This feature-length making-of documentary is worth watching for those who are big fans of this movie. Richard Rush hosts this with obvious passion, as this was certainly the apex of his professional life. It covers things you'll see in other "making-of's" such as how people got cast, how they got locations, financing, etc. (I won't spoil anything here.) What distinguishes this is the fact that Rush takes into studio politics, courting of critics and their reviews, and basically shows how hard it is to get offbeat material like this onto the big screen. Basically, some out-of-town screenings saved it from oblivion; it could very well still be sitting on a shelf today were it not for a lucky break in a Seattle-area theater.
While the piece is hurt by an overall air of silliness, I think it works because the director pretty much touches all the bases in terms of how the movie and all its elements came together. Sadly, the successful release of this movie seems to, in retrospect, have been something of a Pyrrhic victory for Rush, who has since only had two credits (the screenplay for the formulaic "Air America" and direction of the unwatchable "Color of Night"). One wonders if maybe his quest to make "The Stunt Man" made him enemies or gave him a bad rap. Nevertheless, Rush - who made his name in '60's exploitation - was able to produce this masterpiece, and it is a good, if flawed, companion piece to the movie.
While the piece is hurt by an overall air of silliness, I think it works because the director pretty much touches all the bases in terms of how the movie and all its elements came together. Sadly, the successful release of this movie seems to, in retrospect, have been something of a Pyrrhic victory for Rush, who has since only had two credits (the screenplay for the formulaic "Air America" and direction of the unwatchable "Color of Night"). One wonders if maybe his quest to make "The Stunt Man" made him enemies or gave him a bad rap. Nevertheless, Rush - who made his name in '60's exploitation - was able to produce this masterpiece, and it is a good, if flawed, companion piece to the movie.