Harlan Ellison – Dreams With Sharp Teeth (Docurama DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Documentary: B-
Harlan
Ellison is often written off as radical, difficult, not mentally stable and
problematic, yet in real life, he is eccentric, has fought for writer’s rights
against literally dozens of multi-national corporations out to gut out talented
people for next to no cost or outright steal from them, is a smart thinker and
is one of the premiere writers in the counterculture movement that rogue
corporations have spent trillions of dollars (not always their money either) to
try and erase. Dreams With Sharp Teeth is a new documentary look at the man, his
work, his legacy, his battles and his triumphs.
Of the
many things discussed are the state of the country, how he feels republicans
ruined it, his experience with Star Trek, censorship, corporations, idea of the
glass teat in how TV makes mush of people’s minds (a decline he felt began in
the 1970s, but wow, did things get much worse), thoughts on religion,
Hollywood, his amazing house and much more.
This runs a tight and always interesting 96 minutes as Director Erik
Nelson gives the man his due. The result
is a solid portrait of a very important figure of the 20th Century
stigmatized for far too long.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is to often soft throughout. Add the variant quality of clips and this can
be a unique viewing experience, though some visual effects look like something
from the analog era. The Dolby Digital 2.0
sound is stereo at best, with some flawed location recording and monophonic
sound from the many archival clips.
Extras include six readings of his most acclaimed work by himself
personally and two featurettes of sorts.
One has Ellison at a 4/9/07 Writer’s Guild event, the other with Neil
Gaiman at his house talking about everything over a pizza.
- Nicholas Sheffo
