There are just a couple of weeks until the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival kicks off in 2019, running from the 19th to the 30th of July. We thought we’d start our coverage with a look at a handful of films covering some of cinema’s greatest and most notorious artists. From Werner Herzog to Peter Sellers, there’s something on offer for just about every eager film buff or cinephile.
The Ghost of Peter Sellers directed by Peter Medak
Anybody with more than a passing interest in Peter Sellers is likely to be aware of the notorious Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1973). For more than four decades this Sellers pirate movie went unreleased as rumours and legends of its problematic production grew over time.
In the Ghost of Peter Sellers, the Noonday director Peter Medak returns to the scene of the crime, so to speak, providing an account of his experiences making a movie with one of the greatest – and most difficult – comedians the world has ever known.
F*ck You All: The Uwe Boll Story directed by Sean Patrick Shaul
There are few filmmakers who could hope to have survived the beating that Uwe Boll has taken from filmgoers and critics over the years. The German director made an international name for himself with video game adaptations like House of the Dead (2003), Alone in the Dark (2005) and BloodRayne (2005), which have almost all proven to be critical and commercial flops, before going on to redefine the boundaries of bad taste with the likes of Blubberrela (2011) and Auschwitz (2011).
So how is it that this notoriously aggressive and fiscally shaky investment can keep making movies? And how has he managed to draw the likes of Ben Kingsley and Burt Reynolds? This fascinating look at the career of Uwe Boll is one film buffs won’t want to miss.
Ballad of a Righteous Merchant directed by Herbert Golder
Werner Herzog fans should definitely check out Herbert Golder’s documentary covering the making of Herzog’s My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?, co-starring Michael Shannon, Willem Dafoe, and Chloe Sevigny.
Golder, one of Herzog’s closest friends, and the cowriter of My Son, helps strip back some of the layers of myth that Herzog seems to have worked hard to construct. Revealing the man in action behind the scenes, Golder delivers a more intimate and personal view of the director than you’re likely to find anywhere else.
Uncaged: A Stand In Story directed by Marco Kyris
Marco Kyris directs this fascinating short film about the ten years he spent working as Nicolas Cage’s stand-in on the likes of Leaving Las Vegas and National Treasure. Uncaged will be screening as an accompaniment to Davi’s Way at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival.
Davi’s Way directed by Tom Donahue
Your more likely to recognise Robert Davi as a gruff and edgy character actor in the likes of Die Hard (1988), Licence to Kill (1989) and The Goonies (1985), but in this wonderful film you’ll follow his attempt to change career direction.
Director Tom Donahue follows the tense, frustrating and genuinely moving attempt by Davi to fill out Madison Square Gardens and perform a Frank Sinatra cover act on old Blue Eyes 100th birthday. Davi does it his way, which doesn’t always make life easy for those around him, but you’ll be happy to go along for the ride.
Head over to the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival site to book your tickets for Davi’s Way.
Comments
2 responses to “Melbourne Documentary Film Festival: 5 Films For Movie Buffs”
If they haven’t included the Auschwitz moment from Postal in the Uwe Boll documentary, they’ve missed the defining moment of his career.
Thanks for that interesting selection, James. It seems that they all have merit.
Best wishes, Pete.