Arthur Nelson White, aka Vic Savage, is the creep responsible for The Creeping Terror, widely regarded as one of the worst movies ever made. The Creep Behind the Camera is a mishmash of a film, part documentary and part biopic, telling the story of Terror's disastrous production and Savage's ignominious downfall.

Not much seems to be known about Savage's personal life. He disappeared from public view before work on The Creeping Terror was even complete. Apparently the production was such a dumpster fire, Savage went on the lam to avoid lawsuits and criminal charges. Terror stayed unreleased until appearing on broadcast television a decade later. By then Savage had died a forgotten alcoholic. Writer/director Pete Schuerman fills in some of the blanks by interviewing Savage's ex-wife and a few of his collaborators. Their stories range from comical to sordid. None of them present Savage in a positive light. There are no fond memories of a quirky but amicable schlockmeister, like we hear from interviews with friends of Ed Wood. By all accounts, Savage was an incompetent, boorish, abusive fraud.

Schuerman plays fast and loose with the facts. Because Savage shot some of The Creeping Terror at Spahn Ranch, Schuerman suggests that Charles Manson was involved in the production. In truth, Manson was in prison at the time and wouldn't move to Spahn Ranch until several years later. That fabrication alone is flagrant enough to put the rest of the movie's accuracy into question. Did Savage really borrow money from the mafia? I can't say. A little artistic license is okay in a biopic, but the documentary angle made me expect a less fictionalized account.

The reenactments are about the same quality as a run-of-the-mill true crime show on Discovery Channel. Unlike those shows—where the reenactments are little more than background visuals to complement a voiceover—Schuerman puts the reenactments front and center. It's impossible to ignore how hokey they are.

The Creep Behind the Camera isn't factual enough to work as a documentary and isn't entertaining enough to work as a biopic. It aims for something in the middle and winds up missing both marks. A tiny handful of interesting moments keep it from being a complete waste.

5 out of 10.

Seen on Amazon Prime.