The new HBO series, The Neistat Brothers [Fridays, 11 p.m., encores on Mondays and Wednesdays], is a prime example of what cable makes possible. It’s an eight-episode series composed of collections of short films by and about brothers Casey and Van Neistat [NYE-stat] – artists and filmmakers who became online sensations with shorts like iPod’s Dirty Secret. It is not a reality show.
The brothers live and work in New York City and one of the short films in the first episode details how they expand their tiny studio into an adjacent studio, tripling its size. The film also includes a tour of the finished facility. What’s remarkable about that? Everything is done on a budget that wouldn’t cover the ties on Mad Men.
Somehow, with next to no money and off-the-shelf equipment, the Neistats manage to create tiny moments of brilliance both poignant and hilarious. In the first half hour, the best example of the former is Van meeting his – as he puts it – biodad for the first time. A good example of the latter is Casey’s son Owen’s short film, The Blue Gint [Giant] – made because Owen tells his dad about his idea for a film and Casey immediately says let’s do it.
Ever since 2000, when the brothers each used their tax returns to by iMac computers and maxed out their credit cards to buy video cameras, they’ve been making these short, remarkably entertaining films that look like anyone could do them. The secret, of course, is that not just anyone has the desire and the brass to go out and do that. Well, that and enough imagination to keep up a steady flow of ideas to turn into films. I find the stop-action animated credits for the shorts to be as well done and entertaining as anything on TV.
I suppose you could describe the Neistats’ style as gonzo – they even quote Hunter S. Thompson at one point. The thing is, these guys are utterly fearless. If they come up with an idea, they shoot it. This attitude results in one of the more epic films – when the brothers challenge their assistant, Oscar, to get a bottle of maple syrup to Amsterdam [they, of course, smuggle some themselves, just in case he fails].
The Neistat Brothers is unique – I literally can’t think of another network where such a series could exist. HBO is known for taking chances and going for the new and different and this series is nothing if not different. I can’t see the series being a True Blood-sized hit, but just the fact that it got on TV is a kind of magic.
Final Grade: A-