Ex Drummer

{{Infobox film

| name = Ex Drummer

| image = Ex Drummer poster.jpg

| caption = Film poster

| director = Koen Mortier

| producer = Koen Mortier
Eurydice Gysel

| writer = Herman Brusselmans
Koen Mortier

| narrator =

| starring = Dries Van Hegen
Norman Baert

| music = Arno Hintjens
Flip Kowlier
Millionaire
Guy Van Nueten

| cinematography = Glynn Speeckaert

| editing = Manu Van Hove

| studio =

| distributor = CCCP (Belgium)

| released = {{film date|df=yes|2007|11|7}}

| runtime = 90 minutes

| country = Belgium

| language = Dutch

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Ex Drummer is a 2007 Belgian black comedy rock music film directed and co-written by Koen Mortier,{{Cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=163422 |title=Programmes - Error - Channel 4 |access-date=2 October 2008 |archive-date=18 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118192040/http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=163422 |url-status=dead }} whose previous work was limited to television commercials. It is based on the 1994 book by Herman Brusselmans of the same name. While receiving mixed reviews at the time, it went on to become a cult film.{{cite web |first=Todd |last=Brown |url=http://twitchfilm.com/2010/04/cult-hit-ex-drummer-finally-hits-us-dvd.html |title=Cult Hit EX DRUMMER Finally Hits US DVD |publisher=Twitchfilm.com |date=2010-04-27 |accessdate=2015-12-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208155200/http://twitchfilm.com/2010/04/cult-hit-ex-drummer-finally-hits-us-dvd.html |archivedate=8 December 2015}}

Plot

File:Ex_drummer.jpg

In Ostend, West Flanders, three physically disabled musicians are looking for a drummer for their punk rock band. They want to perform only one time at a music competition. They approach famous writer Dries to be their drummer, the idea being that he also has a "handicap" in that he cannot actually play the drums. Their small setlist includes a cover of Devo's song "Mongoloid". For Dries, this is an opportunity to get some inspiration for a new novel, so he accepts the offer. The band members decide to call the band The Feminists, since, they think four "handicapped" musicians are just as worthless as a group of feminists. Their main opponents are the band Harry Mulisch (an allusion to Harry Mulisch), also led by a writer, nicknamed Dikke Lul ("Fat Cock"). As the story goes on Dries becomes more and more obsessed by his new novel and he tries to manipulate the band members and tries to find their weak spot.

Cast

{{ill|Dries Vanhegen|nl}}: Dries
Norman Baert: Koen de Geyter
Sam Louwyck: Ivan Van Dorpe
Gunter Lamoot: Jan Verbeek
Tristan Versteven: Dorian
Wim Willaert: Jimmy
Dolores Bouckaert: Lio
Barbara Callewaert: Christine
François Beukelaers: Pa Verbeek
Bernadette Damman: Ma Verbeek
Jan Hammenecker: Dikke Lul

Soundtrack

The music of The Feminists was in fact performed by Belgian band Millionaire and the Harry Mulisch song was sung by Belgian singer Flip Kowlier.{{cite web

| url = http://www.hifi.nl/recensies/3126/Ex-drummer.html

| title = Recensie Ex Drummer

| work = hifi.nl

| first = Jan

| last = Luijsterburg

| date = 20 September 2007

| language = dutch

|trans-title=Ex Drummer review}}

Lightning Bolt – "2 Morro Morro Land"
Madensuyu – "Papa Bear"
An Pierlé & White Velvet – "Need You Now"
The Tritones – "Chagrin De La Mer"
Mogwai – "Hunted by a Freak"
The Experimental Tropic Blues Band – "Mexico Dream Blues"
Flip Kowlier – "De Grotste Lul Van 't Stad"
Millionaire – "Mongoloid"
Isis – "In Fiction"
Isis – "Grinning Mouths"
Arno Hintjens – "Een Boeket Met Pissebloemen"
Augusta National Golf Club – "People in Pairs"
Mel Dune – "Time Hangs Heavy on Your Hands"
Ghinzu – "Blow"
Funeral Dress – "Hello from the Underground"
Millionaire – "Deep Fish"
Blutch – "Moving Ground"{{cite web |url=http://www.beltunes.be/muziek_itunes_nieuws.php?id=145 |title=Soundtrack ex drummer |access-date=2009-09-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080218082645/http://www.beltunes.be/muziek_itunes_nieuws.php?id=145 |archive-date=18 February 2008}}

Reception

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|44|4.8|18}}{{cite web |title=Ex Drummer |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ex_drummer |website= Rotten Tomatoes |access-date= 17 April 2025}} {{Metacritic film prose|36|four}}{{cite web |title=Ex Drummer |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/ex-drummer |website= Metacritic|access-date= 17 April 2025}} In Belgium, it caused some controversy due to the violence and explicit sex in the film.{{cn|date=April 2025}}