Saving Brinton

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Saving Brinton

Released Sep 17, 2017

1h 30m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

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14 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

After finding a rare collection of film in a turn-of-the-century cinema, small-town Iowa collector and historian Michael Zahs attempts to restore and exhibit the newsreels, home movies and lost films.

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

The old teacher - who stands six-foot-three and wears a gray beard that looks to be three-foot-six - is an affable eccentric full of information, but as he himself notes, he's more of a storyteller than a historian.

Apr 8, 2020

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Leonard Maltin

leonardmaltin.com

Iowa-based directors Tommy Haines and Andrew Sherburne celebrate their home state and provide us with a lovely slice of Americana in this entertaining feature.

Jun 26, 2018

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Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

Zahs, a genial obsessive, is a lot of fun, and so is the movie.

Rated: B+

Jun 15, 2018

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Phil Guie

Film-Forward.com

By the time of the finale, the film has lost most of whatever forward momentum it had, but at least Méliès's old works look appropriately stunning.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 25, 2019

Full Review

Douglas Davidson

Pretty Vacant One

Saving Brinton is for collectors, historians, cinephiles, and other preservationists.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 4, 2018

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Bobby LePire

Film Threat

aving Brinton loses focus a few times, but its noble heart will keep the viewer engaged. Zahs is an affable chap, and his love of history is remarkable.

Rated: 8/10

Nov 1, 2018

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William L

A charming little documentary overall, that focuses on developing and celebrating the independent history enthusiast rather than dryly covering the Brinton Collection. However, I feel that at times the film delves too deeply into Zahs and his local community rather than the film history aspect that I imagined was the hook that brought in the majority of viewers, padding for time once in a while. (2.5/5)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/20

Full Review

dave d

Sometimes being a saver (shy of hoarder) isn't a bad thing and that's what Mike Zahs proves in "Saving Brinton", a fulfilling documentary. Zahs came across a collection of some of the first motion pictures ever put to film and thanks to never giving up hope the world could enjoy them as much as he did, we have a film chronicling not only the films and other tokens from the Brinton Family, but also Zahs himself whose genuine nature comes through the screen and into your living room. If you need a quick pick me up, take a gander at this doc which moves quickly and has some sage advice sprinkled throughout. Final Score: 8.3/10

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An incredible story of film history and film preservation with a charming protagonist

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

Amazing film. Love Mike!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Their journey will make you smile. A film for film geeks.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What a fabulous place, and a wonderful guide to historical treasure and cultures and the feelings of community.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

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Tommy Haines

Director

Andrew Sherburne

Director

Serge Bromberg

Actor

Kathryn Fuller-Seeley

Actor

George R. Willeman

Actor

Michael Zahs

Actor

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Saving Brinton: Trailer 1

2:02

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Synopsis

After finding a rare collection of film in a turn-of-the-century cinema, small-town Iowa collector and historian Michael Zahs attempts to restore and exhibit the newsreels, home movies and lost films.

Director: Tommy Haines, Andrew Sherburne
Producer: Andrew Sherburne
Screenwriter: Tommy Haines, Andrew Sherburne, John Richard
Distributor: Barn Owl
Production Co: Northland Films, Bocce Balls Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 17, 2017, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): May 18, 2018
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 27, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $28.2K
Runtime: 1h 30m