The poster lists are perhaps the ones I always look forward to the most. The vast majority of film posters, in their primary advertising function, are rehashes of the same basic format depending on the genre and plot. Not to sound too condescending but casual movie-goers tend to gravitate towards repetition and the comfort of being able to rely on concrete expectations. Posters have to sell this too. Marketers want people to be able to look at a poster and know what they are going to get when they walk into that theater.

But this is a considerable generalization; for all the forgettable to questionable images each year has to offer, there are a lot of top-notch posters too. These are the 20 posters that rank as my favorites from 2012. The only condition is that it had to get a US release this year and only one poster per film. Since most films do not get released here, it disqualifies a lot of great work, but it would just be too hard to sift through everything otherwise.

Here is 2011′s list: http://cinenthusiast.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/list-top-20-film-posters-of-2011/

And 2010′s: http://cinenthusiast.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/top-20-film-posters-of-2010/

The best poster I came across that I could not count (but will post here anyways because, um, amazing) is Xavier Dolan’s latest Laurence Anyways which right now has no US release date. Does it even have distribution yet? Not sure. Anyways, it’s very Last Tango in Paris, very effortlessly retro, very pink and just all-around sickening.

So while in theory, this is supposed to be about the poster art and not the films attached to them, it is impossible not to bring that context into the proceedings. If this list has is skewed towards my own taste (I’ve seen 16/20 of the films) from this year than that would be why.

Honorable Mention:  2 Days in New York

My reason for this is the instantaneous reaction to the colors which are vibrant, lively and look almost crayon-like in execution. It is a very simple and even bland image, even if it feels sacrilegious to refer to a picture of Julie Delpy as bland. But I am easy to please and while there were plenty of more creative options out there to choose from, my instinct said ‘oooooh cooolllllooooorrrsssss’. I also cannot get enough of how the colors ever so slightly run into their hair.

20. Gerhard Richter Painting

We continue on the ‘Katie is Easily Pleased by Colors’ theme (an ongoing one that will appear constantly). The poster quite literally reflects the title of the film. Cheeky. The long sequences in this doc that show Gerhard Richter painting is some of the best documentary footage from this year. Honestly, this could have been the whole film and it would likely have an even higher spot on my year-end list.  So the poster evokes a sequence I could not take my eyes off of, so between that and the startling colors = on the list.

19. Lincoln

This is a surreally uncanny image that immediately immortalizes the idea of Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln. It’s actually disturbingly uncanny. The longer you look at it the more reality seems to implode on itself. Has Daniel Day-Lewis always been Lincoln? Was Lincoln in fact Daniel Day-Lewis? Oh, the questions this poster raises. The profile shot and the statuesque look really make this the best it can be.

18. Zero Dark Thirty

I love me some minimalist posters. This one is a teaser image that just sticks with you immediately. I cannot get enough of the redaction and how the only actual additional non-text element of this poster is something that tries to take away. Like everyone else I cannot wait to see what Kathryn Bigelow does with this film and the way its advertising was handled has been thoroughly successful.

17. Michael

Another really minimal poster, but with all honesty, how does one go about advertising a difficult-to-watch (but for my money worth it) arthouse film about a pedophile who has a boy in his basement? So I’d call this a resounding success on all counts considering that it gets around the challenge and is fabulous to boot. The color choice is memorable as well as the puzzle concept allowing for subtle shading and dimension.

16. Girl Model

This poster is really just one of the first shots of Girl Model, a haunting documentary that just scratches the surface of the unsurprisingly seedy underbelly of the bottom rungs of the modeling industry. The mirror image creates a slight distortion that reflects the sad logic of how this occupational world works. And I love slightly out-of-focus images and the mirror gives it that inestimable ‘feel’ that I am so drawn to.

15. Attenberg

I could have easily chosen another poster from the film but went with this one which really captures the off-kilter strangeness of the small but very significant recent wave of Greek films to make their way over here. First of all, I love this scene. Throughout Attenberg are sprinkled scenes of the main character and her friend walking along a street in increasingly complex synchronization. There is something about two young girls letting in their instincts and being confrontational about it that reminds the amazing feminist and surrealist film Daisies. So there’s that. The poster has a great combination of having a simple background that forces focus to the pose and stance of the subjects. It reflects the extremely strong focus these films have on the body and body language with its possible contortions and positions.

Here is the scene containing the pose depicted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SrOfBIvrpQ

14. Frankenweenie

It’s a Tim Burton sketch so of course this poster rules. It is like they are saying ‘don’t forget Tim Burton was once capable of not sucking’. It is a strong enforcer of the idea that Burton is revisiting and updating his roots with this one. This was not one of the main posters used for the marketing, which from that standpoint I understand. But it’s a gorgeous illustration that brings the Sparky design back to its “Family Dog” influence (more like replica) and he has just about the quirkiest expression of endearment I’ve ever seen.

13. Paul Williams Still Alive

Stop Making Sense font; check. The top of Paul Williams head; check. Number 13 spot; check.

12. Elena

The illustration here is so stark and evocative. It depicts two colors, trees, the outline of a person looking out and a bird flying by. The color feels like the sun is just about to rise which is how Elena starts. The left side is used for some deserved festival bracket whoring. It’s a foreboding image with a blue I cannot take my eyes off of. And I love that microscopic eye detail on the bird.

11. The Cabin in the Woods

Another poster that was nowhere near the primary one used but thankfully it was given the frameworthy poster treatment. A take on Escher’s Relativity, the sepia-toned drawing nails what Drew Goddard/Joss Whedon’s film is really about. The picture gets the trapped and constructed environment of the characters. And the tagline, which seems cliché at first glance, just like the purposely broad title, is actually perfect.

10. Sound of My Voice

This is so mysterious and ambiguous just like the film’s conceit. The handshake feels like another language. The instructional format feels like a retro kitsch-piece. The crunched up folding makes it seem like we are looking at something we shouldn’t be seeing. It feels like something from a pastime, which is apt given what the characters in the story’s cult are wont to believe.

9. Paranorman

There is a whole batch of Paranorman posters equally fabulous that could be in its place. Again, the main posters were certainly serviceable but there is a whole slew of great artwork that was done to promote the Focus Features film. It’s the blocking of the different images that draws me in as well as, again, the use of the orange, green and blue colors. The way the font is strewn across the poster is reminiscent of a 50’s B-movie.

8. Compliance

This is my number one movie I haven’t seen this year. I feel like it’s got a fair shot at being near the top of my year-end list, however unfair those expectations may be. Dreama Walker, who can be seen on “Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23″, has a somehow enigmatic expressionlessness. I just love this shot and where she is in the frame related to the text. And quotes galore! Quotes make you go ‘ooooh what is this about’. Walker’s prominence in the poster could mean anything. Add in the dubious title and I was dying to find out what all the fuss and controversy of the film was about and whether or not it was justified. It grabbed my interest immediately; exactly what a poster is supposed to do.

