Before reading any further, let me warn you - this is going to be filled with spoilers on the new Bond film, Skyfall, and why I didn't like it. And without further ado...
Apparently I am one of the very few people in the world who didn't care for Skyfall and here's why.
1. It reminded me of Never Say Never Again. Never Say Never Again is the terrible remake of Thunderball starring Sean Connery as Bond, and the whole idea of that film is that Bond is too old to do his job competently. And then he proceeds to save the world making Mr. Bean happy. Skyfall spends the whole film saying Bond is getting too old, when all the while Bond, at least to us, appears to barely have lost a step. It'd be one thing if we see him stumble in the field (as opposed to at the firing range), but we never do. So I could never get behind that central conceit.
2. He lets Severine (Berenice Marlohe) die. Every Bond film has a sacrificial lamb. It's part of the story. But what has happened in every previous film, is that Bond was unable to do anything about their deaths. In Goldfinger, Jill Masterson is killed after Bond is knocked unconscious. In For Your Eyes Only, Ferrara is killed while Bond is fighting off angry hockey players. In each of those instances, Bond can do nothing about those circumstances. In Skyfall, all Bond has to do is stall for about 20 more seconds and Severine (a woman who is acknowledged as a (former) sex slave) would have been rescued. As a woman whose life up to this point can't have been very good, this seems like a cheap and wasteful way to die. And for the more "emotional" Daniel Craig Bond, not another thought is given to her. That to me is poor writing.
3. Kincade - as played by Albert Finney. It's like the film thought that we hadn't seen a character like J.W. Pepper (Live and Let Die) in such a while that it felt it needed to fill that gap. I really dislike him.
4. The "Home Alone" style ending. So Bond has two gadgets - A palm-reading gun, and a tracking chip. And the tracking chip is just something you carry in your pocket? They couldn't have even given him a hidden tracking chip? I mean, he's had one in his shoe (Goldfinger) and radioactive lint (Thunderball), and this tracking chip is the best "Q" can do? However, in this gadget-free Bond film, we get to see explosive light bulbs. I was waiting for Bond to put a hot plate on a doorknob. Give him gadgets! I'm more than willing to suspend my disbelief then. By the end I was just waiting for Ralph Fiennes to get his new title. (And let me tell you, that was, by far, the most telegraphed thing in the film.)
There were a few things I liked. I thought the pre-credits sequence was amazing. Everything I expect from a Bond film. Javier Bardem did a bang-up job the first time you see him, but by the time he's crazily shooting up the courtroom I had lost all sympathy for the character. Daniel Craig is still a great Bond. And I enjoyed the new "Q." But did we really need to see him get his comeuppance in his very first appearance?
Maybe I just don't need to see Bond's origins. I don't care where he came from. I just want to see him be the best secret agent in the world, which is what the first 15 minutes showed me. But the rest of the film didn't.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Day 344 - Marble Cities
Marble Cities is the new play that was created and produced by Cleveland's Theater Ninjas. And while it is a play, it's also an experience, because it's very much an assault on your attention span. This is not a play to go see if you want to sit back and relax. This is one that, from the very first moment, grabs you , and doesn't merely not let you go, but flings you around.
The amount of dialogue that comes at you, while being informative, is almost mind-numbing in its quantity. But that's a lot of why it's there. I don't think the audience is supposed to fully grasp what the characters are saying. I don't think the audience can fully grasp everything that's said.
There are eight characters, and all of them have been given an invitation to attend this gathering - except for one, who may be a moderator or may be something more. But the other seven have been tasked with creating/building a civilization from the ground up. But each of the characters is flawed and while their flaws may make things interesting, they also make their relationship strained at best.
And, really, that's my best guess at what's happening. Explaining the "story" of the play is not what's important. What's important in Marble Cities are ideas. And there are plenty thrown around. If you have a theory as to why we're here, it's given a voice. If you have a theory on social politics, it's here. If you have a theory about nearly anything, it's probably here. Each one of the characters represents a different social class, and each of the characters is given a specific voice. I don't think we're supposed to pick a side, but we're they're to listen, because by listening, it gives credence to what the characters say.
This is a captivating and complicated piece. This is a play, that in order to keep up, you have to be willing to let stuff go. If you dwell too long on any one sentence, you've already missed a half dozen other ideas. If there's any complaint, it's that the play has too much going on. Even half the ideas within are more than enough to sustain a whole play. But who am I to say that something's too ambitious? If anything, at least the actors are uniformly amazing. They give this piece their complete attention. If any of them had given any less than their all, the play would have suffered. But by the end, each of the actors had really imbued each of their characters with realism, intelligence, and sympathy, and that alone makes this worth seeing.
