Canadian Cincinnatus: The Arroyo: an out-of-the-closet conservative film by an out-of-the-closet conservative

Conservatives love to complain about the pop culture, how it demonizes conservatives and propagates a subversive left-wing agenda. But film-maker Jeremy Boreing decided to do more than just whine. He decided to take matters into his own hands by making a conservative film, The Arroyo, which is just being released.

Here is Andrew Klavan’s (who is a conservative screenwriter himself, penning one of Clint Eastwood’s flicks) take on the backstory:

“For those conservatives with artistic talent and ambition, this is a spectacular moment to take to the barricades. Big Media is tottering under the assault of new technologies. With electronic publishing and social media, books can be self-published and self-promoted. With the new video cameras, professional-looking films can be produced on the cheap and distributed online. YouTube, iTunes, smart phones, tablets, blogs — all provide opportunities for new kinds of work and new ways for that work to be dispensed.

But to take advantage of this moment, conservatives have to come to grips with a situation that they naturally find uncomfortable: to wit, we are now the counter-culture. When it comes to the arts, Radical Leftists are The Man. We need to act like the rebels we now are and stop trying to win the favor of the big studios and publishers and mainstream reviewers. We need to make stuff. Good stuff. And get it out to the audience any way we can.”

“This is easier said than done, but one genuinely inspiring example has been set by my friend Jeremy Boreing. Jeremy’s movie The Arroyo has had theatrical showings in Los Angeles and Texas and is now available on DVD. The good people at Newsmax will help with distribution and the film is scheduled for release on iTunes as well.”

About the film itself, Klavan has this to say:

“The Arroyo is really an amazing accomplishment. Brought into being on a micro budget, it’s a feature quality film. And to label it conservative would be limiting and unfair. It’s only conservative in the sense that it doesn’t lie about its subject. It tells the story of a rancher on the border who gets fed up with the heartless Mexican cartels using illegals to smuggle drugs across his land. Ignored by local law enforcement and deserted by our corrupt and hapless federal government, the hero takes a stand alone — and finds himself in a world of trouble.”

“The leftist Machete had no trouble corralling a top-flight cast and getting a wide release, complete with upcoming sequel. Jeremy, on the other hand, basically had to pull The Arroyo out of the ground by main strength. And he did, delivering steady writing, good direction and strong performances from an unknown cast (which, by the way, is extremely difficult to do). There’s also a top-notch score by John Campbell and some great songs. It also inspired this beautiful piece by Texas songwriter Cary C. Banks.”

I haven’t seen the film yet myself, but the trailer looks very enticing.

Boreing’s partner in art is Bill Whittle, famous to many for his Afterburner videos. While he only edited The Arroyo, he is developing film projects of his own: The Common Sense Resistance, Big Bat Problems and Aurora.

To those of us who like to complain about Hollywood, I say we have a duty to support filmmakers like Bill and Jeremy, as well as their products. So spread the good word about The Arroyo; get yourself a DVD copy; and support Bill Whittle’s upcoming projects by becoming a paid-up member of BillWhittle.com.