Trolls Dislike My Horror Film Without Having Watched It. They Ought to View My Documentary.

      A year ago, I premiered a documentary that I had devoted the previous seven years to creating, titled The Complete History of Space/Time (Destination Milwaukee). The film focused on Milwaukee musician Sigmund Snopek III, whose career has spanned over 50 years and numerous genres. The documentary employed a self-aware mix of the epic and the everyday, balancing an ambitious, audacious, and surreal approach with a distinctly DIY ethos.

      The premiere took place at Linnemann’s Riverwest Inn, a bar and music venue in Milwaukee, as I was unable to find a theater in the city willing to host a six-and-a-half hour experimental documentary about a local figure who, as the years went by, was being forgotten by more people. The event received some local media attention and promotional support from Snopek’s longtime friends and collaborators, the Violent Femmes. While I can’t say we had crowds stretching down the block, people did show up, and some even watched the entire film. It may have been somewhat anticlimactic, but it was a success nonetheless.

      That evening, I made the full documentary available for free on YouTube and Vimeo, divided into seven episodes.

      Two days later, the horror blog Bloody Disgusting published an article about another film of mine. My wife (Rachel Kempf) and I co-directed a low-budget found footage horror feature titled It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This, which had been making the festival circuit, winning some awards, and gradually attracting interest. A unique aspect of this film’s release was our decision only to screen it in theaters and not to release it via streaming (which also meant no Blu-ray release, as that would likely lead to immediate piracy).

      It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This had been receiving press for about six months, mainly focusing on the film itself. However, the Bloody Disgusting article shifted the focus to our unconventional decision to release it solely in theaters. That’s when the trolls started to take notice.

      I have a fondness for our trolls.

      The trailer for the horror film It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This, which has become a target for trolls who haven't seen it.

      The trolls who have disparaged our film without viewing it have helped us more than I can express. The internet favors negativity, and our choice to keep this movie offline has drawn a significant amount of criticism. This engagement led to articles about us gaining traction on Google and Yahoo News, ultimately resulting in TIFF selecting us for their Midnight Madness program, a screening run in Alamo Drafthouses across the country, a feature in Variety, and several international screenings that might not have occurred otherwise.

      Thank you, trolls. We owe you one.

      The irony is that while It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This was being bashed by upset avatars online, my Sigmund Snopek documentary was available for anyone to watch for free. A year later, no one seems to have made this connection. So, I’m writing this article to establish that link for you.

      The Complete History of Space/Time (Destination Milwaukee) might be the best film I’ve created. Yes, it has an absurdly long title. Yes, its duration is excessive. Yes, it's about someone you probably don't know.

      But it also rewards your effort. And yes, I genuinely want you to watch it.

      Consider it a challenge: Do you have what it takes to watch this film? Can you endure a docuseries that isn’t crafted to deliver a steady stream of dopamine like all those equally lengthy Netflix docuseries that people consume without a second thought?

      The last year has been quite unusual. My experiences with these two films have put to the test the idea that the broadest possible release is the best one. The film we limited access to has received exponentially more attention, leading to numerous new opportunities, while the film that was immediately made available online has only been viewed by maybe 100 people.

      Of course, there are other factors. Horror films are generally easier to market than an unconventional, lengthy documentary. Found footage in particular has a passionate fanbase.

      Additionally, life is random, and trying to make sense of it often leads to confusion. Perhaps I simply got lucky with one film and unlucky with the other. Who knows?

      Regardless, now that a year has passed with minimal viewership, I'm doubling my efforts to promote the Snopek documentary. So, please watch it! Check out an episode today and another tomorrow. If you make it through episode three, you’ll be captivated and want to continue. (It concludes with a bang.)

      Writing this article feels awkward because it's essentially a public acknowledgment of failure at a time when I might benefit more by being seen as a success. But who cares? Life is complex, and success is fleeting.

      This notion—that life is complicated and success is transient—was precisely what drew me to Snopek as my subject in the first place. His career has experienced highs and lows and many transformations