Confessions of a Superhero

Land of broken dreams
There's something reminiscent of a Hubert Selby, Jr. novel about Matt Ogens' "Confessions of a Superhero." The four characters chronicled by the film all dream big, but the gap between their dreams and the reality of their lives is unbridgeable. At times, when they pause to look at their cluttered studio apartments or their broken relationships or their bizarre lifestyles, they seem to grasp this. But they quickly retreat from their encounters with reality to go on chasing the Great American Dream (or is it Great American Nightmare?) of celebrityhood.

"Confessions" focuses on four aspiring actors--or, more accurately, four Hollywood star wannabes--who land in Tinseltown in pursuit of their dreams only to wind up on the streets working the tourist trade as costume-clad superheroes. One of them, Superman is wacky, although in an almost endearing way. One of them, Batman, is a frightening character who has violent tendencies and seems to be a compulsive liar as well. One...

Respectful Documentary About Four Hollywood "Characters"
CONFESSIONS OF A SUPERHERO is a very well made documentary that is enjoyable to watch. The four people the film focuses on are street performers who make or enhance their livelihoods by dressing up as superheros, hanging out on Hollywood Boulevard and having their pictures taken with tourists for "tips". The tone of the film is very respectful toward this rather odd quartet that portray Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk. Other Hollywood "characters" are briefly mentioned or seen in the film but the movie's attention is almost totally on these four.

The men playing Superman and Batman do look a bit like low rent versions of Christopher Reeve and George Clooney. Superman is a very likable oddball who claims to be the late actress Sandy Dennis's son despite the fact that she had no children and her surviving relatives know nothing about this man. Batman admits to an anger management problem and confesses to a dark past that his own wife estimates is...

fantastic documentary--GREAT JOB, EVERYONE !!!
Confessions of a Superhero gives us a fascinating look at the lives of four people. These people dress up everyday as comic book characters and stand on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles posing for photos with tourists. We see their daily frustrations as some tourists decline to tip them; they aren't allowed under the law to formally charge a fee for a photo of themselves with the tourists and that can be tough. They also have to contend with law enforcement officers making sure that they aren't harassing people and that they're staying on the "public area" of the sidewalk. On the other hand, one young woman who dresses up as Wonder Woman says that on a good day she can make hundreds of dollars in tips--and that's great!

The documentary flows along nicely and it chooses to focus on the four people who dress up as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Hulk although there is some brief footage of a woman who dresses up every day as Marilyn Monroe and another who wears a...

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