The Devil and Daniel Johnston
About The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Portrait of a manic-depressive genius singer, songwriter and artist, Daniel Johnston. As a reclusive teenager, Johnston began showing signs of unusual artistic ability. He religiously recorded his thoughts and stories onto cassette tapes, directed intuitive Super-8 films starring his siblings, and created expressive comic book-style drawings in the basement of his family's home. In the eyes of his fundamentalist Christian family, however, he simply wasn't contributing to society in a useful or productive way. After running off and joining a carnival, Johnston landed in Austin, Texas, broke and alone. It was there he began to hone his musical career, recording folk songs on a series of homemade, lo-fi cassettes, which Daniel handed out free to fans, friends and journalists in the early '80s. Ultimately, he managed to secure a brief spotlight on MTV with the help of a timely break. Just as he was beginning to make a local name for himself, however, Johnston's inner demons began to surface. His portrait serves as clear depiction of one artist's balancing act between brilliance and madness--a life marked by wild fluctuations, numerous downward spirals, and periodic respites.
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VIDEO
The Devil And Daniel Johnston
The Devil And Daniel Johnston starring Daniel Johnston, Louis Black, Bill Johnston, Mabel Johnston,...
US Release Date
3/31/06
MPAA Rating
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, drug content, and language including a sexual reference
Running Time
109 mins.
Language
- English
Box Office Total
$332,261
Awards
- Winner of the Documentary Directing Award award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival Awards.
Distributor
- Sony Pictures Classics