Chris Crocker, Beyond Britney

Remember Chris Crocker, the raccoon-eyed teenager who achieved instant notoriety in 2007 after exhorting Internet users to “leave Britney alone,” then failed to parlay his virtual fame into IRL celebrity? Well, documentarians Chris Moukarbel and Valerie Veatch think the YouTube star is much more than a one-hit wonder—they’re calling him “the Internet’s first rebel folk hero.” For the past three years, Mourkarbel and Veatch have been putting together a film about Crocker called ME at the ZOO; they nabbed that title from the first video ever uploaded to YouTube, a 19-second clip that has been viewed over 35 million times fewer than “Leave Britney Alone.” Their documentary is a mishmosh of preexisting Crocker video and new footage—in a way, the filmmakers say, the job was more like playing connect-the-dots than shooting a movie.

Now, though, the pair is relying on the kindness of strangers to connect the final few dots. The makers of ME at the ZOO have launched a Kickstarter page, through which they’re hoping to raise $19,000 to spend on editing, music rights, and graphics. Would-be donors should know that in this case, it’ll pay to be a big spender: Pledge $550 or more,  and Chris himself will make you a personal “thank you” video. Who knows; if Mourkarbel and Veatch make enough money to fund their movie, a docu-series about Tay Zonday can’t be far behind.

[Movieline]