Tony Kaye Has Directed His First Film in Over 13 Years

Tony Kaye was part of our “Directors Who’ve Gone Quiet” list. He no longer needs to be included as he’s about to premiere his first film in well over a decade.

Kaye is set to premiere “The Trainer” at the Rome Film Festival this weekend. Dubbed as a “satirical Los Angeles fairy tale,” the film tackles the world of gym communities in the city of angels. The synopsis promises an eccentric film, to say the least:

“The Trainer” follows Jack Flex, the inventor of a weighted hat that promises to “increase the flow of hope molecules to the brain.” The device, of course, is a death trap and a sham. But it represents a way to the good life for Flex and his mother (Beverly D’Angelo). Soon, Flex finds a connection with a hungry assistant (Julia Fox) at a home shopping network who wants to bring his device to the masses. Over the course of a scheming, incessantly awkward week in La La Land, Flex connects with an army of celebrities and power brokers who might make his dreams come true. 

Kaye describes “The Trainer,” which is still seeking U.S. distribution, as a “punk Marvel movie.” The cast includes Julia Fox (!!!), Beverly D’Angelo, Gina Gershon, Taylour Paige, Stephen Dorff, and Coleen Camp.

Kaye is of course known for 1998’s “American History X,” a film that has gained a large following of admirers these last 25 years. In the ‘90s, Kaye had come from a background of commercials and had a reputation as a music video genius. The sky was the limit for his talents, but “American History X” flopped and nearly destroyed his reputation.

The behind-the-scenes drama of “American History X” painted Kaye as a troubled genius who was impossible to work with. Then word came out that the theatrical cut released had been re-edited by the film’s star, Edward Norton. Kaye subsequently disowned the film and unsuccessfully attempted to have his name removed from the credits.

There are many who believe Kaye was blacklisted because of the ‘American History X’ drama. He’s made a few films since then, mostly unreleased due to chaotic productions. Trouble has always followed him around. It’s been 13 years since his last film, “Detachment,” was released — it was ignored by the public, that is until a cult following soon caught on to it. Its 7.7 rating and close to 84,000 votes on IMDB are not supposed to be the stats of a film that only made $70,000 in its brief 6-week theatrical run.

Whatever you think of Kaye, and there are lots of wild stories out there about him, he deserves to make another film, and I look forward to catching up with “The Trainer” in the near future.