I Am Thor
| I Am Thor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Ryan Wise |
| Produced by | Ryan Wise, Alan Higbee |
| Starring | Jon Mikl Thor, Mike Favata, Steve Price, Keith Zazzi, Rusty Hamilton |
| Edited by | Ryan Wise |
| Music by | Christopher Ward |
Production company | Blue Lame 61 Productions |
| Distributed by | MPI Media Group |
Release date | November 20, 2015 |
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | USA |
I Am Thor is a documentary about the life of bodybuilder and rock musician Jon Mikl Thor of the band Thor.[1] The film was directed by Ryan Wise and produced by Ryan Wise and Alan Higbee and had its world premiere at the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival.[2]
Plot[edit]
I am Thor is the story of Jon Mikl Thor, a bodybuilding, steel bending, brick[3] smashing rock star in the 1970s and 1980s whose theatrical band Thor hit the scene alongside Metallica and Kiss, but never achieved the gold record status of its contemporaries. After a brief but memorable film career saw him starring in the cult classics Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare and Zombie Nightmare, Thor all but disappeared from the entertainment map. But ten years into retirement, and incapable of living like a normal mortal human being, Thor attempts a comeback to achieve the level of success that had eluded him his entire career – a comeback that nearly kills him. Tracing the rise, fall, and rebirth of a determined performer over the course of a career that has seen more than its fair share of highs and lows, I AM THOR paints a fascinating and sometimes unbelievable portrait of this larger-than-life icon.
Release[edit]
After premiering at the Slamdance Film Festival in January 2015 the film then went on to screen at film festivals including Florida Film Festival,[4] Calgary Underground Film Festival,[5] Brooklyn Film Festival,[6] New Zealand International Film Festival,[7] and the Fantasia International Film Festival[8] where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary.[9]
It was picked up for worldwide distribution by MPI Media Group where it was released in theaters and video-on-demand on November 20, 2015.[10] To coincide with this release, Jon Mikl Thor went on a US tour of major cities, screening the new film followed by a live concert.[11][12][13]
The film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in the United States on January 19, 2016.[14][15]
The film was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and VOD in Canada on March 11, 2016.
The film was released on Netflix in USA, Canada, and Scandinavia in June, 2016.
Reception[edit]
The film received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 91% based on reviews from 11 critics.[16] [10][7][8] Screen Anarchy called it "a very winning documentary."[17] Audiences everywhere named I Am Thor one of the 10 Best Documentaries of 2015.[18] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter called it "an entertainingly eccentric doc".[19]
References[edit]
- ^ "2015: The Year Music Documentaries Brought Back the Dead". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ Mike Fleming Jr (December 2014). "Slamdance Fest Sets Slate". Deadline. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
- ^ "KTVU.com talks to 'Rock Warrior' Thor about new documentary - Story | KTVU". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
- ^ Sentinel, Orlando. "Florida Film Fest: 177 films in 10 days". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ Eric Volmers (March 19, 2015). "Sampling the underground: Five things to see at this year's Calgary Underground Film Festival". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ "2015 Brooklyn Film Festival Announces Full Lineup | Film Pulse". Film Pulse. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ a b "I Am Thor review". Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ a b "Fantasia Fest Review: I AM THOR". Birth.Movies.Death. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ "Fantasia 2015: Award Winners and 2016 Dates Announced – Dread Central". Dread Central. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
- ^ a b Abrams, Simon (17 November 2015). "Metal Doc 'I Am Thor' Stars a God but Doesn't Do Him Justice". Village Voice. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ "Q&A: Jon Mikl Thor". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ jordan, chris (18 November 2015). "Thor picks his hammer up again". Metro. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ "NY/Philly! See "ROCK 'N' ROLL NIGHTMARE's" Jon Mikl Thor perform live with his new doc "I AM THOR" this weekend! | FANGORIA®". Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
- ^ "New to DVD this week". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ "The DVD Wrapup: Straight Outta Compton, Diary of a Teenage Girl, Howl, I Am Thor and more « Movie City News". moviecitynews.com. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ "I Am Thor (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
- ^ Martin, Peter (2015-04-23). "Night Visions 2015 Review: I AM THOR, From Naked Waiter To Rock Star To Retirement And Back Again". ScreenAnarchy. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ^ "10 Best Documentaries of 2015". Audiences Everywhere. 2015-12-29. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
- ^ Frank Scheck (2015). "'I Am Thor': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-12-10.