hemlocksociety: Great interview. I always wondered how the Maysles were able to function as a two person crew. Albert on the camera / light exposure and his younger brother David handling the sound.
The topic of their documentary film's success based on something tragic happening on camera has been called to attention before. In an early interview focused on "Salesman", the interviewer asked the brothers if they thought the film had more power because of their opportunity to capture the veteran salesman's slow decline on film. They claimed that it didn't matter but I think it's one of the key elements that made that documentary so sad and moving.
5 months ago
QueenBee: To me, the genius of the brothers was their ability to select their subjects. They just let stuff happen and shoot it.
6 months ago
TowJam: Hmmm. I might have to start making things from my dreams. That's a really cool idea.
6 months ago
uly: anyone know if the mental hospital documentary is available on dvd or streaming online?
6 months ago
bristlez: i've seen grey gardens twice and gimme shelter once. i gotta see salesman.
uly: it is, and i'm not a big stones fan. what luck that they caught the hell's angels stuff on film!
6 months ago
jackieboy: Truman Capote, the Stones, Martin Scorsese, he knew everybody
6 months ago
pirateghost: What an interesting guy. It shows how smart he is that even a random sailboat in his house has a cool story behind it.
6 months ago
ruckus: he has beach colors in his brownstone. weird selection but when you're this age and this respected you can get away with almost anything.
6 months ago
Garlenno: He really is the master, one can imagine telling him anything he asks you and also being able to open up even the most reticent of interviewers.
6 months ago
Biff: If I make it this long and have the pinache he does I'll be very happy with myself.
6 months ago
downboy: If i accomplish have what he has ill be very happy with myself.
6 months ago
badabing: I never thought about how hard it must be to decide when to end a documentary. technically you could probably go on forever. its got to be a really difficult decision knowing when you have enough
6 months ago
electrocity: a documentary about bible salesmens, eh? smart idea.
6 months ago
AcreDemon: I wish someone had done televangelists back in their prime. Talk about interesting subject matter.
chickadee: he went from photography to psychology to film making?! what a strange career path
6 months ago
leeharveygriswald: when you think about it though, it's a perfect career path for a documentarian.
6 months ago
starks03: i feel like he was smart enough to do whatever he wanted.
6 months ago
TammyFaye: He and his brother really got me into documentaries and I'm not talking about the bullshit Michael Moore shit or Super Size Me kind of crap. Real, fly-on-the-wall docs. No spin, no angle, just great stories.
6 months ago
taketheride: micheal moore needs to sit down and watch his documentaries to understand how one should be made.
6 months ago
smearcampaign: if i ever need glasses, i'm getting maysles glasses.
6 months ago
johndoe: Im honestly not that surprised by that fact that he was a psychologist...i feel like that almost comes through in his films
7 months ago
dumdum: yeah I feel like psychologist and documentary film maker compliment each other nicely
7 months ago
kokakola: damnn that was the swankiest hospital I have ever seen! worth getting sick for
boggle_brains: such a shame that david died. the two of them were the dream team! truly brilliant
7 months ago
killingmoon: a mini documentary about a documentary film maker! how clever
7 months ago
Tucker: That's why retirement home walls are so dull. It helps the residents nap. Obviously, Mr. Maysles has better things to do than waste his afternoon on a lazyboy.
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hemlocksociety: Great interview. I always wondered how the Maysles were able to function as a two person crew. Albert on the camera / light exposure and his younger brother David handling the sound. The topic of their documentary film's success based on something tragic happening on camera has been called to attention before. In an early interview focused on "Salesman", the interviewer asked the brothers if they thought the film had more power because of their opportunity to capture the veteran salesman's slow decline on film. They claimed that it didn't matter but I think it's one of the key elements that made that documentary so sad and moving.
5 months ago
QueenBee: To me, the genius of the brothers was their ability to select their subjects. They just let stuff happen and shoot it.
6 months ago
TowJam: Hmmm. I might have to start making things from my dreams. That's a really cool idea.
6 months ago
uly: anyone know if the mental hospital documentary is available on dvd or streaming online?
6 months ago
bristlez: i've seen grey gardens twice and gimme shelter once. i gotta see salesman.
6 months ago
uws123: gimme shelter is amazing.
6 months ago
uly: it is, and i'm not a big stones fan. what luck that they caught the hell's angels stuff on film!
6 months ago
jackieboy: Truman Capote, the Stones, Martin Scorsese, he knew everybody
6 months ago
pirateghost: What an interesting guy. It shows how smart he is that even a random sailboat in his house has a cool story behind it.
6 months ago
ruckus: he has beach colors in his brownstone. weird selection but when you're this age and this respected you can get away with almost anything.
6 months ago
Garlenno: He really is the master, one can imagine telling him anything he asks you and also being able to open up even the most reticent of interviewers.
6 months ago
Biff: If I make it this long and have the pinache he does I'll be very happy with myself.
6 months ago
downboy: If i accomplish have what he has ill be very happy with myself.
6 months ago
badabing: I never thought about how hard it must be to decide when to end a documentary. technically you could probably go on forever. its got to be a really difficult decision knowing when you have enough
6 months ago
electrocity: a documentary about bible salesmens, eh? smart idea.
6 months ago
AcreDemon: I wish someone had done televangelists back in their prime. Talk about interesting subject matter.
6 months ago
EX: id love to see that.
6 months ago
chickadee: he went from photography to psychology to film making?! what a strange career path
6 months ago
leeharveygriswald: when you think about it though, it's a perfect career path for a documentarian.
6 months ago
starks03: i feel like he was smart enough to do whatever he wanted.
6 months ago
TammyFaye: He and his brother really got me into documentaries and I'm not talking about the bullshit Michael Moore shit or Super Size Me kind of crap. Real, fly-on-the-wall docs. No spin, no angle, just great stories.
6 months ago
taketheride: micheal moore needs to sit down and watch his documentaries to understand how one should be made.
6 months ago
smearcampaign: if i ever need glasses, i'm getting maysles glasses.
6 months ago
johndoe: Im honestly not that surprised by that fact that he was a psychologist...i feel like that almost comes through in his films
7 months ago
dumdum: yeah I feel like psychologist and documentary film maker compliment each other nicely
7 months ago
kokakola: damnn that was the swankiest hospital I have ever seen! worth getting sick for
7 months ago
josejosejose: they werent sick, they were crazy.
6 months ago
boggle_brains: such a shame that david died. the two of them were the dream team! truly brilliant
7 months ago
killingmoon: a mini documentary about a documentary film maker! how clever
7 months ago
Tucker: That's why retirement home walls are so dull. It helps the residents nap. Obviously, Mr. Maysles has better things to do than waste his afternoon on a lazyboy.
7 months ago