Tents

Synopsis

When the cops find a mangled body there are only two people they call. Bill and Mike. Far from experts in crime, at any hour of the night these two will put up a tent around a corpse so the civilian passerby doesn't see the gruesome scene. They are known simply as 'Tent Guys' and for the right price they can put up a tent. It's not a huge price.

Tents follows Mike and Bill who run a freelance for the police covering crime scenes while detectives work on bodies in privacy. The job is not hard even a little. It literally only requires putting up a tent. Mike and Bill have fallen into the perfect situation for two pseudointellectuals who believe the only person who could even dream of being pseudointellectually smarter than their pseudointellectual brilliant self is the other pseudointellectual they work with. The pair waste the spooky nights away in the din of a crime scene while they spar about the slight differences in their "grand" thoughts; after all, if they don't determine with great certainty why polo shirts are not formal wear, who will? They basically are content bullshitting while getting a check. Their only obstacle is trying no to be too loud as to attract the ire the detectives or other crime scene pros who might get annoyed at them.

Their arguing might get them fired if anyone who hates their constant chatter even knew their names. Bill is mildly discontent with the work and thinks the pair can do better in life with some ambition. Mike's response is that they shouldn't look a slacker gift horse in the mouth. During their busiest week of their career the two think they found a path to success while doing nothing at all: Maybe they can figure out the string of murders they have been bringing tents to.

The writing is the product of the real life comedy duo of Mike and Bill who have been broadcasting on syndicated public radio for a few years together. In lots of ways, the movie plays like a stand up special for this comedy duo (fresh off of finishing a video game for Troma and returning to an indie film spirit production).

The film was improvised entirely and really is meant to be a comedic 'My Dinner with Andre' that meets a Bill Hicks sense of comedy with a coating of the Smothers Brothers on the main characters inside a Clerk-like world.