Product Details

• Actors: Mark Massi
• Directors: Peter Friedman (II)
• Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: New Video Group
• DVD Release Date: July 29, 2003
• Run Time: 99 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00009ME9G
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,849 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Documentary > Gay & Lesbian

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This tough, harrowing 1993 documentary began as a video journal by film instructor Tom Joslin, who wanted to capture details and insights into the process of his own slow death from AIDS, as well as that of his partner, Mark Massi. For much of its running time, Silverlake Life is precisely that, a book of days in which these longtime companions grow weaker, face their anger and grief, visit with friends and family for what may be the last time, attend therapy, and find that life is still--for the most part--a series of small, deceptively simple events and actions that might almost be forgotten if not for the shortage of time left. At a certain point, a former student of Joslin's, Peter Friedman, takes over the production, and the film instantly becomes a memory of itself, a tribute to two men who once lived in this world, found love together, and left this record of the way they died. --Tom Keogh

Product Description
10 years following its theatrical debut, this landmark film continues to captivate audiences around the world with its raw and powerful honesty. Winner of over 10 International Awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, SILVERLA

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Does It All Mean?, February 8, 2004

By	TKKGUY "tkkguy" (Orange County, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silverlake Life - The View From Here [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I stumbled upon this documentary not too long ago on DVD and watched it this past weekend. It is a deeply moving story of Tom and Mark, two gay men who have been together for 22 years and are slowly dying of AIDS. Their lives are shown raw and uncensored. We see them for who they--two deeply caring and loving human beings just trying to cope, understand, and triumph in this mystery called Life. We also see how a horrible disease, such as AIDS, slowly ravages one's mind and body. But I think the most one can take from this documentary is the simple truth of Love, and, living the most of each day. You can not help but cry and realize how foolish we really all are with our materialistic obsessions of money, vainity, celebrities, and other nonsense. Interwoven with the lives of these two special men, we also see glimpses of such simple things--a walk in a garden, the inspiring beauty of a blooming flower, the sight of a humming bird in flight, the comfort found in their pet cat as Tom's mother seeks solace after seeing her son die. It is the simple and pure things in life, like Love and the beauty of Life, that matter. Thank you Tom and Mark for reminding us.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A TRUE life lesson, January 23, 2004

By	Marjorie "O" (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

One night I was up late flipping through stations when I found this playing on the Sundance channel. Like many of the reviewers before me, I was just going to watch a little until something better came on. However, after 5 minutes I couldn't take my eyes off the screen and my heart and emotions were 100% into this couple dealing with AIDS. At the end of this movie I cried as though these people were friends of mine. It touched me so much I have spent months trying to find its name. If you haven't seen it- BUY NOW! This documentary is a true life lesson for everyone- teaching the importance of living your life to the fullest, telling your loved ones how much you care for them every moment you can and for those who STILL do not believe there is such thing as true love in a ... relationship- this couple will show you a love that few people (straight or otherwise) will ever have.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A testament of two lives lived, November 29, 2002

By	R. Kastl (Lone Tree, CO, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Silverlake Life - The View From Here [VHS] (VHS Tape)

As another reviewer mentioned, I saw this when it aired on PBS back in the early 90s. And also as another stated, I had no intention of watching the whole thing. But I found myself drawn into this documentary in a manner that I have never been before or since. I have rarely, if ever, had a movie touch me in the way this one has.

The movie makes no pretense or statement about living life with full-blown AIDS. It is poigniant in every respect, showing the simple realities of life, and death.

After watching this movie, I would also suggest taking time to view 'And The Band Played On' about the U.S. reaction to the AIDS epidemic in the mid-80s.