Starring Adam West Dir. James E. Tooley

[Chromatic Films; 2013]

Styles: documentary
Others: Paul Williams Still Alive, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

The best image from Starring Adam West comes early. Eighty-five-year-old West, star of the 1960s mega-hit Batman, sits in a radio interview. A poster for This Ain’t Gilligan’s Island XXX, a blue spoof of another 60s camp classic, hangs over his shoulder. West, too, has had his career-making likeness subjected to porn parody, but his longevity has surpassed that of his contemporaries. He’ll never reach the heights he hit 50 years ago, but viewers can still revel in West’s eccentricity. He’s on network television. Kids still know his name. Critics can say (and have said) all they want about the limits of West’s talent, but as James Tooley’s debut feature documentary shows, West is enjoying his life more than ever before. He won. Pow! Zok!

More than just one hammy actor’s survival story, Starring Adam West is a testament to the power of fandom. Funded by a Kickstarter campaign, James Tooley documents the fan-supported quest for West’s name to land on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Unable to surpass his iconic (yet typecasting) role, West has his devout cult following to thank for his success: as a kid, his longtime agent bragged that he would one day represent Adam West. He delights fans, young and old, at numerous conventions year after year. His memorable appearances on Family Guy, 30 Rock, and The Simpsons were made possible by those who grew up watching him. In one scene, he rides with the Austin Chief of Police, who claims that the show’s campy morals inspired him to be a cop. Starring Adam West is an investigation into how Adam West learned to stop worrying and love his legacy, his fans, and himself. He may not have international success, but he’s far from a failure.

The film permeates with a fanboy’s energy; Tooley culls from dozens of classic clips and home movies to give a full scope of leading man and family guy. Tooley’s motives are passionate, not exploitative. West, his fans, his family and friends all tell his story with relish and vulnerability, but career-bending blemishes, like his alcoholism and self-doubt, are kept minimal. Personally, I’d have loved to have heard more about Zombie Nightmare, which was given a second life on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Instead, there’s enjoyment to be had from seeing the Once-Caped Crusader flourish with a quirky gregariousness amongst his loved ones, including his fans, which has helped his career more than anything else. Since Batman, the only other role Adam West has enjoyed is Adam West. If much of Starring Adam West seems self-congratulatory, it is. Who can blame it?

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