Review – Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows

Martin Scorcese “presents” and narrates this documentary about the legendary B movie producer. I enjoy Lewton’s work, so I was fascinated by some of the behind-the-scenes stuff about how his pictures were made. Sure, it features a little armchair psychiatrist speculation about plot elements in the movies mirroring aspects of the producer’s personality. But for the most part it sticks to the facts. I also appreciated the focus on the guy’s professional career and the omission of the personal life gossip that often infects Hollywood biographies. Overall I was impressed by the picture and even startled by some of the information presented. For example, I didn’t realize that Lewton was only 46 when he died. What a tragic loss. Worth seeing