If you spent any time on the early 2010s internet, you probably remember a guy in a gold-trimmed tactical vest screaming about "The Law." That was Brian Firenzi. He wasn't just some actor playing a part; he was essentially the architect of a very specific, high-octane brand of comedy that defined an era of YouTube. Honestly, looking back at Brian Firenzi movies and tv shows, it’s wild to see how much of his DNA is baked into modern internet humor.
Most people know him as Lawrence "The Law" Pemberton from Video Game High School (VGHS). He was the villain you loved to hate, or maybe just loved to watch fail spectacularly. But Firenzi’s footprint goes way deeper than just one web series. He’s a writer, a director, and the founder of 5-Second Films, a project that basically predicted the TikTok/Vine attention span a decade before it became the norm.
The Law and the RocketJump Era
Let’s talk about Video Game High School. It was a massive deal. We’re talking about a web series with production values that rivaled cable TV at a time when most YouTubers were still filming in their bedrooms. Firenzi didn’t just act in it; he was a co-creator and writer.
His character, The Law, was the world’s #1 amateur gamer. He was arrogant, delusional, and weirdly obsessed with his own mythos. What made the performance work wasn't just the shouting. It was the physical comedy. Firenzi has this way of committing 100% to the most absurd bit, whether he’s getting humiliated by a "noob" or trying to maintain his dignity while living in a dorm room.
Why VGHS worked:
- The stakes felt real. Even though it was about video games, the drama landed.
- The Law was a perfect foil. You needed a guy like Firenzi to make the protagonist, BrianD, look like an underdog.
- The Writing. Firenzi, along with Freddie Wong, Will Campos, and Matt Arnold, nailed the "sports movie" tropes but set them in a world of controllers and headsets.
If you go back and watch season 2, there’s a whole arc where The Law loses everything and becomes a pathetic roommate. It’s some of Firenzi’s best work. He plays "pathetic" with a level of intensity that most actors save for Shakespeare.
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The Cult Classic: Dude Bro Party Massacre III
You can't discuss Brian Firenzi movies and tv shows without mentioning Dude Bro Party Massacre III. Despite the title, there is no part one or two. That’s the joke. It’s a pitch-perfect parody of 1980s slasher films, specifically the ones that felt like they were made by people who had never actually met a human being.
Firenzi co-wrote, edited, and starred in this thing. He plays Officer Sminkle, and the movie is a fever dream of practical effects, absurd kills, and guest spots from people like Patton Oswalt and Larry King. It’s a "5-Second Film" stretched out to feature length, which sounds like it shouldn't work, but it does.
It’s a movie for people who love movies. It’s also incredibly gross in a fun, 80s-horror-tribute sort of way. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out on a specific slice of cult cinema history that was entirely crowdfunded by fans who just wanted to see what these weirdos would do with a real budget.
5-Second Films: The Micro-Comedy Pioneer
Before "The Law" was a thing, Firenzi started 5-Second Films (5SF) in 2005. The rules were simple: 2 seconds of intro, 5 seconds of film, 1 second of outro. That’s it.
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They did this every single weekday for five years.
Think about that. The discipline required to write, shoot, and edit a joke that hits in exactly five seconds is insane. It’s comedy distillation. This is where Firenzi sharpened his teeth. It’s also why his later work feels so punchy. There’s no fluff.
The 5SF crew, which included regulars like Maria del Carmen and Mike Rousselet, became a sort of digital comedy troupe. They’d get guest stars like "Weird Al" Yankovic or Fred Armisen to pop in for five seconds, which felt like the ultimate "if you know, you know" for internet comedy nerds.
What's He Doing Now?
Firenzi moved to London a few years back, which explains why he wasn't as present in the final season of VGHS. But he hasn't stopped. He’s still writing, and he’s been active on Medium, writing some of the most insightful (and hilarious) deep dives into things like Mystery Science Theater 3000 shorts.
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He also worked on Fudgie Freddie and has various credits as a voice actor and writer across the indie scene. Honestly, Firenzi is one of those guys who will always be "around" because his sensibility is so unique. He doesn't chase trends; he just makes stuff that he thinks is funny, and usually, the internet eventually catches up to him.
Exploring the Firenzi Filmography
If you’re looking to dive into his work, don't just stick to the hits. Look for the weird stuff.
- Video Game High School: Start here. It’s the foundational text.
- Dude Bro Party Massacre III: Watch it with friends. It’s a communal experience.
- 5-Second Films: Go to their YouTube channel and just hit shuffle. It’s a rabbit hole.
- Mexican Standoff (ft. Key & Peele): A classic RocketJump sketch that Firenzi had a hand in.
Is He an Underrated Genius?
Kinda, yeah.
Brian Firenzi represents a specific moment in time when the "web series" felt like the wild west. There were no rules, and the people making the content were just as obsessed with the medium as the fans were. He brought a level of craft to "dumb" comedy that you just don't see that often.
Whether he’s playing a psychotic pro-gamer or a bumbling cop in a slasher parody, he brings an energy that’s impossible to replicate. If you're a fan of comedy that's fast, smart, and a little bit unhinged, you owe it to yourself to go back through his catalog.
Next Steps for Firenzi Fans:
- Watch the "The Law" Supercut: If you don't have time for all three seasons of VGHS, there are several fan-made montages on YouTube that capture the "best of" Lawrence Pemberton.
- Check out his Medium Blog: If you want to see his writing side, his essays on MST3K and film history are genuinely top-tier.
- Support Indie Horror: If you liked Dude Bro, look into the other projects from the 5SF crew, like Secret Santa.