Moive Review American Splendor and Crumb

American Splendor

American Splendor features Paul Giamatti as everyman comic creator Harvey Pekar and Hope Davis plays his fuddy duddy peculiar wife Joyce. Both Harvey and Joyce also appear in the film commenting on the story. This lends charm and reality, setting the film up as genuine docu-drama.

Way off the beaten path into the subculture few of us see. The American Splendor comic is drawn by Robert Crumb and since Pekar makes mention of him, I checked out that film as well.

Crumb

This full on documentary displays Crumb's sub/counter-culture sexually explicit art and lifestyle. Some of his work offends my feminist sensibilities and I find it rather immature to rail against "selling out" his work for profit. Yet, when he wanted to move to France, he has no problem selling entire portfolios of work.

Some of his family elements and personal history explained a lot of where he gets his perspective. It just held way too much information on topics I didn't want to know.

Find American Splendor in Coos Bay, Lakeside or Bandon. Internet Movie Database gives lots of nifty details on the film and it's stars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305206/

Crumb is in Bandon.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109508/

OiVey