7. The Master

The film is quite a bit like a Rorschach test. Though one pops up early in The Master, this image also reflects the open-wide interpretive room of the characters and how they interact with and change each other. It’s an enigma but at the same time it’s not. Again, loving the folded-up quality, making it seem like a pamphlet of sorts. There is a black-and-white version but I actually prefer the color. In a substantial misrepresentation, Joaquin Phoenix is looking far too sane, no?

6. Holy Motors

This would have been in the top 5 if not for the distracting title art. The title art and font look very cheap to me and is not successfully integrated into the rest of the poster. It looks like the title is uncomfortably resting on top instead of being part of. But Denis Lavant, playing many different identities here, is seen as a black shadowed blank slate. The headlights of the limo are the eyes, placed in the headspace, which is likely where the film takes place. At the very least Holy Motors has its own internal logic that gleefully defies any explanation. And the poster certainly hints at this. My favorite thing about this is the sketchy yellow scribble. Just one of those inspired touches.

5. Beauty is Embarrassing

Using Wayne White work in a documentary about Wayne White equals a spot in my Top 5 posters. It’s playfully bizarre and the way the letters form a kind of landscape in the background is seamlessly appropriate.

4. Alps

Here is yet another minimalist poster. The abstract Dogtooth poster had a place this high as well two years ago. This one actually has the characters in it and I find the shape their placement creates to be hypnotic, much like the film. There is an almost slightly oversaturated grainy quality to the images that make them blend in with the background in interesting ways. And anything featuring Aggeliki Papoulia’s mesmerizing face is okay by me.

3. Barbara

I think you all know what’s coming. You can sense it the second you look at the poster. COLORS!!!! Oh the glorious combination of these colors! Look at how lush this visual is. It’s quite stunning. Everything pops here and it’s a really creative poster in a lot of subtle ways. The red! The green! The yellow! The title placement! See? Subtle.

2. The Loneliest Planet

Let’s start with that intensely profound statement at the top. Jeez Louise. Talk about lofty expectations. After Compliance and Amour, this is probably what I’m craving to see the most that I haven’t yet. Luckily it’s on demand so first thing when I get back to CT? Yep. This gorgeous green, which just barely reveals itself as actual land is to die for, as is the juxtaposition of the two close-up faces against their far-away selves amidst the green. And let’s talk about that red hair! Well, okay I’ve got nothing more to say about it….but look at it! And are her eyes green too? This poster just stuck with me instantaneously and its pleasing to look at but also further piques my interest.

1. The Innkeepers

I already knew this would be my number 1 poster before even doing my 2011 list last year. Since The Innkeepers had been kicking around at fests for a while, the poster has been out for quite some time. It’s so intricate and beautifully haunting. It’s got a snarky tagline. The blue-grays, the title design, the borders and shapes; all of it is flawless. There’s a lot going on here but it’s not too much. And lastly, it’s got my favorite film character from a 2012 film no contest. Yeah, I’m looking at you Sara Paxton.
Stay tuned because within the next week my Top 10 Worst Posters of 2012 will be posted.

4. “Skyfall,” by Adele, from Skyfall
Leave me alone, I like this.  I don’t know if it’s necessarily the Oscar winner, but as a song I like it pretty well.  It’s quite melancholy, particularly for a Bond song, and sure it confused me lyrically when she sang that “Skyfall is where we start” before I knew that Skyfall was a place, but at the same time that’s the kind of linguistic weirdness I sort of like.  Also, I will defend Adele’s music forever, because she really is talented and people who say she’s overplayed should really be recognizing that that’s at least in part because of the comparatively fewer female musicians, particularly not of a certain style, who get popular radio airplay and they should be complaining about that instead.

3. “Still Alive,” from Paul Williams Still Alive
I have never heard of this before.  And, uhm, I can’t actually find the song in question here either.  Every different search I do comes up with trailers and things, but I’ll go ahead and say dark horse on principle.  The Original Song category is notoriously unpredictable (I mean, I’m still not over the shock of the year that “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp” won) but hey.

2. “Song of the Lonely Mountain,” by Neil Finn, Liam Finn, and Elroy Finn (I think), from The Hobbit
I am not, nor have I ever been, a Lord of the Rings person.  This is not to say I don’t like it, I do, but I’ve only seen the movies a couple of times and only ever read the first of the books and The Hobbit for class (which shouldn’t count).  Regardless, this sounds like something that I would have imagined as being in The Hobbit if I sat down and asked myself what sort of song would be in The Hobbit.  But it’s also got a nice slightly indie folk quality that makes it feel like something that someone would put on a fanmix for The Hobbit, and I approve of that.

1. “Learn Me Right,” by Mumford and Sons with Birdy, from Brave
I think it should go without saying that this is the kind of song that I’m kind of a sucker for.  Twangy/Celt-folksy as it is.  And I’m firmly rooting for anything this movie is nominated for somewhat on principle, too, so there’s that.

–your fangirl heroine.

Here’s a Hollywood story for you: it’s the story of a terrific documentary about the Artist behind one of my favorite films of all time, and how it ended up with that Artist tweeting me!

Paul Williams Still Alive

Before you read anything, just watch this trailer:

“Paul Williams Still Alive” is a terrific new documentary about legendary songwriter and 70′s icon Paul Williams.

Here is what Rotten Tomatoes had to say about this terrific documentary: “He won Grammys and an Academy Award; wrote many #1 songs; starred in a Brian DePalma movie; put out his own hit records and albums; was a guest on The Tonight Show fifty times; and is the president of ASCAP…and you might not have heard of him.

In the 1970′s, Paul Williams was the singer / actor / songwriter that emotional, alienated teenage boys all over the world wanted to be, a sex symbol before MTV, when sex symbols could be 5″2 and sing songs about loneliness with the Muppets.

A wistful musical journey that will re-introduce a new generation to Williams’ soulful classics, “Paul Williams: Still Alive” is the charmingly self-narrated story of Stephen Kessler’s lifelong obsession with the former superstar-and what happens when the nostalgic filmmaker finally catches up with him.” — written by (C) Abramorama

A Star Is Born! Evergreen!

And yes, Williams won an Oscar for the ballad “Evergreen”, along with Barbra Streisand, from the movie “A Star Is Born”….he also wrote songs that became huge hits for other artists, such as Three Dog Night’s “An Old Fashioned Love Song”, Helen Reddy’s “You and Me Against the World”, and the Carpenters’ “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainy Days and Mondays”…

“Paul Williams Still Alive” is a great, human, personal documentary about a great Artist…and if you want to get a sense of just how talented he was, check Williams out in one of the greatest movies EVER:

Phantom Of The Paradise – 1974.

