Who's Remi Milligan?

Remi Milligan was born Michael Benedetto in Cockfosters, North London, in 1974 to Italian-immigrant parents. Michael’s mother, Lucia, was a homemaker and his father, Enzo, worked as a cleaner in a Soho adult theatre.

Michael learned to read and write at an early age and excelled at school, although he was known for his heated exchanges with teachers, too. His interest in arts and humanities subjects was obvious even from an early age.

Michael cited the death of his uncle Lorenzo when he was nine as the most life-changing thing that would happen to him. Lorenzo had been very fond of Michael and had made him the main beneficiary of his will. Upon his uncle’s death, Michael inherited a sum of money large enough to never have to work.

In 1989, at the age of sixteen, Michael watched the then just-released movie Roadhouse at the cinema and decided he wanted to dedicate his life to making films. By 1992 Michael was old enough to start spending his inheritance and he went about self-funding his own projects.

He finessed his craft on dozens of (sadly largely lost) short films before completing his first feature film Killer Pencil: Curse of the Inanimate Objects in 1998.

Many of the hallmarks of his trashy, micro-budget film style are present: ropey dialogue, absurd narratives, and gore and violence.

He also changed his name by deed poll to Remi Milligan, started the now-defunct production company Punchadolphin Productions and hired a personal biographer to chronicle all his endeavours. Thus began a prolific period in which Milligan completed no less than four movies in five years, often serving as a one-man crew and star.

Tragically, Milligan was seriously injured while attempting a car stunt on the set of The Greek Connection [2001] and his health declined rapidly. He oversaw the production of what is arguably his best film, Satsuman, from a wheelchair and on pain medication.

Remi Milligan went missing in July 2006 and was never seen again. Due to his poor health, he was eventually presumed dead. To this day, his body has not been found.

Milligan’s independent films were produced before the explosion of the internet and the advent of social media. As The Remi Milligan Appreciation Society, our efforts are dedicated to giving a second wind to the filmmaker’s work, so that it finds the kind of audience it’s always deserved.