Daniel
Johnston is an ‘alternative’ artist/musician, not because
the press say so or to sell his art/music; he doesn’t need a label
to appeal to the masses. Mr Johnston is ‘alternative’ for
the simple fact that he is a one-off - an original voice in popular
culture who strives to achieve nothing other than an expression of himself.
New documentary ‘The Devil and Daniel Johnston’ is a portrait
of madness, creativity and love about a manic depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist.
Director Jeff Feuerzeig exquisitely depicts a perfect example of brilliance
and madness hand in hand.
Daniel Johnston is an artist suffering from manic depression with delusions
of grandeur, and his life is marked by wild fluctuations; numerous downward
spirals and periodic respites. As a reclusive teenager, Johnston began
showing signs of unusual artistic ability. He created intuitive Super-8
films and expressive comic-book style drawings in the basement of his
family home.
In the eyes of his fundamentalist Christian parents, however, he simply
wasn’t contributing to society in a useful or productive way.
After running off and joining a carnival, Johnston landed in Austin,
Texas, broke and alone. It was there he began to hone his musical career,
managing to secure a brief spotlight on MTV with the help of a timely
break.
Just as he was beginning to make a local name for himself, however,
Johnston’s inner demons began to surface.
Johnston’s work has been an inspiration to hundreds of musicians,
with bands like Sonic Youth, The Butthole Surfers, Beck, Eels, Tom Waits,
Teenage Fanclub, Pearl Jam, Wilco, Mercury Rev and Bright Eyes having
all covered his songs.
In 2003, Johnston collaborated with Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse on
the Fear Yourself album. Johnston was brought to mainstream attention
in the early 90s when Kurt Cobain would tout him in interviews as a
huge influence and Cobain would often be seen wearing a Daniel Johnston
t-shirt.
Other famous fans include David Bowie and Johnny Depp. The film artfully
melds current footage, vintage performances, home movies, and dozens
of recorded audiotapes from Johnston’s life. Testimony from supportive
friends and a deeply committed family adds a rich layer to Johnston’s
personal history, but Daniel Johnston’s poetic songs tell their
own passionate, haunting, and truly unforgettable story.
The Daniel Johnston story is multifaceted and multi-layered, and is
charged with hope and betrayal, beauty and grotesquery, pain and love
of a true American ‘folk legend’.
Watch
the trailer on the downloads
page
and find out more about the film at:
TheDevilAndDanielJohnston.com
