Cinemania (2002) Rated: NR. This film is not rated by the MPAA. Runtime: 80 mins. Director: Angela Christlieb; Stephen Kijak Cast: Jack Angstreich; Eric Chadbourne; Bill Heidbreder...complete cast Genre: Documentary Memorable quote: "It's better than sex, you know, it's better than love, it's beyond obsession, I don't know what it is, there's no word for it."
Reel commentary:.....Cinemania is an extraordinary look into human obsession and how too much of a good thing can become hard to let go of............full review
Cinemania is truly one of those fascinating, highly anticipated documentary films that just seems to revel in it’s own mixture of those obsessed filmgoers who find refuge in a darkened theater. First-time Director/Writer Richard Kelly takes you on a personal tour that is seemingly endless and where the border is straight ahead. The choice is yours if you want to cross over and see what they see.
The highly acclaimed documentary is about Jack, Eric, Harvey, Bill and Roberta who will live, breathe, and will probably die going to the movies. These five movie buffs take you on a journey not into another dimension but into their lives and personal obsessions. Like most regular movie buffs they bring money for the concession stand and have their ticket stub ready. But there is one thing that differentiates them from your normal moviegoer - their compulsive-need to see a film everyday where little else in their sad, lonely, and at times dark persona comes through.
Roberta sets the prime example of a person who isn’t just obsessed with seeing a film but where it is a daily need. Her already addictive nature has brought her to be an icon in the New York film community (I’m not saying that is a bad thing).
They all take part in a daily routine of sorts that basically has become a true-to-life style of living for our fellow film fanatics. Roberta truly sets this tone – how, you ask? Whenever she goes to see a film at one of the local film festivals she must have at least a dozen brochures (most people only need one). I can understand if an individual needs to have maybe two or three copies. She has been perceived among many as not particularly pleasant and at times nasty when things don’t go as she sees them. Roberta lives by collecting odds and ends of film memorabilia in her overly cluttered apartment. It has gotten to the point where it is so bad that she herself can hardly make her way through her own front door. Obsessed hardly describes her addiction.
This movie-watching addiction is a border that these five individuals have decided to cross over too but have no way to get back to what we would call a ?normal routine?. Everyday we have breakfast, get dressed, and make our way to work. Ask any of these guys when was the last time they have even seen the inside of an office during the busy workweek?
Cinemania is an extraordinary look into human obsession and how too much of a good thing can become hard to let go of. It’s a true compliment to New York as a city with its sprawling and ever-growing film scene.
Cinemania (2002)
