High There : comedy

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Movie Reviews 101: “Party time! HIGH THERE is one to try!"

High There
Director: Wayne Darwen, Henry Goren
Writer: Wayne Darwen (Screenplay)

Plot: A real-life attempt to film a reality television pilot turned into the most unreal experiences of a lifetime for veteran journalist and producer Wayne Darwen and videographer Henry Goren, when they found themselves transformed into the characters Dave High and Roland Jointz in an accidental immersive investigation of the marijuana wars on the island of Hawaii.

There may be spoilers the rest of the review

Verdict: Party Time

Story: High There starts as David High a journalist and his cameraman Roland Jointz head to Hawaii to shot a new travel show but along the way David enjoys drugs, drinks and woman as they go to make their own story. It isn’t long before David and Roland find themselves being followed around the island as the island looks to clean up the drug problems on the island.

Dave goes around different ideas to make his show work but just can’t shake the drugs every day, where he makes each outing a party. David continues to learn about a bigger problem on the island dealing with marijuana.

High There is a documentary that wants to tackle the real problem of marijuana on the island in Hawaii, we only see small parts of this with most of the film being David High just wanting to smoke drugs and get drunk, this really takes away with what we want to learn about and it turns into just the life experience of the two men on the island. Not being a fan of drug usage I personally didn’t enjoy the almost glorification of using them during the adventure the men go on.

Director Review: Wayne Darwen – Wayne puts together the trip well to show the good, the bad and paranoia drugs cause people.

Documentary: High There is a documentary which also happens to play out as party holiday for David.

Settings: High There uses the Hawaii settings but most importantly showing how it isn’t all beauty we get led to believe.

Suggestion: High There is one to try, it is very heavy on using drugs which isn’t something I enjoy. (Try It)

Best Part: Seeing the dark side of Hawaii.

Worst Part: Too much drug usage.

Believability: Based on the real trip the two men had.

Chances of Tears: No

Chances of Sequel: No

Post Credits Scene: Yes

Oscar Chances: No

Runtime: 1 Hour 27 Minutes

Trivia: Director, writer and star Wayne Darwen is a celebrated tabloid newspaper and television journalist and producer who was the inspiration for Robert Downey Jr.’s character “Wayne Gale” in Oliver Stone’s 1994 film, Natural Born Killers.

Overall: Documentary that feels like it is a film party for the men involved.

Rating

LINK TO MOVIE REVIEWS 101 REVIEW OF HIGH THERE

LINK TO WEBSITE

Documentary Dude: HIGH THERE is "wildly entertaining! Kept me laughing all the way through!"

High There

Documentary Dude

“sex, drugs, booze, idiocy, horrible degenerate stuff……. that’s what people want to see”

– Dave High

I cringed at first but then I started laughing and the film kept me laughing all the way through.

“High There” is not your normal documentary.

The film follows a burnt out television producer to Hawaii where he plans to make a pilot for a travel show for stoners, documenting the world’s best places to buy marijuana and get high.

What follows is one disaster after another as the producer Dave High bumbles along, descending into a drink and drug filled debauchery, all the while being filmed by his gas mask wearing cameraman, Roland Jointz.

Sounds bizarre? It is, but it’s wildly entertaining.

Part documentary and mockumentary, it’s a film in the “Gonzo” style and it’s often hard to separate fact from fiction. Dave High keeps you guessing as he intersperses seemingly true events with conjecture about being under DEA surveillance, using film footage of backpackers sitting outside his window, and passing helicopters, as evidence. As the film progresses you realise that maybe not much of it is fact and stop taking the film as a serious document of events and enjoy it for what it is.

Dave High is actually expat Australian, Wayne Darwen, a well known producer of tabloid TV shows such as Hard Copy and Geraldo Rivera’s “Now It Can Be Told”. He is said to be the inspiration behind the character of newsman Wayne Gale in Oliver Stone’s film, Natural Born Killers.

Like a modern day Hunter S Thompson, Wayne’s alter-ego Dave High, constantly teases the weird and wonderful characters that have made the Big Island their home while at the same time making fun of himself.

He stumbles from one drug filled misadventure to another, coughing and hacking his way through the day while rolling joints, downing drink after drink and befriending lonely middle aged women.

He manages throughout, despite an often inebriated state, to maintain a witty repartee both with his long suffering cameraman and those around him. His capacity for beer is phenomenal and comments like, “after a couple of beers she started to look quite attractive” make you laugh and groan at the same time. In fact he is living a lifestyle that secretly many of us would probably like to indulge in at some time but don't for fear of the consequences. Dave High doesn't seem to care and instead moves from one good time to another.

One wonders how the human body can withstand so much punishment and Dave High’s constant lung wrenching smoker’s cough is testament to the wild lifestyle he seems to be living.

