Coming to theatres and to VOD today, Friday, November 20: I AM THOR
Ryan Wise’s portrait of a would-be music legend made its debut at Slamdance. Other fest appearances have included Florida, Brooklyn, San Francisco Doc, Fantasia, New Zealand, and Calgary Underground. In addition to select theatrical engagements, the doc also comes to VOD via Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Vimeo, Google Play and other platforms.
Now in his 60s, Jon Mikl Thor has still not given up on his rockstar dreams. The Canadian-born performer managed to make something of a splash in the 1970s and early ’80s with his eponymous band, owing to his focus on showmanship – bare chested and adorned with spiky leather gauntlets, the body-builder performed eye-catching feats of strength as part of his over-the-top music act, which morphed from glam to heavy metal over time. Never becoming a household name, he has quit and mounted comebacks ever since, as noted in Wise’s affectionate, if bemused, look at perseverance despite the odds. The film may have benefited from expanding on Thor’s colorful history – which included stints as a nude waiter and B-movie actor – rather than being so focused on the last decade or so of pursuing his career, but it remains a warm profile of a surprisingly likeable protagonist.
what (not) to doc 