Overnight

Pitched as a cautionary tale, Overnight is flawed but fascinating documentary viewing, in that let's watch the accident, the clean-up and the autopsy sort of way. Overnight documents the rise, fall and slight return of Troy Duffy, the writer/director behind underground cult hit The Boondock Saints. Cineastes may remember the tale of Troy: he gained "the next Tarantino" status after he wrote the Saints screenplay, which Miramax eventually optioned amid a flurry of hype, resulting in the then bartender/struggling musician not only getting a ton of money for his script but also director status and fame, even though he'd never directed traffic. Of course it would go horribly wrong, with Saints eventually being dropped by Miramax and made for far less by an indie, but Overnight documents the previously unknown reasons why: basically that Duffy was an out of control egomaniac who bullied everyone in sight and threw tantrums when things didn't go his way. But while the rise and fall of Duffy is tragic but compelling viewing, the doc is full of narrative shortcuts and unanswered questions. Sure, Troy is a jerk, although a charismatic and at least slightly talented one (think of him as the evil Kevin Smith), but that doesn't explain why he went from hot to not so quickly in the eyes of Miramax. He's a control freak and jerk, but so are numerous directors/writers. The doc also spends a lot of time focusing on Duffy's band, which is humorous (and depressing), as he's even more of an egomaniac with them. Also, you have to question the real motives as to why Smith and Montana made this doc, considering what an ass he is to them, it seems like revenge. Even though people like to label Troy's tale one of those "he had it all, he lost it all" accounts, he never really had everything, just the promise of it from people who lie for a living. Still, Overnight has moments of sheer dumbfounded awe and is the perfect example of how not to act for first time directors, writers, musicians, or decent human beings in general. Plus: deleted scenes, bios, trailer, more. (Th!nk)