Milius (2013)

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

When people usually think about the filmmakers of New Hollywood, the first name that comes to mind certainly isn't John Milius. The most commonly remembered names of that period are "The Big Four:" Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, and Scorsese. Even Brian De Palma may come to mind. But almost nobody thinks of Milius. Which is a shame, because he seems to be one helluva talent.This documentary covers most aspects of John Milius's life from his childhood to his stroke and continuing recovery (at that time). His whole career from his writing efforts to his few directorial projects have quite a bit of focus as well. He is probably best known as one of the screenwriters for Apocalypse Now, for which he got an Oscar nomination. Some may not even realize that he helped come up with dialogue like Dirty Harry's "'Do I feel lucky'" speech, or the Indianapolis monologue in Jaws. To know that he did both is bound to increase one's respect for his talent. What makes this documentary even more fun is that it feels like quite the party with all sorts of directors who knew him and were inspired by him participating, as well as many famous actors. I mean, you have guys like Spielberg, Lucas, Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Arnie, Stallone, and Harrison Ford all giving their thoughts on the man. And I'm just getting warmed up. You hardly ever see this much major talent participating in a documentary like this. It makes you feel like you're a new friend to all these guys and by the end, you really feel like their buddy.Prior to this documentary, I've only seen one Milius film: Conan the Barbarian (1982), and it's a film I've loved more over time. Now that I've seen this documentary, I want to seek out more of his work, since he has specialized in big budget epics and one of the most common things that the interviewees in this documentary have cited him for is the way he writes dialogue. Knowing now about his efforts on Dirty Harry and Jaws, as well as Apocalypse Now, I believe it. Milius may not have a personality that is comfortable with everyone: George Lucas remembers a story of how Milius punched his film professor, he's been accused of being right-wing in a system that veers more towards the left, he's pro-war, and he seemed to love pushing people's buttons, but the more you understand Milius, the more you respect him. I may not agree with everything he believes in, but I won't deny what he's contributed to the film industry.Before Milius suffered his stroke, he was working on a movie based on the life of Genghis Khan. However, it's been a while and the project doesn't seem to be reaching the daylight. Given how much work he put into Conan, a similar film, I hope that he can still make the film, given how much he seems to believe in it. You can do it, John. I know you can.

Aside from "Dirty Harry", John Milius has never been my cup of tea. That, and "Used Cars". I've just never gravitated towards his stuff. But here comes "Milius", a documentary that, just in its first three minutes paints a enthralling picture of the larger-than-life man's man storyteller that makes for great subject matter. This movie had me glued to the screen, wanting to know more about the guy whose passion governed his movie-making; who brings a gun into a story meeting; the inspiration for Walter Sobchack, one of my favorite movie characters; the rebel filmmaker, always going the other way. And "Milius" is a terrific movie, chock-full of entertaining stories and no shortage of commentary from industry pros. It's a movie that absolutely needed to be made, and I'm wholeheartedly glad I got to see it. 8/10

I just caught this on cable yesterday,I had seen the trailer last year and jumped at the chance to watch the movie,and I was not disappointed. I saw Conan in '82 and it just blew me away,I was 18 but I knew I was watching something different,this was not the usual fare,there was a philosophy present,it was wonderful. Back then info on writers and filmmakers was tougher to find but eventually I found out about Apocalypse Now which I had seen 3 years earlier,Jaws and Dirty Harry,all done by he same guy,I was a fan but didn't even know it! The movie covers his whole career,his friends like Lucas and Spielberg deliver very insightful interviews which endear me to the man even more,despite him holding many political views the very opposite of mine. But it is his towering talent,his passion and integrity which really shine through,the filmmakers did a fantastic job of getting to the heart of the man,and I found it truly inspiring and eventually moving. I cannot recommend the movie highly enough,anyone with a love of cinema owes it to themselves to seek this flick out,it's really one of the best I have ever seen on a film maker,full of life,passion and fire,just like Milius himself.

To casual moviegoers, the name John Milius is probably not one that is instantly recognizable. Although he worked steadily throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the director never achieved the marquee name status of his contemporaries like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese. However, to huge film buffs, Milius has long been seen as an underrated and, in some genres, iconic auteur responsible for having a hand, either as a screenwriter or director, in creating some of the greatest films action ever made. MILIUS, the new documentary by Joey Figueroa and Zak Knutson, aims to give Milius his due and shine a light on the filmmaker's life and contributions to cinema.Perhaps the most immediately striking aspect of MILIUS is just how many of Milius' famous fellow filmmakers Figuerora and Knutson were able to get together for interviews. The list of famous directors who serve as talking heads here is simply staggering: George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Oliver Stone are only a few of the names that appear to pay tribute to their old friend. In a lesser documentary, these men would simply show up, say a few brief general sound bites about the nature of the film industry, and the result would be a minute or two of screen time for the sake of having household names in the film. This is not the case with MILIUS as everyone interviewed seems to genuinely care and have great interest in both the documentary's subject as both a filmmaker and as a man. Nobody appears bored or uninvolved at any point. And in an industry where some directors wants to take credit for everything, it's refreshing to see these filmmakers share stories of how valuable Milius was on films that they directed that could therefore be seen as "their films." In particular, Coppola comes across as greatly appreciative for having Milius as a co-writer on APOLCALYPSE NOW, and Spielberg smiles with glee as he retells the story of how Milius wrote a famous monologue from JAWS. It is in these scenes that Figueroa and Knutson do a fantastic job of highlighting Milius' great, although often uncredited or ignored, work as a screenwriter. As screen writing in general is a subject that is often either overshadowed or minimized by the subject of directing in documentaries, this is by far one of the most engaging and interesting sections of the film.Because Figueroa and Knutson do such an incredible job covering Milius' screen writing career, it's disappointing that some of the movies he directed are discussed less than they should be. In terms of box office and cultural impact, Milius' 1982 adaptation of Conan the Barbarian is his best commercially successful movie, so it's a bit strange that the segment on that movie only lasts about five minutes. It's almost like the segment is in there for obligatory reasons from the way it seems glossed over in some respects. Arnold Schwarzenegger shows up to discuss how the character of Conan impacted his career and it's hinted at why Milius didn't return to the franchise, but there is much more that could have been said about the film that is considered by many to be a classic. Still, what is featured in the segment in regards to behind-the-scenes footage and production stills is informative and entertaining.As MILIUS reaches its conclusion, the last twenty-five years or so of Milius' career are somewhat skimmed over, partly due to the fact that Milius hasn't been given as many career opportunities as he once had, but mainly because the filmmakers have a much more important topic to discuss: the stroke that left Milius suffered a few years ago. The details regarding the aftermath of his stroke are filled in by Milius' children and his close friends, and it's at this point that the documentary becomes something deeper. Alternating between incredibly sad and incredibly inspiring, the last act of MILIUS is the most powerful part of any documentary I've seen in quite some time. Milius refuses to let the last few years of setbacks stop him from continuing to work as he continues to write his long-in-development Ghenghis Khan biopic, which sounds like it has the potential to be the best project Milius has ever done. When the end credits of MILIUS roll, there is a complete picture of an extremely talented, tough, and larger than life man, one who still has plenty left to say and several more stories to tell, either on paper or on screen. Watching MILIUS makes one eagerly await the big screen return of a fascinating filmmaker, hopefully sooner rather than later. Highly recommended. 9/10