It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Just saw this film at the 2006 Pacific Rim Film Festival in Santa Cruz, CA, which at this writing has a couple more days to run. Its easily the most captivating offering so far, and structurally one of the most creative.Filmmaker/director/writer/animator Anne Marie Miller, a great-granddaughter of the subject Long Tack Sam, used her abundant skills and industry contacts to craft a deeply moving portrait of her once-famous vagabond Chinese ancestor, his Austrian wife, and their three children. It shows a family who made the bulk of their living from an international vaudeville circuit, but who were kept on the move as much by international events spanning both World Wars as by their own pleasure in traveling the world. One of the fascinating relics of their lives seems to be a tendency in their descendants to continue to spread far and wide. Indeed, its this mostly-unknown treasure trove of aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and old acquaintances in multiple countries who ultimately provide as much material in collective form as the various museums and associations of magicians Miller also consults.Long Tack Sam and his magical-acrobatic revue are just one example of entertainers who were very famous in their day, but who somehow have fallen through the cracks of history, even within their own family. Like the estimated 90% of all silent films lost to time and decay, what remains is the more interesting for the glimpse it provides into the early and middle last century. And Sam's story is yet another grand edition to the immigrant history of the U.S. and Canada.The only negative to all this is the fact no studio has picked this film up for distribution. Its a crime its not on DVD, and a worse one that its not been shown on PBS, nor, apparently, is PBS interested, according to the filmmaker. What the thinking is behind that decision is simply beyond me. Considering that PBS found the peculiar, disturbing, and emotionally distant documentary on the "art" of Henry Darger worth airing at least once, their lack of interest in "The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam" is puzzling.Bottom line: keep an eye on your local film festival circuit, if you're lucky enough to live where one is held. This is a movie worth seeking out.

Almost a documentary, this is a very well made biography of director Ann Marie Fleming's great grand-father. As a view into a period it enlightens so many disparate historical events; it seems Sam was an global perambulator, sometimes skirting and sometimes being involved in many geopolitical happenings, but always in pursuit of his work and his loves.The format mix of film, interviews, comic book cutouts and animation holds interest over the hour and a half of run time. We get a strong sense of who this man was, and are only left to wonder why we didn't know more about him already.

This film is one hell of a sumptuous visual feast. The animated photographs are wondrous, seeming to bring Long Tack Sam and kin back to life. The multiple "origin" comics are lush with color. Both merge seamlessly with candid interviews and found(?) footage. I cannot rhapsodize enough about the aesthetics and style. Kudos to Ann Marie Fleming for this biographical masterpiece on her great-grandfather.The storyline is equally compelling. The scenic shifts from place to place, country to country, allow Fleming to uncover new facts about the acrobat/ magician's life, and cleverly parallel Sam's own perigrinations. Globetrotters, par excellance, the travels of Sam and Fleming provide effective narrative ballast, and in particular, Fleming's adept narration carefully focuses our attention, so that we feel privy to the historical events Sam lived through during the early and mid 20th century.The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam is in every sense a celebration of an almost forgotten man, who perhaps until now, never got his proper due. And it pays homage not just to the remarkable Sam, but to other members of his family as well (especially his daughter Mina, Fleming's grandmother). With its grea t style and storytelling, this is a film to be seen again and again.

In total contrast to the opinion of, Igetheheat, who might be more appropriately named, Philistine, this is a gem of a documentary, that works well on many levels, as you can clearly see from the scores that other viewers have given this film.First of all it is an interesting story of international romance and history, thoroughly engaging to anyone with a sense of wonder. The film has great charm which is enhanced by the incredible animation of characters in old still photos, as well as some wonderful, delightfully original animation.Second, the story unfolds, from the point of view of the great granddaughter (Ann Marie Fleming, the filmmaker)as she tracks down the story of the great Long Tack Sam. He is an incredible person, courageous (to runaway to join the Circus and leave his home), ambitious, and obviously very talented (acrobat, and magician).Third, it brings to focus, an era of vaudeville entertainment, that is no longer with us, so that we can only get a glimpse of what this was like from recreations and documentaries like this. It does this very well with still pictures, animations and interviews with people who remember the past.You can enjoy this work on many levels because it, for me at least, it succeeds at every level. Bravo!!PS Added June 2006For those that enjoyed this movie, you might also enjoy Donna Schatz's documentary "Balancing Acts", which is making the rounds of Public TV in 2006.