Maidstone (1970)

To create this 70 minute film, it took Norman Mailer five days and five camera crews and over 100 people to shoot 45 hours of film. He then spent the next two years (in between writing books) editing it down. Unfortunately, for all that work, the results are less than edifying. Maidstone is the pretentious tale of a filmmaker's bid for the presidency. When not campaigning, he is making a film on Long Island. The trouble begins when someone threatens his life. Ostensibly he is being protected by a certain group who may or may not be the killers. Meanwhile, the candidate gets into many fights with conservatives and liberals and with his wife from whom he is separated. In the end, he and his half brother get into a big ugly fight.