Cinemania

Rating:
Summary: Cinemania
Review: A disorganized, but fascinating documentary about a eccentric quintet of New York cinephiles. It's absolutely surreal and hilarious although parts of it is rather sad and even a little disturbing. The movie could've used better planning though. It's almost as though the filmmakers just put together footages of the so-called cinemaniacs at random. While the movie is super entertaining, it lacks a focus and a flow. Maybe they should've just focused the movie on Jack, who claims that he once saw 1000 movies in one month -- he was the only person who struck me as a true cinephile. Jack is funny, articulate and extremely knowledgeable of films, whereas other characters are borderline mental patients whose obsession with movies is simply a symptom of their obsessive compulsive disorders.

Rating:
Summary: Cinemania Rules!
Review: Cinemania was the best thing at last year's Edinburgh International Film Festival by several hundred leagues.
The fact that StereoTotal provide the soundtrack is the proverbial icing on the cake. Nobody with any sense or taste could be disappointed with this movie. Simple as that. Roll on October 7th.

Rating:
Summary: A poignant and funny portrait of unusual people
Review: Here's a problem most moviegoers don't have: scheduling conflicts. If you want to see a movie, it's probably playing at the multiplex all day and evening and you just pick a time and go. But the five people in Cinemania have every film showing anywhere in New York City to choose from, first run movies, film classics, festivals, films shown in museums and small screening rooms. Two of the men have worked out a computerized system to figure it all out. A movie they want to see might only be playing three times in the coming week, at the same time as one or more other movies they want to see. They need help from databases and decision trees. Another guy will only see a movie if it's a good print. He has the phone number of all the projection booths, and calls ahead of time to discuss the quality of the print. Then he brings his cell phone with him into the theater; if something goes wrong with the projection, he doesn't want to have to leave his seat. He calls instead. It's these kinds of details that make this movie fascinating, and fun to watch, in a head-shaking, "I can't believe this" sort of way.

It was also sad to see these people driven by an obsession that maybe even they don't understand. It was hinted that at least two of the film buffs didn't know as much about film as they thought they did, and didn't have discerning tastes. That was good stuff, and made me wonder, why do they do it, then? Ultimately, maybe the question can't be answered. There were five people, and five different, complex reasons. I think the movie gave as full a picture of what they were about as is possible in 80 minutes. So even though I wanted to know, and understand, more, I give the movie 4 stars and will watch it again.

I do wish there'd been more of sense of the mix of movies they all watched. It seemed that most of them did see a fair number of first run movies, but the documentary didn't get into that much. In one of the deleted scenes, Roberta discusses at great length her reaction to "Pearl Harbor." Suddenly she believes that the other person (another of the cinemaniacs) isn't understanding a word she's saying, and she walks away, frustrated, angry, unable to communicate. There are many small scenes like that one, that show so much just by letting the people talk.

Rating:
Summary: manic for cinemania!
Review: I don't know what that other review is talking about! Dissorganized? I teach a course in film editing and this is a perfectly structured little gem - and funny, and human, and really touching. Yes, it's sad at times (these are fringe characters scraping by on the edges of the big city), but it is also very compassionate.

CINEMANIA is a near-verite look at some of the most whacked out film obsessives you could ever hope to find, but it reveals them in subtle layers - they're self-aware, smart, dangerously brilliant at moments. I found myself thinking about these people long after I saw the film (and was lucky enough to see it on the big screen!) There's no narration (no obnoxious Michael Moore-type leading you by the hand throught he film - thank GOD) so, sure, it may seem haphazard, but I was caught up in it moment-to-moment. I found it fascinating structurally - seeming to anticipate your questions about these folks and then answering them. I did miss hearing about their past lives a bit, but it seems a very in-the-moment experience, very much like the lives of the characters - as if there IS no other life beyond the confines of the silver screen.

People familiar with more verite styles of documentary filmmaking or brilliant personal essay films like Varda's "The Gleaners and I" will love this. It's a great homage to our love of cinema.