There's one more week's worth of shows - Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I may not be able to explain what's happening, but I definitely think it's worth seeing.
The amount of dialogue that comes at you, while being informative, is almost mind-numbing in its quantity. But that's a lot of why it's there. I don't think the audience is supposed to fully grasp what the characters are saying. I don't think the audience can fully grasp everything that's said.
There are eight characters, and all of them have been given an invitation to attend this gathering - except for one, who may be a moderator or may be something more. But the other seven have been tasked with creating/building a civilization from the ground up. But each of the characters is flawed and while their flaws may make things interesting, they also make their relationship strained at best.
And, really, that's my best guess at what's happening. Explaining the "story" of the play is not what's important. What's important in Marble Cities are ideas. And there are plenty thrown around. If you have a theory as to why we're here, it's given a voice. If you have a theory on social politics, it's here. If you have a theory about nearly anything, it's probably here. Each one of the characters represents a different social class, and each of the characters is given a specific voice. I don't think we're supposed to pick a side, but we're they're to listen, because by listening, it gives credence to what the characters say.
This is a captivating and complicated piece. This is a play, that in order to keep up, you have to be willing to let stuff go. If you dwell too long on any one sentence, you've already missed a half dozen other ideas. If there's any complaint, it's that the play has too much going on. Even half the ideas within are more than enough to sustain a whole play. But who am I to say that something's too ambitious? If anything, at least the actors are uniformly amazing. They give this piece their complete attention. If any of them had given any less than their all, the play would have suffered. But by the end, each of the actors had really imbued each of their characters with realism, intelligence, and sympathy, and that alone makes this worth seeing.
There's one more week's worth of shows - Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I may not be able to explain what's happening, but I definitely think it's worth seeing.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Day 287 Random stuff
My Neighbor Totoro is one of the happiest and most charming movies I have ever seen. I have seen it twice - each time on the big screen, and I have had the same reaction each time - pure joy. There's no real story or conflict to speak of, it's simply about two sisters (one 10 and one 4) and how they meet some wonderful forest creatures.
And then I followed that up with The Bourne Supremacy. The second film in the Bourne Trilogy ends with a spectacular car chase. After watching it, I thought to myself that every movie that has a car chase in it should do it practically - no CGI. The only exception to that rule is the Fast and Furious series. That fifth film was able to capitalize on the kinetic energy and destruction that CGI is able to portray. But that being said, real cars smashing, speeding, and blowing up is something that I have always appreciated, even in a crummy movie.
Someone asked me today what my favorite genre of film was, and I replied, "Good movies." In the span of a week I have watched Pina, a documentary on modern dance, Compliance, a stressful drama, Killer Joe, a stunning, brutal noir film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, which needs no explanation, Remember the Titans, a sports film, Totoro and Bourne. The only thing missing from that group is a comedy. And I do like some good comedies.
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain trilogy is a wonderful vampire story. Jaw-unhinging, blood-sucking, worm-infecting vampires make for some incredibly tense reading experiences. The first book does a great job of being tense and suspenseful throughout its entire length, and the third novel does a wonderful job tying up all storylines in a satisfying way. This is a series that I can't wait to see adapted into a film.
Finally, soon all my free time will be taken up by all the new television shows that are starting up this week. Good times, good times.
And then I followed that up with The Bourne Supremacy. The second film in the Bourne Trilogy ends with a spectacular car chase. After watching it, I thought to myself that every movie that has a car chase in it should do it practically - no CGI. The only exception to that rule is the Fast and Furious series. That fifth film was able to capitalize on the kinetic energy and destruction that CGI is able to portray. But that being said, real cars smashing, speeding, and blowing up is something that I have always appreciated, even in a crummy movie.
Someone asked me today what my favorite genre of film was, and I replied, "Good movies." In the span of a week I have watched Pina, a documentary on modern dance, Compliance, a stressful drama, Killer Joe, a stunning, brutal noir film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, which needs no explanation, Remember the Titans, a sports film, Totoro and Bourne. The only thing missing from that group is a comedy. And I do like some good comedies.
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain trilogy is a wonderful vampire story. Jaw-unhinging, blood-sucking, worm-infecting vampires make for some incredibly tense reading experiences. The first book does a great job of being tense and suspenseful throughout its entire length, and the third novel does a wonderful job tying up all storylines in a satisfying way. This is a series that I can't wait to see adapted into a film.