This is one of my 5 favorite films EVER. It is Director Brian DePalma’s first masterpiece, a re-telling of “Phantom Of The Opera”, set in the world of rock’n'roll. Watch the vintage trailer:

“THIS CREEP GETS NO COMPS!”

Ok, one of the many great lines in the film is “this creep gets no comps!” It’s a funny and over-the-top look at the music industry, with a soundtrack that captures the essence of music in the 70′s – because Paul Williams wrote a soundtrack that name-checked it all!

Paul Williams stars as Record producer Swan – who steals both the music and the girl (Phoenix) from composer Winslow Leach. Disfigured Leach plans revenge on Swan and his rock palace, The Paradise, and becomes The Phantom.

William Finley stars as Winslow Leach, a talented yet naive songwriter who falls in love with young singer Phoenix, played by Jessica Harper. I have posted a separate “appreciation” of William Finley, who died earlier this year..paste this in your browser, he was an under-appreciated Actor….

http://johnrieber.com/2012/04/16/the-phantom-is-gone-an-appreciation-of-william-finley/

In the film, The Phantom only wants Phoenix to sing his songs, so Leach signs a contract with Swan to complete a rock opera based on the life of Faust, for Phoenix to sing…or so he thinks.

Winslow quickly learns there is more to Swan than meets the eye – the moment he has to sign his lifetime contact.

Swan: [holding a contract] It’s all here. Read it carefully, then sign at the bottom in blood. Messy, I know, but it’s the only way to bind. Tradition.

Swan: Ink isn’t worth anything to me, Winslow.

What makes the film so great is the soundtrack full of original songs that look at the state of pop music at the time…

It’s a great soundtrack – and you can get it on itunes and amazon – with songs like “Upholstery” that parodies The Beach Boys:

“Carburetors man, that’s what life is all about!”

While another takes aim at the 50′s revival led by Sha Na Na, and then there is my favorite – the take down of “glam rock!”

Meet BEEF!

“Beef” is David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust mashed into Kiss with a touch of Queen added for flavor. Garritt Graham is hilarious as “Beef”, the singer that Swan secretly plans to open The Paradise with, instead of Phoenix.

“Beef” quickly realizes something is wrong, and wants out – especially when The Phantom visits him in his dressing room in a spot on, classic parody of Hitchcock’s shower scene from “Psycho.”

Beef: “There really is a phantom. He was just in my shower. He threatened my life. He said his music was for Phoenix. Only she can sing it. Anyone else who tries, dies.”

Beef ends up performing of course, with a back band that Kiss fans would recognize…

The film is full of great songs that parody everyone from The Beach Boys to David Bowie and Kiss – and includes the classic ballad sung by Harper, “Old Souls.”

“Phantom Of The Paradise” was a box office bomb when it was released, but thanks to home video, it has become re-discovered as one of DePalma’s masterpieces…really worth buying, because as the tour manager says bitterly to someone waiting in line for the show: “THIS CREEP GETS NO COMPS!”

When Alex and I got married, our first dance was to a song from this film, “Old Souls.” Here it is, a beautiful ballad sung by Jessica Harper in the movie…

“Our love is an old love, baby, it’s older than all our years…”

AS beautiful ballad that “Napata and The Kisses” learned so they could play it as our first dance, and they told us afterwards how much they loved the song…

Paul Tweets Me!

And now the funny ending to this story: on twitter, I follow David Poland of MovieCityNews, and it’s a great website for movies news and analysis – check it out at “MovieCityNews.com”…I also follow David on twitter, and last week I saw that he retweeted a note from Paul Williams, in which Paul acknowledged that he now had a twitter account…so I decided to post this note

John Rieber ‏@johnrieber

@IMPaulwilliams “Phantom Of The Paradise” great soundtrack – we got married to ” Old Souls” as first song -kudos to Paul for Beef!

A day later, I got this reply on twitter:

Paul Williams ‏@IMPaulWilliams

@johnrieber playing my song at yr wedding is heart payment for a songwriter John. Many thanks and blessings …

Hey, nice! So Paul is not only a great Artist, but he writes a nice note to boot! Buy some of the music, and of course the movies if you don’t already have them, and don’t forget:

via collider.com

Released this week through On Demand, “Paul Williams Still Alive” tracks the tremulous
life of Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Paul
Williams. From the joy of hundreds of TV appearances to the despair of drug abuse,
the documentary is a pensive journey through Williams’ experiences, but also the
troubles he encountered along the way.

Williams’ story is told through the eyes of director Stephen Kessler. Throughout the
film their stories are intertwined, but not to the film’s benefit. Kessler’s childhood
worship of Williams and other ‘70s icons is an interesting lead to the movie, but
that’s all it should be. By the middle of the film, the film reveals itself not to be truly
about Williams, but the relationship between Williams and Kessler. Frankly, their
dynamic isn’t that interesting, and certainly not remarkable enough to make a movie
about. The focus on Kessler himself seems to either be selfishly exploiting Williams’
struggles, filling gaps in content, or both.

Still, the story of Williams’ rise to fame in the ‘70s is elegantly told through an
impressive stockpile of vintage footage. The colorful antique clips stylishly tell
much of his backstory, accompanied by interesting commentary from Williams,
his manager and fans. His current life–small-time touring and living with his wife-
-is filmed in some detail as well. However, noticeably missing is much coverage of
the ‘80s, a time when Williams was consumed by drugs and alcohol. Williams is
reasonably tired of reliving these dark days, but without understanding them the
audience is left with a hole in the center of his story.

Williams’ restraint to have a movie made about him is what hurts the film the most.
Kessler is never granted proper access to his subject’s day-to-day life, and seems to
only have one proper interview with him. Williams is reticent at the beginning of the
film to participate in the documentary, and even by the end remains cagey, unable to
share many of details of his life. Despite over two years of filming, the documentary
feels stitched together, without enough content to tell a proper story.

Despite this, “Still Alive” has some beautiful moments. In a poignant scene toward
the end, Kessler is able to sit Williams down to watch footage of himself from back
in the day. It’s a strange, tragic journey back in time, gracefully connecting the
past and present. A montage of versions of “The Rainbow Connection,” Kermit the
Frog’s song from “The Muppet Movie” which Williams wrote, is a moving nostalgia

trip. The documentary has a sense of wistful sadness that works effectively to the
audience’s emotions. “Still Alive” ends with Williams skydiving. His liberation might
bring tears to the eyes.

