Mister Organ
Mister Organ is a 2022 New Zealand documentary film by David Farrier, focusing on the life of Michael Organ, an enigmatic figure associated with an antiques store and car clamping business in Ponsonby, Auckland, and Farrier's attempts to learn more about his life.
| Mister Organ | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | David Farrier |
| Produced by |
|
| Cinematography | Dominic Fryer |
| Edited by | Dan Kircher |
Production companies | Firefly Films, Bloom Pictures |
| Distributed by | Madman Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $316,380[1][2] |
Synopsis
The documentary investigates Michael Organ, beginning with an investigation into Bashford Antiques, an antique store in Ponsonby, Auckland which was known for its over-enthusiastic car clamping policy. The documentary follows Organ's past victims, his response to Farrier's organisation, and the psychological warfare techniques he uses against Farrier.[3][4]
Production
The film is a result of a three-year investigation.[5] Farrier first reported on the story of Bashford Antiques in September 2016, in an article for The Spinoff.[6] As a result of Farrier's original story, the New Zealand Government introduced legislation outlawing excessive clamping fees.[6]
The film was announced by Farrier in his blog in June 2020, originally with the title Clamped.[6][7] Farrier described the documentary's production as a difficult ordeal, stating that:
"It sucked … It fucked me. If I had my time again with this, I guarantee you I would not do it."[4]
Release
The film debuted on 12 October 2022 at Fantastic Fest, an annual film festival held in Austin, Texas.[5] It was released to New Zealand cinemas on 10 November.[8]
Reception
The film received positive reviews. It holds a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 critic reviews.
Legal disputes
As it covered in the film itself, after Bashford Antiques closed, Farrier took the store's broken and abandoned sign, which led Organ to take Farrier to the Whanganui Disputes Tribunal, in order to repossess the sign. As the sign had since been stolen from Farrier's residence, he was forced to pay NZ$3,000 in compensation to Organ.[3]
In late October 2022, broadcaster and The Platform founder Sean Plunket shared several legal documents on Twitter relating to a temporary restraining order issued against Farrier ahead of Mister Organ's release in November. On 5 November, Farrier subsequently confirmed during a media interview with Radio New Zealand host Kim Hill that the legal documents were genuine. On 8 November, Farrier announced during an interview with Tova O'Brien on Today FM that he would be pursuing legal action against Plunket over his Tweets and the dissemination of the protection order.[6][9]
On 28 March 2023, it was announced by Farrier that the temporary restraining order was discharged and the application for a final order dismissed by the judge. It was also revealed that Organ was significantly involved and there was considerable substance to the suggestions that the application was designed to impede the release of Mister Organ.[10]
On 27 April 2023, Plunket was charged with two charges of publishing a Family Court report, including identifying information about a person, without leave of a court. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and his case was remanded until May 2023.[11] On 18 July 2023, the Police dropped their charges against Plunket on the grounds that they would have difficulty proving that the charges met the Family Court Act's definition of publishing the details of a "vulnerable person."[12] The Police found that Plunket had only shared redacted documents which were subsequently unredacted by other people on social media.[13]
References
- "Mister Organ (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- "Mister Organ (2023)". The Numbers. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- Hill, Kim (5 November 2022). "David Farrier: playing cat and mouse with Mister Organ". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- Schultz, Chris (5 November 2022). "David Farrier on making a movie that never ends: 'It sucked … it fucked me'". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- Grobar, Matt (20 September 2022). "'Mister Organ' Trailer: 'Tickled' Filmmaker David Farrier Places Investigative Spotlight On Rogue New Zealand Wheel Clamper With Latest Doc Set For Fantastic Fest Debut". Deadline. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- Sowman-Lund, Stewart (8 November 2022). "From Bashford Antiques to Sean Plunket: A timeline of David Farrier and Mister Organ". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- Farrier, David (10 June 2020). "I'm working on my next documentary, and it's called "Clamped"". Webworm with David Farrier. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- Tuckett, Graeme (8 November 2022). "Mister Organ: David Farrier's documentary is as bonkers as it is jaw-dropping". Stuff. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- Jackson, Oscar (8 November 2022). "David Farrier to 'absolutely' take legal action against Sean Plunket amid Twitter controversy". Today FM. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- Farrier, David (28 March 2023). "How Michael Organ Weaponised the Family Court... and Sean Plunket". Webworm with David Farrier. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- "Broadcaster Sean Plunket charged with publishing report of restricted court proceedings". Stuff. 27 April 2023. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- "Broadcaster Sean Plunket free of charges of publishing Family Court proceedings". Radio New Zealand. 18 July 2023. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- Kenny, Katie (1 July 2023). "What we know about the charges against broadcaster Sean Plunket and why they were dropped". Stuff. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.