Written by Ryan Dailey
You see it scrolling Facebook. You encounter it en masse in your phone’s app store. You encounter it everyday and you may or may not even be aware of it. Is it cyberstalkers? Scammers phishing for your personal data? Yes, but what I am talking about is something else entirely.
A.I.
Showdown in Secret City addresses A.I. and wishes you a happy Orphan Day in the form of a film that could very well be This is Spinal Tap for the film industry. Not only is this the fourth entry in Big N Funky’s Smoky Mountain Chronicles, but it is also the fourth time that these filmmakers have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that independent films are alive and well.
The satire is somehow not only biting, but light hearted at the same time, a testament to the writers and the performer delivering the lines. This is to be expected from Big N Funky at this point,
Showdown in Secret City tells the tale of Big N Funky Productions getting their studio shut down so that A.I. can take the reins of their next movie. The movie becomes a stoner version of I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream in the best possible way. Vinnie, Luke, Kandi and Travis become fed up with computer interference, as should everyone, and take up arms against the digital overlords. I will not go into too much detail, as I do not want to ruin the jokes for first time viewers, but if you yearn for the dick/fart and sex jokes from a bygone time, there are plenty. The comedy actually reminds this reviewer of the golden age when funny was funny, peal clutchers be damned.
From the opening credits to the twist ending, viewers will be glued to the screen, especially long time fans.
Showdown in Secret City is coming soon to physical media as well as various streaming platforms.
But, like LaVar Burton always said, “You don’t have to take my word for it.” Here it is from the filmmaker’s mouth.
SHOWDOWN IN SECRET CITY
“Artificial Intelligence vs. Low Intelligence”
A Film by Big N Funky Productions
Four filmmakers are forced to comply with a movie executive’s demands to create a blockbuster with the help of artificial intelligence or else.
SYNOPSIS
In the hills of East Tennessee, a struggling group of independent filmmakers receives an impossible ultimatum: create a blockbuster hit or disappear from the movie business forever.
They are forced to work with Fritz, the self-named A.I. that resides inside the fastest machine in the world — the Oak Ridge Super Computer — the very same computer that built the atom bombs used to stop World War II.
Tension builds as the filmmakers clash over the direction of the computer’s film. After several arguments and dust-ups with crazy German scientists, talking dogs, stuttering professors, giant babies, mysterious talent agents, angry janitors, a religious karate cult, sex robots, and Fritz himself, the movie is finally made: a pathetic and all-too-familiar superhero film, Guano-Man.
And wouldn’t you know it? It’s a worldwide smash.
As several accidental deaths surrounding the creation of this film suddenly point towards Fritz returning to his murderous ways, the four filmmakers take it upon themselves to try to stop the out-of-control robot before it destroys the city… or even the world.
Blending practical and CGI effects, retro science-fiction aesthetics, absurdist comedy, horror imagery, and satirical commentary about modern technology, Showdown in Secret City is both a love letter to underground filmmaking and a warning about the rapidly approaching collision between human creativity and artificial intelligence.
ABOUT THE FILM
Showdown in Secret City is the fourth chapter in the Smoky Mountain Chronicles, an interconnected series of independent genre films produced in the American South by Big N Funky Productions. The films are typically horror/comedy fables about the legends and lore of the Smoky Mountain region.
The film combines:
Science fiction
Horror
Comedy
The mysterious city of Oak Ridge, TN
AI satire
Retro-futurist imagery
Underground cult cinema energy
Cold War vibes
Shot in Tennessee, Los Angeles, New York City, Winnipeg, and Virginia, the movie tackles one of the most timely conversations in modern culture: the rise of artificial intelligence in creative industries.
Inspired by:
Oak Ridge legends and history
Cold War propaganda
1970s science fiction
Pro wrestling culture
Southern lore
Enter, Message sent May 30, 2026, 3:01 PM by Vinnie: SHOWDOWN IN SECRET CITY “Artificial Intelligence vs. Low Intelligence” A Film by Big N Funky Productions Four filmmakers are forced to comply with a movie executive’s demands to create a blockbuster with the help of artificial intelligence or else. SYNOPSIS In the hills of East Tennessee, a struggling group of independent filmmakers receives an impossible ultimatum: create a blockbuster hit or disappear from the movie business forever. They are forced to work with Fritz, the self-named A.I. that resides inside the fastest machine in the world — the Oak Ridge Super Computer — the very same computer that built the atom bombs used to stop World War II. Tension builds as the filmmakers clash over the direction of the computer’s film. After several arguments and dust-ups with crazy German scientists, talking dogs, stuttering professors, giant babies, mysterious talent agents, angry janitors, a religious karate cult, sex robots, and Fritz himself, the movie is finally made: a pathetic and all-too-familiar superhero film, Guano-Man. And wouldn’t you know it? It’s a worldwide smash. As several accidental deaths surrounding the creation of this film suddenly point towards Fritz returning to his murderous ways, the four filmmakers take it upon themselves to try to stop the out-of-control robot before it destroys the city… or even the world. Blending practical and CGI effects, retro science-fiction aesthetics, absurdist comedy, horror imagery, and satirical commentary about modern technology, Showdown in Secret City is both a love letter to underground filmmaking and a warning about the rapidly approaching collision between human creativity and artificial intelligence. ABOUT THE FILM Showdown in Secret City is the fourth chapter in the Smoky Mountain Chronicles, an interconnected series of independent genre films produced in the American South by Big N Funky Productions. The films are typically horror/comedy fables about the legends and lore of the Smoky Mountain region. The film combines: Science fiction Horror Comedy The mysterious city of Oak Ridge, TN AI satire Retro-futurist imagery Underground cult cinema energy Cold War vibes Shot in Tennessee, Los Angeles, New York City, Winnipeg, and Virginia, the movie tackles one of the most timely conversations in modern culture: the rise of artificial intelligence in creative industries. Inspired by: Oak Ridge legends and history Cold War propaganda 1970s science fiction Pro wrestling culture Southern lore
Fun Trivia:
For big n funky fans, there is a small scene that shows a government worker looking a security footage. on each monitor are scenes from all of the movies and a few from future films as well in the series
Enter, Message sent May 30, 2026, 3:03 PM by Vinnie: Fun Trivia: There indeed is a skunk moron bit in the movie For big n funky fans, there is a small scene that shows a government worker looking a security footage. on each monitor are scenes from all of the movies and a few from future films as well in the series.
