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Special Features
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"An exhilarating, utterly unique experience." --Kevin Thomas, LA Times
"An astounding movie - one of those tales of all-american oddness that just keeps flowering into weirder, richer territory." --Ty Burr, Boston Globe
"GRADE: A-! I can barely describe the wonders of Marwencol." --Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
"An astounding movie - one of those tales of all-american oddness that just keeps flowering into weirder, richer territory." --Ty Burr, Boston Globe
"GRADE: A-! I can barely describe the wonders of Marwencol." --Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
Product Description
Outside a small bar in Kingston, NY, Mark Hogancamp was beaten nearly to death, his memories wiped away. Seeking recovery, he builds Marwencol, a miniature World War II-era town filled with doll versions of his friends, fantasies, and even his attackers. As he documents the town s dramas with his camera, the dolls become living characters in an epic tale of love, adventure, resurrection and revenge. When his photos are discovered by the art world, Mark is suddenly forced to choose between the safety of his imaginary world and the real world he s avoided since the attack.
Winner of over a dozen awards, including two Independent Spirit Awards and Best Documentary of the Year from Boston Society of Film Critics.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Eight Additional Marwencol Story Sequences
- Deleted Scenes
- Mark s Reaction to the Film
- Mark at the Red Carpet Premiere
- Stills Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer
- Introduction by film critic Elvis Mitchell
- Collectible Marwencol mini-print by Mark Hogancamp
Winner of over a dozen awards, including two Independent Spirit Awards and Best Documentary of the Year from Boston Society of Film Critics.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Eight Additional Marwencol Story Sequences
- Deleted Scenes
- Mark s Reaction to the Film
- Mark at the Red Carpet Premiere
- Stills Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer
- Introduction by film critic Elvis Mitchell
- Collectible Marwencol mini-print by Mark Hogancamp
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Life In Miniature--An Intriguing Documentary About Art, Therapy, And Life As A Doll
April 28, 2011
Format:DVD
I caught a glimpse of the fascinating, yet decidedly odd, documentary "Marwencol" at the Independent Spirit Awards this year and have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to view it. Hard to categorize, this tale of persevering and triumphing over tragedy has all the earmarks of a feel good story of uplift, but has such a melancholy sadness underneath the surface--it is bound to elicit conflicting emotions within different viewers. One thing, however, that is impossible to deny--the subject matter is strikingly unique and extremely personal. The film profiles a contemporary artist Mark Hogancamp. After a brutal beating, Hogancamp suffered brain damage, a disruption of motor functions and a great deal of memory loss. When his therapy treatment ended, he continued to pursue an alternate course to wellness. Devising a fantasy world inhabited by dolls, he created a World War II village and envisioned a fantastical back story about its inhabitants. With himself playing the lead (he and his friends are all represented in the tableau by alter ego dolls), he enacted love and retribution in a land torn with violence.
He also painstakingly and meticulously photographed his world--and this surprisingly original voice was soon discovered by the contemporary art scene. A reluctant talent, to be sure, the project took on levels of interest that he could never have originally foreseen. The film is, first and foremost, an exploration of the artistic process and a modern character study. It's fascinating to see how real life occurrences materialize as dramatic plot points within his imagination. And that's what he's most proud of--he hasn't lost the ability to imagine. But despite the successes, his loneliness and sadness never seem far removed--and yet he continues on, yearning for connections in the real world as strong as those he has created. The art work, itself, is fascinating stuff and beautifully rendered.
The film is alternately amusing and disturbing--an intriguing combination. We get to see a fully formed Mark Hogancamp complete with eccentricities and moments of brilliant insight. For me, however, I'd have liked a bit more content about life before the attack. We don't get a lot of back story and what we do get points to an unhappy and repressed alcoholic existence. And as the violent episode redefined the man (he no longer drinks, yet maintains other unorthodox proclivities), perhaps the film stands as a testament of something greater. Not just to survive a beating and to come out intact, but a realignment of a life in free fall. But without any real insight into the demons Hogancamp faced prior to the incident, we'll never realize how truly different a man he has become. Still, a fascinating and unusual peek inside a realm that borders both madness and genius--this should be appreciated by documentary and independent film lovers. KGHarris, 4/11.
He also painstakingly and meticulously photographed his world--and this surprisingly original voice was soon discovered by the contemporary art scene. A reluctant talent, to be sure, the project took on levels of interest that he could never have originally foreseen. The film is, first and foremost, an exploration of the artistic process and a modern character study. It's fascinating to see how real life occurrences materialize as dramatic plot points within his imagination. And that's what he's most proud of--he hasn't lost the ability to imagine. But despite the successes, his loneliness and sadness never seem far removed--and yet he continues on, yearning for connections in the real world as strong as those he has created. The art work, itself, is fascinating stuff and beautifully rendered.
