"The Assassinator" is an independent short film that was made by a group of students (mostly from Grey College, Durham University) in 2004.
It is a dead-pan action-comedy pastiche, and could also be described as a parody of these genres. It boasts some of the largest fight scenes ever seen in an independent film!
The film depicts the exploits of 'Tom Manderson' a member of the notorious 'Assassins Guild' (based on the real life Durham University society).
Despite the fact that the budget for "The Assassinator" was just £10, the film actually contains some not at all unimpressive special effects.
The film is the brain child of film-genius James Brzezicki, of Stupid Movies. His original goal was to make a film based on a simple premise: that grown men would fight with toy guns and take it all very, very seriously. This gave the film a strange undercurrent that would not have been present with realistic weapons. Because some action films are so bad they are - at the same time - good, "The Assassinator" attempted to 'one-up' every cheesy action film every made!
Guest Director Peter Holland joined the team half-way through production to add his own scene and character: Tom's training in the forest by the mysterious, white-robed Master.
The film was released, to tremendous acclaim, on the 23rd June 2005 and has since been shown in home cinemas all over the world, from Lithuania to Leeds.