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Smash His Camera

PG-13 Released Jul 30, 2010 1h 27m Documentary List
78% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Paparazzo Ron Galella goes to extreme lengths to snap celebrity photos, including an obsessive pursuit of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis that twice landed him in court.
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Smash His Camera

Critics Reviews

View All (23) Critics Reviews
Paul Schrodt Slant Magazine The film refuses to pass judgment on the controversial photog, letting him do his own thing. Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 30, 2010 Full Review Frank Scheck Hollywood Reporter The notorious tabloid photographer finally gets his due. Jul 30, 2010 Full Review A.O. Scott New York Times Mr. Galella emerges as a kindred soul for the curious documentarian and as a large, complicated personality in his own right. Rated: 3/5 Jul 30, 2010 Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter An intense tutorial in celebrity watching. Smash profiles a still-active camera hawk who earned a right to the jaw from Marlon Brando and a lawsuit from Jackie Kennedy. Jun 10, 2020 Full Review David Harris Spectrum Culture Smash His Camera misses the boat. Rated: 2/5 Oct 28, 2019 Full Review Glenn Dunks Trespass Smash His Camera is a treasure trove for old Hollywood obsessives. Sep 15, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (45) audience reviews
Audience Member Loved this presentation but hated his practices and how he went about making a living!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/06/20 Full Review Audience Member I had never heard of Ron Galella before this documentary. Apparently he's a guy who stalked Jacqueline Kennedy and took a lot of pictures of famous people. It's a documentary about an apparently infamous paparazzo. By Galella own admission he is a paparazzi superstar. There's no question the movie is fascinating. Galella comes to some fame because of his dogged pursuit of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. His antics are comic and apparently somewhat legendary even by paparazzi standards. Eventually things come to a boiling point and Kennedy sues her stalker (it's hard to call it anything other than stalking). There's an interesting point in the movie where Galella reflects on why he was so obsessed with Jacqueline Kennedy . Watching him process his own obsession makes for a classic movie moment - largely because he seems blissfully unaware of his obsession until he actually thinks about it and he certainly seems very unaware of the discomfort he has caused her. Why did he follow Jacqueline so incessantly? His answer; he was lonely. Of course he doesn't say it like this, he says he didn't have a girlfriend at the time and that he was infatuated with Kennedy. But really it boils down to loneliness. If the movie is to be believed Could it be that we obsess over celebrities not because we are morbidly curious but because we are lonely? And that in that loneliness we hope to be known by some celebrity who will never know our name? Do we want to be known by those who are beautiful and appealing? Smash His Camera is certainly an entertaining documentary especially for those who are familiar with the history of Hollywood. Galella is a compelling character - I would even argue likeable (although not everyone will agree with this). Smash His Camera is worth a watch. But I'm a little more interested in the questions it provokes. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member It could have been interesting but this film has not structure nor any script whatsoever. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Nobody captured the 70's better than Ron Galella. In this, he comes across as a wonderful person with an incredible sense of humor; something Jackie Kennedy, Marlon Brando and Sean Penn seemed to lack. The highlight though, is the grubby little occupy-wall street-vegan-chic at the end who, looking at the Galella exhibit at the Met has never heard of Richard Burton, Henry Kissinger, Brigitte Bard-ott, Grace Kelly, Robert Kennedy... and..."Oh my God...Steve McQueen. Wasn't he a famous director or something?" Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member price tag we pay for first amendment. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member I like this guy Ron, he is definitely hooked on being associated with celebrities. People in his camp are a bit delusional in regard to Ms Onasis. Making statements implying that the interaction with Ron was in fact a relationship through the lens. jackie made it very clear she didn't appreciate Ron's. He even says he didn't have a girlfriend at the time, so Jackie was kind of like his girlfriend. NO, she was the subject of you photograph. Friends of Ron's talked about how Ron cared for Jackie & her children & wouldn't ever harm them. To Jackie Ron is a stranger, following her, photographing her & her children. There's also criticism from a real blowhard forget his name and a photographer from Sport Illustrated, who agrees that Ron's pictures capture great moments, but argues that the appeal is the subject, and it doesn't make any difference who photographed Liz Taylor. I'm sure this guy would want credit for all the pictures he's taken of famous athletes. I bet he considers many of the images art. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Smash His Camera

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Movie Info

Synopsis Paparazzo Ron Galella goes to extreme lengths to snap celebrity photos, including an obsessive pursuit of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis that twice landed him in court.
Director
Leon Gast
Producer
Linda Saffire, Adam Schlesinger
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
Got The Shot Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Brief Language|Nudity)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 30, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 31, 2015
Runtime
1h 27m
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