Amazing Johnathan Documentary
An eccentric, wild and gripping goose chase of a film, all the jesters at the center of 'Jonathan Documentary' are fascinating.
The Amazing Johnathan Documentary
THE AMAZING JOHNATHAN DOCUMENTARY begins as a profile on a uniquely deranged magician who built a career out of shock and deception in the 1980s. It changes, however, into the bizarre story about the unraveling of his documentarian.
The Amazing Johnathan and his irreverent magic act rose, to popularity landing one of the longest residencies in Las Vegas. However in 2014 Johnathan was diagnosed with a terminal heart condition and given only one year to live, forcing him to retire his act. Fast forward to three years later, Johnathan is still alive and chooses to return to the stage. Filmmaker Ben Berman sets out to capture The Amazing Johnathan’s comeback tour while peeling back the curtain on his unique, meth-fueled life.
But the seemingly straightforward profile of this eccentric illusionist starts careening off the rails as Johnathan drops a bombshell that sends the film spiraling into uncertainty. As we delve deeper to determine what’s real and what’s illusion, hard questions are raised, uncovering deeper truths about the ethics of filmmaking and human nature.
The Amazing Johnathan and his irreverent magic act rose, to popularity landing one of the longest residencies in Las Vegas. However in 2014 Johnathan was diagnosed with a terminal heart condition and given only one year to live, forcing him to retire his act. Fast forward to three years later, Johnathan is still alive and chooses to return to the stage. Filmmaker Ben Berman sets out to capture The Amazing Johnathan’s comeback tour while peeling back the curtain on his unique, meth-fueled life.
But the seemingly straightforward profile of this eccentric illusionist starts careening off the rails as Johnathan drops a bombshell that sends the film spiraling into uncertainty. As we delve deeper to determine what’s real and what’s illusion, hard questions are raised, uncovering deeper truths about the ethics of filmmaking and human nature.
Genre
Documentary
Runtime
90
Language
English
Director
Ben Berman
FEATURED REVIEW
Musanna Ahmed, Film Inquiry
Ben Berman’s documentary about The Amazing Johnathan is absolute magic. With such a startling number of twists and turns, this is rollercoaster cinema at its finest, and it’s also an amazing portrayal of a filmmaker being stuck in a creative rut and breaking out through persistence and ingenious ...
Played at
Royal 8.15.19 - 8.15.19
Playhouse 7 8.16.19 - 8.22.19
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