Rebel Without a Crew (1995)

Written by Robert Rodriguez
285 pages / Penguin Press
Retail: $15 / Street: $11

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Robert Rodriguez has a lot to do with why I'm interested in film at all. His practical theory of moviemaking is: in order to make a movie, you just have to go make one. Film school is junk, do everything yourself and you'll end up with a movie. There's no guarantee that it will be a good one, but the joy is in the process.

Rebel Without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player, is the book Rodriguez wrote after the completion of the rather successful (and low budget) Desperado. I can call this book inspiring because it's simple to understand why he was successful. It's not some tall tale about pitching to a movie executive and the ins and outs of picking an agent. The only thing Robert Rodriguez did was make something he was proud of and presented it to other people. Maybe his talent isn't in movies, but rather in an unending determination to be successful.

Rebel Without a Crew is part biography, part how-to manual all within the ins and outs of independent movie making. And even better it's written in diary style, taken from Rodriguez's daily writing, so it's certainly a compelling and interesting read. He doesn't skimp on the details, telling you exactly what you need to know to make a cheap movie. Just like the DVDs for his films El Mariachi and Desperado (with their included extras and commentary), the book act as little film school. It's the kind of thing that may make some realize how useless film school can be if you want to make movies. Essentially, Rodriguez's advice is this: spend money on making a film, not learning how to make a film. Do everything yourself, and get everyone to work for free.

Desperado: I'd say that's car crash worthy.

Just in case you're wondering, it's not all movie advice. It's uproariously funny as well. Rodriguez manages to put a humorous spin on a summer spent as a human guinea pig. It's a way to earn lots of money, but it's not an easy way. What makes it hard? The twenty times a day drawing of blood and fistfights over chocolate cake.

His experiences are probably similar to those of you who have struggled to do anything film related. Maybe you haven't been used as a human pincushion, but you've struggled. Read the story of one of our own that made it on his own terms. Then get to that movie.

Book Grade: A

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