1521 - Confessions of a Superhero

I'd heard about this awhile back and so was happy to get a chance to check it out.  On one of the episodes of Carlawood we did we had a segment that involved some of these "characters", a few of which were actually in the documentary.  A lot of what's going on here has a lot to do with why I have no desire to move out to L.A. to "make it".  That town is just filled to the brim with people desperate for their break, and I think that the poor actors have it worse off than anyone.  I personally can't imagine having to go through the rejection that actors do.  It's insane.  Not that filmmakers don't have their fair share of rejection - we do - but not on such a level, or so frequent.  God bless them all.
So this documentary focuses on four people who dress up as famous superheroes and walk along Hollywood Boulevard in L.A. "accepting tips" in exchange for posing for photographs.  Some remark that it's a slight step up from panhandling.  The doc focuses on a Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Incredible Hulk.  And each of them is messed up in their own special way - except for Wonder Woman (Jennifer Wenger) - who I'm glad to see is starting to get a bit of an actual acting career going - she's the typical girl who got off the bus from a small town and is trying to make it.  The rest are all semi-delusional middle aged men.  They're all waiting for Hollywood to discover them and turn them into leading men and women, and believe that this somehow gains them good exposure.  Batman, not unlike his namesake, is a bit of a sociopath.  On camera he confesses to a shrink about a time in his past where a loved one of his way killed and he "left a pile of bodies in the pursuit of her killer".  Whether he's telling the truth or not - this guy is messed up.  The Superman, a Christopher Reeves lookalike, is obsessed in a sincere way with the Man of Steel - to the point where he travels across the country for a costume competition - where he thinks he's a shoe-in because Reeves has just passed away.  The results may just break your heart a little.
It's a fun little film that gives you an insight into just what some of these poor bastards go through, and why they go through it.  It's not super sad, but it's by no means uplifting.  An interesting doc.
Confessions of a Superhero  Confessions of a Superhero - Music from the Motion Picture