The Life & Times of Andy Warhol

Rating:
Summary: Inside the Beautiful People
Review: "Superstar" is a fascinating portrait of a man whom I rarely gave a thought to while he was alive, Andy Warhol. I knew he was a silkscreen artist, that he had a really weird haircut, and that he was supposed to be arch. Well, there's an awful lot more to Andy than that, and this documentary gives us plenty to chew on. How Andy came from humble stock and reinvented himself; how he somehow was able to be the ringmaster of a group of fringe folks whom he "directed" in a series of questionable short films; how he moved from that seedy milieu after he was shot into high society and jet set life. We come away from "Superstar" still not certain whether we like him or not, still at a loss really to know the man, but that's alright. Who among us IS that easy to categorize neatly and be filed away as we see fit? Andy Warhol was a complex individual who managed to be a perfect chameleon, so much so that every person interviewed during the documentary believes that they have the lowdown on him, and yet are at odds with the next person up. To be sure, Andy Warhol deserves much more than his "fifteen minutes of fame", and "Superstar" makes sure that he gets it.

Rating:
Summary: Inside the Beautiful People
Review: "Superstar" is a fascinating portrait of a man whom I rarely gave a thought to while he was alive, Andy Warhol. I knew he was a silkscreen artist, that he had a really weird haircut, and that he was supposed to be arch. Well, there's an awful lot more to Andy than that, and this documentary gives us plenty to chew on. How Andy came from humble stock and reinvented himself; how he somehow was able to be the ringmaster of a group of fringe folks whom he "directed" in a series of questionable short films; how he moved from that seedy milieu after he was shot into high society and jet set life. We come away from "Superstar" still not certain whether we like him or not, still at a loss really to know the man, but that's alright. Who among us IS that easy to categorize neatly and be filed away as we see fit? Andy Warhol was a complex individual who managed to be a perfect chameleon, so much so that every person interviewed during the documentary believes that they have the lowdown on him, and yet are at odds with the next person up. To be sure, Andy Warhol deserves much more than his "fifteen minutes of fame", and "Superstar" makes sure that he gets it.

Rating:
Summary: Inside the Beautiful People
Review: "Superstar" is a fascinating portrait of a man whom I rarely gave a thought to while he was alive, Andy Warhol. I knew he was a silkscreen artist, that he had a really weird haircut, and that he was supposed to be arch. Well, there's an awful lot more to Andy than that, and this documentary gives us plenty to chew on. How Andy came from humble stock and reinvented himself; how he somehow was able to be the ringmaster of a group of fringe folks whom he "directed" in a series of questionable short films; how he moved from that seedy milieu after he was shot into high society and jet set life. We come away from "Superstar" still not certain whether we like him or not, still at a loss really to know the man, but that's alright. Who among us IS that easy to categorize neatly and be filed away as we see fit? Andy Warhol was a complex individual who managed to be a perfect chameleon, so much so that every person interviewed during the documentary believes that they have the lowdown on him, and yet are at odds with the next person up. To be sure, Andy Warhol deserves much more than his "fifteen minutes of fame", and "Superstar" makes sure that he gets it.

Rating:
Summary: Super Star... the perfect words for Warhol
Review: Andy Warhol's life was filled with a passion that showed through his art, social life and appearence. Superstar- The Life and Times of Andy Warhol, is a wonderful cross section of what his life was like. It makes you want to party, paint and socialize. One can not help but fall in love with his style. A must for any Warhol, or contemporary art fan.

Rating:
Summary: ENTERTAINING DOCUMENTARY
Review: Documentary of the life of artist Andy Warhol is a visually exciting rapid fire attack of 60s psychedelia as seen through the life and times of a group of New York City tragically hip, hapless celebrities that flocked around the elusive, indifferent Warhol like a 'Night of the Living Dead' fashion show. It's a seemingly endless parade of Warhol art, movies and photos which ultimately define the world of Andy Warhol. That his art is a pop culture commercial gimmick is a notion long been put to rest and the seriousness of his work is heralded and applauded here, an artist of the 1960s who chose not to run from rampant commercialism, but to turn and confront it. The names of celebrities captured from Warhol's home movies would read like a Who's Who of pop culture but it's Warhol himself who leaves the most lasting impression, a modest witty genius, a serious artist, and a cultural phenomena.

