Customer Reviews

Superstar - The Life & Times of Andy Warhol [VHS]

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Very interesting documentary of the "Father Of Pop Art", a title which some dispute. But, as shy as he was, he was surely it's most visible and successful creator, who was as well known for his social life of the fabulous 1970's and '80's New York, as for his art. I don't know how interesting this film would be to non-Warhol fans, other than a one - look history lesson. But, to me, a bored dreamer in upstate New York in the 1970's and '80's, Andy Warhol represented all that was glittering, creative, and exciting, and this film brought back a now gone time. His life did seem like a non-stop 24 hour creative/ social frenzy, but there was much more to him than that. The sickly, ugly duckling who was at the " beautiful peoples " epi-center, if Andy wasn't there, it just wasn't an event... it's all here in this film. The underground movies, the "Superstars", the Campbell soup cans, The Factory, his 1968 shooting, Studio 54,... He had many detractors,(envy does that), and many accused him of turning art into crass commercialism, but this film also talks about the good son and brother, and the generous mentor to young, then on- the- rise artists like Keith Haring and Jean Michele Basquiat. And the man who attended mass every Sunday, and spent almost all holidays feeding the homeless at Church Of The Heavenly Rest, something he told few about. He died much too young, and unnecessarily, leaving an estate of multi-millions, and the auction of his beloved, hoarded belongings, held by Sothebys, was the media event of the year, bringing in an incredible twenty-six million dollars. For someone who's been accused of being a charlatan, talentless, manipulator..., he was incredibly successful, and according to many, the New York City nightlife and culture was never the same. Whatever he was, the little nobody who started out with none of the things that make one popular, became one of the twentieth centuries most well known artists and figures. This film is an informative visit to anyone who wants to know his phenomenon, anyone who wants to relive it, or if you just want to get to better know of the unique, talented man, who was no better nor worse than any of us.

I found "Superstar - The Life & Times of Andy Warhol" to be highly entertaining. It is a definite must-have for anyone who is fascinated with the people Warhol surrounded himself with during his 1960s heyday - that eccentric menagerie of Factory denizens, many of whom are featured in "Superstar." Rare interviews and film footage abound in this visually delightful, cleverly edited, and ultimately informative documentary.

This video although along the same lines as the Portrait series on Warhol seems to take a more personal approach to this very unique man. I was pleased with the family interviews and looks into his life as a young man, it helps to reason why Warhol although very sociable was actually a shy and mysterious person. The film takes info on the person and gradually moves into his art, there are quite a few clips of Warhol being interviewed about his work which do nothing for the novice because he does not say much of anything but they do add to the mystique of the artist. I was pleased with the input of some of his "Posse", they seem to give a candid representation of their relationships with Warhol and along with video footage of the artist in action and in routine living help to put this video as a top documentary into the life of an artist. Warhol as many artists of the period seems to poke fun at himself and not take what he does very seriously although we know what he did was seriously important in history. I think regardless whether you like his art or not, he has to be one of the most influential & innovative artists ever.

Documentary of the life of artist Andy Warhol is a visually exciting rapid fire attack of 60s psychedelia as seen through the life and times of a group of New York City tragically hip, hapless celebrities that flocked around the elusive, indifferent Warhol like a 'Night of the Living Dead' fashion show. It's a seemingly endless parade of Warhol art, movies and photos which ultimately define the world of Andy Warhol. That his art is a pop culture commercial gimmick is a notion long been put to rest and the seriousness of his work is heralded and applauded here, an artist of the 1960s who chose not to run from rampant commercialism, but to turn and confront it. The names of celebrities captured from Warhol's home movies would read like a Who's Who of pop culture but it's Warhol himself who leaves the most lasting impression, a modest witty genius, a serious artist, and a cultural phenomena.

