User Reviews

Not nearly enough on the guy's films, their tones, unifying themes and concerns. Especially neglected is that classic of small town moral rot, "Naked Kiss", as well as, in my opinion, one of the top twenty American war (or anti war, depending on your point of view) pics, "Steel Helmet". Instead, we are given an adoring, completely uncritical portrait of a great if curmudgeonly film maker. This hagiographical tone is completely understandable since the doc was directed by the subject's daughter and I'm fairly certain that Sam was a good dad. Doesn't mean I have to like it, though. And I don't think Fuller would have, either. The news man in him would have accurately described it as a "puff piece". C plus.

PS...Absolutely hated the device of having the whole thing based on Fuller's memoirs and read by famous Fuller fans. Not only does it ensure that nothing even remotely negative will seep onto the screen but the readings are as much about the readers performances as they are about the material, which is distracting, to say the least. For the record my favorite reader/performer was Connie Towers and my least favorite, Bill, Don't Call Me Paul Robeson, Duke.

There are film people who tell their own stories in their own way, and who write their memoirs --for 'autobiography' is too grandiose term for the collection of anecdotes they offer -- with their own hands. Raoul Walsh, one of Hollywood's great directors, wrote a book about his life, Each Man In His Time, which I estimate is about 40% fabrication, meant to entertain the reader and aggrandize himself.

Looking at this movie, the opening of David Copperfield forced itself into my brain.

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.

Fuller's daughter, Samantha Fuller, filmed this movie very simply: famous movie people, some of whom worked with Fuller, some who simply admired him, read from his memoirs. They read them as a man who is the hero of his own life, improbable as it may seem. He forced his way into the newspaper business. He took to the road during the Depression to see how the poor lived. He forced his way into Hollywood, into the Army, back into Hollywood, always confident of himself, and turning out some movies that were great, some that were good, and some that were miserable potboilers.

Since Fuller was the writer and the subject, he made it clear that he was the hero of his life. He also made it clear that anyone can be, if they just insist on it.