Audience Member
"Fell, Jumped, Or Pushed" very specifically has a look and feel directly evocative of amateur documentary filmmaking. That's because this cleverly ingenious film is in fact its own mockumentary cheerfully flogging amateur documentary filmmakers, and it therefore demands none other than this precise visual presentation. Here we have a send-up of people who suck at filmmaking, and it's at its most hilarious when it implicates even its own filmmakers! Fantastic.
To extend the joke to its absolute threshold, director Todd Peters is also the star of "Fell, Jumped, Or Pushed" -- and his character, too, is named Todd, further blurring the lines between lampooner and lampooned (the layers of self-deprecation and insinuation here are gonzo). Who knows what Todd Peters might be like in his real life, but film character Todd is most assuredly a clueless non-starter: He reads a how-to book authored by filmmaker Ivan (Andre Belgrader), and instantly empowered, he knows he's destined to make movies himself. Ivan himself becomes privy to this, and sensing the seismic tremors that are sure to precede Todd's cataclysmic on-set disaster, he voyeuristically gathers his own camera crew to document Todd's film shoot. Character Todd's intentions for his movie may or may not have something to do with the empowerment of women, but we do have a title: "A Journey to Courage" features ladies from Todd's own family tree, and it goes nowhere fast until cousin Marcy -- while herself on set -- finds the filmmaking bug has bitten her, too. She adroitly grabs Todd's movie by the scruff, redirecting it in the thematic vicinity of the family's long-disappeared military grandfather Curly.
Assuredly, "Fell, Jumped or Pushed" is a very well-acted film, thanks in full to its fine actors' collective willingness to completely lay out for the script's great character development. The roles they inhabit are at times ludicrous, and in the next moment immersive and freshly fascinating, with no better example provided than Todd himself: He's at his best once his composure mudslides as a result of his film having dovetailed away from him, hitting the proverbial fan. From concept to completion, "Fell, Jumped Or Pushed" is an exceedingly smart, self-aware, and inventively funny film, and one that sits squarely in its own unique space.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/18/23
Full Review
ed b
A friend suggested this little film because I like mockumentaries like This Is Spinal Tap and Best in Show. Well, this film, a documentary about a filmmaker making a documentary, had me laughing the whole way through. Writer, director and star, Todd Peters, is nerdily charming as "himself". It's a good thing that the real Todd Peters is a much better director than the fake "Todd Peters".
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I absolutely loved the emotive sensation this movie elicited from my bowels...like something you might find by the side of the road and realize what a true gem you have discovered like a jackalope!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/13/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Fell, Jumped or Pushed is a funny meta-mock-documentary that follows a bunch of likeable, if not competent amateur documentary filmmakers pursuing an impulsive passion project. The joke is that the rookie documentarians are being documented as well, by a "legendary" documentarian, who is disgusted by the DIY enthusiasts who think they can read one of his books and suddenly produce follow in his footsteps. The mockumentary style has become the domain of television, (The Office/Park & Recreation ...) but it's easier to sustain in the investment of suspending reality when it is shown in a movie style. The acting and commitment to the characters carries the film. Writer/director Todd Peters gives a solid lead performance. HIs cast is interesting, likeable and believable. The direction is crisp. The jokes don't draw blood, so much as tickle you with a feather. The reason the jokes work so well is that the characters are worthy of emotional investment. You want to see these people succeed. Thee are some genuinely clever twists as well that make this film worth watching to the finish. You want to see these people succeed. The setups take a little bit longer than sitcom mocumentaries and the obvious low budget of the film makers (real) lend a charm to the film that makes it actually look more like a real independent documentary than the modern style of sendups. In that sense, the film comes off like early Albert Brooks comedies. If you are tired of watching bloated budget green screen spandex extravaganzas, this fun little movie is well worth your time, and it gives you something to cheer for.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/12/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Fell, Jumped, or Pushed is a great film. It is a mockumentary about a man, Todd Peters, who wants to make a documentary. Of course things do not always go as planned and the comedic events that happen are out shined by the acting of the superb cast.
Great film.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/28/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Fell, Jumped or Pushed is painfully funny and refreshingly original, great writing, great film!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/27/23
Full Review
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