The Devil and Daniel Johnston
by Jeff Feuerzeig
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DVD details
Actor: Bill Johnston, Brian Beattie, Daniel Johnston, Laurie Allen, Mabel JohnstonDirector: Jeff Feuerzeig
Brand: SONY PICTURES HOME ENT
Cinematographer: Fortunato Procopio
Writer: Jeff Feuerzeig
Editor: Tyler Hubby
Producer: David Donaldson
Producer: Henry S. Rosenthal
Producer: Ted Hope
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 110 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-09-19
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures
DVD Reviews of The Devil and Daniel Johnston
DVD Review: Condescending Freak Show
Summary: 2 Stars
Daniel Johnston is both a beneficiary and a victim of the cult of hip. On the one hand, it has given him a somewhat viable career in both music and art when by almost any standard he has no talent for either. It has apparently also pushed him from being a disturbed individual in need of help to a broken down, full tilt lunatic. There's no profound wisdom or understanding involved in delusions of ghosts, devils, and numerological conspiracies; it doesn't somehow make kitschy drawings of superheroes high art or mediocre guitar ballads the second coming of Dylan. Much like Wesley Willis, Daniel Johnston's cultural momentum is a big joke that people forgot that they were being ironic about. Maybe they felt guilty for sniggering at the black schizophrenic bum singing about beating up superman, or the white schizophrenic religious fundie singing 1,000 songs about the same girl he sort of knew in college. As perhaps they should, but it seems a better reaction is to simply stop telling the joke, not claiming that the joke is a true story. This documentary shows the bizarre trajectory of Johnston's career, showing two main threads that persist throughout his life;
1) utter and complete solipsism; Johnston is obsessed with documenting the minutiae of his own existence, whether by song, video, or drawing. Johnston believes Johnston is the most fascinating person ever, as do
2) the celebrities who laud Johnston's work, hang out with him, and bring him on tour, and are only too obviously "in" on the joke. Would Sonic Youth haul around a fast-food obsessed fundamentalist Christian folk singer if he wasn't dangerously unstable? Would the Butthole Surfers? I'm thinking no. If a sane, normal guy started bashing his guitar wailing about Casper, would he be opening for The Minutemen? It's an absurd idea.
The documentary goes from baffling to cruelly exploitative as it shows live footage of Johnston's shows, and also details that he deliberately goes off his meds at times to create a better show. People watch as he publicly breaks down, and I couldn't shake the feeling that people are there for the same reason they used to go see GG Allin. As when people were giving the obviously insane Johnston LSD on early tours, now people are goading him into a public freakout. It's grotesque on its own, but it becomes especially so as people insist throughout that Johnston is really one of the great songwriting geniuses. I'd heard some of Johnston's music before the movie and thought it unremarkable, but the stuff they used here is actually just bad. It's bizarre; they really could have done a better job of trying to prove their thesis in that regard.
The documentary is technically well made and to its credit doesn't shy away from documenting some of the horrible things Johnston has done in his various mental states. But it still left a pretty bad taste in my mouth. Daniel Johnston is a sick man who needs help, not hipster enablers.
DVD Review: Disapointing
Summary: 3 Stars
This reminds me of "You're going to miss me" the documentary about Austin's other wack job, Roky Erikson. The difference is Roky always sounds good no matter how out of his mind he is, where as Daniel almost never sounds good. And the movie actually compares him to Brian Wilson. Yes, if Brian Wilson had little musical talent, I could see the comparison. Daniel is an interesting, creative character, no doubt. The story, sad and scary. He just doesn't have much musical talent, and seems to exist for the pretentious art crowd to pretend to like to prove how open minded or alternative they are. I can see why Kurt Cobain liked him though. He finally found someone more overrated than himself. Austin has great songwriters. Kinky Freidman, Roky Erickson, Bob Schneider, etc. Daniel is like 100 other musicians I've met over the years. Quirky, artistic, self involved. The difference is most of them could play and sing.DVD Review: An unrealized talent
Summary: 4 Stars
Daniel Johnston is never going to be a big name. Most people will only hear of him through Kurt Cobain and/ or Sonic Youth endorsements. Many of these people will pretend to like Johnston, or will actually like him, but more for the story. And Daniel Johnston's is a story like none other, and this is the most fitting documentary of his story.
I was trying to explain to my wife what, exactly, made Daniel Johnston a great talent. Sure, he's obsessive and prolific. But to many, the songs are still unlistenable. The best way I can explain it is that the songwriting is strong, even though the singing/ guitar playing is not. He is, however, a strong piano player.
Anyhow, this documentary will have you laugh and it has the potential to move you to tears be it from the oft sad occurences, his father's tear-jerking remembrances, or the uncertain fate of an American eccentric who is so dependent on other people.
