The Devil and Daniel Johnston
DVD - 2005
The turbulent life of a genius musician battling manic depression. A favorite with artists such as Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Beck, and many others, view the singer-songwriter-artist through his art and interviews, and in the eyes of his fans.
Publisher:
Culver City, Calif. : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, c2005, c2006.
ISBN:
9781424821655
1424821657
1424821657
Branch Call Number:
616.857 DEV
Characteristics:
1 videodisc (ca. 110 min.) : anamorphic, sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
Additional Contributors:



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Add a CommentYou may have heard Johnston's tunes, but you don't know Daniel Johnston until you have see this film. Johnston has severe mental problems, unnamed, but very serious. He is also a self-taught artist and musician. Growing up in a fundamentalist West Virginia home, he filmed and recorded himself constantly. He has a sound like no other,and soon finds some critical success as his mental illness gets worse. Great access for the filmmakers, and Johnston is a winning personality. You pull for him, and his music is well worth the viewing.
A heartbreaking, yet strangely uplifting and inspirational, exploration of the fine line between genius and madness, and how sometimes, one becomes impossible to discern from the other.
R.I.P. Daniel Johnston ( January 22, 1961- September 10, 2019 ).
I generally enjoy documentaries. I do not know how this individual is considered an artistic genius. His musical ramblings are less then well formulated. His singing is whiny. His art is childish. All the early video was nonsense. The people commenting were acting as if this person was some kind of rare talent. I stopped watching a half an hour into the documentary as it just kept repeating itself. Maybe I am missing something and should give it another try? It just was not going anywhere for me.
blowhards blowing harder
It's a great movie about a disabled mind and his use of music. Scary and heartwrenching tale with amazing music that sound like a lot of bands did in the 90's in fact some even covered his music and kurt cobain wore his t-shirt.
This is THE worst movie ever. Period. And Siskel & Roper give it a thumbs up?!? Boggles the mind.
This is an engrossing, heartwrenching profile of the troubled musical genius - sometimes harrowing, sometimes hilarious, ultimately inspiring.