Rating:
Summary: Silver and Bold
Review: I found "Superstar - The Life & Times of Andy Warhol" to be highly entertaining. It is a definite must-have for anyone who is fascinated with the people Warhol surrounded himself with during his 1960s heyday - that eccentric menagerie of Factory denizens, many of whom are featured in "Superstar." Rare interviews and film footage abound in this visually delightful, cleverly edited, and ultimately informative documentary.

Rating:
Summary: Artist Who Best Understood Art and Commerce
Review: I originally saw this at a film festival when it first came out. I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Warhol's but I generally like his work. What this film solidifies for me is something I already suspected, that he was an absolute genius at making art that the public would buy. The film also makes clear Warhol's tendencies as a personality, chief among them being that he was a watcher of everything and everyone. That he was so in evidence on the New York social scene was probably so that he could feed this immense desire to watch and absorb what was out there in the city where everything happens first. The documentary also touches on his relatives who were largely bypassed for his estate in favor of creating his own museum in his Pittsburg hometown. As an artist, I'm glad he made the museum possible. I hear it is wonderful. But I'm also glad I'm not related to him! Warhol was also a genius at delegating as much of the art process as he could, which was smart commercially and also gave him more time to watch. If you are an artist, you are not going to discover any art techniques here because it is not that kind of film. You will spend as little time in the studio itself as Warhol did! This is a fascinating account nonetheless of an American artist who managed to stay at the forefront of art his entire life. I'd recommend seeing it.

Rating:
Summary: Artist Who Best Understood Art and Commerce
Review: I originally saw this at a film festival when it first came out. I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Warhol's but I generally like his work. What this film solidifies for me is something I already suspected, that he was an absolute genius at making art that the public would buy. The film also makes clear Warhol's tendencies as a personality, chief among them being that he was a watcher of everything and everyone. That he was so in evidence on the New York social scene was probably so that he could feed this immense desire to watch and absorb what was out there in the city where everything happens first. The documentary also touches on his relatives who were largely bypassed for his estate in favor of creating his own museum in his Pittsburg hometown. As an artist, I'm glad he made the museum possible. I hear it is wonderful. But I'm also glad I'm not related to him! Warhol was also a genius at delegating as much of the art process as he could, which was smart commercially and also gave him more time to watch. If you are an artist, you are not going to discover any art techniques here because it is not that kind of film. You will spend as little time in the studio itself as Warhol did! This is a fascinating account nonetheless of an American artist who managed to stay at the forefront of art his entire life. I'd recommend seeing it.

Rating:
Summary: The King is Dead, Long Live The King
Review: It is ironic that many of our most creative Artists are never truly appreciated until they are gone. The Superstar DVD affords us an interesting insight into the life and times of Mr. Warhol. I especially liked the Directors Commentary option where Mr. Workman speaks about the film. If you are into Andy Warhol, this is a nice remember when. That being said, I would be remiss if I did not mention a living Artist, who I would like to be so bold as to call the "Andy Warhol" of the new digital age. His name is Laurence Gartel. He is called the "Father of Digital Media" and to any Multi-media student, Photographer, or Artist, he is truly unique. He has a new DVD out entitled Trance, Dance and Other Living things which features thousands of his photo's and art in a surround sound multi-media format, the likes of which I have never seen. I read mediamaniacs review, and it was great. If you liked Mr. Warhol, you are going to love Gartel. I bought the DVD, and then emailed Mr. Gartel, who actually responded to my email (himself), and answered several questions. Imagine being able to communicate directly with a guy who is in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian. This is truly a digital age, and I think Gartel can become our Warhol of the new millenium with alittle support from all of us. I do not want to get to stuffie, but this fellow is truly and National Treasure, and the Arts really need to support him.

Rating:
Summary: A Must for any Warhol Fan.
Review: This video although along the same lines as the Portrait series on Warhol seems to take a more personal approach to this very unique man. I was pleased with the family interviews and looks into his life as a young man, it helps to reason why Warhol although very sociable was actually a shy and mysterious person. The film takes info on the person and gradually moves into his art, there are quite a few clips of Warhol being interviewed about his work which do nothing for the novice because he does not say much of anything but they do add to the mystique of the artist. I was pleased with the input of some of his "Posse", they seem to give a candid representation of their relationships with Warhol and along with video footage of the artist in action and in routine living help to put this video as a top documentary into the life of an artist. Warhol as many artists of the period seems to poke fun at himself and not take what he does very seriously although we know what he did was seriously important in history. I think regardless whether you like his art or not, he has to be one of the most influential & innovative artists ever.