By FITSNews || Every once in awhile a story comes along that leaves us alternately scratching our heads … and struggling to contain our laughter.
This is one of those stories.
Where to start …
Hmmm …
Let’s just take it from the top, shall we?
Former S.C. lawmaker and current House of Representatives reading clerk James “Bubba” Cromer (legislative bio here) was an “independent” legislator – the first elected in the state since Reconstruction. He’s also an independent moviemaker, one who recently hired a talent agent to promote his body of work – which includes a bizarre motion picture called The Hills Have Thighs.
According to its official website, Hills purports to be “a hysterical Appalachian Comedy that centers around the sudden disappearance of a local hillbilly icon named Daniel Boone Owen, who vanishes one night after a corn liquor-induced stupor.” Hardly a testament to political correctness, Cromer’s film “features a spray of characters ranging from a closeted homosexual hillbilly named Drip, who has a propensity to dribble a little urine in his overalls, to an Obama-obsessed Limousine Liberal from California named Tree-Tree, who has a penchant for ‘Mammy’ Dolls and sees nothing wrong with her extensive collection of ‘Negrobelia,’ to two lesbian ‘sisters’ – Twinkie and Velvetta Adams – who are forced to live in the cellar, to a colorful variety of big-boned ladies with even larger attitudes.”
All of this is okay, of course, because Cromer is gay. And gay people can indulge in whatever stereotypes they want, right? You know, sort of like that episode of South Park where Mr. Garrison goes around calling everybody “fags.”
Anyway, the real “hilarity ensues” not in the film (which is frankly one of the dumbest things we’ve ever seen), but in real life.
Earlier this month, according to the Associated Press, Cromer stumbled upon a television listing indicating that his film would be appearing on The Movie Channel. Apparently unfamiliar with the concept of pressing the “info” button, Cromer informed literally everyone he knew – including state lawmakers – urging them to tune in and watch.
“I got on my floor and I crossed myself because that was a dream come true,” Cromer told the AP.
One problem … when the movie finally aired, it wasn’t Cromer’s film – but rather a soft core porno directed by Jim Wynorski, who specializes in rip-off plots.
The storyline of this Hills movie?
“A group searches the desert for a missing friend but instead find a trio of crazed, sex-starved mutant women.”
Nice!
Of course Cromer was mortified, and quickly found himself on the receiving end of phone calls from angry lawmakers who accused him of embarrassing the legislature (editor’s note: don’t choke on that irony). As a result of the kerfuffle, Cromer is now suing HBO and Showtime for defamation and emotional distress caused by negligence.
Only in South Carolina, people … only in South Carolina …
WEB EXTRA
The Hills Have Thighs (Official Site)
By Todd March 24, 2010 at 11:11 am
I thought the movie was funny – even better than I expected. Just because you didn’t like it, Sic, doesn’t mean a lot of people will not think it is funny.
By Harumph March 24, 2010 at 1:12 pm
He’s gay?
By Gina March 24, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Wouldn’t Cromer have known if it was his film being shown? As in signed a release, received payment of some kind….
The film shown, same title as Cromer’s flick, was release 2 years ago.
Actually, Cromer should be sued for copyright violations……..
By Silence F-ing Dogood March 24, 2010 at 8:50 pm
The “rip off” version that happened on HBO wasn’t a rip off of Cromer’s film, that stuff really happened to me on Spring Break one year…long story, you’ll just have to watch the movie.
By Calhoun Fawls March 25, 2010 at 12:39 am
Why the hell would you name your movie such a name if you were not going to show a little skin?
By Copyright March 25, 2010 at 7:41 am
Gina, the title itself can’t be copyrighted.
By beentook2 March 25, 2010 at 8:56 am
This piece of commentary is akin to watching dogs humping.
However if the humpee and humper were Cromer and Bauer getting it on under the Confederate Flag, it could rise to the level of an interesting story.
Just to expand the character gene pool one could have McConnell standing by as a humper in waiting and Boss Hog Knotts present with a water hose to keep things under control.
Now, if any of the named above cockroaches tries to rip off my plot line a lawsuit for defecation will be filed.
By SnakeMD March 25, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Copyright is right, you can’t copyright the title of a movie as well as a book. Several years ago we had a local SC author publish a book called “Private Parts” and at the same time Howard Stern came out with his book with the same title. Amazing how these things happen. Maybe there is another Fits out there…
By CrazyH March 28, 2010 at 2:20 am
I dont think they should be a case here at all. For people who think it is a case just because his info was shown …well how much do you watch tv?
The info being shown means nothing. I am assuming that the cable provider or the network is doing just that. I dont think anyone is typing in the info they are just getting the info via the internet like when your itunes searches for album track listing.
I could be wrong but many many times the info is wrong and if EVERY director decided to sue then that would be very stupid. One time I saw a name of an episode that had the same name as a obscure TV show so the cable said it WAS THAT SHOW and not the episode name.