Rik starts work on new comedy film

Rik Mayall has started shooting a new comedy film alongside former A-Team star Dirk Benedict.

Just For The Record is a mockumentary about the tribulations of low-budget filmmaking – reuniting the cast and crew of a failed fictional movie to discuss what went wrong with the abandoned shoot.

Mayall plays the interviewer raking over the story of an alcoholic producer who spends most his time in strip clubs as a pretentious director, untalented writer, feuding cast and incompetent crew try to work in an unfilmable location.

The ensemble cast also includes ex-Playboy centrefold Victoria Silvstedt, actor Steven Berkoff and former Right Said Fred singer Craig Fairbrass.

Filming began in Essex this week, starting at Katz lap-dancing club in Basildon.

First-time director Steve Lawson told the local Gazette newspaper: ‘We want to show the audience this is what the film industry can be like. It’s not as glamourous as people think.

‘Only one out of every ten films made gets to the cinema and I would say 99 per cent of people in the industry will have had experiences in their early careers, similar to the story we’re telling To get the cast we’ve got, it must be considered a pretty good script.’

And writer Phil Barron wrote on his blog: ‘I’m very excited about this cast … but in retrospect, if I’d known Rik Mayall was going to be involved I probably wouldn’t have stolen quite so many jokes from him.’

Producers hope to have the film ready for next year’s independent festival circuit, including Sundance and Raindance.

Published: 22 May 2009