Finally, soon all my free time will be taken up by all the new television shows that are starting up this week. Good times, good times.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Day 280 - Compliance
Compliance
What would you do if someone called you at work and told you he was a police officer? If it sounded legit, would you do what he said? And how far would you go doing something that just walks that line between being a good citizen and blind obedience? Those are the questions this film asks, and how it goes about doing it just seems absurd, except for a couple of things. 1). The film is incredibly well-acted. Ann Dowd, as Sandra, the restaurant manager, does such a good job as someone who's obviously in something that's over her head, and it's during an incredibly busy time, so you see her trying to keep juggling all these things, and you know it's all just going to go south. 2). The film is based off actual events. Sure, what happens in the film is dramatized, but it makes the film just believable enough that you accept what's going on.
The basic plot is this: At a fast food restaurant on a busy Friday, a cop calls the manager and tells her that one of her employees stole money from a customer's purse. After taking her in the back, the cop says that the choice is either the employee is strip-searched or taken to jail. And things simply escalate from there.
When I was in college, one of the film classes I had showed a film called Sweet Movie. The professor told the class that if any of them wanted to leave at any time due to the content of the film, it would be fine. I stuck it out (to simply be able to tell people that this is one of my bottom five films of all time), but a number of people took him up on that. When I saw Children of God, at a certain scene, an audience member literally ran out of the theater. During Happiness there was a steady stream of walkouts as the film went on. The Aristocrats sent out a number of people in the first 15 minutes (after that, the rest of us knew what we were in for). And more recently, a father grabbed his clan of young 'uns when he realized The Campaign was rated "R" for a reason. One of the reasons I wanted to see Compliance was because people apparently weren't able to stick it out through the whole film. I always like to see what gets someone to think to themselves, "I spent some money on a movie, but it's not worth it to stay." At about the one hour mark in this film, the tension ratchets up to a fantastic level, and even more bad things happen. It was then that I saw something I have never seen before - a couple was sitting in front of me, and the lady said something to the guy, got up, left, and never came back. He stayed, though. That was odd.
But any movie that is this gripping and suspenseful is definitely worth staying to the end. And the end of the film really makes the movie. It does what it's supposed to do - give the viewer closure and satisfaction. You may still feel like a creep (because that's what the film wants you to feel), but at least there's no indecision.
***
What would you do if someone called you at work and told you he was a police officer? If it sounded legit, would you do what he said? And how far would you go doing something that just walks that line between being a good citizen and blind obedience? Those are the questions this film asks, and how it goes about doing it just seems absurd, except for a couple of things. 1). The film is incredibly well-acted. Ann Dowd, as Sandra, the restaurant manager, does such a good job as someone who's obviously in something that's over her head, and it's during an incredibly busy time, so you see her trying to keep juggling all these things, and you know it's all just going to go south. 2). The film is based off actual events. Sure, what happens in the film is dramatized, but it makes the film just believable enough that you accept what's going on.
The basic plot is this: At a fast food restaurant on a busy Friday, a cop calls the manager and tells her that one of her employees stole money from a customer's purse. After taking her in the back, the cop says that the choice is either the employee is strip-searched or taken to jail. And things simply escalate from there.
When I was in college, one of the film classes I had showed a film called Sweet Movie. The professor told the class that if any of them wanted to leave at any time due to the content of the film, it would be fine. I stuck it out (to simply be able to tell people that this is one of my bottom five films of all time), but a number of people took him up on that. When I saw Children of God, at a certain scene, an audience member literally ran out of the theater. During Happiness there was a steady stream of walkouts as the film went on. The Aristocrats sent out a number of people in the first 15 minutes (after that, the rest of us knew what we were in for). And more recently, a father grabbed his clan of young 'uns when he realized The Campaign was rated "R" for a reason. One of the reasons I wanted to see Compliance was because people apparently weren't able to stick it out through the whole film. I always like to see what gets someone to think to themselves, "I spent some money on a movie, but it's not worth it to stay." At about the one hour mark in this film, the tension ratchets up to a fantastic level, and even more bad things happen. It was then that I saw something I have never seen before - a couple was sitting in front of me, and the lady said something to the guy, got up, left, and never came back. He stayed, though. That was odd.
