Film Pitch Time!

One of the things I thought of doing when making this blog was writing pitches for movies I would really like to see. I could discuss crew and themes, make reference to other movies upon which to build, and encourage others to make their own ideas for movies they would want to see based on my ideas. So this week, I will be spewing my desires to make an amazing…documentary.

But seriously, I think the documentary that should be made right now is something which would be absolutely fascinating to watch. And if not a documentary, then a Disaster Artist-esque exploration of the filmmaking process. What is the documentary in question about, you ask? Why, the making of Bohemian Rhapsody, and the version of it that never was.

The production of Bohemian Rhapsody, from conception to release, was insane. Constant shifting of staff, tonality, writers, release dates and such was happening every month, and the film that the original directors and actors signed on for was very different from the product we actually got.

We could have got a David Fincher drug trip, but we got a glossy drug trip instead.

Let me describe Bohemian Rhapsody’s production this way. You’re driving in a Bentley, old and full of dark character, on your way to visit your family. But you don’t like the way the engine moves in the Bentley, how it spews dirt to ensure better performance, and eventually the engine is frustrated by your attempts to be a regular trip and just pops out of the car. Eventually you start walking, trying to hitchhike with other drivers nearby (with one throwing a few bucks at you so you can phone a cab). You then get to a service station, and rob the owner of a sturdy, yet uninteresting Ford Explorer at gunpoint. You then start driving again, but your front tire bursts a few kilometres away from your family. After ambling on the remains of your burst tyre for a bit, you steal a spare from a driver you tried to hitchhike with earlier, and so you make it to your destination. But then you realise you accidentally left your house keys near the remains of the burst tyre which you abandoned on the road, so you have to go back and get it. Eventually, you get to the house in your Ford Explorer, with your family just happy to see you there, but your wise grandpa also wondering why you swapped out such an awesome Bentley for a plain Ford Explorer.

If you’re so confused by that description, that’s why a documentary about the making of Bohemian Rhapsody is so full of potential.

A great comparison is Frank Pavich’s Jodorowsky’s Dune, a curious exploration of the cancelled version of Dune directed by Frank Jodorowsky which had Mick Jagger playing the Timothee Chalamet role. It’s funny and fascinating to see everything go so wrong in this film, which happened to Bohemian Rhapsody during its initial production. Maybe it could be a historical drama film like The Disaster Artist, a fascinating exploration of the disastrous production of one of the worst films ever made, while mixing in plenty of depth and humour.

I don’t know. But such a film would be a great project to make and research, with a history behind it arguably more fascinating that the actual film made.

This or that would be a good template.

So what kind of documentary/historical drama do you want to be made? Leave your answer in the comments.