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      The Invention of Dr. NakaMats

      2009 57m Documentary List
      Reviews 36% Fewer than 50 Ratings Audience Score Filmmaker Kaspar Astrup Schröder examines the life and work of prolific inventor Dr. NakaMats. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member The title is the clue to this biographical documentary on the eccentric inventor who seems to be most interested in his own fame. Egomaniacal visionary is looked at with distant respect, but a more investigatory approach is needed for a successful film. A curiosity. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review eric b At only 57 minutes, "The Invention of Dr. NakaMats" takes an intriguing subject but fails to dig deep enough. Yoshiro Nakamatsu is an octogenarian Japanese inventor with over 4,000 patents. He's a genuine celebrity in his homeland and has a grand lifestyle of limousines and flashy designer suits. His main claim to fame appears to be the floppy disk, but a post-movie background check suggests he may demand more credit than he deserves. He believes the key to his creative process is swimming underwater to the brink of losing consciousness (he brainstorms under the surface on a customized, waterproof notepad), and his inventions incorporate strange ideas that recall the witchy quirks of Wilhelm Reich and his orgone accumulators. Two prominently discussed items are a "Love Jet" spray that's supposed to enhance sexual arousal and a bizarre chair called the Cerebrex that allegedly reduces sleep needs and improves thinking. (It cools the head while warming the feet -- hooray?) Other gizmos include a water-powered vehicle and jumping shoes with elaborate, springy soles. Unfortunately, this already skimpy film wastes time following the doctor's everyday activities when an academic look at his creations would be much more interesting. Nakamatsu -- "NakaMats" is a poorly explained nickname -- is a vain, aloof, domineering personality who seems to intimidate everyone who encounters him. Scenes with his family are telling -- a daughter resists his embrace and the children are scolded for improperly presenting a birthday gift. His facial expression rarely changes and, for decades, he has snapped photos of every meal he eats -- it's the basis of some dubious nutritional study. The dividing line between genius and madness is not clear, but isn't that always the case? Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Invention of Dr. NakaMats

      The Invention of Dr. NakaMats (2009) The Invention of Dr. NakaMats (2009) The Invention of Dr. NakaMats (2009) The Invention of Dr. NakaMats (2009) The Invention of Dr. NakaMats (2009) View more photos

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Filmmaker Kaspar Astrup Schröder examines the life and work of prolific inventor Dr. NakaMats.
      Director
      Kaspar Astrup Schröder
      Screenwriter
      Kaspar Astrup Schröder
      Genre
      Documentary
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Aug 10, 2016
      Runtime
      57m