Wow! Such a good movie.

best movie i've ever seen.

A different way of telling a story

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I owe my watching this documentary to my strange daughter. Now I do not mean this in a bad way--I come from a family of strange people and the fact that she KNEW what a theremin was surprised me, as I sure didn't. Apparently a theremin is a magnificent electronic musical instrument created in the early part of the 20th century by Dr. Theremin--a genius who had immigrated to the US around the time of the Russian Revolution. This film, then, is about the instrument and its inventor--and it makes for a slow but very interesting story worth seeing even if you are not a musician. I am certainly not one, but I found myself marveling at the beautiful and other-worldly sound of this machine. In fact, we have all heard the theremin before--most often in sci-fi movies but even in other places such as the Beach Boys' song "Good Vibrations". And, speaking of this, seeing Brian Wilson interviewed was pretty bizarre, as he looked pretty good but the more he talked the more you realized that he still is quite mentally ill.Anyway, there is MUCH more to the story in regards to Dr. Theremin--much more, but I don't want to say more because it would spoil this wonderful film. His life, put simply, is MUCH stranger than fiction! I give the documentary very high marks for all the effort it took to construct--with trips to Moscow, locating the Doctor, arranging for interviews, etc.. Clearly this was a labor of love and I appreciate this. The only reason i don't rate this even higher is that it is a bit dry in places and although it kept my interest, I have a much larger capacity than normal for this sort of thing...and the average person might just find their mind wandering. Still, it's fascinating and I strongly recommend you try it.

I own one of Bob Moog's theremins, and it's the most difficult instrument that I've ever tried to learn to play. This film is a great overview of the instrument, the man that invented it, and the artists who have mastered it. I, too, was glad that the film downplayed the sci-fi gimmicky aspect of the instrument, but that is also an important part of its history. The best use in a film is probably The Day The Earth Stood Still.Many of the people in the film have since become deceased, so this is a great historical record of Mr. Theremin and Ms. Rockmore. I only wish that I could come close to her artistry with the instrument.Various companies build and sell theremins, the most popular among them being the late Bob Moog's Big Briar.

It's odd that this documentary has so much cool information, yes is at times almost painfully depressing to watch. We learn not only of the life and many amazing inventions of Lean Theremin, but also of the remarkable Clara Rockmore, the worlds only theremin virtuoso. Even though the pacing is slow in parts, and the reunion of rockmore and Theremin as oldsters is thoroughly depressing, this is a solid documentary and one that every music fan should see. Also of note are the wonderful interviews with such greats as Todd Rungren, Moog and an almost incoherent Brian Wilson. In fact, it is because of his profanity laden interview that the film receives an R rating. Who knew synthesizers inspired so many swears?

I was transfixed by this story -- but the film makers decision to subtitle only the Russian words on Professor Theramin's interview was maddening. Did they think *anyone* would be able to understand him?Then, to add insult to injury, I remember seeing subtitles in the DVD menu -- but not in English!Anyway, I *do* agree with the film-makers decision to de-emphasize the sci-fi connection with the Theramin. I wish the theramin was played by more artists like Clara Rockmore; it is a real instrument, not just the answer to a trivia question.I'd recommend seeing it, though -- the man and his time are fascinating. A great time-warp double feature: this and 'Better Living Through Circuitry".