Jack Blackhas become one of the most beloved comedic actors of his generation, thanks to his roles in such iconic comedies asSchool of Rock,Tropic Thunder, andGoosebumps. However, sitting in his filmography in 2018, betweenJumanji: Welcome to the JungleandThe House with a Clock in Its Wallsis a little obscure movie that sticks out among the others from the poster art alone (let alone before one digs into the content). This movie, out of a small studio in Utah, was never released in theaters, and it did not star any other big-name actors.
Getting to this point is a peculiar journey that starts withone passionate filmmaker, trying to make his break into Hollywood after making hundreds of films that he independently released. This is how Jack Black got involved in the movieThe Unexpected Racein 2018. We will look at the man behind the movie, Stephen Groo, making the documentary and the film itself.
Who is Stephen Groo?
Stephen Groois an American indie filmmaker born in Artesia, California. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Fine Arts. Groo has made over 200 films under his studio, Wolf Productions UT. Before meeting with a movie producer for the first time to get a film in theaters and draw in big-named stars (initially requesting Sam Rockwell, Bruce Willis, and Jack Black) forThe Unexpected Race, he had already made 166 movies.
This output comes from his admittance of working 14 hours daily on his movies and shooting (roughly) seven scenes, completing 148 shots, an obscene amount of content compared to a regular production. The movies are a mix of fan films and original projects. His notable original projects includeNew Breed, a tale of a vampire cult, andRubi, an action-centric revenge film. Comparatively, the nerd-culture-loving creator has made movies based onYu-Gi-Oh, Tomb Raider, She-Hulk, Street Fighter, andStar Wars, to name only a few.
For many, Groo’s movies will fallunder the “so-bad-its-good” banner, and his work has even drawn comparisons to other eccentrics like Tommy Wiseau, whose dedication to the craft and self-assured nature is part of what makes his movies fit the formula of a “bad” classic. However, others, like director Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), have been adamant that his work has a charm that transcends the label, films steeped in sincerity made by a passionate individual.
What is The Unexpected Race?
The Unexpected Raceis a tale of “star-crossed lovers” that mixes medieval fantasy elements in a modern-day context. The movie follows Amber, who meets an elf named Lythorian after returning home to help care for her dad after her mother died in a car accident.The two fall in love, but with the prejudice hanging over relationships between elf-kind and humans, it soon captures the attention of an FBI agent tasked with destroying all elves. In The Unexpected Race, Jack Black plays the local sheriff tasked with taking down Lythorian.
It should be noted thatThe Unexpected Raceis a remake of the film by the same name; the movie was re-shot with the point of turning into a Hollywood-ready feature film with a role reserved for Jack Black. The original Unexpected Race was released in 2003, with two sequels released in 2005 and 2006, before the 2018 reboot. Yes, it has its obscure cinematic universe.WatchThe Unexpected Raceon YouTube
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How Did Jack Black Come To Have a Role in The Unexpected Race
Director Jared Hess, best known for the filmNapoleon Dynamite, had been a long-time fan of Stephen Groo, discovering him through a flyer posted on a pole at his campus for one of his productions. He then got into the habit of purchasing a bunch of Groo’s movies and giving them out as wrap gifts to the cast and crew whenever he completed a film. He made the movies somewhat infamous in his small circle and those he worked with.
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Jared Hess worked with Jack Black onNacho Libre, the 2006 wrestling-luchador-themed comedy. After one day of shooting, when Hess was unwinding by watching a Stepehn Groo movie, Jack Black saw what he was watching and immediately became a fan. The documentary by Scott Christopherson,The Insufferable Groo, chronicles the making ofThe Unexpected Raceand Jack Black’s involvement.
Beyond seeing Groo’s hectic process, highlights from the documentary include his initial phone call with Black, where he talks himselfinto a cameo roleover two different lead roles. This leads to the actual shooting of his scene, which is truly joyous to watch, especially in how Jack Black plays the role with sincerity and interacts with the cast and crew. His thoughts on Stephen Groo as a filmmaker are also enjoyably comedic as he reflects on the DIY yet impassioned approach.
The Insufferable Groois available for free through Gravitas Documentaries' YouTube channel. If you want to check out more of Groo’s work, you can find a small selection of his vast filmography on Tubi and Plex.WatchThe Insufferable Grooon YouTube.