In the end, there’s a fantastic story about how a man unhappy with fame becomes
content with relative anonymity. Paul Williams “only looks forward” while
the director admits he himself “only looks backward.” This is the fundamental
problem. “Still Alive” jumps back and forth in time, sometimes tastefully, sometimes
roughly, but the bottom line is Williams doesn’t want to look back. Unfortunately,
Kessler has made looking back the basis of the film.

Peter Slattery is a contributing writer. Email him at film@nyunews.com.

Paul Williams: Still Alive (2011)

Starring Paul Williams

Written and Directed by Stephen Kessler

In a year where this critic has personally seen some fantastic music documentaries the likes of Marley, My Father and the Man in Black  and Charles Bradley: Soul of America, I was wary that a documentary about singer/songwriter Paul Williams could measure up. Fortunately director Kessler delivers a very personal, funny and engaging film about not only Paul but himself as well. Paul Williams is indeed alive and very feisty in this film, using shot footage mixed with archival footage as we trace the rise, fall and rebirth of the man that wrote the immortal “Rainbow Connection” amongst other classic songs.

Director Kessler starts musing about how he used to admire the 5’2 Williams as a child. Williams had a very storied career in the 70′s, acting in major television shows and movies like Smokey and the Bandit and the cult classic Phantom of the Paradise. Along with recording his own albums Williams wrote chart toppers for David Bowie, The Carpenters and his greatest hit was in collaboration with Barbara Streisand off the A Star is Born soundtrack, a song that won him a Academy Award. Kessler attempts to purchase one of Williams’ albums online and aaccidentally discovers that the man he thought was dead was very much alive. Travelling to Winnipeg, Manitoba for “Phantompaloza” in 2006, celebrating the aforementioned Phantom of the Paradise, Kessler meets a now 16 year sober Williams as her performs a live concert as part of the event. Convincing Williams to allow him to film him for a documentary, Kessler spends the next couple of years filming the sometimes cantankerous Williams, as the two eventually bond over terrorist threats during a tour of the Philippines, and discussing where it all went wrong while simultaneously tracking his career through the 70′s with intercut archival footage. Williams is affected greatly by a clip of him hosting a talk show completely out of his mind on cocaine in the early 80′s, a clip he does not finish watching. Based on this though, as it is one of very limited footage the director could find at the time, Williams opens up his storage unit full of boxes of mementos and rare footage that fills out the documentary.

Gruff at times and loveable at others, Williams comes off as extremely likeable and you really do root for him. The archival footage is fantastic, Williams a regular on shows like The Tonight Show, The Muppet Show, Match Game and many more is a genuinely funny man. Though despite all the accolades, Williams is at his happiest now. With his 3^rd wife, he admits he was not a good husband to his first 2, on tour and invested in his career and being completely sober, Williams is enjoying his connection to his fans and being able to perform for them.

While not as strongly produced as the documentaries I mentioned earlier, Paul Williams: Still Alive is still a hell of a lot of fun. The Archival footage is great and there is so much laughter in here mainly because Paul himself is truly hilarious. For a fun light-hearted time I give Paul Williams: Still Alive a solid recommend.

Paul Williams: Still Alive starts an exclusive run at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema on Friday August 10^th.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

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We’ve only just begun. Singer and songwriter Paul Williams (right) poses with the Unpaid Film Critic after a screening of “Paul Williams Still Alive.”  Photo by Gary Joseph

Until I saw director Stephen Kessler’s insightful and funny new documentary “Paul Williams Still Alive,” Williams, the Oscar and Grammy winning song writer and singer had not been on my radar for a good thirty years.  As a result, I was grateful for the documentary’s title, which assured me that Mr. Williams is, in fact, still with us.

Williams and Kessler made an appearance at the Angelika Film Center last Friday, following the film’s 7:30 showing.   Williams did not disappoint, neither as a documentary subject, nor as a warm, open, modest and gracious human being.

Williams wrote some of the biggest pop songs of the 1970s.  His work was recorded by everyone from “Three Dog Night” to the “Muppets.”  However, as Williams points out, for him, the idea of being different and special was addicting.  He just loved the attention, the pursuit of which took him from the sublime to the ridiculous: From Oscar and Grammy winner to “The Gong Show,” “The Brady Bunch Variety Show,” and, the day after winning his Oscar (for the song “Evergreen” from the 1976 movie “A Star is Born”), to an appearance on TV’s “Circus of the Stars,” in which he parachuted from an airplane.

By the 1980s Williams had been swallowed up by drugs and alcohol, something which actually started during the height of his popularity.  At his lowest ebb Williams was reduced to being interviewed by a kid on YouTube and by a reporter from cable channel 99.

What makes “Paul Williams Still Alive” so unique are a number of things.  First of all there are the expected archival TV clips: “The Muppet Show,” “The Tonight Show” (50 appearances during the Johnny Carson years), playing a bad guy gunned down by Angie Dickinson on “Police Woman,” and many other TV appearances.

What makes the documentary special is that it is a personal story not only of Williams, but of filmmaker Stephen Kessler.  Kessler had the difficult job of following Williams, attempting to capture candid moments from a subject who did not always want to be on camera, while also attempting to develop a bond with his subject.  This includes following Williams to performance venues in the Philippines, where he is still quite popular.  As Kessler points out, “In the Philippines Williams was not some forgotten pop star.  He was Justin Bieber.”  The adventure included having to be on a tour bus driving through a jungle known to be populated by terrorists.

Then there is Williams himself who, upon viewing one of his old TV appearances, candidly admits to “not having a sense of how arrogant and shallow an image I was presenting” during the height of his popularity.  Today Williams has 20 years of sobriety and has been a drug rehabilitation counselor.  Williams says that now, in recovery, he has more in his life than ever before.

Since this was the documentary’s opening weekend Kessler and Williams encouraged the audience to spread the word about the film.  Perhaps lyricist Williams put the perfect capper on the evening when he said, “Tell your friends that Paul Williams is still alive and very grateful.”

Paul Williams: Still Alive, a “what the heck happened to Paul Williams” movie opens this weekend in New York.   The film’s endearing funny director, Stephen Kessler, traces every piece of pop culture we remember as a child and it is somehow all connected to Paul Williams. From John Travolta in Boy in a Plastic Bubble (Williams wrote the theme tune) to videos of the Carpenters hits like We’ve Only Just Begun (yes Williams wrote most of their songs), watching this movie was like a wild flashback through the soundtrack of our childhood.

The film begins with the director’s voice over saying “I just assumed he was dead”.  When he finds out he is in fact still alive and playing concerts in such glamorous destinations as Winnipeg, Canada, a journey commences to find him and have him agree to tell his life story.  Williams shuns the limelight and  initially turns down the director.  Persistence (two years of following him and emailing him) and the fact that the director felt that his own childhood was influenced by everything amazing Williams did, finally pays off. Williams eventually agrees to let the director, perhaps his biggest fan, tell his story.

