Documentaries moving from TV into theaters

"Kurt and Courtney"

April 20, 1998
Web posted at: 11:35 p.m. EDT (0335 GMT)

From Correspondent Sherri Sylvester

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- While not Hollywood blockbusters, documentaries like "Wild Man Blues" and "Kurt and Courtney" are proving that the art form can draw audiences into theaters.

"Wild Man Blues," a documentary about film director Woody Allen, took in $18,000 per theater this weekend, but it's only showing in three theaters. Compare that to the current No. 1 film, "City of Angels," which took in roughly $5,500 per theater.

"You're so glad if somebody's film breaks through and really gets out there, and it's just good for the craft, it's good for what follows," said Barbara Kopple, the director of "Wild Man Blues."

CNN's Sherri Sylvester reports 2 minute, 23 second VXtreme video

When "Kurt and Courtney," a documentary about the death of rocker Kurt Cobain, played at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, it set house box office records. Lines formed outside theaters in Los Angeles to see the film this weekend.

"People would literally start screaming at the screen. There were whole sections of the film you couldn't hear because there was so much noise in the theater," said director Nick Broomfield.

"Lou Reed: Rock & Roll Heart" counters the perception that the "d" in documentary stands for dull, dry and devoid of production values.

"Lou Reed" is playing the film festival circuit and it will air on PBS. It is one of several documentaries, a genre formerly relegated to television, that is getting theatrical release.

"The Big One"

Documentary audiences are expanding, budgets are bigger and non-fiction filmmakers are taking an entertaining approach.

Michael Moore, director of the acclaimed documentary "Roger & Me," takes on corporate America in his new film, "The Big One." The film has a budget of $400,000. He spent half that on "Roger & Me" and made $6.2 million.

Moore doesn't expect "Titanic" money, but he does hope for emotional impact.

"An hour and a half of great entertainment, the best laugh you'll have all week, and if you had a little popcorn and Goobers, all the better," he said.

Related site:

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• The Internet Movie Database (US)
  • Kurt & Courtney (1998)
  • Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart (1998)
  • Big One, The (1997)
  • Wild Man Blues (1998)

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