Drawing Flies

Drawing Flies is a 1996 comedy film from Kevin Smith's View Askew Productions. It was written, directed, and edited by filmmakers Malcolm Ingram and Matt Gissing, with financial backing from Smith and Scott Mosier. This was Jason Lee's first leading role. The movie gets its namesake from a song by the band Soundgarden.

Synopsis
After they get cut off welfare, Donner (Jason Lee) leads four of his jobless, penniless roommates spend their last remaining money on a cover charge for a party and get high. After getting evicted, they all embark on a journey to find a cabin in the woods that belongs to his uncle. They get lost and stranded in the woods, without food or water or their bearings when their van breaks down. He eventually reveals to his roommates that the search for the cabin is really a search for Sasquatch. They, of course, think he's crazy. There is conflict. Donner insists he is onto something, but the others just write him off. But to make matters worse, they uncover all kinds of bizarre and dangerous activity as they wander through the woods in search of not only Bigfoot himself but any hope of a future. Eventually, Donner does find Bigfoot and has a campfire with him (as well as others).

Production notes
While making Mallrats, Kevin Smith met Canadian Film Threat journalist Malcolm Ingram and his friend Matt Gissing; the three decided to make Drawing Flies, the title of which is based on a Soundgarden song from the album Badmotorfinger. Along with much of the cast of Mallrats, Smith headed up to the Canadian wilderness and made the film. The same camera and type of film stock that was used to film Clerks was used to film Drawing Flies. The film was only featured at a few film festivals before it was given a DVD release in 2002. Kevin Smith wears his "Silent Bob" outfit from Mallrats and is credited as "Silent Bob", although the character is referred to as "John". He never utters a line.

Home media
The film was released on DVD on February 26, 2002.