American Movie 4K 1999 Ultra HD 2160p

In northwest Milwaukee, Mark Borchardt dreams the American dream: for him, it's making movies. Using relatives, local theater talent, deadbeat friends, his Mastercard, and $3,000 from his Uncle Bill, Mark's three-year ambition is to finish “Coven,” a short horror film. His own personal demons (alcohol, gambling, dysfunctional family) haunt him, but he desperately wants to overcome his insecurities and avoid failure. In moments of reflection, Mark sees his story as quintessentially American, and it is its nature and the nuances of his dreams that this movie explores.

User Review
Okay, so I'm a sucker for a good documentary, particularly where it tells a modern-day Don Quixote story. A caveat: I met Mark Borchardt in the winter of 1995/96 while he was still working on Coven. But I'll save that story for later. American Movie, which commenced production not long after, accurately portrays the person that I knew, although in greater depth than I expected or believed existed. This is simultaneously a very funny and very sad film, and is brilliantly executed. Mark comes across as his own worse enemy: his childlike ambition and optimism -- which I admire -- is undermined by his apparent artistic ineptitude as well as his bizarre fiscal expectations. But he's also a charismatic guy. His loyal Sancho Panza sidekick is equally likeable: loyal, if frazzled, to the core. Like Don Quixote, American Movie presents an often-ignored inefficient aspect of freedom -- that people will be drawn toward professions to which they are not particularly well-suited, irrespective of repeated failure. It is a great film.

Info Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265 (64.9 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1

Info Audio

#English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono

Info Subtitles

English SDH.