I Exhibited Films For A Year. I Lost Money, but I Think I Made My Point

by Billups Allen

84 pages, Paperback

Published February 21, 2025

About the author

Billups Allen spent his formative years in and around the Washington D.C. punk scene. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a creative writing major and a film minor. He has worked in seven different record stores around the country and currently lives in Memphis, Tennessee where he works for Goner Records, publishes Cramhole zine, contributes music and movie writing regularly to Razorcake, Ugly Things, and Lunchmeat magazines, and writes fiction.

Reviews

[Christian Hall]

Love the fact that Billups titled this book as if it was a YouTube video. I think more authors should do that.

This book journals how a project can royally not pan out and the dark comedy that arises out of that. Billups can’t seem to catch a break, which is both brutal and hilarious in equal measures. Building community gatherings is tough.

Describing the few people who attended one of his movie screenings, Billups writes:

“Two or three disinterested people are the police flashlight to the dark car of your delusion. The light makes you anxious. You realize your taste has brought someone to a show and they don’t like it. Funny enough, they left $5.”

[jon]

as someone who attempts monthly movie nights in my own home and struggles to get my own friends to come, this was triggering. as someone who has also hosted a screening of Mahakaal, this was extra triggering

[Ken Mcintyre]

Loved it. Can't resist a rags-to-rags story.