Greetings again from the darkness. We are now two full generations past the peak (and end) of Steve Martin’s superstardom as a stand-up comedian. Today, he is mostly known as a banjo player, a writer, or as one of the three co-stars of the hit show, “Only Murders in the Building”. That’s right. At almost 80 years of age, and removed from his two previous fame-inducing careers (comedian and movie star), he “only” has three remaining paths to fame, glory, and gobs of money. Regardless of the Steve Martin era studied, what stands out is his remarkable ability to entertain – something he says captured his fancy the very first time he saw a stage.
Documentarian Morgan Neville won an Oscar for the spectacular 20 FEET FROM STARDOM (2013). He’s also behind WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR (2018), an excellent profile of Mister Rogers, as well as numerous other documentary projects. With more than a half-century of Martin’s career to somehow cover, Neville takes a “then” and “now” approach with what is effectively two films that split Martin’s fabulous career into the two titular ‘pieces’. “Then” covers the early developmental period, right up until 1980, when Steve Martin shocked the world by walking away from stand-up. “Now” offers a more personal and reflective look at his endeavors since.
For those of us who were around in the 1970’s, “Then” is not just a nostalgic look back at how one man reinvented stand-up comedy (though it is that). It’s also a fascinating look at Martin’s childhood and his early pursuit of finding his place in the entertainment world. We hear Martin state, “I guarantee you I had no talent.” Of course, whether that’s accurate is debatable, but what he certainly had was persistence, ambition, and a desire to make it. As a 15-year-old working at Disneyland (he was born in Waco, Texas but raised in southern California) he learned the basics of magic and balloon animals through observation and relentless practice. He admits his educational background in Philosophy gave him a unique perspective in understanding himself and audiences. He gave himself until age 30 to “make it”, and a fortuitous turn of events, made that birthday a special moment. He worked and massaged and practiced his routine – refining such silliness as an arrow through the head, happy feet, “Excuuuuuse Me!”, King Tut, and “Wild and Crazy Guy” – all while wearing a white suit and sporting premature gray hair. In 1976, Lorne Michaels invited Martin to host a relatively new comedy show called, “Saturday Night Live” (something he has now done 16 times). Soon after, Martin released the first two comedy albums to ever go Platinum. This led to the first of his many movie roles in the classic comedy, THE JERK (1979). Director Neville highlights each step of Martin’s amazing ascension via rare clips and input from Martin himself. And just like that … comedy’s first rock star walked off stage at age 35 and on top of the world.
“Now”, the second entry in Neville’s in-depth documentary, is much less about Steve Martin’s varied career and much more about Steve Martin the person. To emphasize the contrast between ‘Then’ and ‘Now’, this second piece begins in Martin’s kitchen showing him poaching two eggs (heavy on the pepper) for breakfast. Does that sound like showbiz? It’s an entirely different approach as we watch Martin and Jerry Seinfeld have a conversation about comedy, while Tina Fey, his sister, and others give brief insight into their paths crossing with Martin. Even his wife, Anne Stringfield, offers up some personal scoop on the man who has protected his privacy all these years … although it should be noted that their daughter only appears as a cartoon stick figure.
Much of this segment revolves around Steve Martin and his friend and “Only Murders in the Building” co-star, Martin Short, as they collaborate on jokes for their stand-up show … all while jabbing each other with friendly one-liners. Short says the reason Martin hasn’t aged is because he looked 70 when he was 30. It’s that kind of friendly banter between friends. A most poignant moment occurs as Martin is going through his bound copies of movie scripts. PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES (1987) takes him back to his close friendship with the late, great John Candy, and the memories are almost too painful for Martin to bear.
It’s fascinating to hear Martin talk about his humiliation when PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1981) failed, and learn more about his devotion to fine art. To emphasize the personal change Martin has gone through, the director shows an interview clip from decades ago where Martin refuses to discuss the first painting he bought, and then juxtaposes it with a contemporary clip where he eagerly expounds on that painting and others. Martin doesn’t appear to carry as much pride in his movie career as he should, and we see him working with illustrator Harry Bliss on a collection of memories and anecdotes from each film.
Morgan Neville likely underestimated the project when it began. He certainly benefitted from Steve Martin’s willingness to open up and share his personal archives. A man of many talents and interests, with multiple careers spanning decades may be a challenge for a biographer, but for viewers, it’s pure joy to stroll through the many reinventions of Steve Martin. His work is worthy of admiration, as is his willingness to open his life and reveal the hard work and dedication that goes on behind the curtain.
