Virgil Films & Entertainment's Paul Williams Still Alive On Feb. 5

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Paul Williams, songsmith extraordinaire.  For those who know his music, there is always a personal favorite.   Take, for example, the opening lines to “Where Do I Go From Here” from the 1972 album, “Life Goes On” (also from the soundtrack of the Clint Eastwood/Jeff Bridges film, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot):

“If I knew the way I'd go back home
But the countryside has changed so much
I'd surely end up lost
Half remembering names and faces
So far in the past
On the other side of bridges that were burned once they were crossed

Tell me where
Where does a fool go
When there's no one left to listen
To a story without meaning
That nobody wants to hear

Tell me where
Where does a fool go
When he knows there's something missing
Tell me where
Where do I go from here
Where do I go from here”

That’s just a fraction of one song … the lines are masterful, full of images.   His voice is distinctive.  His material has been memorialized by such greats as Helen Reddy (“You and Me Against the World”), Three Dog Night (“An Old Fashioned Love Song”), The Carpenters (“We’ve Only Just Begun”) and on … and on.   

An Academy Award, Grammy and Golden Globe-winner … a screen icon too, who could ever forget his performance as Swan in Brian De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise.  An industry giant, but only 5 foot, 2 inches tall.

As with the Mark Twain saw, “the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,” so too is the passing of Paul Williams.  On Feb. 5, Virgil Films & Entertainment will release on DVD writer/director Stephen Kessler’s film homage, Paul Williams Still Alive.

The ARR is 242 days and the box office take from the film’s limited arthouse showcase was $38,691.

Kessler was surprised to learn that one of his favorite recording artists and songwriters from his youth was still around — Paul Williams had demons that damn near destroyed him.   20 years clean and sober now.  So he approached him about making a documentary about his life … it took awhile, lots of showing up at small venues and concerts to get past the “No. No. No” part of it.  

The final result is an interesting look at the living legend … and in many ways the film is also about the filmmaker himself, which proves to be insightful in many ways.   Words and music can indeed have a profound effect upon those who listen, enjoy and become life-long fans.

Bonus features on the DVD release include extended interviews and selected footage from Paul Williams’ concerts.

To download this week's complete edition of the DVD and Blu-ray Release Report:  DVD & Blu-ray Release Report