Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageFace Addict (2005)
Director: Edo Bertoglio
Movie review
From Time Out London
A ruminative DV portrait of the beat/disco/punk cliques of New York in the late ’70s and directed by Italian fashion photographer Edo Bertoglio (house snapper for Interview magazine in the early ’80s). In the film, Bertoglio reconvenes with various sparring partners, drug buddies and scene stalwarts who reminisce about the ‘the good old bad old days’.There are some interesting moments and insightful contributions by John Lurie and Debbie Harry. There’s also a great anecdote by artist James Nares in which he recalls how Nan Goldin would drift around the New York clubs wanting to take pictures of people shooting drugs. One time, he agreed to do it, so she handed him a package of MDA and he overdosed on the spot. Regrettably, the film’s intended air of melancholy is all but annulled by Bertoglio’s wan, haughty and utterly pretentious narration about how wonderful New York was at that time.
All this despite the fact that he and many of his associates were reduced to roaming the gutters of Alphabet City, scrabbling for change to feed their junk habits. Also, too much screen time is given to rambling violinist/artist Walter Steding, who was mercilessly chewed up and spat out by the Warhol machine and left to linger through the ’80s and ’90s as a drug casualty who now lives out of a storage container.
Author: David Jenkins
Time Out London Issue 1982, August 14-20, 2008
Cast & crew
Director: Edo Bertoglio
Genre(s): Documentaries
Duration: 102 mins
UK Release: Aug 22 2008
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
What do you think?
Post your review now