if you value your time. It doesn't have a point or serve any purpose other than to waste 2 hours of your life. I ended up seeing it only because it's got a high rating and was at the local library. I'm not sure what anyone hopes to get out of this film other than to pretend you're a "cultured" sophist, but if you enjoy movies that either entertain or better you somehow, skip this one.
shareI had no idea who Crumb was before watching this film. Now I know he is an above-average artist who influenced our culture in very subtle ways but was only modestly successful. That's not relevant to bothering with this film, though.
The main reason to watch this movie is that, other than perhaps Koyaanisqatsi, this is the best documentary, ever.
I'm a big fan of R. Crumb's works, and David Lynch is one of my favorite directors.
But I REALLY hated this film. I'm not sure exactly why, but it was bleak, boring, and felt like a complete waste of time.
I think those who hate this film is because they just think Crumb, his family, his wife, his art, his friends, are all just "weird." They can't seem to get beyond that. It's like they just don't want to know about these people or they just can't see what's interesting about them. I simply disagree.
The fact that Crumb is a famous artist is really just the hook to get you into what is really about people who grew up in an insanely dysfunctional family and how each of them dealt with it. I don't see how people can't identify with at least some aspects of Robert, Charles, or Max's personalities or why they're so quick to just dismiss these guys as "weirdos." Did you all grow up in perfect households? Did you never have an escape, an outlet, that was a little on the "odd" side to most, but it made sense to you?
I've heard Robert described as disgusting and sick. Maybe I'm naive, but I see Robert as a relatively harmless man who, for all his sadness and low opinion of the world around him, has made a pretty good life for himself. I'm sure wherever he is, he's still miserable, but at least through his art and with his financial stability he can live his life as pain free as possible.
This is actually on my top 20 lists of favorite movies. There isn't a second or a frame of this movie that isn't absolutely fascinating. I don't think there's ever been a finer movie dealing with adolescent angst and how tough it can be being a teenager. This is a movie that every kid who feels like an outsider or weirdo should see. I particularly like the part where Robert talks about trying to act like other kids and wound up acting like a jerk, instead. He didn't get his act together until he started being himself and collecting jazz records in the neighborhood. That's just a great insight on the human condition and worth the price of admission.
shareHe didn't get his act together until he started being himself and collecting jazz records in the neighborhood.
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I think this film is very informative and simultaneously offers tremendous insight into both his work, and family. Documentaries aren't always meant to entertain and better one's life.
I play cards with J.D. Shelnut, chief of PO-lice! So kiss my ass, you old bastard!
Hey Numbnuts,
You say, "...but if you enjoy movies that either entertain or better you somehow, skip this one."
First of all this is a documentary, NOT a movie. There are many documentaries out there that are meant to educate, NOT entertain.
Second, this movie can "better you" when you think about the life Robert Crumb had, and how he channeled his energies and psychosis into creative outlets like art and comics. If he (or anyone) chooses the path his brothers took, it's a dead end road. I think that's a very poignant lesson - especially for those of us that feel detached and disenfranchised from the rest of society.
Kinda sad to reply to someone called "freejunkmail", but there I go. I think most, if not all of us, have someone like Robert or Charlie or Maxon as friends and relatives, and this doc is really therapy for those who do not know how to deal with pain of someone who's really close. It does not offer any solutions, but is sufficiently instructive on family dynamics.
Plus, if you ever wondered if JD Salinger's Glass family could exist in real life, "Crumb"'s for you. If anything, Crumbs are even more poignant, because they are real as can be.
I am facinated by eccentric talented people who straddle the line between insanity and genius, and for that reason loved this film. If you delve into the background of highly creative artistic individuals, a common theme often emerges, namely that a disfunctional or traumatic childhood is typically the feeder of their ongoing adult neurosis and a catalyst for their best work.
One of the local writers for a major newspaper in Canada did an article commenting on a recent poll that stated todays teens are more content and satisfied with life than any previous generation of teens. His observation was that while overall this was a good thing, it also suggested a level of molly coddling "shelteredness" and ego boosting by both parents and schools. He ended his article by stating that a generation of overly content kids, does not bode well for the future of film, books or music etc, as they will have grown up in an environment not condusive to producing great and lasting art.
Sorry, but you sir, are a moron.
Anything played wrong twice in a row is the beginning of an arrangement. FZ