William’s life was a wild ride, through ultimate fame (he hosted the Tonight Show 50 times) to his decline in to the dark world of drugs and alcohol.  Now 20 years sober, this story is about an incredible recovery.  Most of this movie is hilarious, but when it delves beneath the surface to explain why and how Williams slid from being one of the biggest stars of an era to virtual obscurity, it touches your heart.  We walked away filled with a warm nostalgia for all things pop culture from our childhood.

Paul Williams: STILL ALIVE. Opens this Friday in New York at the Angelica Theatre. Friday and Saturday night, Paul Williams will be live at the theatre.

Ed – Two of the Movie Junkie’s picks already have reviews by him, MIB3 and Chernobyl Diaries.

JUNE

Piranha 3DD (June 1^st)

The first Piranha (from 2010, not the James Cameron version I have yet to see) was a guilty pleasure. Will the next one have the same goofy campiness that made the first one, or will it “jump the piranha”?

Snow White and the Huntsman (June 1^st)

The second re-envisioning of the Snow White story this year, Snowy and the Huntsman at least features Chalrize Theron camping it up as the wicked queen. The real question though is will we get the same emotionless performance out of Kristen Stewart as Snow White that she has become famous for in the Twilight series.

HIGH School (June 1^st Limited)

This brilliantly overlooked comedy and Sundance sensation that has been sitting on the shelf for over two years will finally get a release, albeit a limited one. I saw this at Toronto After Dark in 2010 and loved it. Search this one out!

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (June 8^th)

The gangs all back! *shudder*

Prometheus (June 8^th)

Easily the most anticipated of the summer outside of The Dark Knight Rises, Prometheus features a stellar cast and Ridley Scott’s eagerly awaited return to the Alien universe, although not a direct sequel/prequel. Consider this an opening weekend must see before it’s ruined by the proverbial “water cooler” on the following Monday.

Paul Williams: Still Alive (June 8^th Limited)

The Tiff surprise hit comes to regular theaters, as Paul Williams proves he is still very much alive and struggling to keep the fame going.

That’s My Boy (June 15^th)

Adam Sandler tries to destroy Andy Samberg’s career in this awful Happy Madison vehicle. *shudders again*

Rock of Ages (June 15^th)

Tom Cruise doing Karaoke versions of classic 80’s hair metal tracks with Alec Baldwin running around in a very bad wig? This could be Hairspray “John Travolta in a drag fat suit” bad. The awful sounding soundtrack clips that have landed online aren’t helping.

Brave (June 22^nd)

Pixar tries to atone for last year’s disappointing Cars 2 with this tale of a young princess in the highland times of movies like Braveheart. The animation looks crisp and every trailer makes me interested more and more. Merida could be the most adventuresome female Disney character since the underrated Mulan.

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (June 22^nd)

Based on the best-selling novel, Abraham Lincoln is revisionist history where his parents have been killed by vampires and Abe seeks revenge Dark Knight style with a big axe. If this embraces the goofiness of its premise it could be the most fun in a movie theater this summer, or it could be this year’s Jonah Hex. Fingers Crossed.

G.I. Joe : Retaliation (Pushed back to 2013)

With Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans out, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Bruce Willis in, G.I.  Joe looks like tons of fun and could be the surprise hit of the summer. The trailer scene with Cobra Banners emerging on the White House is still pretty badass.

Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection (June 29^th)

Love or hate him Tyler Perry’s films make money, and lots of it, especially the ones with Madea. Expect this to beat out G.I.Joe  for the opening weekend.

The Loved Ones (June ?)

This brilliant TIFF Midnight Madness selection appears to be finally getting a release. Read my thoughts on the film.

In the meantime, keep your eyes locked on Entertainment Maven; the July and August portion of the preview is still to come!

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

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If asked to sum up the 1970s in a single celebrity, one could do worse than choose Paul Williams. For about ten years, he was oddly ubiquitous in popular culture, and I do mean odd: he was short, bespectacled and a singer-songwriter whose tunes were primarily hits for other people, most notably The Carpenters, Three Dog Night and Barbra Streisand. Early on, he found his niche as an engaging television personality, appearing on every talk and variety program from The Tonight Show to Circus of the Stars; he also cultivated a minor acting career, starring (as The Devil!) in and writing songs for Brian De Palma’s cult musical PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE.

At the dawn of the ’80s, he seemingly disappeared overnight. He may have simply fallen out of fashion, but a growing drug and alcohol problem also contributed to his swift decline. He became sober by 1990 but his career never recovered. So off the radar now was Williams that filmmaker and fan Stephen Kessler thought he was dead, but he wasn’t. Thus, Kessler tracked him down and got permission to follow him around on tour, where he plays to substantially smaller crowds than in his heyday. Initially, Williams seemed reluctant and evasive, and with good reason—would you want a stranger tagging along from one concert venue and hotel room to the next, invading your personal space?

The thing is, Kessler’s presence in the film lifts it from a typical, where-are-they-now sort of documentary up to something far more illuminating and complicated. Often, too much of a director’s presence in a doc is its kiss of death. Fortunately, by making himself nearly as prominent on screen as Williams, Kessler not only gives the film an interesting narrative, but also opens up this sort of film’s parameters, exploring in-depth the relationship between artist and fan. Although Kessler may come off as a little self-absorbed at times, his own story and the very palpable effect Williams had on his formative years casts him as a much-needed audience surrogate—he approaches Williams as most of us would, with initial trepidation, then curiosity and a desire to know more, to understand what Williams is really like. Both Kessler and the viewer feel compelled to reconcile the popular image of Williams from 30-40 years ago with the man he is today.

As with any relationship, it simply takes time for Kessler and Williams to become comfortable with each other. They eventually establish a rapport via unlikely common interests (a taste for squid!) and by being in close proximity with each other for a length of time (particularly on a tour of the Philippines). Williams finally opens up about his sobriety and no longer possessing (or desiring) the level of fame he once had, but it’s even more revealing, and somewhat shattering, to see him watch video clips of his younger self at the height of his fame (and possibly his addiction). The clips aren’t very flattering, and it’s apparent that the person who may have the most difficulty reconciling Williams then and now is Williams himself. PAUL WILLIAMS STILL ALIVE begins as a celebration of and search for a former celebrity and concludes both as a meta-commentary on fame and fandom and as a cautionary tale of sifting through and trying to resolve one’s own past.  Grade: A

