Paul Williams Still Alive

     With all the extra time on my hands due to the stay-at-home order, in addition to playing games, I've been watching a lot of different things on Amazon Prime. I've always been a fan of documentaries so it don't be surprised by the amount of documentary reviews you find here.

     Paul Williams is not dead. I just wanted to tell you that up front. It's not like you can't figure it out from the title of this film, Paul Williams Still Alive, I just wanted to make it very clear. When celebrities fall out of the spotlight for a period of time, the public just assumes they died. Take Richard Simmons for example. Dead or alive? You had to think about that for a second, didn't you? He's still alive. Just like Paul Williams. 

     This documentary was done by Stephen Kessler, a life-long fan of Paul Williams. To say he is obsessed could slightly be an understatement. There are many times that you can tell Paul Williams is flat out annoyed by the presence of Kessler & his camera. Moments when Williams is telling stories he wants in the movie & Kessler tells him no, he wants to talk about something else. Wait, who is the subject of this documentary? 

     We know Paul Williams is still alive thanks to the obsessive Stephen Kessler but this is really just a piece done for his own pleasure. I think someone that really wanted to do a documentary on Paul Williams would have done a much better job than someone that just wanted to hang out with him & record him eating at restaurants. It's sad when you hear Kessler say that he finally got his wish & that was to have a sleep-over at Paul Williams' house. Um, this is a grown man. As I said, someone shooting a REAL documentary would have a much better job & it would have been done different. 

     Many times during the film, I found myself feeling sorry for Paul Williams simply because he seemed so uncomfortable. He's performing a show, there's Kessler. He's having a business meeting, there's Kessler. He's having dinner with his wife, there's Kessler. All the time, Kessler & a camera right in his face. Yes, he said he's let him record for the documentary but he began finding clever ways around the shootings. You have to see this to believe how some of the things happened.

     The runtime on this one is 1hr 27mins, so it's not too bad & it's kind of like watching a train wreck so it keeps your attention, oddly enough. I wouldn't say it's bad, it's kind of a guilty pleasure of you look at it like you're the one getting to film YOUR favorite celeb for a while. Think how excited & obnoxious you'd be. If you look at it like that, this guy isn't so bad. It's on Amazon Prime & you might be able to find it on other platforms as well. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, too. Be sure to subscribe to my blog because you never know what I'll review next.