Use of Budget
I was surprised to learn that the actress playing Diane abruptly abandoned production just before shooting the final scene. Talk about panic! The filmmakers were actually quite clever in being able to replace her, although it was convenient that her character had been kidnapped earlier on, and the final scene was that of Bum Man’s heroic rescue. They simply used a woman of similar stature whose face and upper body were covered up by a burlap bag tied with a rope (although the rope looked just a little bit too loose.) After the rescue, Bum Man sat down next to Diane and put his arm around her, without even attempting to take the bag off. While those who know the story realize that this was a necessary action, it doesn’t look out of place at all, since it fits in perfectly with Bum Man’s lazy and lackadaisical character.
As for the budget, $1500 was paid to the actors, $480 to rent a hotel suite for Mr. Rich’s home, $235 for a limo used in a scene between Mr. Rich and Mike, $250 for the exotic dancer, $180 the rent the warehouse used in the final scene, and $300 for meals, transportation, props, music, tape stock, etc.
In my opinion, paying the actors and renting both the limo and the warehouse were all good moves. Anytime you are able to provide your actors with even just a little bit of compensation, they are far more likely to deliver a better performance. However, I still do think that the hotel suite could have been used as a double for the Mayor’s office, and that the brief scene with the exotic dancer is a bit gratuitous and extraneous, so it’s possible that some of those costs could have been avoided and/or reduced.
Lasting Appeal
There are some very humorous moments in this film, and the concept is an interesting one. As mentioned before, it’s difficult to tell whether this film was intended to follow in Ed Wood’s footsteps, so I’m assuming that at least some of the “mistakes” were made on purpose. Still, there are some things that could stand to be given attention, as even the good elements of the film don’t outweigh the fact that some audience members might not want to sit through it.
Overall Comment
A film like this could certainly find a cult following. Just as Ed Wood’s movies have increased in popularity through the years, Bum Man’s unique concept and creative touches could open up some opportunities for the filmmaker.
