Frazetta - Painting with Fire [DVD]

Frazetta is not only an amazing, ground-breaking artist, but an amazing human being as well. I was somewhat familiar w/his artwork, mostly from the Molly Hatchet album covers of the '70's; However, I was totally unaware of this man's rich history, his upbringing, and his tireless dedication to family. This is a man to admire on many levels, and to hear others speak such praise of him on this disc will bring a tear to your eye. Talented, humble(I can't stress this enough!!!), and unrelenting, Frazetta has overcome obstacle after obstacle, never complaining, only adjusting and perfecting what is in many eyes already perfection. I am not an artist, but this documentary had me rivited; The human side to this man's story and the art he has so lovingly created is something that can be enjoyed by all, artist or not. One of the best things I have seen in the last six months. I came away from this with the utmost respect for this man and the legions of artists he has inspired. This documentary is also filled with alot of humor and insight(much more than I ever expected). What a brilliant, compassionate man. Simply remarkable on every level!!!!

This documentary is very slick in production, and features almost all of Frazetta's living contemporaries. How often are you going to see Al Williamson speak? Anyways, the creators of this doc could have done two things to help clarify the story:1.)Hire a narrator. Instead, they use the often unintenionally hilarious comments of this goofy academic fanboy (can't remember his name)as a sort of unofficial narration. The often over-the-topness of his analysis of Frank's artwork only undermines anything else he has to say. Due to Frazetta's slurred speech, it can be tough to follow what he's saying, and a strong narration would have helped to direct the viewer through the events.2.)Congratulations on knowing how to use Final Cut. Maybe they could have let off on the effects. The headings for each segment, which were always blazing away with digital effects and a Frazetta painting in the background, tend to come off comical when the subject of that section is light-hearted. There were a few points when I said to myself, "Come on, don't sink under your own weight." But at times, that's what they did.But Frazetta's artwork is strong enough to overcome the errors of a couple of filmakers. If you're not a fan of Frazetta, it's okay, because if you're a fan of classic comics and animation you'll still get to see comments from your heroes to more than make up for it.

I agree wholeheartedly with the first reviewer. As an artist, I have been acquainted with Frank's work for the past 30-35 years. I won't deny his influence on some of my work. Neither would most other contemporary artists who are honest with themselves. His body of work is well reprsented here and will include many paintings people who are not already aware of him will recognize. That said, this film also embraces how the spirit of true genius can refuse to succumb to the limits that are sometimes imposed on we humans by the nature of our physical existence. Frank suffered several strokes (which would be enough to sideline most people) and one of them debilitated his primary painting hand so he switched to his left hand with little noticeable difference in his work. Frank was also a tremendous athlete and, more than likely, would have impacted the realm of professional sports to the same degree as his art, had he made that choice. This film illustrates how belief in one's self and never losing your zest for life can result in superior achievement.

Even though the documentary has a feeling of amateur filmmaking to it, it doesn't really matter with an artist like Frazetta. In a documentary about a character such as Frazetta, you're really taken in by the ENERGY and ATTITUDE this guy gives off, and you realize that, through his will alone, he would have succeeded in whatever he chose as a profession. Frazetta's life harkens back to a time when the art world was close and intimate. He tells stories of just sauntering into Mad Magazine's studio, and being thrown a few pages to draw while he was there. It varies greatly from today's world of secretaries and appointments and other formalities. The nostalgia is there, as well as the age. You see Frazetta in a point where the tiger has a little less bite in him. But overall, as an artist, and an aficionado, you can't help but really admire all the accomplishments this man has forged over the decades. I will, no doubt, always strive to be a fraction as amazing as he is, and hopefully watching his accomplishments on this DVD will continue to inspire artists for years to come.

This the anatomy of an artist's life. The effort was well done, though not perfect. It's hard to make retrospective documentaries of personalities that are popular. Too glowing and the work looks like it's catering to the subject. Too honest and the feature will not meet approval with those followers. The balancing act is well done in this feature because it lets the artist, his family and friends, and surprisingly his peers and colleagues, all, carve out the narrative that is the artist's life, past and present. My favorite parts are Frank visiting his old friends in Brooklyn.What really makes this documentary stand out is the way it balances Frank Frazetta's life with his work, his art and it's impact on both the fans, family and even the illustration community. There's little doubt that Frank Frazetta and his work have had a lasting impact on the popular arts and publishing. His championing of artists' and illustrators' rights alone has made publishers recognize the affect art has on selling products from cars to books and the way art will always belong to the artist regardless of what it's used for.I recommend this for anyone interested in the artistic process as well as the life of an artist.

基本的に日本のＤＶＤプレイヤーでは観れないコレですが、パソコンなら普通に観れました。（あくまで私のパソコンの話なので、他の環境で観れるかはわかりません。）中身はなんと２枚組です。１枚目はひたすらコメントです。２枚目はギャラリーや、フラゼッタがスケッチをしている映像（！）が入っています。正直言って、英語がわからない私にとって１枚目はどうでもいいです。２枚目のギャラリーに関しても、画集をもっているので絶対に必要とは思えません。ただ、フラゼッタがスケッチをしている映像だけは鼻血でそうなくらいコーフンしました（笑）結論、上記の映像にコーフンできるフラゼッタファンなら買いです。ファンじゃない方は無理して買う必要はないと思います。