Tony Montana and Mark Brian Smith's acidic, vitriolic takedown of Duffy boasts the abrasive intensity of a migraine headache and the depth and scope of a bona fide American tragedy.
Overnight (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 75
Fresh: 59
Rotten:16
Average Rating: 6.7/10
Consensus: This absorbing but wince-inducing documentary is a cautionary tale about the costs of hubris in the world of indie film.
Runtime: 82 mins
Genre: Education/General Interest
Theatrical Release: Nov 10, 2004 Limited
Synopsis: The feature debut of Mark Brian Smith and Tony Montana, OVERNIGHT had its world premiere at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, where its alternately horrifying and hilarious take on one man’s extraordinary misadventures in the screen... The feature debut of Mark Brian Smith and Tony Montana, OVERNIGHT had its world premiere at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, where its alternately horrifying and hilarious take on one man’s extraordinary misadventures in the screen trade had particular resonance for both industry insiders and aspirants. And, what makes this incredible tale even more scary and funny is that every single bit of it actually happened! OVERNIGHT begins as the classic Cinderella story when Boston-bred bartender and budding filmmaker Troy Duffy sells his screenplay, “The Boondock Saints,” to Harvey Weinstein of Miramax Films. A bidding war gets Duffy much more than a hefty check; it also gets him the right to direct the film plus a deal for his band to produce and perform its soundtrack. Then, in a gesture straight out of a fairy tale, Weinstein offers to buy Duffy the very bar in which he works, turning the young man and his yet-to-be-made movie into overnight sensations. Buoyed by his prospects, Duffy allows his then-colleagues Smith and Montana to document his conquest of Hollywood but, from their uniquely intimate perspective, what they captured was quite the opposite: following several months of restless development and reckless missteps, Duffy slides from A-List to blacklist. Calls go un-returned, his film is dropped by Miramax, is revived by a minor company at half its original budget, then ultimately consigned to the video bins. Midnight comes for Cinderella… Smith and Montana, who hitched a ride with Duffy then witnessed and survived the crash, have made an eye-opening cautionary tale that should be must-see viewing for anyone who has ever dreamed of show business success—which is probably everyone! -- © ThinkFilm [More]
Starring: Troy Duffy, Harvey Weinstein
Starring: Troy Duffy, Harvey Weinstein
Director: Mark Brian Smith, Tony Montana
Director: Mark Brian Smith, Tony Montana
Producer: Tony Montana, Mark Brian Smith
Studio: ThinkFilm
DVD Info
Reviews for Overnight
Duffy's story is a potentially notable one, but this documentary's amateur production values and the man's grating personality make it not-so-enjoyable watching.
[An] unflinching depiction of a would-be Tarantino turning himself into chopped liver.
Overnight is the story of everything that went wrong in the aftermath of what should have been one of the defining moments of a career.
A compulsive, cautionary tale about a man whose self-trumpeted ‘deep cesspool of creativity’ seems destined to remain undredged.
The two directors take so much abuse from Duffy throughout the film that you can’t help but feel that Overnight is their long-overdue revenge.
Enjoyable because you get to see a huge ego and shameless publicist get his comeuppence.
A disturbing, sad and blisteringly funny cautionary tale, I reckon this is the documentary of the year.
...plays out like an 82-minute attack on [Troy Duffy] by a couple of exceedingly bitter ex-colleagues.
Overnight is horrifying and fascinating... It should be required viewing in film schools and a cautionary tale for anyone aspiring to work in Hollywood.
Troy Duffy might have truly deserved the Hollywood Blacklisting, but it's tough to live down an indictment as thorough as Overnight.
Strikingly cautionary for anyone who thinks they're entitled to fame and fortune.
For whatever reasons -- rights issues, personal promises, fear of legal retaliation -- we only catch glimpses of some of the more important moments in this story.
The film’s personal point of view does effectively put you in the shoes of the little guy in the Hollywood machine, sitting by the phone, bewildered.
A quintessential cautionary tale, the documentary Overnight also happens to be funnier than just about every comedy released last year.
The story of the neither late nor great Troy Duffy would make the perfect film-school graduation gift.
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by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/7/04
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