…A night of fancy food and burlesque boobs, of free shit and free shits, and the first ever screening of Mike O’Mahony’s third feature film, I.B.S.
I was lucky enough to attend the world premiere of I.B.S., hosted at the Philadelphia Renaissance Hotel. My guest and I arrived early and were immediately greeted by some familiar faces – actress Genoveva Rossi, and Mario and Dave from Mario Likes Movies. After chatting for a few minutes I headed into the hotel restaurant and bar which I deemed “very classy.” I’m very simple, so anything that isn’t Taco Bell or Ihop is considered classy to me. I was enjoying my french fries when I was spotted by “The Demented King of Horror Cinema,” Mike O’Mahony. Always a class act and keeping with the spirit of the night, Mike proceeded to lower is trousers and have a bowl movement all over my plate. Ok, maybe he didn’t do that, but what if he did? Would that make you want to see the movie? Because in that case…
Before the world premiere screening of I.B.S. actually happened guests were treated to yet another bar of over-priced drinks and a little show by the Rigor Mortis Revue, a traveling horror themed burlesque show. Three women performed, each with their own segment in the show – a Birds inspired number, another with all the fun and culture of Beetlejuice, and…well, I don’t remember what the third number was glamorizing. It’s hard remembering every detail when you have beautiful, scantily clad women dancing to horror themes in front of you! The host of the burlesque show then fed the crowds insatiable hunger for free shit by tossing t-shirts into the crowd, and he was later joined by director Mike O’Mahony who raffled off some gift baskets filled with previous Maniac movies, popcorn, Fourties, and toilet paper. I swear, I should have live tweeted during this whole thing. Hashtags would include #IBS, #TitsandAss, and #FreeShit.
With the lights dimming and the microphone finally being fixed, it was time to finally start the screening of I.B.S. I.B.S. tells the story of Larry, who is deemed “lovable,” although I just found him weird. Larry has intense, violent irritable bowel syndrom that is completely ruining his life. He seeks treatment from several different doctors, but not even their advice can cure what ails him. Larry’s roommate is an even bigger loser than he is, but he persuades Larry to ease some of his stress with – what else – a little bit of violence. A big “I’m so hot, but no one thinks so,” bully is giving him a lot of shit at work and Larry finally shits back…erm…hits back. After a startling mishap, Larry learns that murder is just the psychological release that can cure his I.B.S. Watch him as he goes from a big pile of turd to a pile of turd who kills people.
I.B.S. is written and directed by Mike O’Mahony under Maniac Films. This 75 minute horror-comedy stars James Costa, Matt Garafalo, Sean Flaherty, D.M. Folger Jr., and Lauren Ojeda. It should be noted that James Costa was the MC of the night, bringing much enthusiasm and sarcasm to the evening.
Sitting amongst the packed theater during the I.B.S. screening, it became obvious to me that Mike O’Mahony knows something that most indie film makers seem to forget. You need to cater to your audience and you cannot half ass that catering. Know your audience, know what you’re trying to achieve, and don’t try to be the best at everything and work outside your means – deliver a product that your audience will enjoy. The theater was filled to the brim with folks attending a movie about killer irritable bowel syndrome. There is no chance of offending anyone who actually sees this film because you know what you’re getting when you head into it. So, why hold back?
Mike O’Mahony didn’t hold back. I.B.S. is full of big boobs, sexual innuendos, hot girls, violence, stereotypes, swearing, splatters and splatters of gore, all woven together with heaps of simmering toilet humor. Every plot development was met with applause. Every murder was met with delight and the desire for more. And every bowel movement was met with great laughter that shows just how depraved we all are. In a sense, I.B.S. has the ability to turn a normal theater full of people into a bunch of maniacally laughing, murder seeking, Pepto-Bismol enthusiasts. They say that cinema is supposed to evoke thought and emotion from viewers. It’s safe to say emotions were evoked here.
But, I will keep it real for everyone who reads this. I.B.S. is an indie feature and it comes with all the typical drawbacks – errors in production, like some over-exposure to the light, some bad acting, and other technical aspects that could have been better with a much bigger budget. And this is a film about shitting, gratuitous nudity, and murder. This movie will not be for everyone. Again, this movie will appeal to a very certain audience. So, I don’t want anyone to watch I.B.S. at some point and come back here bitching that, “this was so sick and disgusting,” because you have already been warned!
I enjoyed the screening of I.B.S. and the entire night in general. I really think that Mike O’Mahony is continuing his streak of soon to be cult classic indie films. Watching a Mike O’Mahony movie is like watching a live action, feature length episode of “South Park.” I can guarantee that your jaw will be on the floor and you will laugh your ass off, whether it’s in appreciation or from the revolting nature of the film.
