Review of Cinemania (2002) by Cindy I — 18 Mar 2010

A documentary about five obsessive New York film buffs. And these are some strange people, folks.

They all view as many as a half-dozen films a day -- EVERY DAY -- in various theatres around the city. Three are on disability for various mental health issues (I'm guessing OCD), one is well-educated but collects unemployment because a real job would interfere with his film schedule, one inherited money and spends it all on movies and prostitutes. They are hoarders and collectors of every type of film memorabilia, some keep elaborate databases of the film schedules in town and of all the films they've seen (ring a bell with anybody?)...one man even eats a somewhat constipating diet -- very little fiber or vegetables -- so he isn't inconvenienced by a bathroom trip during a film. Roberta -- the only female of the group -- has been known for fight with ticket takers if they DARE tear her ticket stub, and has been banned from at least one theatre for her behavior. One claims to have seen 1000 films in a month once, but that is mathematically impossible...at least I THINK it is.

We all believe we are the World's Greatest Film Buff, but how many of us have the direct phone numbers to the projection booth on our cell phones, AND know the projectionist by name? Some of these people do. This thing hit close enough to home for me a couple times that I found myself kinda squinching down in my chair, and being glad I was watching it alone. Not that I AM anywhere near this obsessive, but I could IMAGINE myself becoming this obsessive.