A side project evolved into an award-winning documentary, now returning to the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame on Feb. 13.
EAST ISLIP, NY — East Islip resident Robert Lichter never set out to become a filmmaker, but his debut documentary has earned him recognition from the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF).
“I never considered myself a filmmaker until this project took off,” Lichter told Patch. “I was really doing this as a glorified side project to keep myself busy — it was a hobby more than anything else.”
That hobby became Hello! My Name is Blotto: The Movie, Lichter’s first documentary, which chronicles the unconventional rise and near-breakthrough of the upstate New York band Blotto, whose humor-driven sound and early MTV exposure brought success without a major-label finish.
LIMEHOF will feature Lichter — also known as Bert Blotto — as part of its Local Filmmaker Series at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, at its museum at 97 Main St. in Stony Brook. The event includes a screening of the film followed by a Q&A with Lichter and band member Broadway Blotto. Admission is free for members and $10 for non-members, according to organizers.
Lichter described Blotto as a band that found real visibility early on, including exposure on MTV “from day one,” but struggled to clear the final hurdle of securing major-label backing.
“They tried and tried and tried to get a major label contract so they could become a real, legit, worldwide band,” he said. “But it just kind of never happened, because, for the most part, people didn’t take them seriously because they were a comedy-adjacent act.”
For Lichter, that tension is the heart of the story — a band that was successful in many tangible ways, yet never reached the level of mainstream stardom many people assume is the only definition of “making it.” He said the film focuses on musicians who built real audiences and careers, even if they never crossed the final industry threshold.
“Blotto, to me, was a fascinating story of the people in the middle,” he said, describing musicians who “had big fans, had records, had music videos, TV appearances, and just couldn’t get over that last hurdle.”
The film spans more than 50 years of material, which made editing the biggest challenge, Lichter said. The documentary proved popular at LIMEHOF’s inaugural Music Documentary Film Festival, where the screening sold out and Lichter received the festival’s Spirit of Independent Filmmaking Award — recognition he said marked a turning point for the project.
“A lot of times, different audiences will react the same way to certain parts,” he said. “Seeing it with an audience is really a learning experience as well as something I can just kind of sit back and enjoy.”
Long Island viewers may also recognize familiar names and stations referenced in the film, including WLIR and WBAB, and personalities tied to the region’s music scene, Lichter said. He added that those moments often resonate with local audiences who remember how those stations helped shape the area’s music culture.
As for the Feb. 13 Q&A, Lichter said the post-screening discussion gives fans a chance to explore moments and stories that couldn’t fully fit into the documentary.
“The documentary leaves some gaps — just because of time,” he said. “When audiences ask me specific questions afterwards, I’m more than happy to explain how I did a certain thing, or why I did a certain thing, or what was not included.”
Lichter was born in Brooklyn, grew up in Rockville Centre, and later moved to East Islip, where he now lives. Looking ahead to the encore screening, he said he hopes people leave with the same kind of emotional ride he values in music documentaries — the vicarious climb, the frustration, and the humanity behind the story.
“They feel like real people,” he said of the band members. “Interesting people with cool stories to tell.”
And he says there’s a simple reason for Long Islanders to come out: many missed the sold-out festival screening — and he hasn’t heard much negative feedback. He also hopes the screening introduces more residents to LIMEHOF itself.
“The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is a really interesting place that I don’t think a lot of people know about,” he said, adding that he hopes people who come for the film also discover the museum and return for future exhibits and events.