The Thousands

Why does Dominick Dunne hate Frank Sinatra? Because Ol’ Blue Eyes once instructed a flunky to punch Dominick in the head as a lark. Yes, Dunne’s career trajectory – from social climber to movie producer to "the defining voice of VANITY FAIR" – is weighed down by a torrential downpour of Old Hollywood name-dropping.

New Australian-made documentary CELEBRITY wisely lets Dunne do most of the talking. His quick wit can be dangerous, though. You only have to make one wrong bon mot before iconically lizardlike producer Bob Evans calls to say you’ll never work in this town again…**This occasionally unstylish but charmingly unpretentious character study doesn’t shy away from Dunne’s own delusions. His son Griffin – actor, director, cheerily decomposing best friend from AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON – is fairly brutal about his father’s flaws. When family tragedy collides with Dunne’s desperate fascination with fame, he just remixes the two into a new obsession: celebrity crime. It seems inevitable, and yeah, a little sad, too.

CELEBRITY isn’t just a cinematic supermarket tabloid. It’s about the warping effects of fame – even on those who aren’t quite famous.