124. The More the Merrier (1943, Stevens): A-

125. Meshes of the Afternoon (1943, Deren & Hammid): B+

126. Paul Williams Still Alive (2012, Kessler): B-

127. Damsels in Distress (2012, Stillman): C+

128. The Queen of Versailles (2012, Greenfield): B+/B

129. On the Town (1949, Donen & Kelly): B/B-

130. Odd Man Out (1947, Reed): B+

131. The Red House (1947, Daves): B/B-

132. The Avengers (2012, Whedon): B+

133. Night Train to Munich (1940, Reed): B-

134. A Canterbury Tale (1944, Powell & Pressburger): A-/B+

135. The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941, Dieterle): B+

136. Beauty is Embarrassing (2012, Berkeley): B

137. Spring in a Small Town (1948, Fei): B+/B

138. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947, McLeod): C+/C

139. This is Not a Film (2012, Panahi & Mirtahmasb): A

140. The Kid with a Bike (2012, Dardenne Brothers): A

141. The Set-Up (1949, Wise): B+

142. They Live By Night (1949, Ray): B+

143. Shoeshine (1946, De Sica): A

144. Brighton Rock (1948, Boulting): A

145. Lured (1947, Sirk): A-/B+

There are several films on this list that I have already seen due to IFFBoston. I included them where I would have placed them before seeing them. Those will be bolded. I’m feeling pretty passionate about these 30 films as a whole. After the 30, I have a massive list of films that are on my to-see list and it should be kept in mind that they range from films I really want to see (Farewell, My Queen, Lovely Molly and Whores’ Glory. The latter would be on the list if I weren’t too lazy to shuffle it around) to films like Men in Black III (for Josh Brolin) and Dark Shadows (Burton completist) which I am largely unenthusiastic about but would still see at some point.

What films are you most looking forward to this summer?

First, an honorable mention:
G.I Joe: Retaliation. Why you ask? That looks positively idiotic. Well, first because the trailer makes it look like some honest-to-goodness fun. But really truly my reason boils down to this:

If you can deny the sexiness of Lee Byung-hun then I put forth that you are soulless. The promise of shirtless Lee Byung-hun is enough to get me to pay and see this.

30. Marvel’s The Avengers
Kicking off with a film I and the rest of the world have seen, this was at the top of most lists of this kind. I was looking forward to The Avengers, but as a Joss Whedon fan, not as a Marvel fan. I’m not a superhero film person or at least, I’m a tough sell in most cases. Thankfully, I thoroughly enjoyed The Avengers, more so than most films in this genre.

29. Untouchable (aka Intouchable)
Summary: After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caretaker.

Reasons: It is hard to overstate the cultural phenomenon this film has been in France. It is the second most successful of all time at the French box office. Looks like a hearty crowdpleaser and it has Francois Cluzet, one of my favorite French actors. Color me curious.

28. Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present
Summary: A documentary that follows the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Reasons: I know nothing about Abramovic outside of having heard of her and knowing of her importance. So this seems like a great opportunity to get some insight into her and her work.

27. Compliance
Summary: When a prank caller convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no-one is left unharmed. Based on true events.

Reasons: The most controversial and divisive film at Sundance. Reason enough for me.

26. 2 Days in New York
Summary: Marion (Delpy) has broken up with Jack (Two Days in Paris) and now lives in New York with their child. But when her family decides to come visit her, she’s unaware that the different cultural background held by her new American boyfriend Mingus (Rock), her eccentric father, and her sister Rose who decided to bring her ex-boyfriend along for the trip, added to her upcoming photo exhibition, will make up for an explosive mix.

Reasons: Saw this at IFFBoston (embargo prevented review), but this would have been placed here because of Julie Delpy’s directing/acting/writing involvement.

25. Sleepwalk with Me
Summary: A burgeoning stand-up comedian struggles with the stress of a stalled career, a stale relationship, and the wild spurts of severe sleepwalking he is desperate to ignore.

Reasons: Really strong response everywhere it has played, starting with Sundance at the beginning of the year.

24. Kumare
Summary: A documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona. At the height of his popularity, the Guru Kumaré must reveal his true identity to his disciples and unveil his greatest teaching of all.

Reasons: A doc about deception on a mass scale. Acquired by Kino Lorber. Interested to see what kind of perspective it takes.

23. Beasts of the Southern Wild
Summary: Faced with her father’s fading health and environmental changes that release an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy leaves her Delta-community home in search of her mother.

Reasons: The film that took this year’s Sundance by storm. Haven’t seen the trailer in my newly implemented effort to abstain from most trailers but the buzz surrounding it is more than enough to pique my interest.

22. Snow White and the Huntsman
Summary: In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.

Reasons: As if we need more takes on fairy tales. However! This one actually looks entertaining even if it is preposterous that Theron would not be the fairest of them all against Kristen Stewart. Most people mean this as a knock on Stewart, but I don’t. Don’t get me started on the nonsense insults heaped onto her. It’s a testament to Theron. My main two reasons are: 1. Charlize Theron who looks like she is chewing some delicious scenery. 2. Look at some of the cast list for the dwarves: Ian McShane (!), Eddie Marsan, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones, Ray Winstone and Nick Frost. Case closed.

21. Collaborator
Summary: A playwright whose marriage and career are in a free fall has an explosive run-in with his former neighbor, a right-wing ex-con.

Reasons: Olivia Williams in a starring role = I’m there. Martin Donovan’s first directorial effort.

20. The Loved Ones
Summary: When Brent turns down his classmate Lola’s invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.

Reasons: Ever since this Australian horror film was released back in 2009, I have been hearing about it. This will be the first time I will actually get to see this oft-talked about work. It is finally being released in the US.

19. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
Summary: AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY is the first feature-length film about the internationally renowned Chinese artist and activist, Ai Weiwei. In recent years, Ai has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations. AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY examines this complex intersection of artistic practice and social activism as seen through the life and art of China’s preeminent contemporary artist.

Reasons: This doc, like many on this list, has been getting a lot of attention and I’ve been hearing about it for a while now. I think its pretty obvious that this sounds completely fascinating.

18. The Queen of Versailles
Summary: A documentary that follows a billionaire couple who live in a 90,000-square-foot mansion inspired by Versailles, built on the success of the time-share industry.

Reasons: Saw at IFFBoston. You may ask yourself why you should care about these people, but the film allows you to feel disgust and empathy without compromising itself. I had wanted to see it since the buzz surrounding it started and I can tell you it is well worth seeking out.

17. Pink Ribbons, Inc.
Summary: Breast cancer has become the poster child of corporate cause-related marketing campaigns. Countless women and men walk, bike, climb and shop for the cure. Each year, millions of dollars are raised in the name of breast cancer, but where does this money go and what does it actually achieve?

Reasons: Another doc that looks like it is asking some imperative questions and is able to come up with some telling information. I cannot wait for this.

16. Lawless
Summary: Set in the Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by authorities who want a cut of their profits.

