Product Details

• Actors: Ina Balin, Rodney Dangerfield, Mike Gentry, Jacqueline Glenn, David Holliday
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: April 9, 2002
• Run Time: 88 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000633SS
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #101,343 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Projectionist" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Chuck, a movie theater projectionist bored with his life, fantasizes that he is one of the superheroes in the movies he shows in the theater. He envisions himself as "Captain Flash," and daydreams into the world of movies, where he summons the help of screen heroes such as Gary Cooper, Errol Flynn and Humphrey Bogart in his fight against The Bat, his evil nemesis. Chuck McCann, as Chuck/Captain Flash, is superb as he mixes physical comedy and surprising tenderness. Rodney Dangerfield, making his film debut, is the slimy, miserly, mean Theater Manager/The Bat. Written and directed by Harry Hurwitz, "The Projectionist" has been carefully preserved and newly restored by the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Film sampling starts here, December 17, 2002

By	Stephen M. Amy (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are a couple of film arteests located somewwhere in Calif. who have produced entire epics out of having assembled clips of extant films- dialogue dubbed over. "The Projectionist" seems to have been the genesis of the idea (don't know who of people I've discussed obtained legal rights, but who cares? We're only interested in art, correct?).

There are wonderfully inventive sequences of clips in "The Projectionist" that are a hoot in their making sense as part of a sequence, but also can't overcome their familiarity to movie fans, so they work on two dimensions.

Also, there is some interesting juxtaposition of clips forming sequences of feelings of standard Mom-Apple Pie-Chevrolet U.S.A. flag-waving, but they are counterparted by sequences of clips showing the dark side and hypocrisy of the American Dream (myth?). There is the voice of JFK, delivering his most famous line: "Ask not...(etc.)", with that audio timed perfectly to sync with Hitler exhorting and gesticulating (No particular disrespect to JFK, I'm sure- just to make the point that Hitler demanded sacrifice to further the dreams of the State, also, and the misguided adventure in Vietnam was very topical at the time of this film's production. At least I think that's what the point is).

This movie also has the wildest use of split-screen, ever.

And the finale harkens to "The Stunt Man", i.e., where does the movie begin and where does the part not in the movie end?

Richard Rush, the director of "The Stunt Man", says he's excited by pushing the envelope of film syntax. That is really accomplished in "The Projectionist".

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must see for movie buffs, October 14, 2002

By A Customer

a wonderful fantasy that shows a pure love of film. an interesting artistic journey that holds up after all these years.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Bizarre, February 23, 2003

By	Ryan Cragun (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews

Summary:
A projectionist (Chuck McCann (I)), whose name we never find out, is a major movie buff and a loner of sorts. To find pleasure in life he fantasizes about himself (as Captain Flash) visiting and making famous movies. The upscale theater where he works is owned by a man named Renaldi (Rodney Dangerfield) who is mean to all of the employees and the projectionist, but the projectionist isn't as affected by the treatment because he is a union worker. As part of the projectionist's fantasies he casts Renaldi as 'The Bat' and battles with his henchmen over a girl (Ina Balin). The movie uses clips from older movies to tell the story interspliced with a few scenes of the actual cast. In the end, Captain Flash kills The Bat and saves the girl and the projectionist's life goes on.

My Comments:
The movie really is surprisingly better than I had expected because of the way it is setup. If the movie was just the story of the projectionist/movie buff and his life, it would be pretty lame. But, because he lives his life in his fantasies about the movies, it is somewhat interesting. Also, the acting in 'real life' is not too bad, but could be much better. This is contrasted with the acting in the fantasies being farcical, which the movie can pull off because they are fantasies. With that leeway, the movie isn't nearly as bad as it could have been. There is also very little dialogue; most of the old scenes are just put to music.

I don't know that the movie is trying to push a social commentary, but perhaps it is. The basic idea I get out of it is that movies can be, for some people at least, a way to make their humdrum, boring life something more. It is also a commentary on how ordinary most people's lives are. When the movie first opened up I thought for sure I was going to be bored stiff, but I was surprised in the end. I don't know that the movie is truly worth watching for most people as it is a bit obscure and unless you have seen most of the movies from which the clips are taken, it might not be as funny.

Overall, the movie was fun, though very, very slow at times.