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Special Features
- Coven, Short Film by Lead Actor Mark Borchardt
- 22 Deleted Scenes
- Direct Weblink
- Sundance Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize, Winner, 1999
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Standing by him through it all is Mark's childhood buddy, Mike Schank, who is the strongest weapon against drug use a task force could ever hope for, and Uncle Bill, begrudging financier of Coven, who appears to be wasting away before our very eyes. In less perceptive hands these two could easily become caricatures--the burnt-out stoner and the crotchety old coot--but through director Chris Smith's lens we see why Mark loves them, why they love Mark, and why each of these stories is uniquely compelling.
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, the film has been compared to Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman--two unquestionably hilarious mock-documentaries--and, indeed, American Movie has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. But in the spoofs, we feel encouraged to point and giggle at the poor slobs trying to get a piece of the action. Smith, however, offers us a funny and overwhelmingly affectionate portrait; you may sit down expecting to laugh at Mark's pie-in-the-sky hopes, but you soon find yourself bursting with admiration. "The American dream stays with me each and every day," Mark says, and by the end, we want nothing more than for it to come true. (The DVD version includes the complete short film "Coven.") --Brangien Davis
Product Description
Customer Reviews
Well, upon that second viewing, I quickly came to the realization that this film is amazing!! I can't believe how stupid I was to give up on it before!
As far as documentaries go, American Movie is near-flawless. It's got humor, sympathy, inspiration, old guys eating Polish sausage, you name it- it's there. No really, we laugh at the "characters," but there's actually a really inspiring & uplifting message to it all. It follows the life of one major film buff from Milwaukee who sets out to make a feature film (Northwestern) but becomes sidetracked with funding problems, so he decides to finish up a short horror film (Coven) to sell for profits. The trials & tribulations of Coven's production make up American Movie.
As for the DVD, it's excellent. There are deleted scenes galore, many of which are GREAT! And they're not just throw-away junk scenes, which is always a plus. There are commentary tracks & trailers, but best of all, the mother of all extras is... COVEN. Yes, the 22-minute short film is included in its entirety. I can die happy now.
I saw my friend recently & told her that I not only watched American Movie again (which we vowed never to do), but that I loved it! She then told me how she was "forced" to watch it again for one of her film classes & that she loved it too!! So there's hope for all us imbeciles yet.
Do yourself a huge favor & see this movie if you haven't already done so. And if you watched half of it before & hated it, please give it a second try. Once you loved it, come back & purchase this DVD like me!
What do you do with your life when you want to sing, but you are tone deaf? What if you spend far more time dreaming than making your dreams come true? That is the subject of this surprisingly touching and moving documentary.
Mark Borchardt is not mute. His muse has whispered in his ear since he was 12 years old, telling him to make movies. Problems with drinking and a stint in the Army have kept him from his love. As the documentary opens, Mark is doing pre-production for a feature-length movie, 'Northwestern'. As you watch Mark meet with production staff and potential actors, you quickly realize that he is hopelessly over his head. Mark is given to long, rambling monologues, where you feel he is trying to throw a net of words over his problems.
Eventually Mark sees the handwriting on the wall. He realizes that he cannot start this movie, and decides instead to complete a short film he started several years earlier, 'Coven'. (Mark pronounces it KO-ven, rather than KUH-ven).
As the documentary progresses, you are brought into the well intentioned but dysfunctional world of Mark's friends and family. You find yourself wondering about the line between loyalty and co-dependency. What is the difference between supporting a dream and enabling a friend to live in a fantasy world? You see the inhabitants of Mark's world struggle with these questions. Through it all, Mark may stumble, but he holds true to quest of completing Coven.
If Mark is quixotic, then his good friend Mike Shank is definitely his Pancho. Mike has been sober for a couple of years, but you can tell he was dinged up a bit in the drug wars. He is so totally without guile, and so completely loyal to Mark, as to be utterly disarming.
It is tempting to smirk at these people at the beginning of the film, much less easy to do so by the end. Whatever you think of Mark as a filmmaker, you are moved by his struggle to see his vision completed.
Chris Smith could have created a patronizing look at an Auteur with less talent than himself, but he has accomplished much more than that. This story makes you wonder about the dreams of people who are not famous, or glamorous, but still listen to their muse. The touching conclusion of this movie is that there is real nobility in their quixotic quest.
THE STORY OF THIS GUY MARK AND HIS QUEST TO MAKE THE PERFECT FILM IS SUCH A GREAT... Read more
