Documentary Wednesday: "Confessions of a Superhero"

     Confessions of a Superhero is a part-sad, part-comic look at the lives of street performers on Hollywood Boulevard, making a living by dressing up as icons of culture and popular superheroes, and posing for pictures with the tourists and passer-byes of Hollywood, California.  Little do those tourists know that these "street performers" and "pan-handlers" have dreams of stardom and fame of their own - most of them based solely on delusion.

      This documentary was tantalizing and a little heart-breaking.  It focuses mostly on four people that work the Hollywood Strip - Christopher Dennis, whose obsession with Superman is beyond creepy; Maxwell Allen, a make-believe "bad-ass" who dresses up as Batman and claims he has a dark past in Texas that includes a "body count" from here to eternity; Jennifer Wenger, who dresses up as Wonder Woman and dreams of being the next big actress; and Joe McQueen, who also dreams of fame and fortune while climbing into his Hulk costume as he goes to work each day.  Most of them work solely off of tips and gratuities that tourists and pedestrians are able to provide (or are guilt-tripped into providing).  The way these characters make their living is not the sad part; it's how they dream of bigger and better things.  They daydream of Academy Awards and auditions leading to the red carpet; they romanticize their futures in Hollywood as if the gold platter and silver spoon is just out of reach.  This documentary, more than any other I've seen, shows how hard it is to "make it" in show business.   It's well put together by director Matt Ogens, neither condemning nor mocking any of the participants.  He takes their lives and their dreams as seriously as they do.  
     The most interesting part was finding out where each participant went post-filming of this documentary.  Some, such as Jennifer Wenger or ex-homeless man Joe McQueen (the one I truly rooted for), actually starred in some very big titles (from True Blood to My Name is Earl to spoof films) and have quite a resume to build on.  Others (*cough* Batman! *cough*) have little more than viral YouTube fight videos to lend to their names.  At any rate, this is an interesting piece of work with a great soundtrack, vivid imagery, and the true heart of Hollywood in it - many come, and very, very, very few are chosen. 


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