Reasons: I expected this to be a lot higher, especially considering this was directed by none other than John Hillcoat and boasts a screenplay and music by Nick Cave. And take a look at that sick cast. The last time these two teamed up we received the gritty existential western gift that is The Proposition. I have high expectations for this, but I admit that the trailer (which in hindsight I should not have watched), presented a more conventional looking film. I keep in mind though that the business of trailers is to make things look conventional. The one thing that really stuck out to me was Guy Pearce who looks creepily searing. I’m still highly anticipating this. The Proposition is one of my favorite films.

15. Polisse
Summary: A journalist covering police assigned to a juvenile division enters an affair with one of her subjects.

Reasons: Been waiting for this since it premiered at last year’s Cannes, precisely one year ago. Word has been strong. Oh and it has the beauteous Nicholas Duvauchelle.

14. Beyond the Black Rainbow
Summary: Despite being under heavy sedation, Elena tries to make her way out of Arboria, a secluded, quasi-futuristic commune.

Reasons: Seeming to blatantly and proudly take from Cronenberg, Kubrick and an endless amalgam of mind-bending influences, this seems crafted with cult status in mind, which tends to make me weary. But I cannot deny this looks awesome and I cannot wait to see if it can deliver and earn the status it desperately wants.

13. Searching for Sugar Man
Summary: Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock ‘n’ roller, Rodriguez.

Reasons: Like the majority of the films on this list, there’s been a lot of strong buzz surrounding this one. I don’t know what else to say besides it shooting up to the top of my to-see list since reading about it.

12. I Wish
Summary: 12-year-old Koichi, who has been separated from his brother Ryunosuke due to his parents’ divorce, begins to believe that the new bullet train service will create a miracle when the first trains pass each other at top speed.

Reasons: New Hirokazu Koreeda. Need I say more?

11. The Dark Knight Rises
Summary: Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face’s crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham’s finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.

Reasons: I don’t really need reasons here. This is clearly the most anticipated film of the summer along with one or two more on this list. Admittedly, Nolan’s Batman work is my least favorite stuff of his and I merely like The Dark Knight. The last third left a bitterly dismal taste in my mouth that I’ve never been able to wash out. But I trust in Nolan; its obvious he’s remarkable at what he does and we can justifiably expect a lot from him. But I’m still not sold on Hathaway.

10. Indie Game: The Movie
Summary: Follows the dramatic journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world.

Reasons: Talk about this has been really prominent (don’t you love my original reasons?) and to get an inside look at what it takes to be working on the fringes of this industry is sure to be rewarding on multiple levels.

9. The Invisible War
Summary: An investigative and powerfully emotional documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military, the institutions that perpetuate and cover up its existence, and its profound personal and social consequences.

Reasons: A topic that makes for essential viewing, this is a problem that needs to be brought to the forefront of conversations. Hopefully this film will help this happen. From Kirby Dick, director of This Film is Not Yet Rated.

8. Paul Williams Still Alive
Reasons: Saw at IFFBoston. Basically you should see this because its a documentary about Paul Williams. And Paul Williams is a genius. And if you don’t like Paul Williams I don’t want to know you.

7. Brave
Summary: Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.

Reasons: Um…a new Pixar film that is not part of the Cars franchise? That’s just for starters. My two main reasons are the following. First, it is the first Pixar film featuring a female protagonist, and it looks like a refreshing rejection of the traditional expectations of women. The sprightly and flame-haired Merida looks like a much-needed role model for young girls that can counteract the toxicity they are exposed to on a daily basis. Second, this looks to be the most visually stunning Pixar setting since Finding Nemo. Every time I see a picture or trailer for the film I am blown away by how absurdly gorgeous this looks. I want to live on this world already. I want to escape into this film and I haven’t even seen it yet.

6. Killer Joe
Summary: When a debt puts a young man’s life in danger, he turns to putting a hit out on his evil mother in order to collect the insurance.

Reasons: And the list takes a turn as we transition from Pixar to the NC-17 rated film from the bunch. William Friedkin and Tracy Letts collaborating again, adapting one of Letts’ plays, after 2005′s claustrophobic Bug which is one of my favorite films of the aughts. I’ve been dying to see this for a while now. It looks brutal, funny, and brutally funny.

5. Oslo, August 31st
Summary: One day in the life of Anders, a young recovering drug addict, who takes a brief leave from his treatment center to interview for a job and catch up with old friends in Oslo.

Reasons: I admit I’m not the biggest fan of Joachim Trier’s Reprise, although I won’t deny its status as one of the more assured pieces of debut filmmaking I’ve ever seen. Still, I’ve been anxiously awaiting this since last year’s Cannes debut. Its placement should indicate just how much I am looking forward to this one.

4. The Imposter
Summary: A documentary centered on a young Frenchman who convinces a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who went missing for 3 years.

Reasons: Saw at IFFBoston and it’s going strong as my favorite 2012 film so far. It would have been this high on the list regardless. I’ve been hooked since reading the one sentence summary above. Don’t read any reviews. Don’t watch any trailers. Just see The Imposter.

3. Take This Waltz
Summary: A happily married woman falls for the artist who lives across the street.

Reasons: Written and directed by Sarah Polley, I am counting down the days til this film’s release. The summary sounds like this story has been done a million times. But all signs point to a uniquely honest and complex telling of the grey areas of relationships, feelings and monogamy. It looks challenging and uncompromising. And it’s named after a Leonard Cohen song.

2. Moonrise Kingdom
Summary: A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.

Reasons: New Wes Anderson. Case closed.

1. Prometheus
Summary: A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

Reasons: To me, the trailer for Prometheus is the advertising equivalent of dropping the mic and walking off the stage. Every time I see this trailer in theaters, my thought is that everyone should just pack it on up and go home. I’m trying to avoid Ridley Scott’s contradictory and increasingly distracting comments. I’m trying to go into this as blind as I can outside of that first full trailer and general unavoidable information about the film. I’m also trying to keep my anticipation to a controlled level as I tend to be let down for films I get this excited about. But damn if this doesn’t look like its going to own the summer movie season.

The rest unordered:
The Woman in the Fifth
Klown
Farewell, My Queen
5 Broken Cameras
Lovely Molly
Savages
Lola Versus
Where Do We Go Now?
The Good Doctor
Planet of Snail
Side by Side
Your Sister’s Sister
The Awakening
The Dictator
Paranorman
Safety Not Guaranteed
Easy Money
Magic Mike
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
To Rome with Love
Elena (Russian)
First Position
Dark Horse
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jack and Diane
Bel Ami
OC87
Mother’s Day
God Bless America
Dark Shadows
The Bourne Legacy
360
Hope Springs
Hick
The Pact
Hysteria
Virginia
Ruby Sparks
The Expendables 2
Chicken with Plums
Premium Rush
Unforgivable
Chernobyl Diaries
Men in Black 3
The Watch
Little White Lies
Red Lights
Trishna
Total Recall
Neil Young Journeys
Whores’ Glory

Originally posted on CriterionCast May 5th, 2012

The minute I saw that there was a documentary about Paul Williams playing at IFFBoston, I knew I had to go. My knowledge of Paul was admittedly limited. I first became formally aware of him much later than was retrospectively acceptable, considering how long his music had been unknowingly making such an impact on me from an early age.

