Art and Seek: Finding Kraftland: At the Dallas Video Festival
In choosing FINDING KRAFTLAND as the Closing Night film at the 4th Annual Black Earth Film Festival in Galesburg, Illinois, their website states: "Closing the Fest, we present the hard-to-categorize Finding Kraftland. This is probably the most unique and amusing film about fathers and sons, about brothers and about the meaning of family that you will ever see. Don't miss it!"
Conversation Ball: Touring Kraftland
Phoenix Film Festival: Jason Carney's Review of Finding Kraftland
Jason Watches Movies: Jason goes to Indiefest--Day 11
And then there was "Finding Kraftland". Richard Kraft is, for lack of a better description, a professional child. Actually, to make money he's a Hollywood talent agent, particularly for movie soundtracks (he reps Danny Elfman and Alan Mencken, among others), and he's probably the only agent who came to the industry as an obsessive fan first. He's also an obsessive collector, a kind of an annoying nutcase, and a weirdly loving father. Not that he was at first, when his son Nicky was born, he split from his wife and she and Nicky went to live in rural Oregon. Later, when Nicky was a teenager, Richard suddenly discovered that Nicky is the most interesting person in the world--probably because they're about the same age emotionally. They start off on an around-the-world trip to find the best roller coasters. This movie started out as a birthday gift (Richard and Nicky's birthdays are just a couple days apart, so they have a giant dual party every year), and they hired Stacey J. Aswad to host after watching her hosting a "top 7 attractions" show at Disney World. Along the way director Adam Shell adds to the story by explaining how Richard's brother died, how Richard devotes himself to a charity to find a cure to that disease (I'm sorry I forget what the disease is). And this gives a very likable face to a weirdly obsessive tribute to American consumerism.
*/ ?>Boxoffice.com: Sara Schieron's Review of Finding Kraftland
The Evening Class: INDIEFEST08—Michael Hawley's Preview
My favorite of the docs I previewed is Richard Kraft and Adam Shell's Finding Kraftland, a very entertaining vanity piece about one man's obsession with collecting American pop culture memorabilia. Kraft is an agent for movie composers like Jerry Goldsmith and Danny Elfman, a lucrative job which allows him to buy everything from the original bicycle from Pee Wee's Big Adventure to vintage bubble bath bottles and Tampax boxes. This is a man who confesses that he had "a more intimate relationship with Captain Crunch than I did with my own family," and would one day like to see his own skull used as a prop on Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The film is partly structured as a tour through Kraftland, the overstuffed house he shares with his amassment of miscellany. The other, more inspiring part of the film documents the loving, buddy-buddy relationship Kraft has with his teenage son Nicky, who appears to whole-heartedly share his Dad's obsessions (the two have ridden over 400 rollercoasters around the world). As if to counterbalance the often blatant ostentatiousness of these pursuits, the film also includes scenes of Kraft's work for Crohn's Disease (from which his loving brother David died) and his establishment of orphanages in Cambodia (including scenes of his family tromping through a Phnom Penh garbage dump on Christmas morning, which I found to be a bit much). Between Kraft's plus-sized personality and the film's hyperkinetic visual style, Finding Kraftland was a thrill ride I didn't want to end.
*/ ?>alibi.com: The eighth annual Santa Fe Film Festival
Although films featuring big-name actors like Woody Harrelson, Sean Penn, Jennifer Garner and John Cusack make an impression in the 2008 lineup, smaller, less commercial films are still a major part of the festival. Asked to offer up his "must see" list, Bowman confesses, "My personal list of favorite films would include a smaller film like Finding Kraftland. It's by Richard Kraft, a guy who's an agent, mostly for composers. It's not about his career as a Hollywood agent, but a personal story of his brother dying. After his brother dies, he goes on a quest to rekindle his childhood. He and his son go on a trip around the world. They ride on every roller coaster in the word, they collect every piece of Disney memorabilia they can find. It's a lot of fun. It's a tale of obsession, a quest to be young again--but to not do it with Botox."
*/ ?>LaughingPlace.com: Richard Kraft is interviewed at the premiere of ENCHANTED
The Bakersfield Californian: Kern film festival opens Wednesday
Bear Talk: Adventures in Kraftland
MiceAge.com: Richard Kraft announces the winners of the "Find Your Way to Kraftland" contest
Orlando Sentinel: Richard Kraft, Finding Kraftland: The world's greatest Disney geek makes a movie about his manias
The Warren Report: Minnie's Secret Isn't Safe With Me...
MiceAge.com: Finding Kraftland is not your typical documentary film
MousePlanet.com: That Girl!
St. Petersburg Times: The wonderful world of Stacey, the star of Disney hotel TVs
Ain't It Cool News: Calling All Film Music Geeks!! ScoreKeeper Exalts The Ginormously Stupendous Documentary FINDING KRAFTLAND!!
Geek Monthly: "Kraft work" (PDF file)
GeckoCafe: SVFF Wrap-Up
The Oxford Press: Bob Ratterman: It's a wrap for film festival
Jim Hill Media: Sonoma Valley Film Festival Rundown
Collider.com: Film Review - 'Finding Kraftland'
Entertainment Magazine: Mission to Kraftland
San Fernando Valley Business Jourinal: "Music Agent Crafts Movie of Bond Between Father, Son"
Film Music Weekly: "Agent with a license to film" (PDF file, Page 5)
indieWIRE: "Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Celebs Out in Force for 2007 Edition"
"Small films in a small town just make sense and Santa Barbara provided some nifty little surprises. "Finding Kraftland," a winning, almost unintentional film by Richard Kraft and Adam Shell turned out to be a very moving testament to a father's goofy influence on his loving son.
Jim Hill Media: "Looking for a fun time at the movies? Then find your way to Finding Kraftland"
Santa Barbara Edhat: "Director Interviews with Adam Shell and Richard Kraft" (video)
The Santa Barbara Independent: "Finding Kraftland"