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List Price: $14.99 | | Label: The Film Fellowship
Salesrank: 46173
Released: November 13, 2008 |
| Our Price: $14.99 |
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MPAA Rating:
Media: DVD-R |
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Editorial Review:
Andy Kaufman, often erroneously cited as a comedian, was the world's first performance artist. He defied genre and categorization to become a true artistic pioneer. Given the absence of separation between his life and his performances, news of his terminal illness in 1984 was treated by many as another of his practical jokes. Then, upon his death from lung cancer months later, the questions and incredulity continued.
Now, over twenty years later, his death is still not considered to be an undisputed reality. Many continue to wonder if Andy is alive... and if he is, what is he doing? What does he look like? Will he return to the spotlight? These questions are among those that take the filmmakers out in search of Andy.
The viewers of this film see three major aspects of the Andy Kaufman mystery played out before them. First, they witness an overview of Andy's career, including rare performance clips and an examination of his decline as he fell slowly but surely out of the spotlight. Then, they are introduced to the different conspiracy theories concerning how Andy was interested in faking his death, and how he may have pulled it off. Finally, the film becomes a search for Andy, with surprising results.
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The Death of Andy Kaufman Reviews:
I had one problem with this DVD 
2009-06-11 - I agree with the above reviewer but I had a problem hearing what the narrator was saying in many parts. He talks over the audio track in a low monotone. At times it sounds like he is whispering. The background audio overpowers what he is saying in places. It was annoying. Yet I enjoyed the overall content.
A Passionate Documentary 
2008-11-25 - You'd hope that anyone who does a documentary does it because they really care about the subject matter and because they feel it's important to share whatever story it is that's contained within the subject of the documentary. In this, The Death of Andy Kaufmann does not disappoint but rather excels wonderfully! The director/writer of the the documentary might even be said to have an odd reverence for Andy Kaufmann which I find to be quite refreshing.
The film does not have the 'overly-perfect' feel of a Hollywood movie - this is its main strength. This is apparent in two different ways: the visual aspect, and the story aspect.
Visually, it's clear that this movie was not shot on top-of-the-line equipment by any means. A lot of the footage is simple hand-held video following Chris around as he explores different areas of the country and as he speaks with friends and family of Andy, including a wonderful interview with Andy's brother Michael. What's fantastic about this (the 'lower-quality' of the record equipment) is that it does not detract away from the story at all - it adds to the realism of an honest search: not the 'we know everything' of Hollywoodism.
Adding to the honesty of the documentary is that it becomes clear that Maloney didn't have an overall agenda for the film as far as his conclusions go: the documentary really serves as an active search.
If you're at all interested in the story and history of Andy Kaufman, I strongly recommend that you pick up this wonderful documentary by a person who truly cares about the Andy that we might not all know...