It was about four years ago that I first watched Phantom of the Paradise, Brian De Palma’s awesome and excessively glittery glam-rock musical take on Phantom of the Opera, starring and featuring music and lyrics by Paul Williams. Williams is just about the opposite of the heartthrob Hollywood star; tiny but always swaggering and smirking with a scrunchy round face and a mop of blond hair. That he and the lanky bug-eyed and recently deceased William Finley were the co-leads of this film is just about the perfect antithesis to the standard leading man. I looked up who Paul Williams was and lo and behold, the man was responsible for having written some of the most important songs in my life.

I speak less of songs like “Evergreen” and “We’ve Only Just Begun” and more of his work on The Muppet Movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol and “Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas”. Laugh if you will, but it is impossible to quantify the place these songs hold in my heart. He has a penchant for consistently striking the perfect balance of expressing sentiment without being too saccharine whether it be a longing-filled ballad or a joyful jaunt. Songs like “The Rainbow Connection”, “Brothers”, “Movin’ Right Along”, “Thankful Heart” and “One More Sleep Til Christmas” are perfect creations that go right for my jugular, containing purified and encapsulating representations of joy, gratitude and acceptance.

All of this lengthy background sets up the fact that this was an individual that automatically had a personal connection with my interests, and at least on that level, the film would already be a success in my eyes. Director Stephen Kessler has this same connection which prompts him to make the film in the first place. Those looking to satisfy the seedy curiosity inherent in tell-all’s with Williams recounting firsthand experiences with drug and alcohol addiction, and his subsequent recovery, will be somewhat let down.

It turns out that Paul Williams has little interest in talking about the past. He is twenty years sober and living a more fulfilling life now than he was then, so what is the point of looking back? Paul Williams Still Alive is more about Kessler providing a narrative of the filming process as he slowly realizes this is not going to be quite the exposé he imagined. More importantly, it is about the evolution of Kessler and Williams’ relationship, which starts with passive-aggressive hesitancy and ends with what seems like the making of a lifelong friendship.

It cannot be denied that disappointment sank in as it became clear the film would be just as much, if not more, Kessler’s story than Williams. The film’s subject, admittedly admirably, refuses to be pushed into the biographical mold of the ‘rise and fall’. Yet even basic reflection on what led him to finally start taking steps towards recovery is not divulged. Nor is there any discussion of his music outside of a statement about his songs falling into themes of loneliness and isolation which, let’s face it, is pretty obvious. During the director Q&A, Kessler mentioned that Williams clearly loved music (he is the current president of ASCAP for goodness sake) but had little interest in talking about his work. So what is this documentary about?

There is certainly some biographical information, and Williams does touch on topics, even if it is sometimes vague. He interprets his own actions, equating his appearance in seemingly everything at the time to being addicted to attention, to feeling like part of the club. He talks a lot about the difference between being special and being different; how he always felt different and his fame was a constant strive towards being special. There is also a ton of archival footage that is effectively used to give that sense of being in that part of the 70’s where he really did seem to be everywhere.

Kessler captures the often unspoken awkwardness that organically comes about when a documentarian is incessantly following his subject around. Kessler gives the film a narrative streak littered with humor throughout as he continues to be unaware that he is the elephant in the room. Williams is at first quite passive-aggressive, and the director lingers on depicting the uncomfortable silences and the push-and-pull between filmmaker and subject. At one point Kessler uses a blatantly manipulative method to get a planned response out of Williams. It works, and he narrates that he felt bad and that he had gone too far. Throughout, Kessler bravely showcases just how unnatural making a documentary can be.

The director’s constant narration provides an in-the-moment interpretation of what the experience of filming was like from his point of view. There are times when Kessler allows Williams to get too far away from the film. In select portions it feels less like Kessler telling both his and Williams’ parallel stories and more like Kessler telling his own story that Williams happens to be present for.

Stephen Kessler is clearly devoted to his subject whom he can now proudly call a true friend. Paul Williams would not conform to a comfortable rise-and-fall arc. He is too happy and satisfied with his current life to immortalize himself in a documentary as just another musician who ‘lost it all’. He rightfully does not see it that way. Sadly, this leads to limited (but not absent) reflection on the ups and downs of fame, drug addiction and the road to recovery. Though unable to dig deep into its subject, Paul Williams Still Alive continuously entertains and amuses. Without being revelatory in any sense, it manages to examine the relationship between documentarian and subject. If the past of Paul Williams does not matter to Paul Williams, then maybe, just maybe, it should not matter to us. Now excuse me while I go listen to “The Hell of It” for the twentieth time today.

That’s right, for the tenth year, the Indpendent Film Festival of Boston is bringing you some of the hottest films in the independent world. They released their list of films today, and some highly anticpated films are going to be showing, like Bobcat Goldtwait’s God Bless America, documentary Paul Williams Still Alive, sci-fi film Beyond The Black Rainbow, as well as the horror anthology V/H/S, and that’s only a small selection of their great line up. You can bet your ass Wag The Movie will be doing some reporting from the festival, and if you are in the Boston area, we hope you make it out and support such a kick ass festival.

For the full list of films and more information on the festival, head over to the IFFB Website. The Festival kicks off on April 25th and runs through May 2nd.

Williams was responsible for penning some great music during the 70′s including [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Three Dog Night[/lastfm]‘s An Old Fashioned Love Song, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Helen Reddy[/lastfm]‘s You and Me Against the World, the Carpenters’ We’ve Only Just Begun and Rainy Days and Mondays, and Evergreen from A Star Is Born but he also achieved fame and notoriety on film and television.

Who doesn’t remember Williams as Little Enos Burdette in Smokey and the Bandit or his numerous appearances on The Tonight Show?

But drink and drugs began to consume his life in the 80′s as he slipped out of the spotlight.  When filmmaker Steve Kessler assumed Williams had died and then Googled him to find out he was very much alive, he contacted Williams and got his consent to proceed with the documentary Paul Williams Still Alive.

The Florida Film Festival runs April 13-22.  Click here for details on Paul Williams Still Alive.

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Williams, the man famously behind The Muppets “The Rainbow Connection” song, was a great interview and the accompanying story Sarah did for Spinner Canada is burning a hole through the internet, so please consider going to read it here (and check out the dizzying comments section).