I originally saw this at a film festival when it first came out. I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Warhol's but I generally like his work. What this film solidifies for me is something I already suspected, that he was an absolute genius at making art that the public would buy. The film also makes clear Warhol's tendencies as a personality, chief among them being that he was a watcher of everything and everyone. That he was so in evidence on the New York social scene was probably so that he could feed this immense desire to watch and absorb what was out there in the city where everything happens first. The documentary also touches on his relatives who were largely bypassed for his estate in favor of creating his own museum in his Pittsburg hometown. As an artist, I'm glad he made the museum possible. I hear it is wonderful. But I'm also glad I'm not related to him! Warhol was also a genius at delegating as much of the art process as he could, which was smart commercially and also gave him more time to watch. If you are an artist, you are not going to discover any art techniques here because it is not that kind of film. You will spend as little time in the studio itself as Warhol did! This is a fascinating account nonetheless of an American artist who managed to stay at the forefront of art his entire life. I'd recommend seeing it.

"Superstar" is a fascinating portrait of a man whom I rarely gave a thought to while he was alive, Andy Warhol. I knew he was a silkscreen artist, that he had a really weird haircut, and that he was supposed to be arch. Well, there's an awful lot more to Andy than that, and this documentary gives us plenty to chew on. How Andy came from humble stock and reinvented himself; how he somehow was able to be the ringmaster of a group of fringe folks whom he "directed" in a series of questionable short films; how he moved from that seedy milieu after he was shot into high society and jet set life. We come away from "Superstar" still not certain whether we like him or not, still at a loss really to know the man, but that's alright. Who among us IS that easy to categorize neatly and be filed away as we see fit? Andy Warhol was a complex individual who managed to be a perfect chameleon, so much so that every person interviewed during the documentary believes that they have the lowdown on him, and yet are at odds with the next person up. To be sure, Andy Warhol deserves much more than his "fifteen minutes of fame", and "Superstar" makes sure that he gets it.

I have 3 other dvd documentaries on Andy Warhol ( "Life & Death of Andy Warhol", The PBS 2 disc set & "Andy Warhol: The Complete Picture" ) and this is the one which has stood up to repeated viewings. It features more interview clips with Andy than any of the others, and the opening title sequence actually demonstrates how Warhol and his assistants went about creating the large screened portraits for which Warhol is so well known. There are interview clips with many of the Warhol superstars as well as an informative and thoughtful audio commentary track by the director. The black & white interview footage of a very consciously spaced out Warhol being questioned by an interviewer as he sits with fingers lightly touching his lips and a great befuddled look on his face is the best!

I just bought this DVD five days ago and I've watched it 12 times. I just can't stop looking at Warhol. I wish this DVD were longer and had more shots of "THE MAN", but overall, it represented him as I remember him from my youth in the sixties. I also liked the interviews with the people that made the Facatory what it was. I was left feeling that I wanted more; more pictures, more narative, more interviews, just more of everything.
I would buy it again, but I really do feel the need to acuire more of the same type of thing when and where I can!

I found the DVD enlightening even though it did not provide an indepth look at this very complex man. Missing were some very important details of his early life. Things which were important to shaping his career. Also there was not enough emphasis on the Factory people. I did appreciate the fact that Gerard Malanga was a producer and did a great deal of narration.

Follows Warhol's career chronologically, with an opportunity to meet family members, art dealers, Factory regulars (including Gerard, Holly, and Candy) and celebrities.

Warhol as superstar was the product of a lot of smarts and effort. He went basically from
a) commercial success (e.g. drawing shoes for advertizers)
b) popular success as a Pop painter, which might not have amounted to much if limited to that.
c) widened popular success via silkscreening
d) broadened his recognition via the underground movies
e) provided recognition of each of his superstars, who fame brought further recognition to Warhol
f) tied himself further to celebrities via "Interview" magazine and his custom silkscreens of them
g) after being shot (his own celebrity having already been established by then) mainly partied with other celebrities (but also produced his diary as a way of calling attention to his time spent with celebrities)

and, following his success, we now live in a time when fame is meaningless yet compelling, when neither the famous nor the public seem to gain anything by it and yet cling to it all the more addictively. Once famous enough, how one became famous is inconsequential: this condition thanks to Andy.

After you have read, listened to and seen everything else about Warhol, this documentary will make the pieces fall into place ... but that they are pieces will be all the more apparent.