Searching for Mr. Rugoff

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2:36

Searching for Mr. Rugoff

2021

1h 34m

Documentary

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100%

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30 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

The feature documentary Searching for Mr. Rugoff is the story of Donald Rugoff, who was the crazy genius behind Cinema 5, the mid-century theater chain and film distribution company. Rugoff was a difficult (some would say impossible) person but was also the man who kicked art films into the mainstream with outrageous marketing schemes and pure bluster. Rugoff's impact on cinema culture in the United States is inestimable, and his influence on the art film business-from the studio classics divisions to the independent film movement to the rise of the Weinsteins-is undeniable. Yet, mysteriously, Rugoff has become a virtually forgotten figure. The story is told through the eyes of former employee Ira Deutchman, who sets out to find the truth about the man who had such a major impact on his life, and to understand how such an important figure could have disappeared so completely.

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Kristen Lopez

Austin Chronicle

08/17/2021

B-

"Searching for Mr. Rugoff" often feels like inside baseball for film buffs, but if you're of that group you'll be charmed by it.

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Godfrey Cheshire

RogerEbert.com

08/17/2021

3.5/4

Deutchman has turned out a beautifully structured tale of movie love that's also a fine tribute to his maddening, mercurial, mustard-stained mentor.

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Leonard Maltin

leonardmaltin.com

08/16/2021

It's rare that a documentary affects me on a personal level but this evoked a flood of memories. The film captures a time and place when movies really mattered to a whole generation. I'm not saying it was better or worse than it is today--just different

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Michael Clark

Epoch Times

07/06/2022

4.5/5

Have you ever heard of Donald Rugoff? If you haven’t, don’t feel uninformed or out of the loop. Unless you’re in your mid 60s or older and grew up in New York City with a passion for independent film, there’s really no reason you should know his name.

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Cory Woodroof

615 Film

06/15/2022

I want a job working as a hype man for indie movie theaters.

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Q.V. Hough

Vague Visages

02/18/2022

In today's world of carefully crafted film industry personas, Searching for Mr. Rugoff stands out with its character study about an art house fanatic who embraced the beautiful chaos of being a curious cinephile.

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Ira Deutchman

Director

Ira Deutchman

Producer

Peter Gilbert

Executive Producer

Susan Lacy

Executive Producer

Beth Krieger

Executive Producer

Peter Gilbert

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Synopsis

The feature documentary Searching for Mr. Rugoff is the story of Donald Rugoff, who was the crazy genius behind Cinema 5, the mid-century theater chain and film distribution company. Rugoff was a difficult (some would say impossible) person but was also the man who kicked art films into the mainstream with outrageous marketing schemes and pure bluster. Rugoff's impact on cinema culture in the United States is inestimable, and his influence on the art film business-from the studio classics divisions to the independent film movement to the rise of the Weinsteins-is undeniable. Yet, mysteriously, Rugoff has become a virtually forgotten figure. The story is told through the eyes of former employee Ira Deutchman, who sets out to find the truth about the man who had such a major impact on his life, and to understand how such an important figure could have disappeared so completely.

Director: Ira Deutchman
Producer: Ira Deutchman
Distributor: Deutchman Company
Production Co: Deutchman Company
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 2021, Limited
Runtime: 1h 34m