Eventually Dave High stumbles across the story of Roger Christie, leader of the THC Ministry, and who at the time of filming, had been held for 4 years without bail for possession and sale of cannabis. But to learn more you need to watch the film.

The filming of “High There” must have been a lot of fun and it shows what can be done with a couple of hand held cameras and a small budget.

I am sure it’s destined to become a cult movie and will no doubt do wonders for tourism in the Puna region of the Big Island, although maybe not attracting the type of tourists the authorities would want.

“High There” is now available onlimited edition DVD and VOD.

Make sure you watch the credits at the end!

Watch the trailer here:

Original 8.13.15 story link

HIGH THERE! HIGH NOON (11:50 a.m.)! SATURDAY! CANNABIS FILM FESTIVAL!

Click for info, tix

HIGH THERE AT HIGH NOON! (11:50 a.m.) Exclusive screening Saturday May 2nd at the Cannabis Film Festival in Humbolt County CA!

Click for info, tix

A message to the producers of HIGH THERE from the director of the Cannabis Film Festival

"Thank you for being a part of history."

Stephen Quiggle

Executive Director

Cannabis Film Fesival

High There

screens

Saturday May 2nd

11:50 am

Garberville Theatre

HIGH THERE + CANNABIS FILM FESTIVAL = HOT TICKET!

Tickets are on sale for the much-anticipated screening of High There at the first annual Cannabis Film Festival in the heart of Humboldt County!

Buy tickets here!

5 1/2 miles to Garberville, California,

home of the first annual Cannabis Film Festival

HIGH THERE IS COMING TO THE FIRST ANNUAL CANNABIS FILM FESTIVAL!

Yes, there is a Cannabis Film Festival, and what better film than High There to be selected for the very first one!

Yes, High There is an official selection of the first annual Cannabis Film Festival, which is taking place May 2 and 3 in Garberville, California-- in the heart of historic Humboldt County!

Filmmakers Wayne Darwen and Henry Goren will be there to present the film... lead discussions... and make a very special announcement!

This is going to be a blast. An historic one!

Make plans now to see High There at ground zero of the marijuana movement!

Click here for tickets!

NY Post Page Six: TABLOID PRODUCER DARWEN ABOUT TO HAVE DOC HIT FESTIVAL CIRCUIT

Wayne Darwen — the tabloid TV producer who worked on “A Current Affair” and inspired Robert Downey Jr.’s character in “Natural Born Killers” — has a documentary, “High There,” about to hit the film festival circuit.

“Sex, drugs, booze, idiocy . . . horrible, degenerate stuff. That’s what people want to see,” Darwen growls in his Australian accent in the film’s trailer. “Give them what they f - - king want.”

Darwen went to Hawaii to film a marijuana travel series, “only to become lost in a fog of drugs, sex and paranoia as he uncovers a secret government war to control the marijuana trade,” imdb.com says.

When Darwen returned to the mainland and posted a short sizzle reel of footage on YouTube, the trailer garnered 1.5 million hits.

Now, he is being compared to Hunter S. Thompson. Good on you, mate!

Download the latest High There news release!

Click here!

High There premieres Monday Aug 25

at the Action on Film Festival

2014-08-19 18:03:21 Hunter S. Thompson meets Cheech & Chong in Hawaii in this nonfiction comedy about tabloid journalism and the marijuana wars!

August 18 ( Hollywood) High There, the new documentary comedy directed by and starring tabloid television legend Wayne Darwen, makes its world premiere Monday August 25th at the Action on Film International Film Festival in Monrovia, California.  

The film, co-directed by veteran cinematographer Henry Goren, documents the pair's trip to the island of Hawaii in an attempt to film a reality television series focusing on the world's marijuana meccas pilot. Instead, Darwen becomes immersed in the island's drug culture while uncovering a government plot to incarcerate local marijuana advocate Roger Christie.  The film has been two years in the making and has already made waves during the initial promotion and development process. An early preview of the film generated more than one and a half million views on YouTube. Darwen's appearance on TheLipTV.com's Buzzsaw program shattered download records.

High There, in which Darwen takes on the character of Dave High, is the latest transfornation for the celebrated television producer who began his career as a 17-year-old newspaper reporter in Sydney, Australia. Already known in media circles as the model for Robert Downey Jr.'s tabloid reporter in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, Darwen's become a hero to marijuana advocates and hailed in some quarters as the successor to Hunter S. Thompson.

High There is directed by Darwen and Goren, written by Darwen, and produced by Darwen, Goren and Burt Kearns, the award-winning documentary film and television producer who immortalized Darwen as a tabloid television innovator in his book, Tabloid Baby.

The film is a Sam Peters International Productions Unlimited and Good Story Productions presentation of a Rat Lung picture.

