The Low Budget Adventures of Low Budget Man

## Low Budget Man

Luikey

**The Low Budget Adventures of Low-Budget-Man**, commonly just referred to as **Low Budget Man**, is the first short-film by the MNR Film Group. It follows the titular character, Low Budget Man, a superhero who goes on a journey of self-discovery after a life-changing interaction with his father.

## Summary

### Prologue

In his office, scientist and capitalist Ted Johnson is rambling about the works of Miguel de Cervantes and Leonardo DaVinci. His assistant, Avery, enters the room and asks him about what he's been up to. He tells him about his newest plan, to create a super-hero known as Low Budget Man using a mysterious fluid he has concocted. Ted loses his temper and attacks his assistant after Avery doubts the legitimacy of his plan. Seeing his passion about the product, Avery, being a capitalist at heart, steals the fluid and creates Low Budget Man.

### 15 Years Later

Now a fifteen-year-old boy, Low Budget Man puts a quick end to the arising super-villain, Pool Boy. Following the fight, Low Budget Man calls his mother to pick him up, but she refuses as she as pilates. He decides to return to his home on foot.

### "I am no stranger"

On his way home, he is encountered by Ted Johnson, who reveals to him that Avery, now calling himself Mr. A, was never his true father, and that it was Ted who truly created Low Budget Man. Ted is furious that Mr. A has turned his life work into a massive business with intent only to make profit instead of saving the world. Ted shows Low Budget Man the evils of Ted's ways by showing him examples of him tormenting a young boy, and insulting a frail old man. All of this convinces LBM to go confront his bastard father and put an end to Avery's evil business. Before he departs, Low Budget Man asks for his fathers name, who tells him that it is Ted Johnson. Low Budget Man then leaves to Avery's secret lair.

### "You wanna know my secret plan?"

The next morning, Mr. A is on the phone with his friend and evil constituent, El Guapo, who inquires about his secret evil plan. Avery then tells him, in detail, about how he plans on killing Low Budget Man to create a lot of buzz around his name, and market the Low Budget Brand as collectors items to make more money which he will use to fund his further evil plans of taking over Africa and destroying the earth. As he finishes, Low Budget Man breaks into his lair, and he tosses the phone. The two confront each other, and LBM tells him that Ted Johnson revealed the evils of Mr. A to him, and that he has come to end the madness. In a last plea for his life, Mr. A begs for Low Budget Man to just forget about it, and think about how he was such a great father, but Low Budget Man won't Low Budget Budge. He then starts insulting Mr. A, as he now knows his real name, and taunts him, saying that the villain has a "girls name". Fed up, Avery pulls a gun, and the two have a brief shootout where LBM disarms him. He chases his so-called "father" into the woods to confront him for the last time.

### "Stop, fiend!"

Stopping in a clearance, the two face each other and begin to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Avery is able to really give his son the business, and really has him on the ropes. Unable to fight back, Avery prepares to finish him off with his special move, the "Hurricane Hook". In an act of what can only be called pure luck, Low Budget Man sneezes and accidentally dodges the finishing blow, opening an opportunity to nail a nasty Combo on Mr. A, who becomes so badly injured he leaves the fight.

### "Another day saved by Low Budget Man!"

As Avery departs deep into the forest, he swears that he will never return, and reveals that he was always a phony: even his New York accent was fake the whole time. Low Budget Man declares victory and goes off to lounge by the pool. As he dozes off, a familiar face emerges from the pool: Pool Boy, hinting at his eventual return.

## Behind the Scenes

Low Budget Man was created for the RCTV 72 Hour Film Fest, where it came in second place.

## Trivia

* Over 9 minutes of footage was cut in order for the film to be submitted to the 2017 RCTV 72 Hour Film Festival.
* Almost every line of dialogue was improvised, and most of the shots used were the first take.
* The film was selected as the center focus of *Con-Quest*, an RCTV feature film that sees three teenagers attempt to reach the Low-Budget Man panel at their local Comic Con. All of the actors from the original film appear as their real world selves during the panel scene in *Con-Quest*. The movie also features a montage sequence set to the Low-Budget Man theme song.