Greetings again from the darkness. It’s been more than forty years since cancer took the life of 35-year-old Andy Kaufman, and we still don’t know how best to describe him: actor, comedian, illusionist, performance artist, prankster, or something more bizarre. It’s like no one knew ‘the real Andy’, and whether that was his intent or not, that’s the feeling we are left with after watching this bio from Alex Braverman.
Despite often stating that he was born on an island in the Caspian Sea, Andy was actually from Long Island, and Braverman describes what was truly a turning point in young Andy’s life. He was incredibly close to his grandfather … theirs was a special relationship. When he died, Andy’s parents decided to tell young Andy that the grandfather took a long trip. This feeling of rejection and abandonment changed the boy’s personality and perspective. It also formed the structure of his career – misdirection and trickery – a way to mess with reality.
Braverman includes input from many of Andy’s contemporaries, friends, and associates. We hear from Danny DeVito, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Marilu Henner, Laurie Anderson, and Garry Shandling (first name often misspelled as Gary). We also hear from Andy’s dad, who confirms the mistake regarding the grandfather’s death, Andy’s longtime girlfriend, and his friend and writer, Bob Zmuda. We even hear from his college friend who claims to be the ‘real Latka’, the inspiration for Andy’s beloved character in “Taxi”.
A treasure trove of archival clips reminds us of some of Andy’s most memorable performances, as well as some we’ve not previously seen. His initial performance at The Improv is complemented by a memory from the club’s renowned owner, Bud Friedman. Andy’s stint on “The Dating Game” remains stunning, and we even get a clip of his 1975 screen test for SNL … where on the first episode he did his “Mighty Mouse” bit.
Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi played a role in helping him get clean, and we learn how important his Carnegie Hall appearance was to him. Along the way, there were some baffling moments. His Elvis impersonation. The whole Tony Clifton phase. Reading “The Great Gatsby” on stage. Each of these had their detractors, but it was Andy’s wrestling – first with women – and then his confrontation with Jerry Lawler, that had folks wondering if he was slipping from reality.
Andy was often so far “out there”, that when he visited a healer in The Philippines, many wondered if his cancer was simply the next prank. Braverman’s film drives home Andy’s desire to make people laugh AND squirm (one or the other was not enough). He was truly a visionary and performance artist, and the documentary gives him his due.
Opens in theaters on March 28, 2025
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Firefighters, Police Officers, and Armed Forces soldiers and veterans are the ones we usually (and rightfully) describe as heroes; yet heroism can also be found in the actions of everyday people. Director Ami Canaan Mann and screenwriter Julia Fisher Farbman introduce us to one such hero in this biopic on Dr. Audrey Evans.
Greetings again from the darkness. Bob Trevino is the kind of father we all wish we had. He’s the kind of father that would raise kids who would grow into good citizens, resulting in an improved society. Only that Bob Trevino is not Lily Trevino’s dad. Her dad is a raging narcissist, or more accurately, a self-centered jerk. This feature film debut from writer-director Tracie Laymon is ‘inspired’ by her true-life story, albeit with enough elements changed to avoid a lawsuit from her dad. That part doesn’t make for such a warm-fuzzy story, but the film she delivers wraps us in a coat of kindness and niceness and feel-goodness (not really a word, but it fits).
Greetings again from the darkness. Authors and filmmakers have long used forecasting the future as the basis for stories. Some have been lighthearted and humorous (“The Jetsons”, BACK TO THE FUTURE) and others are more bleak and dystopian (BLADE RUNNER, THE ROAD). The first feature film from director Fleur Fortune (well known for music videos) has some common DNA with the excellent CHILDREN OF MEN (2006) from director Alfonso Cuaron. Written by Neil Garfath Cox, Dave Thomas, and John Donnelly, this story shows us a future where having a kid is a privilege that must be bestowed by the government, rather than free choice.
Greetings again from the darkness. St. Patrick’s Day 2025 marks the 35th anniversary of the single largest unsolved property theft in the world. On that day, thieves made off with hundreds of millions of dollars of artwork from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (including works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Degas, and Manet). The reward offer of $10 million still stands. Writer-director Eric Aronson presents his feature film debut, inspired by the crime … though he admits, “this is not what happened.”
Greetings again from the darkness. The list of icons known by a single name is relatively short and includes such luminaries as Elvis, Prince, Cher, Bono, Beyonce, and Sting. Immediately recognizable with only her first name, Liza Minnelli also fits right in. Documentarian Bruce David Klein has delivered a tribute to her early years as the daughter of worshipped idol Judy Garland and famed film director Vicente Minnelli, and outlines her own path to stardom after tragedy to being recognized as one of the greatest performers of all time.
Greetings again from the darkness. Movies have focused on the burden of celebrity (A STAR IS BORN, BETTER MAN), the challenges facing journalists (SPOTLIGHT, SHATTERED GLASS), the lure of power and control (WALL STREET, THERE WILL BE BLOOD), and the impact of cults (MIDSOMMER, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE), yet it’s the feature film directorial debut of Mark Anthony Green (who also wrote the screenplay) that attempts to tackle all of these topics. It’s an ambitious undertaking that has some moments, but mostly leaves us wishing it had chosen a path and delivered a strong message about something.
Greetings again from the darkness. Are you ready for 90 minutes of cool people wearing cool clothes and doing cool things while acting cool in the face of danger? If so, this one is for you. Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh (TRAFFIC, 2000; OCEAN’S ELEVEN, 2001; OCEAN’S TWELVE, 2004) dons multiple hats here as director-producer-editor-cinematographer (some under familiar pseudonyms). The screenplay comes from well-known writer David Koepp (JURASSIC PARK, 1993; MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, 1996). The pedigree of these two is exemplified by the cast assembled.
Greetings again from the darkness. In decades past, we wouldn’t have been surprised in the least to see a movie starring Jack Nicholson and Dennis Quaid. In fact, in 1973 Jack co-starred with Dennis’ brother Randy in one of my favorite films, THE LAST DETAIL. Well, here we are more than fifty years later, and Dennis’ (and Meg Ryan’s) son Jack Quaid is co-starring with Jack’s son Ray Nicholson in what is sure to be one of this year’s most outlandish action-comedies. The screenplay is by Lars Jacobson and the film is co-directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, who also collaborated on BODY (2015).
Greetings again from the darkness. John Lithgow frequently plays likable characters that take advantage of his innate ability to connect with viewers as an ‘every-man’ type – often reminding us of people we know. However, over his career that spans approximately fifty years, I’ve always been more interested and more intrigued when nice guy Lithgow plays the villain (see “Dexter”). It takes a talented actor to be believable as characters we love and characters we loathe. Writer-director James Ashcroft and co-writer Eli Kent have adapted Owen Marshall’s oddball short story into an equally oddball feature film.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 