Eye Candy #21 - "American Movie"

American Movie: My favorite documentary of all time, the tale of Mark Borchardt, an independent filmmaker struggling to make his all original horror film "Coven" (pronounced KOH-ven, *not* Kuh-ven), as he uses local "actors", family members, friends and his best buddy Mike Schank, for personal, professional, and financial help throughout the production, except for Mike who mostly just smokes dope and plays his guitar. A very funny film, but in a voyeuristic kind of way, as we get to see the behind-the-scenes workings of independent filmmaking, from stunts gone awry to hitting up crotchety relatives for money. Borchardt's sincerity is never in question and he is a testament to the power of the dogged pursuit of a dream. But he's also not the sharpest tool in the barn (then again, neither is Mike). Directed by Chris Smith, who also gave us "Home Movie", this film treats its subject with respect. Borchardt is equal parts underdog, dreamer, passionate, and bat-crap crazy, but he is always endearing. You WANT him to succeed because he’s a good guy, he was just born into the wrong life. Specifically Milwaukee.