Or, as far as I can tell, "This movie isn't good enough for the actual festival but we added it at the last minute because the filmmakers know Trevor Groth." Advertisements about its super special secret nature led me to see Blind Man instead of experiencing the presence of David Lynch at the Blue Velvet showing. And although the movie was completely unremarkable, I have to give the filmmakers credit for, uh, enthusiasm. Faced with low awareness of their movie and a crowd far more interested in Lynch, they attempted a sort of pied-piper procession, complete with a guitar and a sing-along to some song incorporating the title of the movie. It looked to me that the people following were mostly cast, crew and friends, but probably a few curious onlookers were roped in as well.
Inside the theater before the movie started, the rowdiness (aided by plenty of alcohol) continued, with chants for various cast members and further renditions of the title song. It was a little like being at a birthday party for someone you've never met. Finally Groth arrived, to a standing ovation, and introduced the film. Why was it not on the actual festival schedule? He didn't say.
As for the movie, it's the story of two buddies who make a horrible, pretentious short film and decide to crash CineVegas when their movie isn't accepted to the festival. Much of it was shot at CineVegas in 2006, and Groth does a little cameo. It's shot crudely and awkwardly, and it's not very funny, although the acting is decent enough. The CineVegas setting and the room full of friends made it feel like watching someone else's home movies, full of inside jokes. Drunken enthusiasm aside, it was probably best that this one was kept a secret. - Josh Bell