BTL Radio Show – 07/06/2026 with writer/director ANTHONY FRITH talking MOCKBUSTER

 

 

 

It’s another entertaining and enlightening episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to co-writer/director ANTHONY FRITH and his documentary MOCKBUSTER.

Now, MOCKBUSTER isn’t your typical documentary.  This is a documentary directed by Anthony Frith concurrently with his directing of an Asylum Studios B-movie classic, THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT.  I know you know The Asylum, the studio responsible for the SHARKNADO franchise and a few hundred other glorious B-movie genre gems that inevitably revolve around sharks, aliens, dinosaurs, Nazis, Russians, nukes, bad accents, vampires, zombies, and generally a take-off on known blockbusters by altering titles and scripts ever so slightly into what have become known as “Mockbusters.”

Now, don’t ever knock The Asylum and its founders/creators, David Latt, David Rimawi, and Paul Bales.  These guys have perfected a business model and moviemaking formula that lets them churn out films, many in less than a week with principal photography, do all the post-production in a well-oiled in-house machine, and then bring them straight to you on digital/video/dvd aka direct-to-video platform.  And their films are, on the whole, a ton of fun.

Enter Australian filmmaker ANTHONY FRITH.  Anthony has an interesting background but has primarily made a living making corporate video shorts and PSAs like “how to grieve” video manuals, but has long dreamed of directing a feature film.  One day, the light bulb went off, and he got the idea to reach out to The Asylum, asking to direct a film.  As luck would have it, The Asylum had a movie for him to direct – THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT.

Terrific!  But, Anthony has to adhere to The Asylum model – 6 days to film, there is no script yet, and we want it shot in Australia.  Okay!

But Anthony took things a step further.  He saw comedic potential in documenting the process of making a film for The Asylum and spoke with David Latt, CEO and Head of Production, about his idea to shoot a documentary of the making of THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT while he was shooting THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT.  Needless to say, Latt loved the idea and said go for it, which meant Anthony would be directing two films simultaneously – a documentary and a narrative, with the documentary capturing the entire Asylum process of B-movie filmmaking.  Thus, MOCKBUSTER was born.

MOCKBUSTER is a scream!  And this conversation with Anthony is almost too much fun as Anthony and I dive into the logistics and challenges of directing two films concurrently.  THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT was financed entirely by The Asylum, while it was left to Anthony and his documentary producers to find financing for MOCKBUSTER. As you will hear, Anthony makes it clear that the two productions maintained separate budgets and did not overlap financially.  They also had separate crews.

As we dive deeper, Anthony discusses the intense pre-production and scheduling required to manage both projects, especially during the six-day principal photography window for THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT.   That 6-day shoot was a key element of Anthony’s approach to MOCKBUSTER as everything about the doc relied upon the timetable for THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT.

Working with his cinematographer Maxx Corkindale, they meticulously planned the documentary’s aesthetic and coverage, often coordinating via in-ear monitors to capture key moments without disrupting the feature’s production. The documentary crew blended into the background, allowing the feature’s cast and crew to focus on their work while still being observed for the documentary.

Post-production processes for the two films were also distinct. Asylum handled all editing and post for their feature in-house, with Anthony providing minimal input. Notable are scenes showcasing legendary Asylum VFX Supervisor Glenn Campbell, who passed away in late 2024.  In contrast, Anthony was deeply involved in editing MOCKBUSTER alongside editor David Scarborough, with whom he shared a strong creative rapport and did not have time constraints like those of the Asylum for the feature film, which allowed Anthony and David to take their time.  And dare I say that David did a knock-out job with the editing, striking a balance between the behind-the-scenes on the doc and the in-camera process of the Asylum feature.  They worked together to shape the documentary’s narrative and comedic tone, even as they waited for the feature’s ending to be completed. Composer Bryony Marks joined late in the documentary process, but quickly delivered a full score that captures the fun of MOCKBUSTER.

It’s interesting as we go back and forth between MOCKBUSTER and THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, almost like Anthony jockeyed back and forth in his mind during production.   Filled with practical production details, and fun anecdotes about doing double duty at the same time, as well as the unique challenges of directing two films in different genres simultaneously, it’s also refreshing to hear Anthony’s praise for the MOCKBUSTER producers and crew (and of course, the folks at The Asylum, especially line producer Brendan Petrizzo who worked mathematical monetary miracles to pull off THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT).  And yes,  Anthony reflects on the steep learning curve of making a feature-length film and the adaptability required to manage unforeseen changes during production.

You can see MOCKBUSTER this Friday, July 10th, when it opens in select theatres with more to come, and is available nationwide on digital.

 

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