Motern on Motern: Conversations with Matt Farley and Charles Roxburgh

by Will Sloan, Justin Decloux

At last! The mad geniuses behind such warped masterpieces as Don’t Let the Riverbeast Get You!, Freaky Farley, Local Legends, and Slingshot Cops tell their shocking true story! In the first book about the greatest horror/comedy auteurs that Manchester, New Hampshire has ever known, Matt Farley and Charles Roxburgh take a film-by-film tour of their eccentric cinematic oeuvre. In a series of wide-ranging interviews with Will Sloan and Justin Decloux (hosts of The Important Cinema Club podcast), the mavericks behind Motern Media tell the epic story of a 20-year collaboration crafting cult classics on the margins of cinema. From wrangling zero-budget productions to tangling with fly-by-night distributors, they never lose the joy of making a backyard movie with friends. In the tradition of Hitchcock/Truffaut, Bergman on Bergman, and This Is Orson Welles, MOTERN ON MOTERN is a story of friendship, community, and the agony and ecstasy of filmmaking. Featuring bonus interviews with Motern cast members and a never-before-seen Farley/Roxburgh screenplay, it’s the definitive resource for indecorous deviants everywhere! "Will Sloan and Justin Decloux have created the definitive work on two of cinema's most inspiring artists. Matt Farley and Charles Roxburgh make films for all the right reasons, if not always in the precisely right ways, and their output and methodology merit study by any gestating independent filmmaker." - Simon Barrett, writer of The Guest and You're Next

Genres: Nonfiction, Film

202 pages, Paperback

Published October 4, 2020

Reviews

[Cian Lyons]

I find Matt Farley to be an exceptionally interesting figure. He and Charles Roxburgh made a dozen films with no recognition except for bare acknowledgement from their friends & family, most of whom were in the films themselves. Since 2016, they have accrued some recognition due in no small part to the tireless boosting by the Important Cinema Club podcast. Note: this recognition is still not nearly enough to make these films in any way financially viable or even any easier to produce, but at least they are no longer being sent into the void.

I started with 2013’s Local Legends, so far my favourite of the Motern films. Part of that is from the Allenesque romantic comedy style of the film, but also from Farley’s maniacal drive to create endlessly and his philosophy of the importance of creative expression even if it is stressful and achieves no wider recognition. Farley and Roxburgh stayed fiercely independent, refusing to compromise and situating all of their films within the general area of Manchester, New Hampshire. Farely himself has composed and released over 30,000 songs, something he was eventually able to make a living off of in 2016.

Anyone who has watched their films know that they are extremely low-budget and have a very unique creative style. They manage to turn the low-budget nature and their non-professional actors into a comedic note. After watching a few of their films and appreciating this mix of talent, low-fi style, and indefatigable spirit, I had to buy this book to read more about their story.
This book is thoroughly enjoyable. It goes through film by film how they put them together, how they struggled to wrangle unpaid actors together, the lessons they learned, the friendships they relied on. The interviewers are comfortable to ask good questions due to their illustrious knowledge of genre B-Movies, and I loved the interviews conducted with some of the cast members at the end of the book (although I would have appreciated an interview with Sharon Scalzo, a Motern star who is often overshadowed by Kevin McGee, despite her also pitch-perfect delivery of the material given to her). The blurb of the book tongue-in-cheek compares itself to similar interview books with Hitchcock and Bergman, but I enjoyed this book on a similar level to Schrader on Schrader. It is a little refreshing to compare the literary and artistic aspirations of Schrader, a man who hopped on the rocket to success with that New Hollywood generation, to the parochial but equally determined creative world of Matt and Charlie.

I hope a new edition of this is released when Motern release another dozen films. They’re at 7 as of this review.

[John M. Armbruster · Rating 5 out of 5]

For over 20 years, New England filmmakers Matt Farley and Charles Roxburgh have been making movies their own way. Despite low budgets, lack of marketing, and casts of amateur actors, the movies have a charm, vision, and joy that is difficult to describe unless you *get it*. And most people will never get it. But once you do, you will wish the world was a place where everyone did get it. The genre of their movies is generally low-budget comedy horror, so if you are into that, you should check out Don't Let the Riverbeast Get You! on Amazon. And go from there. The book primarily consists of a series of interviews with Farley and Roxburgh by two serious film critics who aren't afraid to admit their love of these movies. The book will primarily appeal to fans of Motern Media/ShockMarathons movies, and if you are one, you definitely will love this in-depth journey through their background and work.

[Eric Gilliland · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the tradition of Hitchcock/Truffaut, Motern on Motern is an oral history of the film universe created by New England based filmmakers Matt Farley and Charles Roxburgh. As college students in the late 90s they began making movies with their family and friends and since then have built their own canon of regional cinema, their most famous film being Don't Let the Riverbeast Get You from 2012. Toronto based writers/podcasters Will Sloan and Justin Decloux have compiled the definitive work where the reader can learn about their influences, creative process, and colorful anecdotes on their filmmaking efforts through the years. Still obscure to most mainstream audiences, with luck this book will help them gain a wider audience. In a way Motern on Motern serves as history of an entirely old/new type of filmmaking unique to the 21st Century.

[Alex Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of interviews with the makers of the Motern Media films (including films such as Freaky Farley, Don’t Let The Riverbeast Get You, and Local Legends) is an inspirational read. Farley and Roxburgh have a need to create, regardless of the attention their work receives. Having watched many of their films (which I’ve really enjoyed), this book has helped me gain even more appreciation for them.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic insight into one of the best film-making teams around. Not to be missed for fans of Charlie and Farley. These guys prove that you can create great, fun things (in your spare time no less!) when your heart is in it.

[Coffee Bromage]

ayyy

- the fonz

[PL]

Almost as enjoyable as watching a Roxburgh/Farley movie! Made me want to make movies again.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pretty remarkable breakdown of the whole Motern Experience, and a reminder that I've still got about a half-dozen of these films that I still need to track down and check out.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Math Farley has an undeniable passion and it’s hard not to want to make a movie or watch a big amount of movies after reading