RADIOMAN explores one man’s deep devotion to the world of movies
NEW YORK’S DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL: RADIOMAN (Mary Kerr, 2012)
IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at West Third St.
Friday, November 9, 7:45, and Thursday, November 15, 11:00 am, $16.50
Festival runs November 8-15
212-924-7771
www.radiomanthemovie.com
www.docnyc.net
Craig Cataldo, also known as Craig Schwartz, is a New York icon. Better known as Radioman, he travels across the city on an old bicycle, wearing a boombox around his neck like a treasured jewel. The life of this eccentric character is now on view in the entertaining documentary Radioman. Although many might assume that Radioman is a crazy homeless drunk — something he did struggle with in the past — it turns out that Radioman is a beloved figure in the film world, appearing in more than one hundred films and television shows. He devotes his life to being an extra and hanging out on movie sets, where he converses with the stars and approaches his bit parts like they are starring roles. The documentary, directed by British filmmaker Mary Kerr, features a slew of celebrities singing the praises of Radioman, including George Clooney, Helen Mirren, Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Fey, Meryl Streep, Ron Howard, and, most philosophically, Josh Brolin and Robin Williams. Kerr follows Radio, as he’s known to his closer friends, as he does his thing on local film sets, discusses his childhood and the difficult time when he was arrested and hospitalized against his will, shows off his frighteningly cramped and bug-infested apartment, and travels to Hollywood to try to get into some Oscar parties. A gregarious, well-spoken, and occasionally crude fellow with a big, scraggly gray beard, Radioman, who looks much older than his sixty-one years, is like a giant old teddy bear that you just can’t get yourself to throw away because it means that much to you. Radioman is screening November 9 and 15 at the IFC Center, with Kerr and Radioman on hand to talk about the work, as part of DOC NYC, a weeklong celebration of nonfiction film at IFC and the SVA Theatre comprising more than seventy documentaries, along with panel discussions and master classes. Among the other highlights are Artifact, about Jared Leto’s band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and their battle with their record label; Eddie Adams: Saigon ’68, which tells the story of the iconic photograph of a gun pointed at the head of a Vietnamese man; Informant, about activist and FBI mole Brandon Darby; and Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself, a look at the life and career of the beloved participatory journalist.