Main content | Search | Section navigation menu | Site-wide navigation menu

Main menu

 
 
 

Aro Recommended Devil and Daniel Johnston, The

 

USA 2005, 110 minutes
Dir. Jeff Feuerzeig
Rating: [Exempt]
Genres: Music, Documentary, Cult

 

Aroview: Shadowy and sympathetic look at cult American songwriter Daniel Johnston, whose quirky pop gems - covered by the likes of Sonic Youth, Beck, Wilco and Pearl Jam - form phantom reflections of his fundamentalist childhood, unrequited teenage loves and an unstable mental condition.

But dir. Feuerzeig crafts more than a portrait of a disturbed artistic hero, combining Johnston's self-documenting footage from the 1980s, re-enactments of key life moments and studies of the subject in subdued middle-age, to create a kind of magical cinematic harmony. Like CRUMB, this finally transcends its immediate appeal to fans, to create a humanist study of 'outsiderness' and the often unruly personal backdrop of genius.

NZ International Film Festival 2005

Member Reviews

Average rating 4 stars. (Very Good) (Very Good). Showing 1-1 of 1 member reviews.

Have your say  Reviewing Films

DVD Features

  • English subtitles for the hearing impaired
  • no extra features
  • aspect ratio: 1.85:1
 

Close Relatives

Devil and Daniel Johnston, The cover
Rental
DVD (R4) $6 Rent

Prices in $NZD (incl. GST)

Your basket is empty