But any movie that is this gripping and suspenseful is definitely worth staying to the end. And the end of the film really makes the movie. It does what it's supposed to do - give the viewer closure and satisfaction. You may still feel like a creep (because that's what the film wants you to feel), but at least there's no indecision.
***
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Day 246 San Diego Comic Con (Day 1)
Thursday - the first official day of the show. The very first thing I wanted to get was autographs from the cast of Archer. My chance for those autographs were in the same line as the Wilfred cast. What the companies have done this year is to make everything much more reliant on luck. You get in a line, and when you get to the front, you reach in a bag or a box, pull out a ticket, and hope that it's a "magic" ticket that has a special stamp on the back. A blank ticket means you lose, and one that has a stamp on the back means you get to meet the cast. I failed on Archer and I failed on Wilfred. My ticket picking skills are not too good.
However, about an hour later they were doing the line for an Elementary signing, so I got in line (about 70 people back). Well, the guys who were in charge of this line had no real idea of what they were going to do, which worked out well for me, as the person in charge just started handing out tickets to the signing to the first 200 people. So I said "Hi" to Johnny Lee Miller and got to tell Lucy Liu that I really liked her in Lucky Number Slevin (to which she said "Thanks. It was a good movie.").
After that, it was a crush of comic writers and artists, as I got to meet, Jeff Lemiere, Jeffrey Brown (really, an incredibly nice guy - if you get a chance to say "Hi" to him, I really encourage it), Jaime Hernandez (I don't know if I've met someone as happy to be involved in this industry as he seems to be), Gabriel Ba, Trina Robbins, and Kate Beaton (who I had sign my Hark, a Vagrant hardcover - one of the silliest, smartest and funniest comics I read. And I'd like another hardcover collection soon, too, please. Here's her website
http://harkavagrant.com/ )
One of my current favorite comics is called Chew. It's written by John Layman and drawn by Rob Guillory, and I brought the first two hardcovers with me, and one of the coolest things I now own is signed copies of them. Rob drew a sketch of Tony in the first hardcover for me, but the coolest thing is the sketch of the chog in the second hardcover (and for those of you who don't know, a chog is a genetically created chicken and frog creation). It's pretty awesome.
http://chewcomic.blogspot.com/
So, Thursday is usually the day I try to get a pass to a free movie screening, and I got a ticket for a flick called Hit and Run. But, as with all those preview films, it's first come, first served, and the line for the movie was looooong. So, I didn't get in. As a consolation prize, they handed out t-shirts for the women, and wigs(?!) for the guys.
The next day (Friday) was when things got crazy.
However, about an hour later they were doing the line for an Elementary signing, so I got in line (about 70 people back). Well, the guys who were in charge of this line had no real idea of what they were going to do, which worked out well for me, as the person in charge just started handing out tickets to the signing to the first 200 people. So I said "Hi" to Johnny Lee Miller and got to tell Lucy Liu that I really liked her in Lucky Number Slevin (to which she said "Thanks. It was a good movie.").
After that, it was a crush of comic writers and artists, as I got to meet, Jeff Lemiere, Jeffrey Brown (really, an incredibly nice guy - if you get a chance to say "Hi" to him, I really encourage it), Jaime Hernandez (I don't know if I've met someone as happy to be involved in this industry as he seems to be), Gabriel Ba, Trina Robbins, and Kate Beaton (who I had sign my Hark, a Vagrant hardcover - one of the silliest, smartest and funniest comics I read. And I'd like another hardcover collection soon, too, please. Here's her website
http://harkavagrant.com/ )
One of my current favorite comics is called Chew. It's written by John Layman and drawn by Rob Guillory, and I brought the first two hardcovers with me, and one of the coolest things I now own is signed copies of them. Rob drew a sketch of Tony in the first hardcover for me, but the coolest thing is the sketch of the chog in the second hardcover (and for those of you who don't know, a chog is a genetically created chicken and frog creation). It's pretty awesome.
http://chewcomic.blogspot.com/
So, Thursday is usually the day I try to get a pass to a free movie screening, and I got a ticket for a flick called Hit and Run. But, as with all those preview films, it's first come, first served, and the line for the movie was looooong. So, I didn't get in. As a consolation prize, they handed out t-shirts for the women, and wigs(?!) for the guys.
The next day (Friday) was when things got crazy.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Day 240 - San Diego Comic Con (Preview Night)
First off, for anyone who actually reads what I write, I apologize for not writing anything since April.
