Have A Seat: 'Man Under Table' Will Be Right With You

London, UK - Arrow Video is excited to announce the ARROW release of Noel David Taylor's bizarre filmmaking comedy Man Under Table, available exclusively to subscribers in the US, Canada, the UK and newly launched in Ireland. The feature debut from writer/director Noel David Taylor, who also stars as Guy, a beleaguered, hilariously obnoxious scriptwriter navigating his way through the chaotic indie film scene in a dystopian Los Angeles, Man Under Table world premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and screened at the Chattanooga Film Festival. The film will debut on ARROW August 2nd, 2021. 

Man Under Tableis an inventive and quirky comedy that skewers the hustle and grind of independent filmmaking, as seen in ARROW's documentary Clapboard Jungle.

In Hollywood, it’s who you know, not what you write.

Guy is writing a movie, or so he claims in bars, parties, pretty much wherever he can. Guy eventually stumbles into the path of Indie darling Jill Custard and her lackey Ben who endlessly accosts him and pull him into projects that are not his own. Frazzled and frustrated, Guy decides to join forces with a washed up neverbeen Gerald, and the duo plan to write what could be the dumbest movie ever made.

Man Under Table is an unsettling, nightmare-like glimpse into the journey of creation and the view of the people who “make it” versus the people who “don’t.” Guy is striving to be creative; to write a film and have it become viral and popular. Unfortunately, what is making waves in his circle are films and projects that force feed political and ideological messages, things that shock and make us feel some sort of outrage or that seat us firmly on our moral high horse. Guy feels completely inadequate because he is surrounded by people spouting buzzwords like “Fracking” and “Identity Politics” that he doesn’t truly know the meaning of; but in order to get people to pay attention to him or take any interest in his project he has to pretend like he does. What he, and we as an audience fully realize is that these creative darlings don’t know the meanings either, and are going overboard with misguided symbolism, allegory, and metaphor.

Set in what is supposed to be Los Angeles, but looks more like the neon level of Hell, Guy walks into smoke and smog filled rooms, or just nothingness. He is surrounded by faceless and nameless people, all cardboard cut-outs- what does it matter who these people are when they are all the same? Guy is intensely jealous of not only Jill Custard, but a popular streamer, Lyle, who broadcasts constantly on his channel “Nothin’ But Lyle.” Guy constantly questions who these people are that have made Jill and Lyle so famous, while also trying to find the secret of how to do it- how to make the perfect content to land fortune and glory.

Guy becomes increasingly angry, wanting to be left alone by Ben and Jill who drag him into their projects just to cut him out in the end; he is essentially impotent and unable to create or have his imagination and ideas heard even when actively collaborating with Gerald, who just wants to feature “slutty girls” and doesn’t want any LGBTQ-positive messages in the movie. Gerald overrides Guy at every step in the creative process, going so far to create not only storyboards but actual models, placing Guy firmly under the table not only figuratively, but literally. Guy’s identity is effectively erased, and the only thing that brings him back to a place of peace is when Jill dies.

As someone wo is creative and - let’s face it, would love to “make it”- Man Under Table is an absolutely terrifying, absurdist romp. The only other movie that has brought me to such a place of discomfort, incredulity, and at times feeling physically ill is Eraserhead. Ahead of the release of his debut feature, Taylor shared

For as long as I have been making videos, I have been making odd, absurdist, borderline camp videos. It is not an easy thing to find an audience for such films. Which is why when something fits as effortlessly into a catalog as Man Under Table does into Arrow’s, it's not only a relief — but a homecoming of sorts. The first time one explores the arsenal of films Arrow has arranged, you find yourself hard-pressed to not be overwhelmed with not only a magnificently varied beaucoup of horror, camp, and just plain evocative films, but also an abundance of style, humour and fun. I could not have found a better home for my film if I conjured it from the ether. To whom it may concern: go watch these films! 

Do yourself a favor and subscribe to Arrow, where you can watch Man Under Table and some exclusive extras, including a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, commentary from Taylor, a Man Under Table music video, and a number of Taylor's early short films, including The Hermit and Dos Hombres.