Jeff Feuerzeig directed this documentary about the mentally tormented manic depressive artist Daniel Johnston. Using lots of Daniel's own early personal footage and music, we follow him through his turbulent life. We hear stories from his friends about his erratic and sometimes dangerous behavior. One of the weirdest interviews is the one featuring the lead singer of Butthole Surfers. I was inspired to check this out after seeing The Frames(Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) perform with him on Austin City Limits. The documentary is heavy and dark, and at points I just felt overwhelmed. I was amazed by how many famous artists were touched by him, including Kurt Cobain. The documentary succeeded in taking me into his dark world.....it didn't justify it, or even really explain it in a way that was tidy and neat. It was brutal in it's honesty, much like Daniel is in creating and performing his music. I give this 7 out of 10
1 comment:
I've heard about daniel johnston and like other artists he's as musically gifted though tortured by his psychological problems.
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