King Leisure, S.O.B. (2004) User Reviews

The music business sure is freaky.

[turnerbudd · 7/10 · 11 February 2004]

Take one washed up pop star (played by the not quite washed up Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens) living with his mother (played by a real life mom) and have him re-discover himself as the latest flavor of the minute 40-something, overweight hip hop star and you have the premise for King Leisure, S.O.B. (Straight Outta the 'Burbs). DiNizio's feature filmmaking debut is a somewhat biting look at the music business and how fickle fans can be manipulated and how the artists literally sell their souls to the record company. But in this tale of artist winning out, DiNizio's King Leisure discovers that it's better to be heard than be paid for it. The picture is sometimes funny (when a rhythmless King learns to rap) and sometimes pointed (deciding to take a huge record deal or not). It readily shows its D.I.Y. no budget production flaws throughout. There are times when the pacing is a little slow and times when you really aren't sure what just happened but for the most part this is a fun picture well worth watching. King Leisure is the hippest white rapper since Vanilla Ice. Word to your mother!

A funny insight to the music industry!

[ljhoh · 9/10 · 11 February 2004]

I saw this at the DIY festival in L.A. What a fun and funny indy movie! Watching Vinnie (Pat) and his Mom (Real Mom!) together made this a very enjoyable film. NO--it's not Titantic, and Pat is not Leo D., this film still works on so many levels. It's nice to see the music industry being put in it's place.

An Indie Film Worth Seeing

[MSOSU0703 · 10/10 · 11 February 2004]

I was lucky enough to catch a viewing of King Leisure SOB in LA last week. It's refreshing to see a truly independent film. And it was even more fun to see Pat DiNizio "biting the hand" that's fed him for so many years...the music industry. This is a good Indie film. No, there are no Oscar-type performances, but there is a heart to this film. And Pat's self-deprecating humor made it an enjoyable experience for me.

Quirky and Human

[evaning · 10/10 · 14 February 2004]

For what it may lack in finesse, the rough-hewn King Leisure makes up for in heart. This charming 60 minute interpretation of an aging rock star's unlikely reinvention as a rapper communicates entertainment industry "insider" challenges in a way that anyone can relate to and laugh with much in the way that Spinal Tap does. Writer/director Pat DiNizio's unguarded self-portrayal let's the viewer into this take on his life with honesty and humor, while the other characters, amalgams of the handlers he's accumulated in his 25 years as the singer in a popular band, are intentionally and adorably ridiculous, over-acted characitures that run the gamut from grossly incompetent to downright mean. In the end, the "King" reassesses his quest for the hip-hop big bucks with his integrity and fans --old and new--intact. This glimpse into DiNizio's heart, soul and sense of the absurd tells an essentially true story through a wonderfully distorted lens. Whether you're a Smithereens fan or not (but who isn't?), you'll get a kick out of the King.

"mockumentary" fans ... worth checking out

[bry-24 · 8/10 · 16 July 2004]

King Leisure, S.O.B is an amusing satire of the music and radio industry with a clever, yet odd twist on the classic "underdog story". A slightly "spinal tap"esque mockumentary with a quirkiness that reminds me at times of John Waters. Hearing Pat Dinizio "rap" is worth the price of admission alone. I wouldn't recommended it for those who want in your face slapstick as it is a bit rough around the edges & maybe a bit subtle or dry for some. Although I found it quite entertaining, I believe in the next decade when people look back on when the Record Industry and Corporate Radio reigned supreme, and after more and more unconventional artists succeed with his grass roots guerilla approach, we may realize that the king was a bit of a visionary...

A True Story of One Man's Life vs. the Music Industry

[merosol · 17 July 2004]

I picked up a copy at one of Pat Dinizio's Rock2thePeople shows and had to watch it twice to actually get the whole story. A good tale, spoofingly overacted by friends, shot in local places around New Jersey that used to be the real-life haunts of Dinizio, told the story of how integrity wins out over status. While the sound was a little rough in spots, a couple of re-dubs would put it right. It seemed as though different parts were recorded at different times using different equipment and microphones. I liked it because I liked the low budget "home-movie" look and feel of it, with unusual camera angles that were hand held some times and rock-solid steady at other times. I feel that trying to get the message about the music industry across in this case was more important to the filmmakers than the cinematography, but it was pretty good for a first try.

Long, and not very clear, like an inside joke to the people who made it

[missidegirl · 1/10 · 15 February 2004]

I went to the DIY fest hoping to see lots of shorts and animations, but I was a little dissapointed. While there were some really good shorts, the event dropped flat when they showed King Leisure. Lots of people left the theater, and I almost did too. I was sitting near the back, and at least one of the actors from the movie kept poking his head in to see if they had started showing King Leisure yet, and he didn't sit down to watch any of the other movies, which seemed pretty rude. The movie wasn't very well structured, and the acting was pretty bad. It was all about this guy writing ONE song, and they played it pretty constantly, and even the song was just the same lyrics over and over. There weren't any really funny moments in the movie, and the lead actor kept making speeches about being the voice of the underdog, but never really said anything. It was a little preachy, and way too long, everyone I came with kept crossing thier fingers when a scene faded to black, then let out angry sighs when it faded back in to another scene. I just remember feeling like I was wasting my time. Mostly I felt like the people making it were just trying to be funny for each other, and they didn't make anything funny or clear to the audience, it was like watching somedody's home video - fun if you're in it, and really dull if you're not.

