Paul Morrissey
Birthday: 1938-02-23
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
Synopsis
Paul Morrissey (born 23 February 1938, New York City) is an American film director, best-known for his association with Andy Warhol.
Morrissey attended Ampleforth College, a private Roman Catholic boarding school and Fordham University, both Roman Catholic schools, and later served in the United States Army. A political conservative and self-described "right-winger", who has publicly protested against what he perceives as immorality and "anti-Catholicism", Morrissey's long-term collaboration with the low-keyed, apparently apolitical Warhol was viewed by many as "a successful mismatch", although both men did share some traits, i.e. both were practising Catholics from "ethnic" backgrounds (Warhol was of Rusyn descent and Morrissey is of Irish descent).
Morrissey's bold, avant-garde direction in filmmaking is often attributed to his relationship with Warhol and The Factory, although Morrissey claimed in his memoir, Factory Days, that this is not the case.
Acting
Helmut Berger, My Mother and Me
as Self (archive footage)
My mother googles the film hero of her youth: Helmut Berger. She is shocked: only an addicted shadow of the former icon seems to be left. She decides to halt the obvious catastrophic decline of the once “most handsome man in the world”. As a consequence, this one-time god of the screen is suddenly sitting on my mother’s sofa in Nordsehl in Lower Saxony. And he stays put - for several months. While he trustingly rolls out his whole life before us, the dividing lines between film team, world star and family intermingle. This is a film about ageing, rising and falling - and about the fact that it is sometimes possible to regain an element of dignity in life.
Beautiful Darling
as Self
James Rasin's documentary “Beautiful Darling” honors American Transgender actress and best-known Warhol Superstar, Candy Darling, and her all-too-brief life and career, with a combination of current and vintage interview material, rarely seen archival photos and footage, and extracts from Darling's movies.
A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory
as Himself
Esther Robinson's portrait of her uncle Danny Williams, Warhol's onetime lover, collaborator and filmmaker in his own right, offers a exploration of the Factory era, an homage to Williams's talent, a journey of family discovery and a compelling inquiry into Williams's mysterious disappearance at age 27.
Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film
as Self
Ric Burns unearths rarely seen footage and offers keen observations on the life and artistic influence of Andy Warhol.
Superstar in a Housedress: The Life and Legend of Jackie Curtis
as Self
Andy Warhol described Jackie Curtis as “A pioneer without a frontier.” In this biographical documentary, Curtis’s co-workers and friends speak of her work and her influence, along with clips from Curtis’s Warhol films as well as never-before-seen footage from her stage shows.
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Divine Trash
as Self
The life and times of Baltimore film maker and midnight movie pioneer, John Waters.
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Andy Warhol
as Himself
The first major profile of the American Pop Art cult leader after his death in 1987 covers the whole of his life and work through interviews, clips from his films, and conversations with his family and superstar friends. Andy Warhol, the son of poor Czech immigrants, grew up in the industrial slums of Pittsburgh while dreaming of Hollywood stars. He went on to become a star himself.
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Room 666
as Self
During the 1982 Cannes Film Festival, Wenders asks a number of global film directors to, one at a time, go into a hotel room, turn on the camera and answer a simple question: "What is the future of cinema?"