The film will be on Apple TV+ on March 29th.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. It’s easy to forget that Russell Crowe was once Oscar nominated three years in a row, winning Best Actor for Ridley Scott’s epic, GLADIATOR (2000), and has probably deserved two or three additional nominations. His reputation has not won him many industry friends over the years, but to his credit, he keeps plugging away – some minor roles in big films, and some lead roles in smaller films. Crowe can still command the screen with his presence, even when the material is slight (see THE POPE’S EXORCIST, 2023).
Greetings again from the darkness. Co-directors Marlo McKenzie and Jonathan Parker have teamed up for one of the most ‘revealing’ documentaries you’ll ever watch. OK, all I can do is try my best to minimize the use of puns and double entendre as the review progresses. But that won’t be easy as the filmmakers strip away the excess and serve up a bouncy peek at one of the more influential figures driving cultural change in San Francisco during the 1960’s.
The year of “Barbenheimer” concluded with one of the best and best-paced Oscars ceremonies in recent history. Of course, there were ups and downs … even an awkward Best Picture finale (which isn’t far off from becoming a tradition). Despite the bumps, the show served up plenty of entertainment for movie lovers and very few surprises for followers of the awards circuit.
My favorite movie of the year, OPPENHEIMER, was the night’s big winner with 7 Oscars, including Best Picture. Christopher Nolan’s film is quite an achievement, juggling history, a deep roster of actors, and an era that now seems foreign to most people under 40. However, this film is only half of the “Barbenheimer” label, and the BARBIE faction delivered the showstopper thanks to sparkly pink suit attired Ryan Gosling and his rousing “I’m Just Ken”. It was the kind of spectacle and audience participation moment that will go down in Oscars lore.
Greetings again from the darkness. The first feature film from writer-director Rose Glass was delayed almost two years due to COVID, but when SAINT MAUD hit in 2021, we knew immediately she was a filmmaker to watch. Along comes her second feature, co-written with Weronika Tofilska, and as a rare lesbian neo-noir, it’s sexy and violent and stylishly filmed … confirming Glass as one to follow.
Greetings again from the darkness. Owning a home remains the American Dream, and being unrealistic about the topic makes one an American Dreamer. The first few scenes of the film make it obvious that American Dreamer is not just the title of Dr. Phil Loder’s in-progress novel, but also a term that describes him. This is Paul Dektor’s directorial debut, and the script is co-written by Theodore Melfi (HIDDEN FIGURES 2016, ST VINCENT 2014) and Christopher Wehner. It’s loosely based on a true story.
Greetings again from the darkness. Life in west Texas can be harsh. There is nothing romantic or picturesque about the land … unless you are one of the lucky land/lease owners who have become rich by striking oil. Complementing his long career in the art departments of some massive blockbusters, Mark Lambert Bristol directs his second feature film from a script Julie B Denny, adapted from the 1999 novel “Chocolate Lizards” by Cole Thompson.
Greetings again from the darkness. With a setting in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn (though filmed in Manchester, UK), writer-director Phil Allocco has adapted his own 2005 short film THE MIRROR into a gritty and violent feature length crime thriller. For fans of the genre, there is enough here to make it worth watching.
Greetings again from the darkness. Honesty is the best policy. At least that’s the lesson we were taught growing up. What we learn as we get older is that very few adhere consistently to that policy, and in fact, many pride themselves on an ability to mislead. On “Seinfeld”, George Costanza stated quite succinctly, “It’s not a lie if you believe it.” Sadly, far too many are able to believe the web of lies they spread. But then, this film is from writer/director/producer Peter Farrelly, a double Oscar winner for GREEN BOOK (2020), and best known for the zany comedies he co-directed with his brother Bobby, including DUMB AND DUMBER (1994) and THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998). If any filmmaker can make lying funny, it should be a Farrelly brother.
Greetings again from the darkness. Have you hugged a spider today? Adam Sandler has. Well, technically it’s his character who does the hugging. Jakub Prochazka, is a Czech astronaut 189 days into his year long mission. He’s flying solo on “the outskirts of Jupiter” to explore the Chopra cloud which is expected to reveal the beginning of time. Honestly, it feels like a job worthy of more than one man, however, that’s what the source material provides. Based on the 2017 book “Spaceman of Bohemia” by Jaroslav Kalfar, Johan Renck directs the adapted screenplay by Colby Day. Mr. Renck is not one that jumps to mind when thinking of an Adam Sandler movie. His previous credits include the excellent mini-series “Chernobyl”, as well as multiple episodes of acclaimed series, “Breaking Bad” and “Bloodline”.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 