For more information on the film, click on above image

Yesterday (06-26-2006) was a big day for Todd Robbins, the first sort-of public screening of the documentary "American Carney", which is about him.

It was directed and put together by Nick Basil.

If you think Todd has a larger than life quality, it's not just his height. He really IS that way.  And on the screen of a movie theatre, he looks even bigger.  But the movie manages to make him into a regular human being, who just happens to have an incredible and incurable passion for the slightly bizarre life he's chosen.

It's not just a series of clips of eating light bulbs, jumping in broken glass, and shoving a couple feet of steel down his gullet. The movie's a friendly biography, beginning to present, that makes you want to know Todd, or know him better. Did some folks in the audience cringe at some of the stunts, peek through their fingers?

Sure!

But I bet they buy tickets to Todd's next public performance.

Interspersed with some great performance shots are side-stories about life. Todd as a child, proposing to and marrying Krista, his relationship with Melvin Burkhart.

Those of you who know me personally, know that I'm sometimes (?) hypercritical about performance...what goes wrong, what goes right, how to make it work better, gain a better flow, show a clearer image. This movie gets zero criticism of that sort, from me. It tells the story in exactly the way it should be told.

A number of us were in the supporting cast, and some were in attendance last night. David Oliver, Chris McDaniel, The Great Pipeline, Ses Carney, and James Taylor (of Shocked and Amazed) were all there.

Me too, and it was worth the drive.

I'm not sure where and when it'll be available for public consumption, but watch for it!

Harley Newman

A distribution deal is being pursued. The film will be shown at the Coney Island Film Festival this fall.  Maybe a showing at the Sideshow Gathering could be set up, is anyone is interested. Todd Robbins