Razzle Dazzle, Pt 4: The Parasite

A six-part video essay about fame and the movies
by Aaron Aradillas and Matt Zoller Seitz  posted July 15, 2010
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This is the fourth part of a six-part video essay that looks at how movies have examined the many facets of fame. Also in this series: Part 1 (The Pitch), Part 2 (The Hero), Part 3 (The Fraud), Part 5 (The Maverick), and Part 6 (The Takeaway). This chapter is about damaged loners who stand outside the spotlight looking for a way in—people who fantasize about knowing, becoming, protecting, or destroying their heroes. All About Eve, Star 80, The King of Comedy, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and other films in this vein show anonymous voyeurs, fringe dwellers, wannabes, and hangers-on doing whatever it takes to grab their 15 minutes of fame.

 

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KEYWORDS

video essay  |  fame

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Razzle Dazzle, Pt 1: The Pitch by Aaron Aradillas and Matt Zoller Seitz
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THE AUTHORS

San Antonio-based film critic Aaron Aradillas is a contributor to The House Next Door, the founder and publisher of Rockcritics.com and the host of “Back by Midnight,” an Internet radio program about film and television.

More articles by Aaron Aradillas

Matt Zoller Seitz is a writer and filmmaker whose debut feature, the romantic comedy Home, is available through Netflix and Amazon. His writing on film and television has appeared in The New York Times, New York Press, and The Star Ledger, among other places. He is also the founder of The House Next Door, a movie and TV criticism website.

More articles by Matt Zoller Seitz
Author's Website: The House Next Door