This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Lack of good storyline.

Excellent but underrated film

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Folktales are comprised of legends and are seldom rooted in truth. Often, they deify men and make overcoming the impossible seem plausible. Daniel Johnston's life has been riddled with such extreme triumph and tribulations that most would relegate his story to myth, had his journey not been so well documented. It also makes the intrinsic value of his folk music and art that much more valuable. It's easy to write his extensive catalog off as simple work from a simple mind, but after watching the well-orchestrated documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005) its evident that Johnstons brilliance is co-morbid with his disabilities. The rudimentary form his craft takes ties into his perceived understanding of the world and leaves his fans bewildered at the profoundness of his genius; especially because all other arenas of his life are plagued by his struggle with manic-depressive behavior and delusions of grandeur. The film, directed by Jeff Feuerzeig, serves as an instrument in helping audiences attain a better understanding of Daniel's disposition by utilizing post-production techniques to imbue the audience with same sense of mania that Johnston lives with from day to day. His disorder bore a neurosis that left behind an abundance of archival ephemera. The authenticity of his a visceral and auditory journaling, though music and other musings, create a first-person perspective through Johnston's eyes, which helps motivate the story when seamlessly woven into the narrative. It helps the audience understand the fantasticness of his irrationality by making them live through these severe circumstances. Presentation of the memorabilia through editing and Feuerzeig's direction also helms psychosis, as the each segment is ripe with strife to the point of cerebral saturation. However, the intensity of the segments are juxtaposed with stagnate close- ups of a tape recorder, where we just hear Daniels unnerving voice talking about the events as he experiences them. The paradox in pace creates the elusive mental-states of eccentricity and depravity in the audience. It's sort of like trying to describe to someone what it feels like to ride a roller-coaster; it's a lot easier just to let them ride themselves. Feuerzeig artfully captures Daniels essence as an unpredictable and mentally unstable individual, yet manages to garner adoration for the protagonist by surmising that Daniel is not the sum of his disorder. This film could have spun in any number of directions, exploiting the travesty's that ensued with Johnston's inherent proclivity toward the eccentric, but the director maintains tact and decency that gave the film a level of material that couldn't be created by any sort of misdirection. As style usually prevails over substance, The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005) lags in neither; it's an articulate film about an unarticulable condition.

I watched the movie just now, and I got to admit the movie is quite interesting. But As people in the board have been discussing over and over, it is what we usually feel after watching movie, "Do people like DJ"Daniel Johnston"s music because he has a mentally illness?" My thought about this topic is Yes, they definitely do.First of all, I'm not quite a big fan of Lo-Fi music, but I think I have a open-mind to any sort of music and have a confidence to judge any music without slanted view. However, even considering those things, I still can't think his music is way better than the most of the lo-fi or folk-rock artists. and I totally agree with the opinion that "people like him because of his situation and Kurt Cobain's T-shirt." I'm not saying DJ doesn't has any musical talent or any sort because I believe he definitely has, what I want to say is there are much greater or more emotional artists out there in the world, and it is not fair or right that those artists doesn't get a spotlight and people like DJ got one, huge one. But I know music industry is always like this since it started in the first place, and the important thing is this film somehow made me realize it.However only I thing I hate about the movie and DJ himself, his "Art". I have no idea about Art and I know it's not right that people like me judge the topic by my own understanding. But I'm 100% sure his art is Bulls**t and everybody thought like I did. What was it? I would totally believe if people say some kids draw that "peace of art". Does the art suddenly gain artistic value if the artist who draw it has a mentally illness? Art and Music is very similar considering those ambiguous valuation standard, I figured it out that's the reason why I like and sometime hate both of them so much.By the way, like I said in the first the movie is simply good. You can enjoy the movie without any knowledge for lo-fi or folk rock music.

Daniel Johnston's life story is both moving and terrifying. It's so moving to see a person with such a terrible psychiatric condition to become sort of a music legend, to see how people everywhere has come to know him... But it's terrifying as well because all the horrible things he's been through (delusions, nervous breakdowns), he's been through a real hell, and at the end of the movie you barely can help to be moved.Feuerzeig has made a sensitive and respectful portrait of Daniel's life. He's showed us clearly the evolution of Daniel from the day he as born till today: his limitless artistic talent, his hallucinations, his fight against the devil... He also puts clear that there was some people (from the music industry) that tried to use Daniel and after that they threw him like a used plastic bag. Fortunately nowadays Dniel has a peaceful live at his parent's home and he even makes some tour to give his music to people everywhere.Thanks Daniel, and thanks Jeff for showing the world the lucidity of madness.*My rate: 8/10

The Devil and Daniel Johnston -ok I have seen this movie before(Jandek/Wesley Willis promo reel/Rodney on the Roq)- but this movie about the creative outsider artist Daniel Johnston was well done and kept my interest the whole time.Mixing his drawings,home movies and cassette recordings with recollections by his friends and family.A lifelong Beatles fan -he started by writing songs and playing them on his piano- then he moved to Austin and switched to guitar- his approach to music is very stripped down- and not an easy listen at first- but when he is in the zone- there is a simple beauty to his pain-his voice while not conventionaly pretty or always pitch-perfect is so honest and bracing that it reeled me right in.The movie captured his brief glimpses into fame( hijacking a MTV BBQ and getting his name out) to his struggles with his manic depression - including a harrowing plane ride with his father.The DVD has some great extras also- including 3 of Daniel's early short films,his first meeting with his college muse in a decade and an broadcast on WFMU.A good documentary with tons of extras. B+