This mesmerizing documentary about the cult musician (his enthusiastic fans include indie-rock royalty like Sonic Youth) will do more to sway the uninitiated to Johnston's side than away from it.
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03/31/06
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The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006)
88
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Reviews Counted:102
Fresh:90
Rotten:12
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: Whether you think this mentally ill cult musician is worthy of being called a "genius," this document of his life is crafted with sincere respect and is fascinating to watch.
Theatrical Release:Mar 31, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: Although his appeal barely stretches beyond a small band of obsessives in the tight-knit indie-rock community, the turbulent career of singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston has had more highs and lows... [More]
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Reviews for The Devil and Daniel Johnston
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05/06/06
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08/01/06
Feuerzeig recounts it all with clear-eyed candor, turning to Johnston's battered friends and family for insight and empathy and to Johnston's tapes and drawings for an inside look at his illness.
04/13/06
A searing, compassionate portrait of chronic mental illness.
04/21/06
The cinematography and editing are often far more creative than the aptly utilitarian work frequently found in biographical documentaries...
03/31/06
Demonic and riveting, but I'm still not a fan.
05/09/06
Johnston's obsession with self-documenting his life by means of amateur films and tape recordings has yielded a wealth of material from which Feuerzeig has fashioned an often fascinating portrait.
04/13/06
As for the serious fans of his work, well, maybe I'm not getting something, but they seem like the craziest people in the movie.
03/31/06
Feuerzeig was able to fashion such a thorough, engaging film partly because aficionados such as Lee Renaldo of Sonic Youth shot so much footage of Johnston performing and acting out.
04/28/06
Top CriticFeuerzeig's kaleidoscopic film is the perfect frame for Daniel Johnston's odd world.
06/23/06
If Johnston is Joe Buck, Feuerzeig is his rambling, audacious Enrico Rizzo.
04/01/06
There's no question Johnston is an intriguing person. Or that, based on the treasure trove of illuminating or baffling or maddening footage assembled here into a stylishly messy whole, he remains a work in progress.
04/20/06
An inspired piece of work by someone who knows and admires Mr. Johnston but doesn't cover up the warts. It's also the rare documentary possessed with an artistry that transcends its subject.
04/20/06
Top CriticWhile the movie is interesting as a curiosity, it ultimately reflects on the people who erroneously believe in the heightened quality of Johnston's overrated music.
04/20/09
"I think he was having fun teasing me. What do you think?" Daniel Johnston's mother and father are still trying to figure out their perplexing child, even now, when he's 44 years old.
05/13/06
Like Capturing the Friedmans, Devil is loaded with revealing footage, rife with psychodrama, including a creepy home movie in which the teenage Johnston plays himself and his overbearing mother.
04/28/06
The romantic cliche that all artists are a little bit mad is put through its paces (if never seriously questioned) in this documentary about the musician Daniel Johnston.
03/30/06
...shows just how easily hype and gossip can dupe a public hungry for anything new.
04/05/06
The film is virtually overflowing with truly memorable scenes of great humor, pain, and inspiration.
10/08/05
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