When a rookie filmmaker with the unfortunate name Alan Smithee realizes he's an unwitting studio puppet, being forced to make a big-budget action movie he knows is horrible, he steals the master reels and tries to make a deal.

Director Alan Smithee comes to Hollywood to make a movie. Due to a variety of factors, he decides to disown it and direct it under a pseudonym. Unfortunately, the Director's Guild requires that if a director disowns a movie in this fashion, he *must* use the official Director's Guild pseudonym...which happens to be Alan Smithee.—Afterburner <[email protected]>

Acclaimed film editor Alan Smithee's dream comes true when Challenger Films contracts him to direct a new action-adventure, "Trio." The fledgling filmmaker jumps at the chance to direct Whoopi Goldberg, Jackie Chan, and Sylvester Stallone. Little does he realize that he is but a puppet - the company president and executive producer have hired him just to pull his strings. From the first "roll 'em" to final cut, the bigwigs keep Smithee out of the loop. To his utter dismay, he finds his name attached to a monster-piece! What's worse?, He can't even hide behind a fake name because he really IS "Alan Smithee," the pseudonym disgruntled filmmakers use to replace their own on movies bad enough to destroy their reputations. In desperation, Smithee swipes the master reels and goes into hiding. Aided by the Brothers Brothers, black filmmakers replete with indie cred but short on major studio deals, Smithee faces the ultimate challenge: to negotiate an agreement to re-edit the movie in his own style, or burn the film and his own career along with it.