Directing
Butch Willis is a Washington, D.C. rock legend. The unique and unusual brand of "outsider music" that Butch Willis & The Rocks created captivated the local music scene beginning with their appearance at the seminal Primitive Night in 1984. AMATEUR ON PLASTIC chronicles Butch's life and career from the beginning all the way through to present day. The film combines archival footage, interviews with Butch, and live performances. Stylistically, the film hovers between amateurish and avant- garde, much like Butch’s own music and career. Amateur on Plastic also parallels the 1990’s era of the seminal indie label Teen-Beat.
2020
In the late '80s, Jeff Mentges stopped fronting infamous DC band No Trend and went to film school. Instead of making the requesite short film to graduate, he ended up with Of Flesh and Blood, a black-and-white noir retelling of porn star John Holmes' sordid descent into drugs, mayhem and murder. Shot for just $15K, Of Flesh and Blood featured his former co-workers and denizens from Joe's Record Paradise, as well as beloved school janitor Al Breon in the starring role.
1990
