Product Details

• Actors: John O'Mahony, Marcus Brigstocke, Carolyn Backhouse, Jonathan Ross, Tree Petts
• Directors: Neil Gaiman
• Writers: Neil Gaiman
• Producers: Adam Bohling, David Reid, Matthew Vaughn
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: New Video Group
• DVD Release Date: December 7, 2004
• Run Time: 27 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00061QJAI
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,679 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "Neil Gaiman's A Short Film About John Bolton" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

From author-turned-filmmaker Neil Gaiman—the darkly creative mastermind behind the vastly popular Sandman graphic novels, the BBC-TV series Neverwhere, and the soon-to-be-released feature film MirrorMask—comes A SHORT FILM ABOUT JOHN BOLTON, a disturbingly hilarious "mockumentary" that examines the question of where ideas come from, as seen through the life and work of renowned artist John Bolton, painter of voluptuous vampire nudes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're a Gaiman fan, you're going to want this dvd!, October 30, 2004

By	mara@nvg (NJ/NY, USA) - See all my reviews

I think that the less you know about the half-hour "A Short Film About John Bolton", the more enjoyable it is to watch, so I'll leave that for the official summary. All I'll say is, like Gaiman's written work, it has a great mix of humor and horror, and makes me confident that his feature-film directorial debut will be terrific. Also, I found I liked the film better on repeat viewing. So if you're underwhelmed by it the first time, give it another try.

Aside from the film itself, the bonus features make this a must-have for any fan. In addition to the commentary & making-of featurette, and the audio feature of Gaiman reading "Drawn In Darkness", there's the 100-minute "Live At The Aladdin" film. This is a recording of one of his benefit performances for the CBLDF, in which he reads some of his classic stories like "Chivalry" and "The Price", poems like "Locks" and "Babycakes", and rarities like "Being An Experiment" (where he hilariously demonstrates the effects of alcohol on writing ability).

Whether you're an uber-fan, or just discovering Gaiman's work, this dvd is for you.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Something Different..., November 22, 2004

By	The Anonymous Eponymous (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

I saw this short film, introduced in person by Gaiman, at a Comic-Con a year or two ago. As he said himself, it is a documentary "of sorts," something new for him. However, it is definitely Gaiman's work, and to dismiss it on this basis would be a grave mistake for any fan. It would fit well alongside the short stories in Smoke and Mirrors, but is far more entertaining in a video format. The film itself feels like a labor of love more than a pricey studio production and, if my memory serves me, that's exactly what it is. However, the included extras dismiss any notion that this is less than a quality release.

For newcomers to Mr. Gaiman's work, I would probably recommend one of his novels (Stardust, American Gods, or Neverwhere) or short story collections (Smoke and Mirrors, Angels and Visitations) as a better place to start. For fans, this is a must-have.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Extras Trump Feature Presentation!, January 30, 2005

By	misterfurioso (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

The "Live @ the Aladdin" extra, in which Gaiman reads a number of short stories and answers written questions from a live audience is excellent, and that's coming from somebody who has "seen it before" when caught this reading/Comic Book Legal Defense Fund on tour in LA.

Alas, I was not overly impressed by the short film, which I felt was rather thin on content and thus too long by half. It's the only time I can recall feeling dissapointed by Gaiman's usually flawless storytelling abilities! So two stars for the short, five stars for the Aladdin reading extra (and it's whopping in size: almost an HOUR).