But let's dive in. This was one of the years that I got to go to Comic Con in San Diego. I've been going to the show off and on since 1996. There was no wasted time this year, as I flew out of Cleveland on Wednesday July 11th early in the morning. There was a layover in Nashville, and as I made my way to the next flight, I saw quite a few nuns. I'm not sure what sort of portent "nuns in Nashville" was supposed to be, but the flights were uneventful.
When I go to the convention, I generally stay at the EZ 8 Motel in Old Town. Sure, it's not the Ritz, but it's an inexpensive place to stay, and it has a trolley station that's a 5 minute walk away. That's important, because the trolley is what get's you from place to place. I took a couple hour nap to get recharged, and when I woke up, it was time to head to the convention center. I had no idea how long the process would take to get my admission badge, and it turned out that getting the badge was simplicity itself. I got my program and sat down to figure out the night and the week.
This year, my plan was to meet a bunch of small press creators and have them sign my copies of Strange Tales, Strange Tales II, and Girl Comics. All of these were comics that Marvel produced using small press writers and artists (well, Girl Comics just used women creators on all the stories, and a number of them work in the small press arena).
There's always 2 creators that I try to meet the first day out there. The first one is Terry Moore. I have nearly every issue of Strangers in Paradise autographed by him, I thought his second series, Echo, was fantastic, and his current series, Rachel Rising, has just kicked into high gear by making a vaguely supernatural story, a full-blown supernatural story. Since I couldn't find my hardcover copy of Echo in time to bring it with me, I just had him sign my Strange Tales 2.
And the second person I try to see on Wednesday night is Frank Cho. Each year that I've seen him, I've bought one of his sketchbooks. This year, he had no sketchbook to sell, it was either a print or a calendar. I went with the calendar.
Then it was off to see Stan Sakai (of Usagi Yojimbo fame) and Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother). Stan did a cool sketch in the Strange Tales hardcover. I've met both of them before, and they're both incredibly nice.
And to cap off the day, I managed to catch up with the last three Unshelved collections that I was missing. I'm a sucker for funny comic strips, regardless of how simple the art style may be. In fact, the cleaner the art style, the more apt I am to give it a look. But mostly I want my comic strips to be funny, and Unshelved hits that on the nose (for me).
And by then, Preview night was winding down, so I headed back to the motel, had some pizza and figured out what I was bringing with me the next day.
Here's Unshelved's website: http://www.unshelved.com/
But let's dive in. This was one of the years that I got to go to Comic Con in San Diego. I've been going to the show off and on since 1996. There was no wasted time this year, as I flew out of Cleveland on Wednesday July 11th early in the morning. There was a layover in Nashville, and as I made my way to the next flight, I saw quite a few nuns. I'm not sure what sort of portent "nuns in Nashville" was supposed to be, but the flights were uneventful.
When I go to the convention, I generally stay at the EZ 8 Motel in Old Town. Sure, it's not the Ritz, but it's an inexpensive place to stay, and it has a trolley station that's a 5 minute walk away. That's important, because the trolley is what get's you from place to place. I took a couple hour nap to get recharged, and when I woke up, it was time to head to the convention center. I had no idea how long the process would take to get my admission badge, and it turned out that getting the badge was simplicity itself. I got my program and sat down to figure out the night and the week.
This year, my plan was to meet a bunch of small press creators and have them sign my copies of Strange Tales, Strange Tales II, and Girl Comics. All of these were comics that Marvel produced using small press writers and artists (well, Girl Comics just used women creators on all the stories, and a number of them work in the small press arena).
There's always 2 creators that I try to meet the first day out there. The first one is Terry Moore. I have nearly every issue of Strangers in Paradise autographed by him, I thought his second series, Echo, was fantastic, and his current series, Rachel Rising, has just kicked into high gear by making a vaguely supernatural story, a full-blown supernatural story. Since I couldn't find my hardcover copy of Echo in time to bring it with me, I just had him sign my Strange Tales 2.
And the second person I try to see on Wednesday night is Frank Cho. Each year that I've seen him, I've bought one of his sketchbooks. This year, he had no sketchbook to sell, it was either a print or a calendar. I went with the calendar.
Then it was off to see Stan Sakai (of Usagi Yojimbo fame) and Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother). Stan did a cool sketch in the Strange Tales hardcover. I've met both of them before, and they're both incredibly nice.
And to cap off the day, I managed to catch up with the last three Unshelved collections that I was missing. I'm a sucker for funny comic strips, regardless of how simple the art style may be. In fact, the cleaner the art style, the more apt I am to give it a look. But mostly I want my comic strips to be funny, and Unshelved hits that on the nose (for me).