King Leisure -- Wonderful Satire of the Music Industry

[crcalan · 10/10 · 13 February 2004]

I saw King Leisure and will comment because I read a negative review here that is just nonsense -- obviously some kind of agenda going on. King Leisure is a very entertaining satire of the music industry. It could be slicked up and tightened in a couple places, but overall it's well done and moves along quite well. I'm not in the music industry but still felt I got the references and jokes. It's clever. The characters are funny and DiNizio is especially sympathetic. I'm in LA, in the belly of the Hollywood beast, and this was worth the time and effort. I'd be happy to see it again, and I'd buy it on DVD.

Ugh..

[trish_wasserman · 1/10 · 17 December 2004]

I Got to see this, but really hated it. Way too long, no real story, and not funny. Hopefully the filmmakers have learned from this one, but I'm afraid it was terribly unimpressive to me. There is a "revelation" at the end that isn't really much of a "revelation" and the characters aren't sympathetic or interesting. There's a lot of time spent on characters that just don't need to be in the story, and really have no effect except to slow things down. My boyfriend is a big fan of "The Smithereens" and so he was interested in it, but we were both really tired of it after half an hour or so. I think it could make an interesting short, but there's not enough content to stretch past the 10-minute mark.

A piece of trash, not suitable for human consumption

[whatmovies2004 · 1/10 · 7 February 2004]

King Leisure, perhaps the most painfully extruded movie I have ever had the

displeasure of seeing. I was unfortunate enough to attend the movie's premiere at the DIY film festival in Los Angeles, and while the festival showcased some great work, the presentation of King Leisure brought the entire affair down several notches. The movie has a plot that can be encapsulated into a five minute short, but is drawn out in awkward and poorly acted scenes that go on beyond the point of absurdity and cross into a level of irritation that borders on a severe allergic reaction. It was like being injected repeatedly with bad jokes that had no humor behind them, long half thought out philosophical speeches that were barfed up without irony or self consciousness, and no substance or style to back them up. The movie was bad, bad to the point that I wanted to physically harm myself in order to distract from the pain of watching such a despairingly awful movie. Actor/Director/Writer/Hack Pat Dinizio had the poor taste to insist that others watch his movie even while he was absent, sparing himself the humiliation of presenting such a terrible movie for public viewing. The lesson to be learned is this: If your music career is spiraling downward, don't make a movie to distract from the rest of your failures.

A silly, unpretentious, fun time

[jbienven · 16 July 2004]

I saw this film as the exact sort of art I enjoy the most. That is, I love to see people getting together to play and entertain one another without excessive self-consciousness or seriousness. I thought the acting was good, especially considering the actors aren't professionals. I was moved, I laughed, and I actually enjoyed the song (though I understand Pat meant it to be awful). There are interesting bits about the music industry that people with a fair understanding of capitalism will get, whether or not they have experience in the arts. The movie is also a fun look at fan culture. I highly recommend it for people for whom 'cinema' is more than just polished, high-dollar products.

DiNizio's manifesto on life and show-biz - with a smile

[imdb-3117 · 23 February 2004]

Pat DiNizio is a man out of time. A man of many talents, DiNizio's "King Leisure SOB" (his directorial and screen writing debut, I believe) is a statement of his perceptions of the music business and life in the 21st Century, and feeling a bit out of place in both. The film is a semi-autobiographical semi-farce in which a once-popular rock musician seeks to reclaim mass acceptance. In turn, he completely compromises his musical integrity, has visions of ghosts, and contemplates the world he once knew versus the reality of today. Taking a "This Is Spinal Tap" approach, the film was highly improvised and does include many music-biz location jokes, but the real point made is that of the delicate and difficult balance between honor and making concessions. The film does have its drawbacks - one more general editing session could cover it, and doing so would make DiNizio's point clearer - but this picture succeeds at not only a laughable look at the "industry" of popular music but also a whimsical glance at ourselves and when to say when. DiNizio's protagonist makes some goofy choices, sometimes stumbles, and yet there is a happy ending, with some smiles along the way. Isn't that how life should be?

A dissapointment

[missgabb · 18 February 2004]

I was pretty let down by the premiere of this movie, I was looking forward to it but I actually fell asleep for a minute or two about a third of the way through. Lots of the scenes didn't seem to have a reason to be there, the sound was pretty rough, and the acting was completely flat. It seemed like the filmmakers didn't care about entertaining the audience. There weren't many funny moments, and some of the stuff wound up just being annoying. I just didn't see a reason to watch the movie, and I didn't see why the festival decided to show it. I wished they had shown more shorts at the festival, there were some really good ones, and after watching the excellent shorts program it was a mistake to show such a slow movie. I was pretty unhappy when I left.