And I thought I had a problem.I guess obsession is the same no matter what the object is, and many documentaries have dealt with that theme, but obviously this one is much more of a meta-doc.What I wonder is, are these people so dysfunctional because they continually go to movies; or do they go to movies because they're dysfunctional? There's something really disturbing if the former is the case -- that we consume movies and TV (more than we should) and the result is this deterioration of the mind and total disconnection from society. Are these people examples of over-consumption taken to its logical extreme? Do most of us have the exact same pathology but just watered down?

Cinemania (2002) *** (out of 4) I had never heard of this film until reading Brook's review of it and I think I enjoyed it a bit more than he did, although I agree that this film is somewhat disturbing to watch. It follows five New York film buffs who go to all ends to see the films they love. I always thought I was near the top of those who watch films but after this film I realized that I'm rather tame. One of the men claims to have seen nearly a thousand movies in one month. One guy refuses to have sex with women because the sex can't be in B&W like in the movies. There's another woman who has a collection of soda cups, which she bought at various movies. I'm not going to sit here and call these people freaks or weirdos because they enjoy what they do and if it makes them happy then who am I to call them out on it? At first I thought these people made a few good points but soon their obsession got pretty damn scary with some of the things that were being said. The most bizarre thing was one guy who said he should kill people talking in the theater but he might not get to finish watching the movie because he'd get arrested.

Before I start into the film, I should point out that there are two versions of this documentary about cinema addicts living in New York City. The first I saw was a little less than a hour long and there is a longer version that was for theatrical release. Having now seen both, I actually prefer the shorter TV version because the interviews work so much better because of the editing--with less "dead time" and a tighter focus. Still, both are well worth seeking.My love for this documentary is for two main reasons. First, I teach psychology and have used this film to illustrate Obsessive-Compulsive behavior, various personality disorders and the recently identified phenomenon of "collectors"--people who hoard items of practically no intrinsic value in a reaction against the shallowness of their lives. Second, with the third largest number of reviews on IMDb as of 12/07, I myself am a bit of a cinemaniac--but not nearly to the degree of those featured on the films. While I do watch a huge number of films (almost exclusively on VHS, DVD and cable TV), I also have a good job, healthy family life and don't think I'm THAT screwed up yet--and the documentary is a great way to warn me against the dangers of compulsively watching films. This was especially brought to my attention when I noticed that almost all the odd art films they mention in the movie are ones I have seen and often loved. In particular, the one man who adores THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG said a lot of brilliant things about this masterpiece. Scary, huh?! I have a bit of a kindred spirit out there! However, in the case of these rather sad individuals, enjoying the films in a traditional sense isn't possible. They are so obsessed with the details that often they don't stop to enjoy the film itself! One man has memorized the running times of practically every film (like a Savant) and it tears him apart if the film is shortened by even a minute! Another so obsessively saves every film ticket that she becomes violent if the ticket taker actually rips the ticket in half. And, even more sad, most have no lives or jobs because of this disability or mania. Some of this is because some of these people are indeed mentally ill, but most are not in a legal sense "crazy"--just possessing very disturbed personalities (meaning therapy or medication would probably do nothing to change their odd behaviors).This film opens up so many discussions for psychology students and sociologists. Much of it is because these people are all a bit different--with different styles of their obsessions, different mental illnesses or personality disturbances. In a way, a psychology student taking a class on diagnosis could almost make a game of spotting the pathology.As for how this documentary was made, it was made in Europe but is completely in English. Plus, oddly, there is no narration--the subjects and those who know them are just encouraged to speak for themselves. This was a wonderful choice since it was edited so well--and narration often ruins a good documentary as it isn't always helpful or needed.Brilliant, shocking and a bit disturbing, this is not for everyone's tastes, but a wonderful film nonetheless. By the way, many who did NOT like this documentary had valid reasons but many did not--not liking the subjects personality is NOT a valid reason nor that it wasn't a comedy nor was the knucklehead who was angry because the films the obsessed people liked (mostly art films, foreign films and classics) were not the same films they themselves liked!!! Hello....anyone out there.....this was NOT the purpose of the documentary. Liking the people or their choices of films was certainly NOT the reason for this great film--but the pathology and detrimental effects on their lives was (as most of them did NOT work but were on the public dole due to someone considering this a true disability).

CINEMANIA is a film for its subject matter: film geeks. I absolutely loved it, which tells you a little about me. This is a great film for anyone who's ever hopped a cab, bus or subway train in a mad frenzy to get from one movie to the next, for everyone who's ever made a list of all the films they've seen in a year just out of morbid curiosity as to how wisely they've spent their time, for anyone who's ever sacrificed a social event to see a movie alone. Yes, I've done all these things and more, but despite my identification with the weirdos that are the subject matter of CINEMANIA, even I was amazed at the absolute compulsion many of them have for cinema. One man is said to choose a carefully orchestrated "constipating diet" in order to avoid the inconvenience of missing the beginning of a film due to the necessity of bodily function; another places a personal ad in which he writes almost exclusively about film; the only woman among them, Roberta, has been known to physically fight ticket sellers at theatres that inconvenience her goal to save the ticket from every movie to which she's ever been. The astounding thing is how proud the cinemaniacs seem of their obsession and the utter lack of anything else in their lives. One film buff proclaims himself a "writer and philosopher", yet we never hear about him writing anything other than the aforementioned personal ad. Another has an extensive collection of movie soundtracks on vinyl, carefully arranged by composer, but doesn't own a record player. But this is not a mean-spirited, satirical film out to expose or poke fun at the "losers" and their passion for passive entertainment. As I have said, it is a film for those who identify with these so-called "losers", hopefully to a somewhat saner degree. Perhaps the most touching and important moment in the film is a scene in which one film buff (proponent of the constipating diet) discusses the escapist quality of film. "In a movie", he says (I'm paraphrasing) "you can just walk out of the restaurant and blend into the crowd, then walk across the street as if moving on into your new life, but in real life, you know, you have to go home; you can't put real life in a frame and make it art." But sometimes real life is art, sometimes it's better without the frame, and I'm happy to know that the tragic, comic and wonderful "characters" of this film are really out there, still passionate about this great art form, even to the point of insanity. Right on, brothers (and sister)!