The film is alternately amusing and disturbing--an intriguing combination. We get to see a fully formed Mark Hogancamp complete with eccentricities and moments of brilliant insight. For me, however, I'd have liked a bit more content about life before the attack. We don't get a lot of back story and what we do get points to an unhappy and repressed alcoholic existence. And as the violent episode redefined the man (he no longer drinks, yet maintains other unorthodox proclivities), perhaps the film stands as a testament of something greater. Not just to survive a beating and to come out intact, but a realignment of a life in free fall. But without any real insight into the demons Hogancamp faced prior to the incident, we'll never realize how truly different a man he has become. Still, a fascinating and unusual peek inside a realm that borders both madness and genius--this should be appreciated by documentary and independent film lovers. KGHarris, 4/11.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Cmcgraw
Format:Blu-ray
I found the documentary to be fascinating and uplifting. Uplifting because this gentle spirit manages to recover some dignity of life after his tragedy and creates this wonderful, evocative world-fantasy that he, at some level, lives in - that comforts him - but that he understands is not real. Populated with his real-life friends and his archetypal enemies, his fantasies and his realities, it is, in the end, a more righteous place than the world we live in.
And he is such a complex and interesting man. So private, but so honest and forthright when he talks about himself.
And then there is the story itself. Of a man that experienced such hate and suffering and somehow came through it to create this strange, private world.
I loved the film. I think you might, also.
And he is such a complex and interesting man. So private, but so honest and forthright when he talks about himself.
And then there is the story itself. Of a man that experienced such hate and suffering and somehow came through it to create this strange, private world.
I loved the film. I think you might, also.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This wasn't an easy video to watch because the subject matter -- a brutal beating and loss of self -- was
heart wrenching. Mark Hogancamp is an artist in the truest sense. He creates out of a deep need to make sense of his life and isn't swayed by commercial interests. The WWII town of Marwencol and its
brave and brooding dolls cast a strange spell on me. I've recommended this to all my artsy friends.
heart wrenching. Mark Hogancamp is an artist in the truest sense. He creates out of a deep need to make sense of his life and isn't swayed by commercial interests. The WWII town of Marwencol and its
brave and brooding dolls cast a strange spell on me. I've recommended this to all my artsy friends.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
a great documentary
Fascinating. The deeper his story goes, the more interesting it becomes. Mark has an incredible eye as a photographer, and an incredible imagination. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Oliver
4.0 out of 5 stars
Which World is More Real?
There have been some number of documentaries that have dealt with people who were challenged in some form or other and not only overcame the challenge but did so in an astounding... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Eric Sanberg
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deceptively fine meditation on the healing power of art
4.5 stars
Context is meaning and can often frame art to make it much deeper. Director Malmberg knows this well and makes some excellent choices in Marwencol; there are... Read more
Context is meaning and can often frame art to make it much deeper. Director Malmberg knows this well and makes some excellent choices in Marwencol; there are... Read more
Published 17 months ago by K. Swanson
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing!
This is an amazing documentary it is the best representation I have seen on film of someone with a traumatic brain injury and the coping process that goes along with it. Read more
Published 17 months ago by FuzzyCerts
5.0 out of 5 stars
make believe mirroring real life
After a violent assault destroyed his memory, NY illustrator Mark Hogencamp had to try to rebuild his life. Read more
Published 18 months ago by sally tarbox
5.0 out of 5 stars
Marwencol Blu-ray
I can't effectively describe how amazing, heart-warming and inspirational this movie is. You will want to fly out and give him a giant hug and help him build things after watching... Read more
Published 23 months ago by ska08hemi
4.0 out of 5 stars
We should all have our own Marwencol
There is this movie Marwencol and there is the city of Marwencol made by Mark Hogancamp. I'd give this movie 4 stars but Mark and his city 5 or more if I could. Read more
Published on May 10, 2011 by DelusionalAngel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply phenomenal
An incredibly powerful and haunting film. My only criticism is that the climactic trip to New York feels artificial and tacked-on. Read more
Published on May 4, 2011 by innpchan
4.0 out of 5 stars
You can't look away
I'm rating this film high not because of the actual production of it, but because of the overall fascination I felt for quite some time after viewing it. Read more
Published on April 20, 2011 by Mary M
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting but.....
How can an 82 minute film seem too long?
I heard of this movie from a Sarah Silverman interview on late night television. Read more
I heard of this movie from a Sarah Silverman interview on late night television. Read more
Published on April 15, 2011 by ntblattner
