Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man
Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man
Starring: Richard Matheson, William F. Nolan, George Clayton Johnson, Harlan Ellison, and Ray Bradbury among others
Director: Jason V Brock
Rating: Not Rated
DVD Release Date: Winter
Runtime: 110 min.
Produced by: JaSunni Productions
Where to Buy:
Presale – reserve your copy now direct from the filmmakers.
Hello Ghouls and Boils,
I first met Jason and Sunni Brock online. A short time after that I met them face-to-face at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. We spoke about many things, including their documentary “Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man”, which was being screened at the Festival that weekend. Sadly, I didn’t get to see the whole thing that weekend. What I did see looked great and I was very curious. Jason and Sunni were kind enough to send a Screener over. The documentary isn’t due out until winter so the DVD wasn’t fully completed – there a few more editorial steps and special features need to be added. I kept these things in mind as I settled in to watch this piece. Without further delay, I present you my thoughts on “Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man”. Enjoy my fiends!
Abstrusely,
Sarah L. Gerhardt
There are some pieces of history that simply get lost with time. Though it is not as common with the advent of the internet, it still happens with disturbing frequency. History is recorded from a certain perspective (ie: the victors would record the events of a war differently than the losers – who may not record it at all) and facts disappear. Enter the documentarian. A good documentarian remains objective, detached and simply records the information. A great documentarian is one who loves the subject matter, yet still can remain objective and detached. Who not only records the information, but artfully weaves it together. Jason V Brock is attempting to be such a documentarian. His love for the subject matter is apparent, as he gathers important pieces of science-fiction, strange tales and horror history.
Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man – explores the all too brief life of an extremely talented man. The movie opens with a great Rod Serling interview, during which the credits artfully flash across the screen. It was one of the most engaging opening title sequences I have seen. I think I may have even shushed a passing housemate, not wanting to miss anything. It was certainly a good sign.
I should pause for a moment for those unfamiliar with Mr. Beaumont’s work (shame on you). Charles Beaumont, who got his start as contributor to Playboy, was one of the main writers for the original Twilight Zone series (he wrote one of my favorites – The New Exhibit). He also did some film work with Roger Corman. Mr. Beaumont’s life was not long, but the effects he had on the genre were great.
This documentary is packed with interviews from legends, including many of my personal heroes. Some of the interviewees are: William F. Nolan, Ray Bradbury, George Clayton Johnson, Richard Matheson, Harlan Ellison, and William Shatner. The film is also filled with rarely-seen photographs and never-before-seen video footage.
The editing, visual and sound design are handled by Sunni Brock. She does a decent job at piecing together what I imagine must have been a very large puzzle. It is my understanding that there is still much footage to be seen on the DVD’s special features. The editing style is a bit more artistic than a typical documentary… but it is not disruptive and is actually well-suited for the subject matter.
Final Thoughts (Sort Of):
This documentary was enthralling. It is a long documentary, around two hours, so it may be difficult to watch if you are not a genre fan. But I can tell you that after watching it, I only wanted more. The copy I received, as I mentioned in the intro, was a screener copy… so I would like to reserve final judgment until the film is released. I would recommend this DVD to anyone who is a Charles Beaumont fan or a Twilight Zone fan – or to those who like the horror, sci-fi, and strange tales genres. I also recommend this film to those who want to learn more about the history of arts in our country. For now this film receives a 3.5 out of 5.
