Originally broadcast on HBO, Leon Gast's documentary Smash His Camera focuses on notorious paparazzo Ron Galella, who achieved fame in the 1970s as a result of controversial run-ins with some of his famous subjects. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis took Galella to court several times following his obsessive stalking of her and her children, while Marlon Brando expressed his displeasure via a swift punch to the shutterbug's jaw (Galella lost five teeth but won $40,000 in an out-of-court settlement). The photographer's infamy and ubiquity on the celebrity circuit became so pronounced that Princess Grace once good-naturedly joked about him when he failed to show up at one of her New York gala events. Today, the septuagenarian limits his work to formal red-carpet events and endless self-promotion of his books and gallery shows. As a subject, Galella is full of anecdotes and has an overflowing archive, both of which he is eager to share here. While Galella comes across as a cheerful but tacky character, his extreme tactics and the quality of his photographs are vigorously debated throughout the film by a series of cautious admirers and unimpressed critics, while journalists and lawyers also contribute their thoughts on First Amendment questions. Ultimately, Galella's work is more interesting than the man behind the camera, although the inability of several young gallery patrons to identify the 1960s and '70s icons captured by Galella offers an ironic statement on the ephemeral nature of fame. DVD extras include an audio commentary (by Galella, director Gast, and producers Linda Saffire and Adam Schlesinger), deleted and extended scenes, and a photo gallery. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Smash His Camera
(2010) 90 min. DVD: $26.98. Magnolia Home Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Volume 25, Issue 6
Smash His Camera
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: