Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie
Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie
R | 07 June 2013 (USA)
Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie Trailers

Long before O'Reilly and Beck, Morton Downey, Jr., was tearing up the talk-show format with his divisive populism. Between the fistfights, rabid audience, and Mort's cigarette smoke always "in your face," The Morton Downey Jr. Show was billed as "3-D television," "rock and roll without the music." Évocateur meditates on the hysteria that ended the '80s and ultimately its most notorious agitator.

Reviews
Hellen

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

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Sexyloutak

Absolutely the worst movie.

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CrawlerChunky

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

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Bea Swanson

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

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meeza

Some people have accused me of being a loud punmouth, and I let it just be; I guess. Speaking of loudmouths, in the late 80's there was a loudmouth that came to instant fame in the form of Morton Downey Jr.; whose talk show was not really much a talk show but more of a forum to defend Americans' injustices in front of a national audience. Downey Jr.'s bullyish "in your face" style was resoundly controversial but it got in the ratings. However, this Downey Jr. did not eventually show that he was the "iron man" of talk television as his show was cancelled in just two years mostly due to his unconventional actions. Nevertheless, Downey Jr's thunderous style did pave the way to what we call today "reality show" programming; and that is for real. Downey Jr's rise and fall is captured effectively in the documentary "Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie". It depicted Morton's madness, fervor, and resiliency in numerous arenas of his life with the primary emphasis being on his infamous show. So shut your mouth if you don't like this documentary, because I did!! Kidding! Just wanted to include some Mortonism in my review. So get your Morton motor running, and give this cool doc a try. **** Good

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toolooze

Actually, the storyline was about what you'd expect, told in an interesting manner. Each narrator had conflicting thoughts about this tortured man.The MDJ talk/insult show was a precursor to the brawls of today's reality shows. Downey also paved the way for the uncivilized anti-PC campaign of the 2000s. It was interesting to see Rev. Al Sharpton and Ron Paul making spectacles of themselves. What did they expect to happen? Or maybe that was the point. It is a fast track to celebrity status.I unexpectedly enjoyed the narrative of Pat Buchanan, especially his characterization of the Tea Party members. If you like documentaries, television, or reality TV, this is a good one to see.

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twilliams76

Before reality television allowed just about anybody to say just about anything in front of just about any audience AND before polarizing radio/television personalities such as Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill Maher and Sean Hannity proved there is an audience that craves shock-talk when it involves putting-down and insulting others, the world had one person who did this on a regular basis and who was actually different than all who followed as he was an honest, equal-opportunity offender who spoke his mind and was not earning tens of millions of dollars from corporate sponsors by manipulating those dumber than himself to believe everything he said. Yes, sorry, but if the shoe fits one's left OR right foot ... wear it.Morton Downey Jr. was a foul-mouthed, bug-eyed, chain-smoking hothead who had hoped to follow in his father's footsteps as a crooner; but as the intelligent man's talent wasn't in music he found a place for himself on television as a host of a short-lived yet notorious and controversial talk show that bore his name -- The Morton Downey, Jr. Show -- that aired in syndication from 1987 to 1989.It was called "3-D television" by some because of the numerous quasi-violent outbursts -- flinging chairs! fistfights! shouting matches! -- that occurred on the show between the verbally volatile frequent and not-so-frequent guests such as Rev. Al Sharpton, Gloria Allred, Pat Buchanan, Ron Paul, Curtis Sliwa, Allen Dershowitz and some (ignorant) random klansmen. His show was also described as "rock and roll without the music" because of its attitude, pacing and aggressive format. Downey Jr. was "in your face" and rarely apologized and always had an opinion which turned off plenty of viewers although it revolutionized the television format/genre. It could be compared to Jerry Springer; but Downey Jr. emphasized politics and race and hot-button issues and did not openly embrace trashy topics like promiscuous married bed-hoppers or naughty male nurses or stripper mothers. He believed his show was important.Downey Jr. had a very quick rise to his infamous fame but also had a very fast fall as a stunt of his backfired and he lost much support. Evocateur is at its best when it showcases the man's career rise and fall but also provides a bit of touching, human reality by including the man's late health scare and battle with lung cancer (he claimed to have smoked upwards of 3 packs a day at the height of his career and he openly chronicled much of his early cancer battle with various television audiences). The doc falters a bit when it mentions his late-life love story with his third wife that wasn't necessary for the film but perhaps the filmmakers wanted to show he had a heart and was capable of loving another.His show aired in the late 80's and I remember it being on and hearing some of his more shocking claims ... that probably are not as shocking to an audience today as they once were. Evocatuer is an adequate tribute to a man who did revolutionize television even if the man never knew to what extent.Without doubt, he did take things too far but he did speak his mind openly and honestly which is more than can be said about so many that have followed him and are doing so for larger paychecks (as it has become ALL about the $).

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TheBeardedWonder

Like the other reviewer, I had never heard of this guy's show until this doc. I'd heard the name, but didn't know what it was associated with. Having seen this I can only say I wish it had more insights into WHY he's the man he is. It comes across as more summary than commentary, and that's always a shame to see in a documentary.He didn't innovate anything, as we find out that they were just copying the format of an old 1960s show, so no points for him there either. With that gone Downey Jr is just another angry middle aged man ranting on TV against people who can't actually change anything anyway. Just like it still is, it was all about the ratings more than the content.All in all, an entertaining movie for a mere budget of $300k, but could have been so much more...

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