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This So-Called Disaster

Sam Shepard (Actor), Sean Penn (Actor), Michael Almereyda (Director) Rated:
R
Format: DVD
4.0 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
IMDb6.3/10.0
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Genre Documentary
Format Subtitled, Full Screen, Color, DVD, Closed-captioned
Contributor Sam Shepard, James Gammon, Nick Nolte, Woody Harrelson, Sean Penn, T-Bone Burnett, Ann Militello, Michael Almereyda, Sheila Tousey, Cheech Marin See more
Language English
Runtime 1 hour and 29 minutes
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Product Description

Documentary chronicling the rehearsal process experienced by the actors and director, Sam Shepard, prior to the opening night of his stage play.
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Release Date: 7-JUN-2005
Media Type: DVD

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 2.4 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Michael Almereyda
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Full Screen
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 29 minutes
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Sam Shepard, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Cheech Marin, Sheila Tousey
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ MGM (Video & DVD)
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00067BBM8
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

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4 out of 5 stars
16 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • barb sikora
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent documentary
    Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I wasn't really sure if I should buy it just based on reviews. This is one of the best docs I have ever seen. I have viewed it five times already and keep seeing different aspects with each viewing. Recommend for anyone who loves Sam and docs. Shows how a play is rehearsed and everything else that goes into the production. What a perfect concept this was. Brilliant.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Lawrence J. Ukolowicz
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Study of Actors Creating Characters
    Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Wonderful look at rehearsals in a real theatre setting. I did not like Sam Shepard's play but this movie depicts the directing and acting part of the process up until opening night. It was interesting watching the different styles of acting each actor lived while getting to the core of the play. I thought the play itself, having read it, is a disjointed mess and a screaming match between characters being Shepard's way to write drama. It's that way in most of his plays. But I really suggest to young actors to watch this movie and study the actors creating their characters.
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  • Richard
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful footage on Shepard
    Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Came very quickly in perfect condition. Was quite inexpensive. Would go to this vender again. Shepard in rehearsal footage is fascinating. Good stuff about Nolte, Penn & Harrelson among others. Insightful about Sam Shepard's work & process, particularly The Late Henry Moss.
    One person found this helpful
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  • A. Gyurisin
    1.0 out of 5 stars Shepard's underexposed family portrait.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2005
    This is a hard film to review because basically it was nothing more than a documentary reviewing the performances and story of Shepard's new play. It was a huge review that showcased the talents of the artist and the director while also giving us a backstage pass to a play many of us probably never heard of. It was our chance to see art in progress without having to leave the comfort of our couches. This was sad to see because we as people should be getting out of our seats and spending more time in museums, theaters, and galleries, but for those that do not wish to do so we have this film to enjoy. We get to see one side of the story with good emotional moments torn out to allow for more of Shepard trying to show us that this play is not about his life, but instead just a work of fiction.

    While I am sure that this comment will anger some, I felt that this documentary was too commercial. I say this because I am not really sure what the purpose of making this film was. By the end of the film, I am excited to see that Shepard's work paid of well for him, but I never really saw him struggling. I guess that I am brought up in the MTV generation where "reality programs" have that constant theme of emotional turbulence, but there was nothing in this feature that came close to that. There was honestly no real direction that director Michael Almereyda gave to his film. Were we to see that Shepard was a [...] in real life because of the influence of his father? Maybe, but it was never shown. There was the one scene where Shepard tells Nolte to forget that his mother just died because he has a job to fulfill, a job that basically highlights the death of his own father. I thought that this was rude of Shepard, and I felt some unknown sympathy for Nolte. Outside of this Shepard was never really mean to his actors nor did he ever really blow a fuse. His emotional level was non-existent as he wandered through this documentary. Perhaps this film was to show how the actors stressed emotionally and physically to Shepard's style of directing? I would have to say I never saw this either. The actors did their job (well, maybe not Woody) and they listened to what Shepard had to say. He was respected and everyone gave him the respect that he deserved. This was a flawless performance and development that I thought Almereyda was trying to create. I thought he was the catalyst in this film, only causing more trouble than actually showing the play itself. It almost felt as if he was digging his nose into other people's business, and they were not receptive to it. I remember one scene where Penn literally ran away when he saw the camera. I don't think anyone was overly excited about this guy filming their work.

    Overall, I was not impressed with this film. I have seen documentaries come and go that better showcase the trials or honesty of a production than this film did. I felt at times the documentary felt scripted and forced to both us the viewers and the actors. Shepard was a pit of lies as he attempted to push the idea that this was not about his life, but instead a "father/son" themed performance, when in actuality there was documented proof that Henry Moss was a very close representation of his father. I wanted honesty with everyone, and I found none of it. I had trouble seeing what the purpose of this documentary. If it was to show how Hollywood hitters go back to their roots and learn acting 101, then so be it ... but it had to be longer. The time of 89 minutes just didn't give me enough meat and potatoes to fully appreciate the work. We were jumbled around between the direction, the acting, and the sub-stories that ultimately plagued this film, but not the production of the play. There was no reason for this film and I think that Almereyda was really grabbing and hoping that he would uncover something, yet he never did. I was unhappy with the final cut of this film and do not suggest it to anyone. Skip it; there are better ones out there!

    Grade: * out of *****
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Cosmoetica
    3.0 out of 5 stars Solid
    Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2010
    The DVD, put out by MGM, offers no bonus features, save a few theatrical trailers for other films. The title of the actual documentary remains a mystery until very late within the film, where we get a recitation of one of Shepard's father's letters, wherein he writes to his son about `this so-called disaster' of a marriage between the playwrights mother and himself, and how none of the difficulties present in that breakup had anything to do with his son. It's an intriguing moment, but it comes so late in the film, and so far out of left field that the viewer is left wondering why Almereyda did not include the tidbit earlier in the film, and somehow expound upon it in the film? After all, if he deems it important enough to become titular, why not make it something at the core of the film, not throw it in as an afterthought? The film, after all, is about the play, and its making, and not the personal trauma that spawned it. By doing so, Almereyda sits on a fence and does not commit the documentary to either the personal insights of the creative artist nor does he reveal the process of interpreting such creativity to the masses. Thus, overall, This So-Called Disaster is not a disaster, but it's nothing of any depth and specialness either. Still, it's worth seeing, for the reasons detailed within, even if few will want to take a second peek.
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  • R. Nelson
    5.0 out of 5 stars must see DVD
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    A valuable tool for any writer and a pleasure for any viewer.
    Hat's off to Sheila !
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  • Dale Greene
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Engrossing.
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  • Barbara G. Lifton
    4.0 out of 5 stars Riveting theater treat
    Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    Contrary to the review published above, I saw this film at its premiere showing at the Film Forum in New York, and found it fascinating and exciting. The film was a riveting documentation of the organic artistic process in the theater. The film is far from a commercial for Sam Shepard - on the contrary, it demonstrates in part, the difficulty he had managing his volatile but brilliant cast for the production of his strange, fascinating play, The Late Henry Moss. Good for anyone in the theater or any of the arts.
    15 people found this helpful
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