Photo by Becca McCoy
It is April 26 – seven months to the day after Hurricane Helene forever changed Gulfport. Walking into the Catherine A. Hickman Theater, the skeletal frame of the entrance awning is exposed and the old red canopy lays crumpled by the side of the building. But immediately past that reminder of loss and devastation, the theater’s bright lobby is abuzz with excitement and joy.
The occasion is a screening of Jebus, a satirical film about the second coming, by Gulfport resident Cole “Coley” Thomas.
Jebus in Gulfport
Seventy-plus people as diverse as they come hug each other, talking and laughing. Friends Shelley Cardoos and David Feldman look like Gulfport personified as they pose together in the Heavenly photo-op. But the pre-screening celebrities are the members of Solar Flair, the band from ProjectFREE who contributed to the movie’s soundtrack. Tonight, they are rockstars, and judging by their sunglasses and cool threads, they know it.
Photo by Becca McCoy
Waiting for the screening to begin, a man in black suspenders and a white t-shirt with a hand-drawn anarchy symbol blows bubbles over the heads of the crowd. About 70 minutes into the film, there he is on the big screen — wearing the exact same outfit. The crowd reactions throughout imply most of the audience is either in the cast or knows someone who is. And there is one character absolutely everyone knows: Gulfport.
Drone footage of the Casino in its pre-Helene glory sparks an eruption of cheers in the auditorium. Ostensibly, as the writer, director, executive producer, composer, and actor playing five different roles, Coley is the star. But even he seems to make the case that the real star is Gulfport.
Coley and Gulfport
There’s a reason for the reverence.
“Gulfport healed me,” Coley said.
He caught “O.G. Covid” in March of 2020 in his hometown of Philadelphia and almost died — double pneumonia, seizures, and brain encephalitis that required neck surgery. In the same time period, Coley’s father did not survive his bout with the disease.
So, in 2021, during his brutal long-haul Covid battle, Coley moved into his ‘Pop Pop’s’ vacant Gulfport condo, where the idea for Jebus came “like a shamanic download.” Sitting at the corner table outside SumitrA, he’d chat with locals about philosophy, politics, religion… and Jebus.
And here in Gulfport, it wasn’t met with skepticism or derision – people were excited and encouraging. Coley put up the first $100,000 and the next thing he knew, there was a cast, crew, permits, and footage in the can.
“This wouldn’t have worked anywhere else,” he said.
Photo by Becca McCoy
What Is Jebus?
A little bit Idiocracy, a little bit Pineapple Express, with flavors of Zoolander and nods to Mel Brooks, Jebus has an early-aughts satirical sensibility that punches above its weight. The soundtrack is fantastic. The film stock is gorgeous. And at the helm is the indefatigable Coley — an auteur of purpose-driven comedy who is both a sage and a dork.
Other standouts include Rodney Norman as God, a tie-dyed-t-shirt-clad aged hippie, with impeccable line deliveries and a singular take on The Almighty, and Ian Everitt as the de facto leader of the Anti-Learners, whose monologue on the inherent patriotism of the Pontiac Fiero is laugh-out-loud hilarious.
The perfectly cast Three Wise Men augment Jebus’ journey with the wisdom of Shakespearean Fools. The wonderful Richard Jordan’s Wise Man reminds Jebus not to take things, or himself, too seriously: “We’re all in on a big cosmic joke!”
Jebus is a film dedicated to laughing at the absurd, and it is clear that God is no joke to Coley. Nor is Gulfport and its inhabitants. One of those perfectly cast Wise Men? Gulfport’s own Max, a recognizable resident. And he is very, very good.
“A Satirical Second Coming”
In the vein of other contemporary religious satires like The Righteous Gemstones, Jebus isn’t mocking God or people’s faith. It goes after the jaw dropping hypocrisy surrounding belief systems of all kinds: religious, financial, and political.
There are layers of humor in Jebus, from obvious, blunt-force goofiness to sharp observations and even subtlety. When PNN News is interviewing The Man with All the Guns, the chyron shows a temperature of 117 degrees. Every cut back to Box News features a different skewering of radicalizing media coverage. Do yourself a favor and read the protest signs.
On one end of the comedy spectrum, characters are shopping on Spamazon for deliveries NOW and refusing to sign Mary Magdalene’s petition because “We’re already crowded [in Gulfport]. I can’t get a parking spot.” And on the other end, Jebus is crucified through his yellow Crocs and skunks are ripping bongs and getting stoned. You know, balance.
What you won’t find much of is sarcasm. Coley’s script can be crass, philosophical, edgy, and sophomoric, but throughout, it is earnest. He is earnest. He creates from a place of love and a desire to “bring back the stuff that matters.” His “duct tape and magic” ethos is scrappy yet successful, thanks to his charisma and infectious optimism.
“The people who have suffered the most,” Coley espouses, “are usually the happiest.”
Photo by Becca McCoy
Socio-Political Relevance in Jebus
The socio-political concerns at the time of filming have only increased in relevance. Coley quipped, “Mark Twain would be jealous.”
Once upon a time, political satire had the shelf life of a tuna sandwich. And surely, there will come a point when the movie is dated – a slice-of-life from a particular moment in time. But that seems far enough off from the Year of our Lord 2025 that the film should have time to gain momentum and reach.
Which is not to say it is for everyone – it isn’t. But not because Coley doesn’t welcome everyone – he does. He wants the film to be seen, and he really wants it to get you talking. Coley is a “Revelutionary,” trafficking in “Enlightainment.” It’s tough out there – comedy makes it digestible.
If you missed the public screenings, you can stream Jebus. Not on those streamers – an anti-hypocrisy community-owned indie film isn’t selling its soul for a 1-cent a streaming hour return. You can stream it straight from jebusmovie.com, where the money spent to access it goes back to the people who made it, and subsequently own it, and 49% of that — is you, Gulfport.
Arts All Around!
The Gabber Newspaper covers live theater and art across South Pinellas. And, when we find something worth the drive, we cover art in the Tampa Bay and Sarasota areas.
