Cinemania (2002)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
This documentary about the culture of intense cinephilia in New York City reveals the impassioned world of five obsessed movie buffs. The filmmakers expose this delightfully deranged cult by capturing the daily lives of its members. Interviews in movie houses, on the street and in the homes of the subjects tell the story of each individual. Many cannot hold a job, or choose not to. All of them have demoted the importance of the real world, giving all of their attention to the fantasy world of the movies. These human encyclopedias of cinema see two to five films a day, and from 600 to 2,000 films per year. Many have no physical sex lives, living instead in a world of romance with stars like James Dean or Audrey Hepburn. In Cinemania, Hollywood's biggest fans become the true stars. This is the story of their lives, their memories, their unbending habits and the films they love. - Actors:
- Jack Angstreich, Eric Chadbourne, Bill Heidbreder, Roberta Hill, Harvey Schwartz, Richard Aidala, Tia Bonacore, David Schwartz, Michael Slipp, Audrey Hepburn, Ray Privett
- Directors:
- Angela Christlieb, Stephen Kijak
- Producers:
- Gunter Hanfgarn
- Writers:
- Angela Christlieb
- Genres:
- Documentary, Special Interest
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Reviews (1) of Cinemania
Almost Them - Cinemania review by griggs
Any serious cinema obsessive will recognise parts of themselves in Cinemania: the deranged scheduling, the fury at rustling crisp packets, the absurd number of films consumed. I watch films to step outside my life for a couple of hours. These five New Yorkers seem to have stepped outside theirs altogether.
They’re not watching films to escape life. They’re watching films instead of it. Living in one of the most extraordinary cities on earth, several appear socially isolated and possibly neurodivergent; several are on disability benefits. The documentary presents this as charming eccentricity. I found it quietly devastating.
That’s also its flaw. The camera lingers, the audience is invited to gawp, and the film never asks what loneliness, compulsion or lack of support might sit behind the ritual. They’re not lovable eccentrics. They’re vulnerable people, and Cinemania seems far more interested in their habits than their lives.
Worth watching. But don’t expect to feel great about watching it.