Review of The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006) by Thomas W — 30 May 2011

Introduced as "the best singer/songwriter in the World" at the very beginning of this intriguing documentary, an un-spectacular-looking Average Joe named Daniel Johnston takes the stage to the the applause of an audience of an estimated 20 to 30 people.

While I strongly disagree with that announcer, I will say that Johnston is an interesting chap who's songs are original but are no different or more special than some of the verse(s) I have heard from friends and/or acquaintances' songs and/or poetry.

The documentary is put-together using archieved footage, clips and recordings of Johnston's early years as a very unique stage presence (while in Austin, Texas, he actually garnered a cult-like following and was featured on MTV); and it also uses interviews with Daniel's put-upon parents (his mother [she calls to mind David Letterman's mother] took the brunt of it!), his four older siblings and some of his best friends from high school and various art classes to piece-together the early Daniel Johnston before he become over-burdened with the psycho-dramatics that began to plague him later in life.

The doc gives its audience glimpses of Johnston's early brushes with some deranged psychosis (which were the early signs of a greater problem); but it waits until later into the film (after we've become accustomed to Johnston's unique and wayward ways) before it slaps us with all that it has got.

It is also easy to see/understand why Johnston never achieved greater popularity beyond cult-icon status. His early work showed signs of mild-genius (be they home-made 8MM videos, his poetry or some of his early-recorded cassette tapes of his folksy tunes); but it most-definitely was not work for everyone -- he'd be an acquired taste then and now (I do admire how ALL of his work was very personal and honest [in a "mental" kind of way]).

Mental disorders and tortured souls always make for intersting subject matter, and this is no different. I might not be a fan and I probably wouldn't be able to befriend Mr. Johnston (as we are just too different); but I did avidly watch his documentary as a tortured soul (a temporary trainwreck!) who is taking on the devil can always be rooted for.

Since not all of them are success-stories, this man's hard-earned recovery deserved my respect.