Why so much hype?

Perfectly adorable

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

One of the best and worst things going for this documentary is that Paul Williams is participating in the filming. The director didn't ask a lot of introspective questions; however, this really wasn't an interview as it was a film crew and director tagging along videotaping a busy Paul - during meetings, lunch and dinner, etc.. And when the director and Paul finally get around to conducting a really in-depth conversation, it was either cut short by Paul or the director. Having Paul Williams, somewhat at the director's disposal, I would have liked for him to have discussed The Phantom of the Paradise more, the conventions, his opinions on some of his contemporaries or music from the '70s through today, any clean road stories, but, as the director noted,"Paul doesn't look back". That being the case, the director might have done better in-depth interviewing others about Paul Williams and reduced his screen time to about 25% of the movie.Nonetheless, still a good movie about a fellow childhood hero.

Writer/director Stephen Kessler is a working filmmaker in Hollywood. He's a fan of songwriter celebrity Paul Williams. Assuming Paul is dead, he is surprised to find out that Paul is still alive and still working. It turns out that he is sober just recently. Paul Williams was a big songwriter of the '70s. After a good performance on The Tonight Show, he became somewhat of a celebrity. He became hooked on various substances and fame. However his fame fades.Kessler is somewhat of a stalker. It gets awkward at times. Paul chaffs at Stephen's insinuation that something is pathetic about his later career. Sometimes he's treated like a family member. Other times, there is this weird tension. But Stephen always seems to be a fan, and that adds a sweet charming feel to the movie.

I grew up across the Whitestone Bridge from Kessler, and since we're of the same age, my memories of the 70's and Paul Williams are pretty much in sync. The five stars I gave this film is because of the achievements of Mr. William's life from an extraordinary entertainer across platforms (music, TV and film)through to his current accomplishments of sobriety, public service, a solid marriage to a good woman, and a continuing demand for his performing from audiences.I was able to get that much out of the film because of Mr. William's charisma, in spite of the intrusiveness of the director. His omnipresence in the film, his whining about his fear of the Phillipenes before going and through his entire stay was the most cringe worthy part of the movie. His constant attempts, with the subtlety of a bludgeon to embarrass Mr. Williams- from cutting him off when he started opening up about his childhood, to asking 'how does it feel to go from the heights of fame to the Gong Show', and when as a guest in Mr. William's home taping him as he watched one of the most humiliating moments of his career. I enjoy documentaries; and this was the worst one I've ever seen because Kessler's continuous insinuation into the story. He gets the blank stars.After I post this review, I'm going to see if I can catch Mr. Williams on 'The View'. I hope it's on You Tube; because I'd enjoy some material about him without having to hear Kessler's whining. Kessler made a great film barely wort the time to watch it.

The gist of "Paul Williams Still Alive" (which I caught at its final SXSW screening in Austin this March) is simply this: would-be feature film documentary maker Stephen Kessler was so obsessed with the way the AM-radio hits penned by diminutive 1970s entertainer Paul Williams had made his teen-aged heart go all a-flutter that he decided to make a documentary about Williams -- without even realizing that his "late, great" musical hero was still very much alive! This is a cinematic concept that should'nt have worked -- but, thank the Pop Culture gods, it did!Mind you, it never would have come close to passing muster if Williams hadn't kept a veritably complete reference library of his clips on every bad music, comedy, variety, game and chat show that existed during the 70s and 80s. Nor would it have worked if Williams hadn't allowed Kessler full use of that library to reveal the inevitable downhill slide that nearly all of Hollywood's denizens of that time period were prone to follow! For his part, Kessler reveals himself to be (potentially) the world's worst director of a film like this as well! It's only when he and his childhood hero miraculously find them-selves on "the same page" (courtesy of an encounter with third-world terrorism, of all things!) that the alchemy begins to take place and the hill of Tinseltown dross turns miraculously into a mountain of pure gold!!! Fans of schlock will be delighted either way, as they roll about ecstatically in the slushy mounds of 70s celebrity offal expelled by the coked-up likes of Robert Blake, Karen Carpenter, Dick Clark, Kermit the Frog, Jack Klugman, Peter Lawford, Tony Randall, Burt Reynolds, Telly Savalas, Barbra Streisand, John Travolta and more!But more sensitive viewers will find themselves fighting to hold back the tears as the characters refuse to merely remain the two-dimensional "stars" that we enjoyed chuckling derisively at on our little cathode-ray tubes. Watch in stunned semi-silence as a slack-jawed star-gazer, obsessed with the tear-jerking tune-age that kept his appreciation of Paul Williams from advancing beyond the analytical level of a 12-year-old, metamorphoses into an insightful, savvy observer of character before your very eyes! Shudder in awe as the short-statured subject reveals himself to be more than worth the effort of analyzing! Whether your personal reference point to Williams is The Muppets ("The Rainbow Connection"), The Carpenters (Rainy Days & Mondays"), or Brian DePalma's midnight movie cult classic "The Phantom of the Paradise", you can trust me at least on one thing about this film: it WILL make you glad that Paul Williams is still alive!-- Kenneth W. Lieck