Film Reviews

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

• Rating:
• Director: Jeff Feuerzeig
• Starring: Bill Johnston
• Details: US, 110mins, 12.

Jeff Feuerzeig chronicles the life of genius singer-songwriter and outsider artist Daniel Johnston whose fans include Kurt Cobain (who wore Johnston's t-shirt at the MTV Music Awards), Tom Waits, The Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth. Daniel Johnston grew up in a devout Christian family home but never accepted his parents religious ideals - a fact made obvious in the numerous home videos made by Johnston - until his mind began to run away with him. Johnston was a man who kept to himself and made simple music in his bedroom until he met his muse Laurie in art school where he suddenly found himself. Little did he know that he was about to lose himself forever. While working in McDonald's, Johnston took part in an early '80s MTV documentary that followed local artists and showcased his song writing talents for the whole world. With success at the door, Johnston dropped acid at a Butthole Surfers gig and his life changed for the worse. Dragging to the surface what was always threatening to overwhelm him, the acid, coupled with his manic-depression, sent Johnston overboard and after increasingly bizarre incidents that culminated with Johnston breaking into a house and chasing an old woman out her window because he thought she was the devil, his friends decided to take him to a mental hospital where he remained for five years. However, his popularity grew and Johnston was repeatedly called to put on concerts. Coming off the medication that kept him stable, Johnston plunged once again into depression and on the eve of securing a major deal with Elektra, Johnston fired both his manager and Elektra thinking they were the devil. Director Feuerzeig injects perpetual information into his documentary and attempts to blow the audience away with his wonderful subject. This he does as no one is given time to say 'wow' before Feuerzeig moves onto Johnston's next story.

Review by Gavin Burke