Rating:
Summary: manic for cinemania!
Review: I don't know what that other review is talking about! Dissorganized? I teach a course in film editing and this is a perfectly structured little gem - and funny, and human, and really touching. Yes, it's sad at times (these are fringe characters scraping by on the edges of the big city), but it is also very compassionate.

CINEMANIA is a near-verite look at some of the most whacked out film obsessives you could ever hope to find, but it reveals them in subtle layers - they're self-aware, smart, dangerously brilliant at moments. I found myself thinking about these people long after I saw the film (and was lucky enough to see it on the big screen!) There's no narration (no obnoxious Michael Moore-type leading you by the hand throught he film - thank GOD) so, sure, it may seem haphazard, but I was caught up in it moment-to-moment. I found it fascinating structurally - seeming to anticipate your questions about these folks and then answering them. I did miss hearing about their past lives a bit, but it seems a very in-the-moment experience, very much like the lives of the characters - as if there IS no other life beyond the confines of the silver screen.

People familiar with more verite styles of documentary filmmaking or brilliant personal essay films like Varda's "The Gleaners and I" will love this. It's a great homage to our love of cinema.

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing & Amusing Documentary on Film Obsession...
Review: In the protection of the theater darkness the cinephiles withdraw from society in an attempt to seek something better and more fulfilling. Background sound from a reel spins while 24 frames per second is pulled through a ray of light that projects a visual experience which could offer an escape, possible enlightenment, emotional experience, and more. The light displays people such as Julie Andrews, Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn and others as they move through tragedy, comedy, danger, and love among many adventures, which sometimes are true and sometimes complete fiction. This story, however, is completely true as the characters of the documentary, Cinemania, present the world in which they feel most at home.

Film has an alluring inspiration as it mesmerizes the audience through light and sound at a safe distance. A viewer that sits down in front of a screen can, in peace, experience happiness, love, heartache, danger, and fear while knowing what is on the screen cannot physically hurt them. The film provides a two sensory experience (visual and auditory) that can enlighten the viewer in such a manner that the viewer can learn something from the cinematic experience. Thus, at the end of the film there should be a slight change within the viewer as the film offers something to reflect upon, or an experience that affects the audience. Escapism could be defined as habitually removing one's self from reality into a safe environment where mere visual invention creates an opportunity for cerebral activity and entertainment. The characters in Cinemania seem to do this several times on a daily basis as they base their life on this visual and auditory escape.

The documentary follows Roberta, Jack, Eric, Bill, and Harvey and how they live their lives and how film affects their life as a whole. Through their escapism, which is even discussed in the film, the film depicts how they plan when to see a film, how they find out where they show the best print of the film, and the fastest route to the theater where the film is to be shown in order to maximize the number of viewings. If they would miss a film, it would be a disaster, as if they missed an opportunity to find essential wisdom, or a life experience such as a first love. However, they miss birthday parties, weddings, and funerals with no hesitation as film is their life. They do not hold jobs as they live month to month on disability and welfare money with a constant threat of being evicted. A psychologist would deem them to have a severe addiction as it negatively affects their social, financial, and physical health to what would be considered the norm. Nonetheless, they are aware of their habits as they love the moment when the theater gradually darkens and the projector display its magic on the screen.

The magic of film and cinema is an illusion that affects all viewers in one way or another, but for Roberta, Jack, Eric, Bill, and Harvey it is as important as breathing. Cinema has hexed them into a state where they must participate as frequently as possible while the hectic life of New York surrounds them. A good thing is that they live in New York as it is the only city that could be compared to the cinematic Mecca, Paris. This means that they get to see several advance screenings.

Cinemania is a film that most viewers would find interesting, intriguing, amusing, and much more as it conveys the story of five eccentric New Yorkers and their cinematic obsessions. Many film enthusiasts could find a resemblance to themselves in the film, yet most do not want to recognize their own peculiarities through this documentary. When the end credits roll and the darkened theater is slowly illuminated we know the film is over, but do they?