The Secret Cinema (1968)

The Secret Cinema (1968)
Director: Paul Bartel
Writer: Paul Bartel
Cast: Amy Vane, Philip Carlson, Barry Dennen
A woman suspects that someone has clandestinely been filming her life and that her friends and acquaintences are seeing the movies in secret screenings.

Highly entertaining and inventive first B/W short from Paul Bartel. Story follows a woman who gets sexually harassed by her boss and dumped by her cinema obsessed boyfriend in the same day. Turns out they're working alongside each along with more of her friends and colleges, and they're making a secret film casting her as the lead.

Bartel made fantastic use of his shoestring budget and his cast, in-order to showcase his own talents in the hope of launching himself into fatures. The story is similar to the Jim Carrey comedy Truman Show but pre-dated it by 30 years. Can't praise it highly enough a true testament to self financed cinema.

(8½ out of 10)