Beauty Day
Synopsis
Before the body-threatening antics of Jackass came crashing into public consciousness, there was Ontario's Ralph Zavadil, aka Cap'n Video, who cascaded off roofs into snowbanks, jumped off ladders into half-empty swimming pools, and drank eggs through his nostrils. Beauty Day is a rambunctious documentary about this irrepressible pioneer of local-access cable shenanigans who entertained and outraged viewers in the small city of St. Catharines-until a special Easter Show, featuring a fat rabbit and adorable puppies (none of which were hurt), got him kicked off the air for good. With a nod to Werner Herzog, Cheel follows the life and times of Cap'n Video and finds that the Cap'n is still quite a firecracker. Written by Laurence Kardish
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I'm a regular listener to the Film Junk Podcast, of which Jay Cheel is a founding contributor. I ordered my copy of Beauty Day a month or two ago and finally got around to watching it this weekend. Given the long wait (the film premiered over a year ago), the availability of Cap'n Video shenanigans on the internet and my familiarity with the director I had a difficult time managing my expectations. Not to mention that I grew up with my own cable access lunatics (some are still going strong, something about war and info I think?) Luckily, all that didn't seem to matter, I love Beauty Day. Cheel does a great job of giving Ralph Zavadil aka Cap'n Video…
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Fun, funny, fast, and beautifully shot. This is a documentary that I think will greatly reward rewatches because it makes you want to spend more time Ralph.
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After listening to Jay Cheel discuss various films on Film Junk for the past few years, it was a truly unique experience to see the film made by the film critic. Yes, I watched this because I enjoy his podcast, but it didn't take long for me to forget about Cheel completely. This is a wonderfully crafted documentary about an extremely entertaining Ralph Zavadil. Behind the Cap'n Video persona is a very interesting man with an amazing spirit and some faults as well. The cinematography, the editing, the music... Everything flowed wonderfully. The thing I appreciated the most was how honest the whole thing felt. Nice work, Jay.
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Being from California, I had no idea who Cap'n Video was going into this documentary but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of it. Incredibly well put together with a very entertaining, likable and at times inspirational main subject in Ralph.
As a frequent listener to the Film Junk Podcast, it's very nice to finally catch up with cast-member Jay Cheel's feature film debut and it's even nicer to see how much of a success it was. Eager to see what else Jay does in the future.
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(Originally written September 3rd 2011)
Beauty Day is a documentary about Ralph Zavadil and his alter ego local cable celebrity Cap'n Video. There is a good chance you are already familiar with the pool cover removal video that Cap'n Video is famous for. Personally, I have seen this video of his failed stunt more times than I can remember. While watching this documentary about the life of the Cap'n, it occurred to me that the fact that he fractured his neck while filming his show is far from the most interesting thing about him. With the way that the film is constructed I feel confident in saying director Jay Cheel feels the same way.
After opening the film with the…
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I laughed and I certainly cringed, big time. Helps that I'm already a big Film Junk fan. Jay Cheel will only get more ambitious and that gets me excited. Great use of music too. Big thumbs up.
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After being an avid listener to the directors,(Jay Cheel),podcast I discovered this gem on the movie network. I was so pleasantly surprised that what could be considered a mildly interesting documentary subject, was turned into a fascinating glimps inside of a complicated mind, and an interesting life. As a documentary this film is shot wonderfully. Still quiet scenes intercut with home movies, and talking head interviews. that are punched up with music montages and footage from Cap'N Video.And the subject ( Ralph Zavadil) is so well explored. I can't stress enough how amazing this film maker's story telling capabilities, and visual style are. And also how excited I am to see any future films he will create. Oh and fucking…
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I'm a huge fan of Film Junk, and an even bigger fan of Film Junk. I was so excited to watch Beauty Day and see what Jay could do as a filmmaker.
I have to say I was really blown away. Cheel creates some beautiful and tender human moments. The film is incredible well paced, choosing to reveal particular story points and withhold others until later. Finally, the editing is excellently executed.
Beauty Day tells the story of Cap'n Video (the mid-90s precursor to the Jackass boys) and where his life is out now. It's a great little tale of purpose, nostalgia, art, humour and passion.
While the subject matter is perhaps a little stretched to cover the full 90-minutes, Cheel none the last makes the material gripping. I cannot wait to see what this up and coming filmmaker has to offer next!
What a beaut'...
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Growing up in the UK and not in Canada i did not hear of this guy the focus of Beauty Day. Ralph Zavadil, also known as Capt. Video, creating a show for local tv public access. basically Jackass before Jackass, here we catch up with him many years later, as we look at his crazy past and the more mundane present as he gets along with life and his atempts to keep the crazy dream alive, with lots of the video stunts he captured we get a great glimpse of the man and his madness but enthusiasm to his craft.
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Being from California, I had no idea who Cap'n Video was going into this documentary but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of it. Incredibly well put together with a very entertaining, likable and at times inspirational main subject in Ralph.
As a frequent listener to the Film Junk Podcast, it's very nice to finally catch up with cast-member Jay Cheel's feature film debut and it's even nicer to see how much of a success it was. Eager to see what else Jay does in the future.
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As a big fan of the Film Junk podcast, I'm certainly approaching the film with an unavoidable bias. Still, being as objective as I can, I think the film is a warm yet honest portrayal of an interesting life. It could even be extended beyond its 90 minute runtime and not be hurt at all.
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πέραν του γεγονότος πως ούτε οι Jackass τελικά δεν ήταν πρωτότυποι σ' αυτόν τον κόσμο, το ντοκιμαντέρ δε μου πε και τίποτα. ωραίο γκομενάκι πάντως είχε χτυπήσει ο τύπος
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It was like all the Jackass guys rolled into one badass Canadian dude.
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I watched this as a young boy, I had to hid under a blanket with the TV on, just to see what crazy hi-jinx were on.
I never did see the last episode, so to see it here and have such a reaction to the incident really sucked me into the documentary. Which was masterfully shot and hits all the right notes.
Fantastic!
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Film #69 of the December Project
A very funny and surprisingly heart warming documentary. Ralph Zavadil is an awesome personality and he is always a joy to watch. A well made documentary.