And by then, Preview night was winding down, so I headed back to the motel, had some pizza and figured out what I was bringing with me the next day.
Here's Unshelved's website: http://www.unshelved.com/
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Day 127 - Paul Williams Still Alive
Paul Williams Still Alive: Singer, songwriter, actor, all-around pop icon. He was one of those people that I grew up watching, and whether it was because he was on The Muppet Show, Battle For the Planet of the Apes,or the Donnie and Marie Show, I was always a fan of his. The fact that he wrote "Rainbow Connection" was an added bonus. Last weekend, the closing film at the Cleveland International Film Festival was Paul Williams Still Alive, and he was there to give a Q and A after the film.
The film was directed by Stephen Kessler, who, by his own admission, made a film that audiences seemed to like but critics didn't (Vegas Vacation - which I do think is funny), and one that the critics liked but audiences didn't see (The Independent - which I didn't see). Within this film, he becomes a supporting character.
Kessler essentially became a stalker of Paul Williams, following him around, and finding out what he's been up to (especially since he was surprised to find out he was, in fact, still alive). Paul had spent the last bunch of years actually being pretty productive. He was clean and sober and was a certified drug and alcohol counselor. He still toured the country (and lots of other countries, too, where apparently, his star is still shining bright).
But the documentary is very much about Kessler trying to figure out why his favorite pop culture icon was no longer part of the public consciousness. But Paul Williams doesn't care. And therein lies the whole message of this particular film. As much as Kessler is looking for answers in the past, Paul Williams is very much looking towards the future. It's very telling that when Kessler asks Williams if he thought that being on The Gong Show was when he started to see his star decline, and Williams defended his appearance on the show. He didn't see it as a step down. It was just another fun thing to do. But he also didn't spend much time dwelling on those years. Those were times that he did what he set out to do, and what he's doing today is what he wants to do. There's no regrets. Why would there be? It's a nice little commentary on today's stars. If an appearance on The Apprentice is a fun thing to do, who are we to say that it's a step down for them.
And after the film, Paul and Stephen talked to the audience for about 20 minutes answering questions. The most revealing thing was Paul talking about his lowest point in addiction, and the day things turned around. It was a truly touching and amazing story, and you could almost see Stephen standing next to him thinking to himself, "Why didn't you say any of this to me, so I could get it on film?"
This is a funny and fascinating film, about a 70's icon. And a 70's icon who I have always appreciated. So I give it ***1/2. If he had less of an impact on you (or no impact at all) then I would say ***.
The film was directed by Stephen Kessler, who, by his own admission, made a film that audiences seemed to like but critics didn't (Vegas Vacation - which I do think is funny), and one that the critics liked but audiences didn't see (The Independent - which I didn't see). Within this film, he becomes a supporting character.
Kessler essentially became a stalker of Paul Williams, following him around, and finding out what he's been up to (especially since he was surprised to find out he was, in fact, still alive). Paul had spent the last bunch of years actually being pretty productive. He was clean and sober and was a certified drug and alcohol counselor. He still toured the country (and lots of other countries, too, where apparently, his star is still shining bright).
But the documentary is very much about Kessler trying to figure out why his favorite pop culture icon was no longer part of the public consciousness. But Paul Williams doesn't care. And therein lies the whole message of this particular film. As much as Kessler is looking for answers in the past, Paul Williams is very much looking towards the future. It's very telling that when Kessler asks Williams if he thought that being on The Gong Show was when he started to see his star decline, and Williams defended his appearance on the show. He didn't see it as a step down. It was just another fun thing to do. But he also didn't spend much time dwelling on those years. Those were times that he did what he set out to do, and what he's doing today is what he wants to do. There's no regrets. Why would there be? It's a nice little commentary on today's stars. If an appearance on The Apprentice is a fun thing to do, who are we to say that it's a step down for them.
And after the film, Paul and Stephen talked to the audience for about 20 minutes answering questions. The most revealing thing was Paul talking about his lowest point in addiction, and the day things turned around. It was a truly touching and amazing story, and you could almost see Stephen standing next to him thinking to himself, "Why didn't you say any of this to me, so I could get it on film?"
This is a funny and fascinating film, about a 70's icon. And a 70's icon who I have always appreciated. So I give it ***1/2. If he had less of an impact on you (or no impact at all) then I would say ***.
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