Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)?
| Who is Harry Nilsson... (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | John Scheinfeld |
| Produced by |
Lee Blackman John Scheinfeld David Leaf |
| Written by | John Scheinfeld |
| Starring |
Perry Botkin, Jr. Micky Dolenz Terry Gilliam Eric Idle Ringo Starr Robin Williams Yoko Ono Richard Perry Randy Newman John Lennon May Pang Brian Wilson |
| Music by | Harry Nilsson |
| Cinematography | James Mathers |
| Edited by | Peter S. Lynch II |
Production company |
LSL Productions |
| Distributed by | Lorber Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 116 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Who is Harry Nilsson... (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) is a documentary about the musician Harry Nilsson that premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2006. It was released to theatres and on DVD in the Fall of 2010.
Stephen King wrote of the film: "Who Is Harry Nilsson is some piece of work, an exploration of the dark side of success that’s hard to watch, and even harder to forget."[1]
Plot
David Leaf and John Scheinfeld interviewed close to three dozen of Nilsson's friends, colleagues and extended family, who all shared their memories of Harry Nilsson, his music and how it affected them. This was put together in a documentary where we follow Harry Nilsson from childhood to death, enjoying the highs and lows along with him, from Grammy wins through divorce and substance abuse.
The film features original interviews with well-known friends and acquaintances of Nilsson, including Perry Botkin, Jr., Micky Dolenz, Terry Gilliam, Mark Hudson, Eric Idle, Al Kooper, Randy Newman, Yoko Ono, May Pang, Van Dyke Parks, Richard Perry, Jimmy Webb, Paul Williams, Robin Williams, Brian Wilson and The Smothers Brothers. Also included are interviews with Nilsson's family, including his wives and children. Perhaps the most notable absence in the film is Ringo Starr, who does not feel comfortable talking about three people in person: John Lennon, George Harrison and Harry Nilsson.[2] Another notable absence in the film is arranger-composer George Tipton, who worked closely with Nilsson on nearly all of his early RCA recordings - they reportedly had an unexplained and permanent falling-out, and Tipton refused to be interviewed for the film.
References
External links
- Official website
- Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)? at the Internet Movie Database
- Interview with director John Scheinfeld
- Text Interview with director John Scheinfeld
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