Disturbing yet enthralling

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

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

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

This is a documentary account of the development of Hedwig and the Angry Inch from John Cameron Mitchell's original idea, through the stage show, to the movie. The producer-director Laura Nix has complied interviews with all the key personnel, such as Hedwig writer-director-star Mitchell, composer Stephen Trask, actress Miriam Shor, Mitchell's parents, and others. These are mixed with terrific footage of Hedwig stage performances, all the more thrilling for having been shot by amateur filmmakers at the time, and behind-the-scenes glimpses.John Cameron Mitchell comes across as talented, articulate, and enormously charismatic; and this documentary manages to be entertaining and informative as well as being very clear-eyed about the creative process from which Hedwig grew. I especially enjoyed the stretch which depicted the transformation of a dilapidated hotel in New York City into a theatre. This is a very good documentary which transcends its 'DVD extra' origins to become a fascinating film in its own right.

Unfortunately this is only available on the DVD, but "Whether You Like It Or Not - The Story Of Hedwig" details every aspect of the cult phenomenon from its early days as an experimental performance piece at Squeezebox to the Sundance Audience and Best Director-Award winning film. See it