The Eleutheromaniacs

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The Eleutheromaniacs is a political satire directed by Dave Greber and written by Brandon Meginley. The creators have envisioned an alternate, local-cable reali-TV show that is saturated with advertisements, stock footage and fake blood. It has taken the CNN/YouTube debates as its primary instruction and turned local politics into pure, unadulterated reality entertainment TV. Greber and Meginley have, in essence, rebuilt a half-hour, Reality TV program, as it would have to be executed with a very low budget, on local television, with producers whose motives are questionable at best. The film insinuates the incestuous nature of politics and commercialism and envisions a political debate where viewers can never hear a candidate's position on an issue, because time restrictions demand that the show break to commercial. 

In Merica Parish, two contestants remain in the competition for the next commissioner. A host introduces the two indistinguishable candidates, Sir Huckleberry Waffleshoe and incumbent Fred Coal. The debate is underway. They are asked questions by guests and from videos sent via the internet. As the candidates struggle to respond and continue to perpetrate the illusion of their distinction from each other, there is another force at work, behind-the-scenes. An insurgo-terrorist Activist-Anarchist has infiltrated the debate. Her intentions are to reveal diagrams that she found in Sir Waffleshoe's bedroom. The diagrams portend world domination through the use of a microchip, or so she thinks. Sir Waffleshoe struggles to counteract her assertions but fails and must reveal the truth himself. In the end, a new truth is revealed, but it's not what you may think.

The film uses colorful and inventive editing to mimic and augment the form of television advertisements, political debates, and reality television. By co-opting these all too familiar forms and twisting them in a new and imaginative way, the Eleutheromaniacs becomes a political satire that is both fun to watch and insightful. It's also something else. A dreamscape? Perhaps. But it may be more accurately described as painter and contributor Evan Riehl Reyer so succinctly put it after watching a rough-cut of the film: 'It's like a [expletive] nightmare.'

Cast & Crew

Production

Dave Greber (Director, Editor, Executive Producer, Set Design, Special Effects, Technical Post Production, Picture Editor, Sound Editor, Digital Effects)

Writing

Brandon Meginley (Screenwriter, Executive Producer, Set Design)

Cast

Andrew Vaught

Cliff McPeek

Emilie Whelan

Katie Gelfand

Mike Joseph

Alden Eagle

Rachael Stodard

Garland McQuinn

Phil Rached

Adam Montegut

Brandon Meginley

Allie McCrory

Mick Turition

Erin Osbrach

Brendan Gavin

Stephanie Richards

Elliot Lu

Josh Wolf

Steve Lewis

Matt Holdren

Adam del Negro

Dave Greber

Lew Powell

Nicki Sixteen

Melody Keel

Art Department

Tom Mustago (Graphic Design)

Christine Minnich (Graphic Design)

Terry Greber (Graphic Design)

Evan Riehl Reyer (Contributor)

Katie Gelfand (Propmaster, Makeup Artist, Makeup Effects, Body Makeup, Hairstylist, Costume Designer, Costumer)

Music

Dave Greber (Score)

Lea Downing (Score)

Assistant / Other

Jill "Blues" Demeny (Grip, Production Assistant)

Kate Holcombe (Grip, Production Assistant)

Tessa Corthell (Production, Assistant)