Neil Gaimans:Short Film/J.Bolt

I think that the less you know about the half-hour "A Short Film About John Bolton", the more enjoyable it is to watch, so I'll leave that for the official summary. All I'll say is, like Gaiman's written work, it has a great mix of humor and horror, and makes me confident that his feature-film directorial debut will be terrific. Also, I found I liked the film better on repeat viewing. So if you're underwhelmed by it the first time, give it another try.

Aside from the film itself, the bonus features make this a must-have for any fan. In addition to the commentary & making-of featurette, and the audio feature of Gaiman reading "Drawn In Darkness", there's the 100-minute "Live At The Aladdin" film. This is a recording of one of his benefit performances for the CBLDF, in which he reads some of his classic stories like "Chivalry" and "The Price", poems like "Locks" and "Babycakes", and rarities like "Being An Experiment" (where he hilariously demonstrates the effects of alcohol on writing ability).

Whether you're an uber-fan, or just discovering Gaiman's work, this dvd is for you.

I saw this short film, introduced in person by Gaiman, at a Comic-Con a year or two ago. As he said himself, it is a documentary "of sorts," something new for him. However, it is definitely Gaiman's work, and to dismiss it on this basis would be a grave mistake for any fan. It would fit well alongside the short stories in Smoke and Mirrors, but is far more entertaining in a video format. The film itself feels like a labor of love more than a pricey studio production and, if my memory serves me, that's exactly what it is. However, the included extras dismiss any notion that this is less than a quality release.

For newcomers to Mr. Gaiman's work, I would probably recommend one of his novels (Stardust, American Gods, or Neverwhere) or short story collections (Smoke and Mirrors, Angels and Visitations) as a better place to start. For fans, this is a must-have.

This little film of Neil Gaiman's is a pleasant surprise. I went into it expecting a quick documentary feature about one of my favorite artists (John Bolton) made by one of my favorite writers (Gaiman), something that could be provide insight into their past collaborations, if nothing else. What the film actually is becomes something quite a bit stranger. Quite...other. And also quite enjoyable.

As advertised (the title gives it away) the film itself is very short -- only about 25 minutes in length. It's a quick, satisfying little jaunt and taken by itself might be worth the price of the DVD alone. However, it's not alone -- it's got friends.

Specifically, it's got about 2 hours of extra features, tailor-made for the most rabid Neil Gaiman fan. The longest extra feature is actually three times as long as the short film, a video made of Neil Gaiman's appearance in Portland, Oregon on 'The Last Tour' for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. In just under 90 minutes, Gaiman does several excellent readings from his work and answers questions for an eager audience. His 'scientific experiment' on the effects of alcohol on writing is especially good, far better performed than read on a page. Also included in the DVD extras are a short interview with Gaiman about the film, an audio commentary track for the film itself, some 'biographies' of people in the film, a photo gallery of John Bolton's work, and a message from Neil about the CBLDF.

All in all, the film and the extras make for a pretty full evening's entertainment...as long as you're a Neil Gaiman fan. Despite the title, the DVD is much more about Gaiman than it is about John Bolton. But for a Gaiman fan, it's all worth watching.