Very Cool!!!

Load of rubbish!!

Fantastic!

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

There is only so much to know about people who aren't willing to share who they are, but Ben Steinbauer tried milking every bit of information he could about the reclusive, well-read curmudgeon Jack Rebney, who is reluctantly the star of his own Outtake reel on YouTube. The result is a film, very similar to Alan Berliner's classic "Nobody's Business". In that, a filmmaker tries to get through to a broken down man. Jack Rebney is about as broken down as an old Winnebago, minus the accoutrement. As evident in the clip online, and in this documentary, Rebney hates the 21st century, and stupid people, and Dick Cheney... but mostly Dick Cheney. Jack is an exceptional human being, despite his temperament, and about as wise any elder you know of. Against his will, perhaps, he unravels here with the help of introspective filmmaker. This is a hilarious, fascinating documentary.

Summary: If you are like me, one of the greatest days of your life was the day you discovered "The Winnebago Man", a compilation of outtakes from a promotional video gone horribly awry. The reason for the brilliance of the video is a man named Jack Rebney, a man who forgot his lines, mercilessly harassed the crew, and commented on the idiotic nature of his own dialogue. After recovering from the epidemic of laughter that swept through the land, America was left with just one question: Who is Jack Rebney? Ben Steinbauer, a documentarian with nobility in his heart and courage in his mind, decided to step up to the plate and take the daunting task of tracking down Mr. Rebney. After multiple Google searches and a visit to a private detective, Steinbauer finally finds the true Jack Rebney, although the results are initially disappointing. A sweet, well spoken old man who lives a life of monk-like solitude in a remote cabin expresses remorse at his coarse language and attitude he adhered to in the past. Steinbauer, seemingly defeated, retreats back home, only to be contacted by Rebney a few weeks later with a startling confession: the innocent Jack Rebney Ben had met before was a charade, and the real Jack was dying to get out. From this point, we begin to see Jack Rebney as he truly is: a bitter, cantankerous, but somehow lovable old man who has an affinity for cursing. Review: Over the next hour, we begin to see a genuine relationship grow between Ben and Jack, and this relationship is easily the strongpoint of the movie. Ben's patience and gentle nature acts as a perfect antithesis to Jack's short-fused attitude and explosive personality. As the two begin to bond, the audience takes a trip through Rebney's mind, finding potential clues as to why The Winnebago Man is the disgruntled, frustrated shell of a man he is now. Although the movie never probes as deep into Rebney's psyche as it ought to, leaving many questions posed at the beginning unanswered, it still provides a fascinating look at a terminally angry man. Although this journey through the mind could end up being dark and depressing due to the somewhat tragic nature of its subject, Rebney throws in enough absurdist quips throughout the movie to keep things light and entertaining, creating the perfect mix of comedy and drama. And yes, the movie is quite funny at certain points (a live appearance by Rebney at a comedy club left me in stitches.) Overall, Winnebago man fails on some level by sidestepping some of the darker elements of Rebney's character, but it more than makes up for it with a great dynamic between the two leads and some genuinely funny moments.

One of the few documentaries that I have been waiting for since the internet first introduced me to Jack Rebney. After seeing a trailer for the film i like most people couldn't wait to catch a glimpse of the film in its entirety. It starts off perfectly introducing us to the clips that made this man so famous. Then without warning it tanks and just keeps getting worse and worse. Not only does this filmmaker have no idea what he's doing but he actually came close to ruining Jack for me. With no clear direction, rhyme, or reason it becomes 90 minutes of garbage. Every single time I start to get interested in what Jack is about to say he is cut off and asked stupid questions no one wants to hear the answer to. I almost wish this Documentary had never been made well lets not go that far. I wish this Documentary had been made by anybody else then Mr. Steinbauer who has a knack for taking a good thing and just absolutely turning it into a pile of steaming ****. If i owned a time machine i would go back in time not to assassinate Hitler or save the world in anyway, but to make this Documentary myself for the rest of my life i will be wondering what Jack really had to say. His world views and his solutions to the problems we face today instead I have been left even more confused about the Man from the Winnebago commercials then i was from the outtakes. I would never normally trash a film to such degree but i hope all proceeds go to cure Jack glaucoma so he can see Ben well enough to punch him in the mouth for turning what could have been one of the greatest documentaries ever into a joke. With no information learned from this entire project I am amazed this film made it off the cutting room floor. Next time you want to make a Documentary Ben take my advice and produce it and nothing else, don't be on film, don't direct, and don't ruin anything else for me.

Well if you are reading this, I am assuming that you already know what the documentary is about, so I will not cliff the storyline for you here.......... It's a great setup for a documentary, angry old guy, internet sensation, has a sort of cult following etc but the filmmakers let it all go to waste. After getting lucky and be actually able to find and reach this guy, they simply do not let him talk. It seems like all they wanted him to do was do the same thing he did on those infamous tapes, what's the point of that?....... You do not get to know the man through this documentary at all, not sure why this film is praised so much, certainly tricked me into watching it that's for sure.At one point the filmmakers wanted him to talk about his childhood and life and such and he informs them that he would rather talk about his political beliefs and why this country is going to hell and such and they simply stop the interview. Yes you read that right; they simply stop the interview and end it right then and there. Are you kidding me? Think of all the gems of wisdom we missed, all his wacky political theories, maybe some conspiracy theories, all lost in time now, never to be found again. By doing that the filmmakers simply gave us an extended "where are they now" sort of update. Hey say your catchphrase again for the audience; hey announce our radio station in a 2 second sound bite sort of thing. You do not need a documentary for that.The filmmakers should be ashamed of themselves for this wasted opportunity and lapse of judgment and turning this into a childish hehehehe session. What a letdown.