So, you ask, what's all this about, arseface? What, you ask, the stink, you ask, ask, ask, is Pleasant Productions, fuckbucket? It's a difficult question to answer, loaded with fear and hate. Where to start? Perhaps the obvious place to begin is the beginning... yes, the beginning. That's right, gang, it's time for a...
- HISTORY LESSON -
Pleasant Productions started way back in 2000 with two spotty young teens: David Jackson and Gavin Murray. They both had a shared passion for comedy, so they started a stand up comedy duo named the Pleasant Assassins. A tacky name for a tacky act. After a few days of writing truly awful stand up material, they came to the realization that live performance was something that required a talent they certainly didn't possess. So instead, they decided to make films with funny bits, but mostly just a lot of gore. Dave wrote and directed, while the more handsome Gavin became the lack-of-acting-talent stooge. They called their "production company" Pleasant Productions. During this time they pumped out such classics as the crap fest that was Spleen (2001), the 70 minute epic: Throbbing Gristle of the Black Horseman (2002), a dull serious one with a wanky name: Juxtaposition (2003), an attempt at something without blood: Pungent Love (2003) and Slums, (2003) which Leonard Maltin proclaimed to be the worst film ever made. It was all a load of rubbish and bollocks and bad smells, but it was fun. Shortly after high school ended, Gavin was shipped off to Canberra by the government leaving Dave all alone.
Even Dave (left) and Gavin look unimpressed with the script.
In a drunken and bitter haze, Dave accidently signed up for an RMIT Screen Production course. In his first year, he made a film, with an attempt at a comedic bum rape scene, called The Devil's Primetime (2004). The Devil's Primetime was hated by all staff and students, there was an attempt to remove Dave from RMIT. After he was officially kicked out, he began attending classes in drag under the name "Audrey".It was during this time he met Simon J. Green. Simon and Dave shared a similar love for film, comics and egg farts, so Simon became part of Pleasant Productions. It was at this point that Pleasant Productions became a little bit more than just a name to whack on the start of sub par films. Over the next few years, they created a radio program at SYN entitled Last Radio Show on the Left and shat out a few more films such as The Snuff Machine (2005), Sil (2006) and Cannibal Suburbia (2007). Then a bonus boner was thrown into the mix... comics. Which brings us to the now.
Pure fear.
- NOW? -
When Modern Gentlemen began, Jean-Luc Syndikas and Andrew Gallacher became part of the team as writer/artists. The Pleasant Productions teamed recently finished of the first issue of their comic anthology Modern Gentlemen. Issue two is currently in the works and many more talented characters have been added to the team (including Daniel Inglese, Thomas Kinsman, Joe Coen and Pierre Lloga). Also in post-production is the extended feature version of Cannibal Suburbia, directed and produced by Dave and Jean-Luc and starring Melbourne musician Donkey Punch Disco. Although film will always be a part of Pleasant Productions, the primary focus has become comics. Modern Gentlemen will continue to be produced assuming we can still afford the printing costs! Fuck web comics.
