 1987 on a quote "one shoestring" budget, and the crew were able to work for free courtesy of Steve. Several crew members also helped with direction and production, as some were comedians likewise to Steve.[1]
According to a resume for Johnny Dark, the film was produced by New Technologies, which has no documentation outside of being known as a company that Steve once owned.[2][3]
During production, the crew had no permits for several filming spots, so the procedure was to just set up, shoot what they needed, and leave as soon as they could, which was claimed as "stealing every location". Guns were also involved during shooting, which was known to scare, and had scared some passerby's.
The film starred Steve himself, Willy Parsons, Tom Wilson, Dom Irrera, Lenny Clark, Johnny Dark, Murray Langston, Valerie Pappas, and several more unnamed actors.
Despite Steve's attempts to release the video and get the film out in the media, he allegedly never got the right deal and the film never released. Although the film is believed to be unfinished, the attempts for a release likely says otherwise.
After the film was finished and shelved, some actors went on to star in other productions and works of Steve, such as Willy returning to star in Nothing to Lose.[4]
Plot
The plot of the film is unknown, but a synopsis of the plot follows an inventor who made an anti-gravity machine that an unnamed mob tries to get from him. There is also a car chase scene in the film that was filmed in a trailer.
It is believed that the invention and plot were reworked into an episode of the later TV series The Adventures Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, however this is entirely unconfirmed outside of similarities between the films plot and some episodes of the series.
Availability
No content from the film has resurfaced outside of information given in an interview by Willy, who was as previously mentioned involved with the film.
The film and any mentions of it were never listed on any site of Steve's for unknown reasons as well, likely related to it not being released.
There are also several movie listing sites for the film, which do not hold much information outside of the plot summary and supposed cast lists.
References
- ↑ An interview with Willy Parsons done by a Steve Oedekerk fanpage.
- ↑ An archive of Johnny Dark's resume, which lists the movie and it's production company.
- ↑ An IMDb mini biography for Steve, which lists New Technologies as his company.
- ↑ A mini biography for Willy Parsons, that lists Nothing to Lose in his works.