AllMovie

This exhaustive feature-length documentary dishes out every conceivable detail a film fan could want to know about the cult classic The Stunt Man, covering everything from the tricky process of adapting the Paul Brodeur source novel to the convoluted history of its anti-climactic theatrical release. Like the film it chronicles, The Sinister Saga of Making 'The Stunt Man' was written and directed by Richard Rush, so this means viewers are in for a documentary full of tricky visuals and puckish humor. Rush is refreshingly candid about the creative process behind his cult classic and devotes plenty of time to similarly revealing and frequently witty interviews from his cast and crew (the wittiest bits come from Peter O'Toole and Barbara Hershey makes the most insightful comments). However, since it is a one-man show, it falls prey to a few pitfalls. The first is that it can be a bit one sided; for instance, Rush never mentions any of the bad reviews he got for the film. The documentary also suffers from a surprisingly unpolished feel to its visuals and editing, and its nearly two-hour length allows Rush to be a little too self-indulgent in getting his points across. Despite these problems, it remains worthwhile because it manages to chronicle a film's production from an insider's point of view while also bringing the viewer into the creative process itself. Ultimately, those not enamored of The Stunt Man may not see what all the fuss is about, but The Sinister Saga of Making 'The Stunt Man' is well worth the time for anyone with a serious interest in filmmaking (and required viewing for any fan of The Stunt Man).