Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

SnoopyStyle Ben Steinbauer has been one of the many fans of the bootleg outtakes on VHS tapes of a Winnebago industrial promotional film. He is obsessed with the angry Jack Rebney swearing his way through the filming. Jack seems to be a tough man to find until Ben finds him as a zen-like caretaker of a remote fishing camp in northern California. Later, Jack reveals his true foul-mouthed angry old guy persona as Ben convinces him to meet his fans.I didn't see the found footage tapes before this movie. After watching this film, I watched the footage and can see why it has gathered such a cult following. It's hilarious. The non-stop flow of expletives builds to a funny short. His angry tirades just keep coming. As for this documentary, it takes that tape and does the expected route of tracking Jack down. He doesn't disappoint. He's a grumpy old man and everybody knows at least one in real life. He has a quaint charm and one can't hate on the old guy going blind. Although the narrations could be cut back.

hte-trasme The concept for this documentary was intriguing and filled with promise, and the piece of film that inspired it was not only very funny but mysteriously appealing beneath its surface. While we watch Jack Rebney the RV salesman, we simultaneously feel on the one hand that he sounds like a an angry, overbearing, foul-mouthed, pompous blowhard -- and on the other hand we feel for him being trapped in a horrible, humiliating situation, and appreciate him for colorfully expressing the mountainous frustration that we come to feel along with him. With this documentary, history repeats itself. Jack is placed in just as frustrating a situation, and is just as eloquently, extraordinarily, literately uncouth about it. And that makes it an entertaining film -- inadvertently. In the end, "Winnebago Man" is not a deliberate success, but it's ironically a mesmerizing vehicle for the strangely interesting man that Jack Rebney is in the same way as the corny Winnebago ad that inspired it. And you get the sense that Ben Steinbauer is rightly as irritating to Jack as Tony, the hundred-degree heat, and the flies were in 1989. Steinbauer wants to find the man in the video and make a film about him, but despite this he seems to make no effort to understand him. In fact, he almost seems determined not to understand him. Jack is a literate, opinionated man who wants to express his views about the world. Steinbauer says Jack sent him columns and the draft of a book, but doesn't say anything that even suggests he read them. He says he wants to understand Jack, but asks him quests he specifically doesn't want to answer, and ignored he organic attempts to talk. I can't help but think that more would have been achieved by letting the cameras roll as the subject was allowed to relax and speak his mind. Instead Steinbauer condescendingly tries to drive him to town so that he can buy a video camera (which, owning a computer, I expect he could have already acquired if he wanted it) to post on YouTube (a medium he hates). In the end, there are some moments that consist mostly of what Steinbauer has filmed occurring at a live stage event, and Rebney does get to speak his mind rather insightfully if briefly about the appeal of the video itself. Some points have to be awarded for this being an entertaining film -- but the only credit the filmmaker gets for that is for physically finding an entertaining subject and owning a video camera. His lack of curiosity about the man he finds seems to miss the entire point of this kind of film.

aerodc Winnebago Man is a hands-down great film. For documentary lovers, this is a true winner. It has a great subject, and the emerging story was excellent. It's amazing what an interesting person Jack Rebney is and how much he represents. In a day and age of technology, how does one address the situation of Internet fame (for better or worse)? This film is a great testament to human nature. Winnebago Man had me literally laughing out loud and also had me holding back tears. Sometimes even just listening to Rebney talk is funny in its own regard. Other moments were touching in how they represented the up and down nature of life. I think you'd have to be stone-hearted to not enjoy Winnebago Man.

sparklefur I just saw Winnebago Man at the Traverse City Film Festival. It was ironic because I originally had the same attitude as Jack has in the movie: why the heck would I want to watch a movie about some guy swearing on RV commercial outtakes? It's amusing but not really my idea of comedy I'd want to spend money on, so I almost didn't purchase a ticket. I decided to take a chance on it anyway, rarely has the TCFF steered us wrong (*cough* soccer *cough*) and I'm really glad I did! This movie, and it's main character Jack Rebney, is both funny and deeply philosophical. This is one of those films (and real-life characters) that you want to watch several times to pick up on all the layers. Not only is Jack Rebney the greatest swearer of all time, but he's also smart, sharp witted, annoying, and endearing all rolled into one man. I hope that a publisher does pick up his book, It would really be interesting to read an entire book of his thoughts, even better to have the book on audio read by him. Anyway, this movie is highly recommended, you won't be disappointed!