Are the Brian Wilson references warrented? Yes. But Daniel Johnston is a budgeted, masking-tape Wilson. This documentary shows that, no matter what the odds, the situation, Daniel will always persue art in one form or another (be it cartoon, paint, music, film, etc.)
This is a great documentary. (Though I feel his new band is mildly exploitive).
DVD Review: It's that one guy who did that one song
Summary: 5 Stars
When I started watching this, I didn't really know much about it. I vaguely remember seeing a trailer for it awhile ago, but that's all. However, as the film progressed and more music samples were played, I realized that the documentary's subject, the creative but troubled Daniel Johnston, was the same Daniel Johnston who did a song that I've liked ever since high school, a song that still--over ten years later--has a place of honor on my ipod. I just never realized that the person who did that lovely ditty was a severely afflicted manic-depressive who hung out with the likes of Sonic Youth and the Butthole Surfers. His story is as amazing as it is depressing. In particular, listening to his ever-patient parents recall disturbing stories of increasingly erratic behavior as his illness progressed is absolutely heartbreaking. I think one of the aspects of the film that most resonated with me was the seemingly unconditional love they felt for a son they easily could have had institutionalized and made less burdensome to their lives. So in that sense, at least, the film does impart a more optimistic sense of filial happiness and is a testament to the strong emotional bonds between parent and child. Moreover, the documentary also serves as a showcase for Johnston's music which really does deserve a wider audience. His music and his singing voice aren't really conventional by any means, but his songs are absolutely sincere and that's more than I can say for most popular artists who are making music today. DVD Review: Fascinating Documentary that Will Appeal to Fans and Non-Fans Alike
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an award winning 2005 documentary that focuses on the art of Daniel Johnston. I was first introduced to Daniel Johnston's work in the early 90s after his album cover for "Hi, How are You?" appeared on Kurt Cobain's tee-shirt. I was in High School and Nirvana was one of my favorite bands. This documentary actually covers that same discovery and evidently I wasn't the only one who came upon Johnston's work in this way. Overall, I don't think he's Bob Dylan or Neil Young but his lyrics are incredibly unique and in my humble opinion much of his earlier work is bordering on genius. As it turns out his visual art is also appreciated and that is covered here as well. This documentary covers pretty much his whole life and the few times his work has flirted with mainstream recognition.
Daniel sang with a bizarre and casual boy-like high voice that was vulnerable, raw, and consistently uncertain. He sang these unusual and seemingly uninfluenced lyrics that came from nowhere. Like many great singer songwriters his music makes it plainly obvious that a song is better delivered from the voice that wrote it. He sings lyrics that don't seem to make sense but he means it, so they have to at least makes sense to him, right? His music is definitely not for everyone and many will wonder how this man gained any recognition whatsoever. If you enjoy Daniel's music and put him on a level most will not understand then I'd also like to recommend Jeffrey Lewis in addition to Daniel's early work. Some of Nick Drake's emptier later work is comparable to Daniel as well.
But enough about all of that, this is a review of a documentary. As a documentary the film is very well done. I can't think of anything it covered that it really didn't need to, nor can I think of anything that it didn't cover that it should have. Except for maybe the reunion that Daniel has with his muse (a wonderful extra on the DVD itself). Daniel basically fell into the music scene from obscurity due to a cult following and then we see him develop from an inspired and unique artist to a chubby and awkward manic depressive. You get the idea that he had some success based on his exceptional character and general way of thinking but that he lost his mind forever after taking some hallucinogenic drugs. I'm certainly not pretending to be an authority on the subject but having worked in a mental facility as well as watching my best friend fall apart in the same way that Daniel did, I have to say that this seemed completely likely and understandable to me. It seemed like the template was there for him to go crazy and after it happened it destroyed his future and his relationships with almost everyone around him. It is both an extremely sad story and incredibly interesting at the same time.
We almost begin to get an understanding of how songs like "Casper the Friendly Ghost" or "True Love Will Find You in the End" developed in a mentally ill mind, yet still managed to draw a listener's interest. Fundamentally he had a way of expressing himself like so few, but when expressing himself became more and more challenging it can peak only the interest of those few who still strive to understand what the artist is feeling. The whole Daniel Johnston package is interesting to me and this film puts it in an honest enough frame to enhance that interest further. I would highly recommend it.
Description of The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston is a manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist, revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love. The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a stunning portrait of a musical and artistic genius who nearly slipped away. Director Jeff Feurzeig exquisitely depicts a perfect example of brilliance and madness going hand in hand with subject Daniel Johnston. As an artist suffering from manic depression with delusions of grandeur, Daniel Johnston's wild fluctuations, numerous downward spirals, and periodic respites are exposed in this deeply moving documentary.General DVDs
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