Bergorks
If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
AshUnow
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
BelSports
This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Lea Frydman
Save the Last Dance for Me... has always been my most favorite song. So watching the documentary which gave me an insight into why and how and for whom the song was written was a wonderful journey. Doc Pomus also wrote many songs Elvis fans would be familiar with. The Flaming Star movie, starring Elvis song was also written by Pomus. As was Little Sister and Suspicion But mostly it was the tenderness of this documentary and its portrayal of Doc Pomus that had me in tears. What a wonderful tribute to a great soul and song writer. Anyone looking to learn more about the history of rock n roll, or the blues this is must see documentary.
Emmett Pepper
The film is a dazzling explanation of who Doc Pomus became and how much he had to overcome to get there. The amount of hits he wrote and stars who sang them is insanely awesome and you get a real sense of his magnetism and personality.I thought the flow and watch-ability of the film suffered a bit due to trying to jam in *too many* of his songs and collaborators. B.B. King could have just garnered a mention, for instance. Sometimes I felt like, "OK, I get it. He worked with A LOT of awesome people. I was way more impressed when it was Dion and Elvis." I think some of them could have been done with some quick clips to give a flavor for some of the less-important (either to his life/career or to the viewer) figures.All that said, there were several moments in the film with real emotional resonance and I would recommend it to any music lover.
Rhonwag
This is a beautifully told story about Doc Pomus who was stricken with polio and led a very interesting life meeting fascinating people along the way and wrote popular songs we known and love including Save the Last dance for me. I just loved this movie because it was poignant and touching. It showed the struggles of an underdog who had successes but also failures. It was humorous yet sad....and uplifting at the same time. The songs in this movie were fantastic and woven into the storyline seamlessly. I enjoyed every minute of the movie and felt for Doc Pomus. You left the movie satisfied and in awe of Jerome's fascinating life. He had such an impact on so many songs we cherish and love today. Will Hechter deserves so much credit for putting together this wonderful movie. I recommend this movie to everyone!
bensonj
I found this film an incredibly rich experience. As a documentary--a document--it's an extremely thorough and detailed examination of Doc Pomus's life and work. Pomus is a fascinating person, a major musical talent of his time, and it's also obvious he changed the lives of many who came in contact with him. A wide range of Pomus's cohorts and family members are interviewed, and the archival footage and recordings are incredible. It's densely packed with strong images, and every one has a reason for being there, furthering the narrative, adding to the mosaic in a meaningful way. But beyond the documenting of Pomus's life, this film stands on its own as a work of art. It flows like music, it has an emotional narrative in addition to the linear one, which isn't forced but is there naturally. As critic Ken Eisner says, "The overall feeling the film leaves you with is joyous, not elegiac." There's no substitute for having the tenacity to collect all the material, taking the time and care to put it all together meaningfully, and then having the talent to make the whole more than the sum of its parts. I can only think of one documentary that compares with this and that's Terry Zwigoff's acclaimed CRUMB. I hope this film gets wide distribution and the recognition it deserves.
