Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth
Erik Nelson
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Plot Summary
Crackling with infectious energy, :Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth" pays homage to the dark prince of American letters, Harlan Ellison. Master of his craft, Ellison has heroically produced over 75 books and more than 1,700 classics of fiction and non-fiction on one of his Olympia manual typewriters, including the single most popular Star Trek episode ("City on the Edge of Forever") and brilliant, award-winning short stories, some written in bookstore windows, on very public display. Wildly imaginative writer, flame-tongued provocateur, unholy fusion of Lenny Bruce and Mark Twain, Ellison's remarkable personal journey is lovingly rendered by director Erik Nelson. The film draws on over 25 years of exclusive video footage that captures Ellison at his most inspiring and irritating, curmudgeonly and lovable. See Ellison rant about the idiocies of geekdom, confess to mailing a dead gopher to an executive at a publishing house, recall his rebellious childhood, and speak about the joy (and craft) of writing. The film features candid interviews with famous and surprising friends, including actor Robin Williams, author Neil Gaiman and Ron Moore (Battlestar Galactica), who flesh out Ellison's prodigious contributions to the worlds of literature and popular culture, as well as their very personal encounters with this unique Force Of Nature. Whether a die-hard Ellison fan or someone tragically uninitiated, "Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth" will amuse, inspire, infuriate, and edify.
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
96%- Reviews Counted: 23
- Fresh: 22
- Rotten: 1
- Average Rating: 7.8/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: Directed by Erik Nelson, Dreams With Sharp Teeth recalls the career of Harlan Ellison, a runty young geek who evolved into a world-famous artist.
Fresh: Documentarian Erik Nelson, overcautious of his subject, is content to let Ellison luxuriate in his legacy of infamy--as a lothario, and a litigious and pugilistic combatant.
Fresh: It would seem no easy task conveying the essence of a bigger-than-life figure like Ellison in a 96-minute film. But Nelson, producer of Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man, makes it look easy.
Fresh: All told, Ellison is a fascinating person to spend 96 minutes with. But you probably shouldn't risk that 97th.
Customer Reviews
They don't make 'em like Harlan anymore and that's the pity of the world
You will enjoy this if you know the man's work or not. He is a force of nature and this is a glimpse into an extraordinary life. He is unmatched in his ability as a storyteller, both on the written page and as a speaker. You cannot walk away from this film and not be entertained by learning how the world and his art works. The filmaker does a fantastic job not only letting you see into Harlan's world, but capturing his wonderful performances as a story teller as well. For the price of a film admission at the theatre, you get a chance of a lifetime to meet one of the few remaining people in the world who can actually be called "interesting". You won't regret it.
Art without apologies
This is an immensely enjoyable detonation of a film about the great Harlan Ellison. Irreverent, profane and profound Mr. Ellison is an original, one of a kind. We are left feeling that surely the world could never hold two such trumpets of ego and intelligence. The decibels would kill us all. But Mr. E. is no anarchist. There is method in his gleeful, insane rants and madness. He wants us to listen. And what he has to say most importantly is that art is work delivered best and only by long striving. And those who work should be rewarded. And those who don't are idiots. Sounds about right. J Sturges
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- $9.99
- Genre: Documentary
- Released: 2009
- © 2007 Creative Differences Productions Inc. and The Kilimanjaro Corporation.