Courtesy of FilmBuff

“If it doesn’t inspire you in some way, I failed as a filmmaker,” says Richard “R.G.” Miller, the subject of Justin Johnson’s new documentary Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star. Of course the same can be said of Johnson’s homage to Miller, a prolific, super low-budget auteur who makes movies for the sheer love of it. Against many odds, Miller has succeeded in not only pursuing his passion, but getting many other people enthused and involved in the process. Double Digits celebrates the fact that while some may may aim for mega fame and fortune, those with extremely modest means and realistic ambitions should not be discounted as artists, and in fact, may be truer to their art.

We’re introduced to 52-year-old Miller at his Wichita, Kansas apartment  — which doubles as his studio — and learn that his one-man production company RG Internet Art Films has released several half-hour to hour-long features on Miller’s Youtube channel. “Thank God for the Internet,” he chuckles, not attempting to create a viral sensation with his compelling, delightfully lo-fi movies. “If I get double digits [more than nine “likes”], I’m successful.”

Courtesy of FilmBuff

Double Digits, which was shot over the course of three years, shows the making of Miller’s newest effort, The Mask Man, shot in his apartment and on his side lot, as are all of his films. His painstaking DIY efforts include miniature stand-ins (dolls), homemade costumes and masks, and various household items that have been transformed into props. He also writes all the scripts, plays most of his characters and inserts dialogue in a variety of accents. Miller, who specializes in sci fi, horror, action and superhero genres, cheerfully admits that not all of his output is up to snuff, which just means that he has to make a better sequel. It’s hard not to be impressed by his productivity and ingenuity.

We see him set up, shoot and reshoot scenes, deal with adverse weather and botched dialogue (his), and handle other adversities. Patient and methodical, he’s undeterred by setbacks, not only accepting that there will be frustrating moments in order to get good results, but thriving on it. Miller works nights as kitchen supervisor at the county jail — no easy job — and we hear from several co-workers, as well as relatives (especially brother Ephrem and cousin Tracy), several of whom have been involved in his films. All of them express admiration, if not downright awe.

In between scenes of his current project, we find out Miller’s backstory. Raised with various siblings and cousins by his grandparents after his mother died giving birth to him, R.G. grew up poor and a daydreamer. Always inventive, he acquired a cheap camera and began making movies in his early teens, screening them for friends and family in the toolshed. At age 17, he sent a film to Orion Pictures and the company expressed interest, but having no idea how to pursue the opportunity, Miller let it go.

At one point he enjoyed some local celebrity, but Miller’s life and

Courtesy of FilmBuff

dreams began unraveling after his friend and producing partner was murdered and the neighborhood started to deteriorate. Several more family deaths led the depressed Miller to drug use, homelessness and eventual prison time. Knowing the importance of filmmaking to R.G.’s well-being, Ephrem figures out how to get his brother inspired again. By this point, many neighborhood kids have begun collecting his movies, and we see how Miller has influenced various people around him.

Johnson, who first encountered one of Miller’s films when he worked at an Internet video startup, was so inspired by the man’s story that he used crowd sourcing to fund a “red carpet moment” – the first public screening of one of Miller’s movies in 25 years – at the Warren Old Town Theatre in Wichita. The last part of Double Digits shows the buildup to this momentous occasion. (Of course, Johnson’s doc is the ultimate manifestation of his regard for Miller.)

Double Digits is a touching movie about how the creative spark can become a life force. In many ways, those without many material or other advantages are the most transformed by the passion for some kind of artistic expression, no matter how modest. And finally, it shows how much an entire community can benefit from someone like Miller.  Check out his work here: https://www.youtube.com/user/cheaphomemademoives/

Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star is available on video on demand.

—Marina Zogbi