CINEMANIA

CINEMANIA

    Price: $350.00

    Code: 2546

    Directed by Angela Christlieb and Stephen Kijak
    2002, 83 minutes
    Purchase: $350 | Classroom rental: $125
    Optional closed captions


    A documentary cult classic, Cinemania is an affectionate portrait of five obsessive film goers whose voracious appetite for films has consumed everything else is their lives.

    The "cinemaniacs" have seen thousands of movies. They often cannot hold jobs and are on the verge of poverty, but absolutely must watch films day and night, no matter the cost. The "cinemaniacs" reveal not only their lives, but their vast encyclopedic knowledge of cinema, from classic pre-code actresses to the least known science-fiction schlock as well as organizational techniques for coping with the complex scheduling difficulties posed by multiple festivals and special screenings of rarities. The film follows the "cinemaniacs" as they hop from screening to screening across town, calling cinemas to check on the condition of the print. Eric, who also watches video makes an exception among the pack-- the other "cinemaniacs" insist on movies and hate television. Sometimes their dreams are movies, they say, perhaps in black and white or CinemaScope.

    A fascinating look at the roots of film-addiction, Cinemania is an irresistible and hilarious ode to cinephilia for the ages.

    Subjects & Collections



    Festivals & Awards

    Official Selection, Locarno International Film Festival
    Official Selection, Rotterdam International Film Festival
    Official Selection, Edinburgh International Film Festival
    Official Selection, SXSW
    Official Selection, Tribeca Film Festival


    Reviews

    "A crisp, intelligent film." - The New York Times

    "A breezy study of movie love at its most dementedly committed." - Village Voice

    "This fascinating documentary suggests that movie love may be a certifiable disease." - LA Weekly

    "We loved it! These characters in Cinemania, have clearly crossed over some line and can no longer be considered normal or sane. After watching your film, we are ready to cross that line ourselves." - D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus

    "Cinemania offers a drily funny but sympathetic insight into a world where benign fandom teeters just on the right side of fanaticism." - Empire Online

    "What Christlieb and Kijak do so well is keeping these folks from not seeming like loons." - Boston Globe

    "A funny and affectionate documentary - Woody Allen would be accused of gross exaggeration if he invented these people as characters for one of his films." - Screendaily

    Trailer


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