Jim Bowden (Timothy McCracken) believes his time has come to receive a much-deserved reward. The longtime English Literature professor and noteworthy writer is obsessed with getting tenure. A unique idea to universities, tenure means job security, academic freedom, and, as Jim puts it: "No judgment from self-righteous douchebags."
The only thing standing in his way? The pesky Dean Crawley (James Shanklin), who seems hellbent to deliver a blow to Jim's hopes and dreams.
Tenure-obsessed is an understatement when it comes to Jim, a model father and husband who dreams of the T-word as if it's the only thing in life that matters. So preoccupied with getting tenure is he that on the way to meet with the academic board that will decide his future, the distracted Jim accidentally kills a student (Caleb Liban) with his car. Thus begins a comedy of errors that leads to a bloody journey for Jim, his students, the Dean, and the entire Bowden family.
"Publish or Perish" is a satirical gem from writer-director David Liban ("A Feral World"). Drawing from his personal experience as a Film Professor at the University of Colorado Denver, Liban infuses this indie film with dark comedy and a sharp satirical perspective. The movie presents Jim's life as idyllic but quickly turns his desire for tenure into a roadmap of destruction, leaving bodies piled up along the way. But he's often adept at covering up evidence, hiding the bodies, and leaning on his standing in the community to evade any suspicion.
That is until the police arrive at his door, seeking answers to questions that only Jim could possibly provide. The film travels down a rabbit hole of excuses as Jim gives the police inaccurate information in hopes they will target someone else in this murderous rampage. One of those targets, Jim's daughter's boyfriend/world-class pornographer, could be the last straw for a messy execution of implausible deniability.
"Publish or Perish" is a riotous and twisted satire that only academia deserves. Jim's plights are increasingly viewed as not worth the effort, but there's a sense from the film's audience that Jim is a relentless soul who will stop at nothing to get his precious tenure. A killer ending punctuated by Liban's sense of humor and irony bookends a tight dramedy in spectacular fashion.
Ticket Rating: 🎟🎟🎟1/2
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