Raph's Girl
11-08-2007, 03:52 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071108/review_nm/film_confessions_dc_2:dead:
Ever wonder about those anonymous figures dressed as superheroes who hang out on Hollywood Boulevard posing for photos with tourists for tips?
Filmmaker Matt Ogens did, and he has turned his curiosity into the oddly affecting documentary "Confessions of a Superhero." The film is playing in New York and Austin, and opens in Los Angeles on November 16.
Ogens concentrates on four of these show business wannabes: Christopher Lloyd Dennis (Superman), a Christopher Reeve look-alike who claims to be the son of actress Sandy Dennis and whose obsession for the Man of Steel borders on fetishism; Joe McQueen (The Hulk), who was homeless for four years on the streets of Los Angeles before becoming a black version of the green comics character; Jennifer Gehrt (Wonder Woman), a beautiful former Midwestern prom queen and cheerleader; and Maxwell Allen (Batman), who claims to have once been a mob enforcer and who clearly still has anger issues.
The filmmaker spends some time dealing with the legal issues concerning these costumed performers and what some label as essentially panhandling, but "Confessions" is mainly a detailed portrait of these societal eccentrics, which, while not neglecting their obvious personal problems, is clearly sympathetic.
The film's impact is greatly aided by its subjects' highly colorful personalities and their entertaining quirks, such as Dennis' massive Superman memorabilia collection that has overrun his tiny apartment and Allen's angrily sarcastic responses to cheap tippers. It's not surprising that the film includes footage of him participating in one of his therapy sessions while still wearing his full Batman regalia.
So basically they're all nutters....but hey...at least Batman is getting therapy....
Ever wonder about those anonymous figures dressed as superheroes who hang out on Hollywood Boulevard posing for photos with tourists for tips?
Filmmaker Matt Ogens did, and he has turned his curiosity into the oddly affecting documentary "Confessions of a Superhero." The film is playing in New York and Austin, and opens in Los Angeles on November 16.
Ogens concentrates on four of these show business wannabes: Christopher Lloyd Dennis (Superman), a Christopher Reeve look-alike who claims to be the son of actress Sandy Dennis and whose obsession for the Man of Steel borders on fetishism; Joe McQueen (The Hulk), who was homeless for four years on the streets of Los Angeles before becoming a black version of the green comics character; Jennifer Gehrt (Wonder Woman), a beautiful former Midwestern prom queen and cheerleader; and Maxwell Allen (Batman), who claims to have once been a mob enforcer and who clearly still has anger issues.
The filmmaker spends some time dealing with the legal issues concerning these costumed performers and what some label as essentially panhandling, but "Confessions" is mainly a detailed portrait of these societal eccentrics, which, while not neglecting their obvious personal problems, is clearly sympathetic.
The film's impact is greatly aided by its subjects' highly colorful personalities and their entertaining quirks, such as Dennis' massive Superman memorabilia collection that has overrun his tiny apartment and Allen's angrily sarcastic responses to cheap tippers. It's not surprising that the film includes footage of him participating in one of his therapy sessions while still wearing his full Batman regalia.
So basically they're all nutters....but hey...at least Batman is getting therapy....