Amazon.com Essentials:
Robert Crumb is known for his disturbing, yet compelling,
underground cartoons: his most famous works made countercultural icons
out of Mr. Natural ("Keep on Truckin'...") and Fritz the Cat. Terry
Zwigoff delves into the odd world of the cartoonist in his documentary
film Crumb, and the picture that emerges is not always
pretty--at moments, it's almost repellent--but it's a fascinating
glimpse into a very strange mind. Interviewing immediate family--Crumb
has one suicidal brother, one semi-psychopathic brother, two sisters
who declined to be interviewed, and a tyrannical mother--Crumb begins
to look a bit saner. Given his surroundings, it's remarkable that he
has survived so well. His hostilities toward women may turn some
viewers off, but his wife, Aline, seems to be a grounding point, and
she provides a solid counterbalance to the man. No one shies away
from discussing incredibly intimate things (namely, sex!), which
explains much of R. Crumb's cartoons. This documentary can definitely
be considered a masterpiece for the cult crowd, and as for the rest of
us, it's sure to make us feel a little better about our own lives!
--Jenny Brown
