Jefftowne

Director - Daniel Kraus (Ball of Wax, Sheriff)
Starring - Jeff Towne, Dave, and Kim Davis
Release Date - 1998
Genre - Documentary
Tagline - "Beer! Pornos! Wrestling! Down's Syndrome!"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been a movie fan my whole life.  I grew up watching movies at my grandmother's during the week and renting some tapes to take to my house on the weekends.  Movies have always been a huge part of my life.  In late elementary school or middle school the horror bug bit me and it was a ferocious bite.  I became consumed by it.  I had to have horror and the video store had to deliver my fix.  I loved the cheesy 80s horror flicks with the awesome covers and no so awesome stories.  These movies would seduce me and leave me in a trance like state.  It was around this time that I discovered Toxie and the wonderful world of Troma.  This changed my taste in horror.  Now I have to have my horror cheap, outlandish, and sleazy.  I love Troma and I've collected their movies for several years but I never get the time to watch them due to my reviewing obligations.  I then had the idea to do a Troma review once a week just so I can check out films I've collected for year and never had the time to watch.  For the very first review for Tromatic Thursday I went with the 1998 documentary Jefftowne.
     The documentary follows Jeff Towne who is a 40 year old theater attendant who has Down's Syndrome.  Jeff was left at the hospital when he was born and was adopted.  Now he lives with his adoptive mother who is pushing 100 years old.  They have no real source of income but she is living on the hope that they win the publishers clearinghouse.  Jeff spends his day flirting with the girls he works with, watching wrestling, drawing crude porn, and drinking.

   


     I had no idea what Jefftowne was about.  I was under the impression it was an actual film with a story but I was greeted with a very bleak documentary that I absolutely loved.  The subject manner is something that I would normally not check out on my own but with Troma branded across it I had to.  I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed the film.  The interviews in this one really goes in depth with Jeff, his home life, and how people react to him.  Most people would assume he was unable to provide for himself or baby him because he does have DS.  However, friends of Jeff knows he is fully capable of taking care of himself and using his DS as a crutch to have people do things for him.  Jeff doesn't have any family except his adopted mother but the people he works with, especially the theater manager, looks out for him to ensure he is well taken care of.  The film itself is crudely put together which showcases the film's lack of budget.  This doesn't make the film difficult to watch.  In fact, I really enjoyed the lo-fi aspect of the documentary.  It really added to the darkness of the film.  Not everyone has the perfect life and this documentary dives deep into the working poor and mentally ill.  Finally, the editing in this one is solid considering the equipment the film used.  The topic within the documentary flows very well and we get smooth transitions.  It's not the best editing but it does fit the look and feel of the film.  Overall, Jefftowne may not be the typical Troma film but it is fucking fantastic.  Fans of unusual cinema and strange documentaries need to check this one out.  Check it out.