High There is an official selection of the Action on Film International Film Festival. It will screen at 10 p.m. at the Krikorian Monrovia Cinema 12, along with the award winning short, The Low Road, Baby. More film festival screenings will be announced in the near future.

Tickets are available at http://www.aoffest.com/#!product/prd12/2609055121/high-there-and-low-road-baby--8-25-10pm

HIGH THERE'S FIRST SCREENING! ACTION ON FILM FESTIVAL! MONROVIA, CA! MONDAY, AUGUST 25th!

BUY TICKETS NOW!

DIRECTIONS!

ACTION ON FILM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL!

HIGH THERE IS AN OFFICIAL SELECTION OF THE ACTION ON FILM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL!

MORE INFORMATION HERE

BUY TICKETS HERE!

FROM THE PRESS KIT: THE STORY BEHIND HIGH THERE

A real-life attempt to film a reality television pilot turned into the most unreal experiences of a lifetime for veteran journalist and producer Wayne Darwen and videographer Henry Goren, when they found themselves transformed into the characters Dave High and Roland Jointz in an accidental immersive investigation of the marijuana wars on the island of Hawai'i. Not quite sure what they had when they brought their high definition images back to the mainland, the pair edited a brief trailer that was posted on YouTube and quickly racked up more than 1.5 million views -- that's one point five MILLION -- while Darwen's appearance as Dave High on LipTV's Buzzsaw podcast shattered previous download records. Now, distributors are lining up as High There heads to film festivals, already hailed as the comedic successor to the work of Hunter S.Thompson and films featuring Barry McKenzie.

HIGH THERE PRESS KIT MATERIAL! DIRECTORS' BIOS

WAYNE DARWEN

Director/Writer/Producer

Immortalized in the book Tabloid Baby as one of the innovators of the tabloid television genre, Wayne Darwen rewrote the rules of television news, developed the template for the modern entertainment news package, changed the way stories are told on television and opened the gates for the reality television revolution. All the while, he was developing and cultivating the role of the brilliant Aussie pirate in an increasingly corporatized industry. Starting out as a 17-year-old reporter for a newspaper in Sydney, Australia, he traveled the world as a reporter for the likes of the Sydney Daily Mirror, Star magazine and the New York Post, before scorching the earth of popular culture when he made the move to television on influential shows like A Current Affair, Hard Copy, Geraldo Rivera’s Now It Can be Told and Inside Edition. He saw his reputation reach legendary status when he inspired the character of newsman Wayne Gale in Oliver Stone’s film, Natural Born Killers, mellowed considerably during an extended stay in Nashville, and washed up in Los Angeles at the dawn of the 21^st century to write and produce for network, cable, and the syndicated television series, Extra, while a new generation of television producer and executive looked upon him with awe -- and a bit of fear. In his most recent venture, Darwen confronted his own legacy as well as the devolution of modern journalism in the service of television entertainment when he wrote, directed, and took on the guise of Dave High in the documentary film High There. It is the first leg of a filmic journey that picks up where his colleague and inspiration Hunter S. Thompson left off.

HENRY GOREN

Director/Director of Photography/Producer

Henry Goren was born in Hollywood, California, with his future career as a photographer first taking shape when he was given the family Kodak 8mm movie camera at age eight to document a family vacation through some 35 states over 42 days. His father, an electrical engineer and writer, was amazed how well his son did the job, and an inspired young Henry continued to make small one-reel animation films. He broke into the film industry in the post production department of Schick Sunn Classic Pictures and was promoted to assistant film editor before breaking into the television news business as cameraman and director of photography for shows including Dateline, Extra, Celebrity Justice, TV's Practical Jokes & Bloopers and the NBC’s Olympic coverage. Goren was a stunt driver on Stingray, appeared onscreen as a footballer on HBO's 1st and Ten and as a police officer with a whole five lines on General Hospital. He first worked with Darwen while freelancing for Telepictures in 2002, beginning a long collaboration that culminated in High There.

Movie Reviews 101: “Party time! HIGH THERE is one to try!"

Documentary Dude: HIGH THERE is "wildly entertaining! Kept me laughing all the way through!"

HIGH THERE! HIGH NOON (11:50 a.m.)! SATURDAY! CANNABIS FILM FESTIVAL!

HIGH THERE AT HIGH NOON! (11:50 a.m.) Exclusive screening Saturday May 2nd at the Cannabis Film Festival in Humbolt County CA!

A message to the producers of HIGH THERE from the director of the Cannabis Film Festival

HIGH THERE IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY! TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

HIGH THERE + CANNABIS FILM FESTIVAL = HOT TICKET!

HIGH THERE IS COMING TO THE FIRST ANNUAL CANNABIS FILM FESTIVAL!

HIGH THERE online tributes!

HIGH THERE IS OUT THERE!

An interview with Dave High

TONIGHT!