Dogwoof have just sent us some information for a new DVD coming to UK markets next week (November 8th), JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK. The film is a documentary looking into the lif of the American comedienne, and we’re hearing some great things about it (check back at the site for a full review soon). The release’s special features are as follows:
Grand dame of comedy Joan Rivers has become an icon of her time; someone who will stop at nothing to remain in front of an audience; brash at times and always brutally honest, she engenders strong feelings. Now a brand new feature documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work gives a fascinating insight into her life.
This real life story takes the audience on a year long ride with Rivers in her 75th year of life; it peels away the mask of an iconic comedian, laying bare both the struggle and thrill of living life as a groundbreaking female performer.
Filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (The Devil Came On Horseback) catch the legendary comedian as she fights to keep her career thriving in a business driven by youth and beauty and gives a unique look inside America’s obsession with fame and celebrity.
Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work is both an outrageously funny journey and a brutally honest look at the ruthless entertainment industry, the trappings of success and the ultimate vulnerability of the first queen of comedy and will be released on DVD on 8 November 2010 courtesy of Dogwoof.
Rivers is the quintessential story of survival and of determination – a child of Russian immigrants – she is the female pioneer who cut paths and broke boundaries in the otherwise all-male world of comedy, opening the door for other women comedians to follow. Joan is the only woman to have ever held the position of host on a network late-night talk show. Her career has had dramatic highs and lows – a Tony nomination, an Emmy awarding winning talk show, a husband who committed suicide, a fraudulent business partner and a booming entrepreneurial business – forcing her to constantly reinvent herself. While she achieved celebrity heights on the Johnny Carson Show and in the Vegas comedy world, she remained the anti-celebrity celebrity, always considering herself an outsider.
The film provides a rare look at Joan Rivers, an iconic performer, stripped of her comedy façade and laying bare the truth of her life and inspiration.