We've all seen bad movies. Not bad like, so cheesy they actually cross over into being good, I mean, BAD. Like "Howard the Duck," or "Battlefield Earth." Now, you've heard of these movies because they were actually made by and featured people who at one time exhibited talent. IF you remember, "Battlefield Earth" had John Travolta and Forest Whitaker, both excellent actors, just not in this movie. Likewise for "Howard the Duck," which was produced by George Lucas of Star Wars and Indiana Jones fame.
Director Uwe Boll has no such works on his own resume. That's not a critique, just a fact. I'm purposely avoiding being critical because I'd rather avoid an invitation from Mr. Boll for a boxing match (he's not the biggest fan of critics). His various, and often poorly received video game adaptations have earned him the wrath of gamers the world over, enough so that even showing the world a topless Terminatrix didn't even get him remotely close to a possible redemption in the eyes of gamers.
Despite making movies that are not only critically reviled by gamers and moviegoers the world over, but that often make fractions of what they were made for, Boll keeps making movies, which is economically baffling, until you realize his methods. In the DVD commentary of "Alone in the Dark," another of Boll's movies based on the game, but has absolutely nothing to do with it, Boll explained, "if you invest in a movie in Germany you get basically fifty percent back from the government." Up until 2005, German-born movie investors were only required to pay taxes on the profits made by the movie; if the movie loses money, the investor would get a tax write-off. Suffice it to say, investors were getting a lot of write-offs on Boll's work.
Now, the director is looking to the same fan base that's been deriding his work for years: the internet. Boll has started a Kickstarter campaign to fund a sequel to "Postal," which, like the game, is based more on shock value than anything else.
Boll is seeking $500,000 for a "controversial comedy in which we take up current political issues" and show "that there is no difference between our democracy and the prison camps in Russia or China." Because political messages always go over well in absurdist comedy. To drive home the point, remember that "Postal" opened with a bizarre rendition of 9/11.
$5 is the minimum donation Boll is asking, for which backers will get status updates on the film, but they range all the way up to $10,000, which earns donators a credit as "executive producer." Other "rewards" include naming a character, a pre-DVD release digital copy, premiere tickets, various amounts of merchandise, and more.
The best way to sum up Boll's campaign? In his own words, "There will be no survivors." I can't help but wonder if he's even aware of the implications.