''Ex Drummer'' is a 2007 Belgian

black comedy Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...

rock music film directed and co-written by Koen Mortier, whose previous work was limited to television commercials. It is based on the 1994 book by

Herman Brusselmans Herman Frans Martha Brusselmans (; born 9 October 1957) is a Belgian novelist, poet, playwright and columnist. He lives in Ghent. He is one of the best-selling authors in Flanders, but controversial at the same time for his profane language and o ...

of the same name. While receiving mixed reviews at the time, it went on to become a

cult film A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated ...

Plot

Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...

West Flanders West Flanders is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the North Sea to the northwest. It has land borders with the Dutch province of Zeeland to the northeast, the Flemis ...

, three physically disabled musicians are looking for a drummer for their

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

band. They want to perform only one time at a music competition. They approach famous writer Dries to be their drummer, the idea being that he also has a "handicap" in that he cannot actually play the drums. Their small setlist includes a cover of

Devo Devo is an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs ( Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a No. 14 ...

's song "

Mongoloid Mongoloid () is an obsolete racial grouping of various peoples indigenous to large parts of Asia, the Americas, and some regions in Europe and Oceania. The term is derived from a now-disproven theory of biological race. In the past, other terms ...

". For Dries, this is an opportunity to get some inspiration for a new novel, so he accepts the offer. The band members decide to call the band The Feminists, since, they think four "handicapped" musicians are just as worthless as a group of feminists. Their main opponents are the band Harry Mulisch (an allusion to

Harry Mulisch Harry Kurt Victor Mulisch (; 29 July 192730 October 2010) was a Dutch writer. He wrote more than 80 novels, plays, essays, poems, and philosophical reflections. Mulisch's works have been translated into 38 languages so far. Along with Willem Fre ...

), also led by a writer, nicknamed Dikke Lul ("Fat Cock"). As the story goes on Dries becomes more and more obsessed by his new novel and he tries to manipulate the band members and tries to find their weak spot.

Cast

* : Dries * Norman Baert: Koen de Geyter * Sam Louwyck: Ivan Van Dorpe * Gunter Lamoot: Jan Verbeek * Tristan Versteven: Dorian *

Wim Willaert Wim Willaert (born 19 March 1967) is a Belgian actor. He is best known for his performance as Frank Welvaert in the TV series ''Eigen Kweek (English: ''Home Grown'') was a 2013-2019 Belgian crime comedy television series on the Belgian channel ...

: Jimmy * Dolores Bouckaert: Lio * Barbara Callewaert: Christine * François Beukelaers: Pa Verbeek * Bernadette Damman: Ma Verbeek * Jan Hammenecker: Dikke Lul

Soundtrack

The music of The Feminists was in fact performed by Belgian band

Millionaire A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire. Many national currencies have, or ...

and the Harry Mulisch song was sung by Belgian singer Flip Kowlier. # Lightning Bolt – "2 Morro Morro Land" # Madensuyu – "Papa Bear" # An Pierlé & White Velvet – "Need You Now" # The Tritones – "Chagrin De La Mer" #

Mogwai Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwa ...

– "Hunted by a Freak" # The Experimental Tropic Blues Band – "Mexico Dream Blues" # Flip Kowlier – "De Grotste Lul Van 't Stad" #

– "Mongoloid" #

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

– "In Fiction" #

– "Grinning Mouths" #

Arno Hintjens Arnold Charles Ernest Hintjens (21 May 1949 – 23 April 2022), better known by his stage name Arno, was a Belgian singer. He was the frontman of TC Matic, one of the best-known Belgian bands of the 1980s. After the band split in 1986 he enjoyed ...

– "Een Boeket Met Pissebloemen" #

Augusta National Golf Club Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta National, Augusta, or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It is known for hosting the annual Masters Tournament. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Rob ...

– "People in Pairs" # Mel Dune – "Time Hangs Heavy on Your Hands" #

Ghinzu Ghinzu is a Belgian alternative rock band founded in 1999 in Brussels. Lineup *John Israel (also known as John Stargasm) (voice, keyboards), full name John-David Simon Israel *Mika "Nagazaki" Hasson (bass), full name Michael Salvatore Hasson ...

– "Blow" # Funeral Dress – "Hello from the Underground" #

– "Deep Fish" # Blutch – "Moving Ground"

Reception

In Belgium, it caused some controversy due to the violence and explicit sex in the film.

Awards

* Fant-Asia Film Festival ** won Jury Prize Best First Feature-Koen Mortier *

Raindance Film Festival Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates in major cities including London, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin, and Brussels. The festival was established in 1992 by Elliot Grove ...

** won Jury Prize Debut Feature-Koen Mortier * Warsaw International Film Festival ** won Special Jury Award-Koen Mortier * Rotterdam International Film Festival ** Tiger Award-Koen Mortier

References

External links

* * {{Rotten-tomatoes, ex-drummer Belgian biographical films Belgian crime comedy films Belgian rock music films 2000s Dutch-language films Belgian LGBTQ-related films Films based on Flemish novels Films set in Belgium 2007 crime comedy films 2007 comedy-drama films Punk films LGBTQ-related horror films LGBTQ-related musical films 2007 LGBTQ-related films Films about disability Dutch-language Belgian films 2000s Belgian films LGBTQ-related crime comedy films 2007 musical films