Hurling expletives with flair and ease, Jack Rebney has come to be known by a number of names, including “the angriest man on earth,” and the “Winnebago Man.” What was once a mere viral video featuring Rebney is now a full documentary feature that offers a charming and magnetic depth. Winnebago Man will further fans’ love for Rebney, and earn him even more admiration.
On August 6, Cinema 21 will begin showing Winnebago Man, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll grab a seat.
Unbeknownst to Rebney, a video of outtakes from a Winnebago commercial filmed in 1988 showing him profanely delivering his lines had been exchanging hands for over two decades. It all started as an inside joke between the film crew. An outtakes reel was made and shown to friends and family. Practically every viewer it came across copied the video and it was subsequently distributed again and again to more friends and family.
It was the original viral video, long before the Internet had come to offer more convenient ways of wasting time. Those who were in the know and working in Hollywood even injected portions of Rebney’s words into their TV shows and movies such as The Sopranos and even Spongebob Squarepants.
Filmmaker and teacher Ben Steinbauer was one such person who came across Rebney’s tape. He had watched the video for years, breaking it out for friends. It became one of his favorite pastimes. As viral videos took off and their stars emerged, Steinbauer began to wonder what happened to his favorite underground cursing celebrity.
For better or for worse, viral videos have become a fairly involved part of pop culture. Whether a friend sends you the latest cute-dog video, or you actively spend time on Youtube or Break.com, little clips of funny, bizarre or embarrassing videos have made a number of people famous whether they like it or not. This is partially what Steinbauer sets out to discuss in this film. Viral videos can make or break a person emotionally. So, to analyze the phenomenon, he searches for Rebney—the ultimate and original viral star—to see how it has affected his life. He eventually gets his answer, and much more.
Winnebago Man is an engaging movie filled with a profanity-filled story not often found in documentary-style films. In other words, it’s fucking endearing.
Steinbauer is able to convey Rebney, now nearly 80 years old and blind, as the man he truly is, which isn’t too far off from the video that has now made him famous—though these days, he is more inclined to turn his anger on the Dick Cheneys and Wal-Marts of the world.
What we find out is that Rebney has quite a heart, one filled with as much charm, wit and other lovable accoutrements as his mouth is filled with outbursts of obscenities. Rebney is a man who doesn’t understand such notoriety gained from the Internet, and has doubts about the brand of people who would watch such videos. Steinbauer spends much of the film bantering with Rebney over this idea.
Steinbauer’s endeavor to discover Rebney and reintroduce him to the world is a success, making Winnebago Man one of the best films this summer.