But a big question that looms in Berman’s and the audience’s mind is Szeles’s death sentence. Szeles still performs and tours occasionally. Self-dubbed the "Freddie Krueger of comedy" due to his gore-filled tricks, he was also a household name in Australia thanks to his regular appearances on the Channel 9 kids' show Hey Hey It's Saturday. Berman says Szeles was a man of two halves. ', "It started off weird, but I absolutely did not know what I was in for.". Calling it a "Hail Mary pass", he says it was a leap of faith: "If it didn't work out in front of the camera, I would have just closed up shop. Berman mostly keeps his cool on camera, but “behind the scenes, I was freaking out,” says the 36-year-old comedy series director (“Lady Dynamite,” “Comedy Bang! Without giving away any drug-related spoilers… Are 'Below Deck Med's Alex Radcliffe and Bugsy Drake Dating? This story has been shared 229,832 times. Terms of Use It's a huge theme of the film, trying to determine what's real and what's not, what's truth versus what's illusion. 'The Great British Baking Show's Breakout Star, 'The Great British Baking Show' Soda Bread Challenge Shows off the Bakers' Biggest Fault This Year. And have his views on the ethics of the film changed since the outset of the film? Berman asks: "Can a subject have the power to have you not include something, especially if they've invited you to be part of it and to watch it?". In a film where fiction can be moulded into fact, and unexpected endings conjured out of thin air, the audience would be well advised to keep their eye on Berman's skilful sleight of hand. Without giving away any drug-related spoilers, it's fair to say the film steps into legally grey areas only the most dedicated documentarian would consider. It was a blow, but determined to carry on, Berman says it was that discovery which "opened up a whole new set of doors", leading him into a "rabbit hole" of opportunities. The Amazing Johnathan Documentary director Ben Berman on making a film about the terminally ill, meth addicted magician. "He is at times very generous, very thoughtful and very funny. His last show, according to his website, was this past May in Royal Oak, MI. "I think I definitely got glimpses of who he really is. But Szeles’ deception about the second film crew also gives rise to bigger debates in the film about what’s true and what’s not, another oft-asked question in today’s culture at large. 257,435, This story has been shared 229,832 times. The filmmaker tells Sky News: "The first thing we filmed, he was in the kitchen eating lunch, and he just started throwing these slices of ham on the refrigerator. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! He lives, man. Director Ben Berman says the moment he met comedian and illusionist the Amazing Johnathan, he knew he was the perfect subject for a documentary. Listen to "Frozen 2, The Crown and Simon Cowell" on Spreaker. “I actually believe that in some weird way it’s keeping me going.” He no longer uses his wheelchair, though he can’t walk for very long without getting tired. But what I really did struggle with is that Jonathan is a comedian first. Luckily, it worked out, and Berman convincingly becomes part of his own storyline. Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Amazing Johnathan Documentary, a.k.a. "He'll say one thing, then literally an hour later say completely the opposite. “There’s always been competition, and two people can have the same idea — like there being two movies about asteroids hitting the planet, coming out at the same time [1998’s “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact”] — but I really feel there’s something different happening now,” says Berman. "Secondly, I love the element of the movie continuing even after it's done. "I wondered if there was a short documentary in this - a weird, unique magician confronting his own mortality. The Amazing Johnathan Documentary is streaming on Hulu now. "Is the filmmaker using the subject so they have a project and in a Jonathan's case, potentially exploiting his death? Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. I would do it with more confidence and maybe take even more risks.". The Amazing Johnathan Documentary is in cinemas now. He had been diagnosed in 2007, but was told that the condition worsened dramatically. News anchor fired for cameo in Adam Sandler movie, Text messages show raw and intimate exchange between Joe and Hunter Biden, Hunter Biden emails, pics reveal wild life, pained soul, No, 'Saved by the Bell' star Dustin Diamond did not die in prison riot, World champion's affair rocks Olympic swimming world. Thanks for contacting us. In 2014 he announced he had cardiomyopathy and had just a year to live. The confrontation clearly affects Berman, and eventually, the director apologizes to Szeles and tells him that he no longer doubts the validity of his illness. And while Berman may have hoped for twists and turns in the storyline of his documentary to add a little flavour, he didn't foresee becoming the star of his own show. Get news & recommendations for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, and more, in your inbox. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The Amazing Johnathan at the Mike Hammer Celebrity Poker Tournament on May 26 in Las Vegas. What Time Will 'A West Wing Special' Premiere on HBO Max. In an interview with The Daily Beast, the magician said he believes his addiction to methamphetamine is responsible for his prolonged lifespan. This leads into the concept of legacy and what it really means to have a documentary made about you. Born John Edward Szeles, the Amazing Johnathan honed his skills performing on the streets of San Francisco, before achieving fame across America in the 1980s and 1990s. 'The Trial of the Chicago 7' True Story: How Accurate is Aaron Sorkin’s Netflix Film? 'Fargo' Season 4 Episode 4 Recap: The Snowman Cometh, Jessie Buckley Is the Existential Tour de Force 2020 Needs, Who Plays Swanee Capps in 'Fargo'? ', "Or, 'You're hosting a party right now and you're laughing. One is that Szeles’s reveals he’s invited another documentary crew to film—a crew that Szeles says has won an Academy Award—thus creating competition for Berman. 229,832, This story has been shared 136,550 times. But later Szeles changed his mind, bringing the ethics of documentary filmmaking to the fore. The Amazing Johnathan Documentary, a new documentary now available on Hulu, is not what you think. "Absolutely. I was like, 'Yeah, this is what we want. We've received your submission. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Was it a prank that Ben and Jonathan played on the on the viewers? Who Is 'RHOC' Star Elizabeth Lyn Vargas' Ex-Husband? The Amazing Johnathan: Drug addicted, terminally ill illusionist 'doubly' unreliable, The Amazing Johnathan called himself the 'Freddie Krueger of comedy' due to his gore filled tricks, Born John Edward Szeles, he was at the height of his fame in the 80s and 90s, Ben Berman spent two-and-a-half years making the documentary he'd come to star in. This story has been shared 257,435 times. Bang!”). “Although his heart is still severely damaged,” reads Szeles’s website, “most of the impairment caused by the lack of circulation has healed almost completely.”. 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In reality, I think we never fully got past that. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Your California Privacy Rights "I personally don't subscribe to documentary ethics. “I don’t feel like I’m going to be going anytime soon.”. But since his heyday, the 61-year-old's life had a taken a downward turn - leaving him not only addicted to crystal meth but also suffering from a serious heart problem. "Any rule can kind of f*** itself. Berman pulls no punches when it comes to who is using who. Today, nearly five years after Szeles on-stage bombshell, the magician is alive, though, as Berman told Decider, “certainly not well.”, “Johnathan’s here in LA doing press,” Berman said, “and he’s going to be promoting the movie. “And then I realized, yeah, if you boil it down, it’s about trying to determine what’s real and what’s not, and we’re certainly and unfortunately in an era where no one can really pin anyone down on anything.”, In the interest of not revealing spoilers, suffice to say Berman’s film contains a few more twists and turns on the “what’s real” front.
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