Magical Universe (2013)

A documentarian strikes up a friendship with reclusive artist Al Carbee, whose Barbie-doll photography gains acclaim and interest over the course of this project's 10-year history.

Director:

Jeremy Workman

Writer:

Jeremy Workman

Stars:

Al Carbee, Jeremy Workman, Astrid von Ussar

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Al Carbee	...	Himself
Jeremy Workman	...	Himself
Astrid von Ussar	...	Herself

Storyline

Filmed over 10 years, Magical Universe is a strange and inspiring portrait of Al Carbee, an 88 year old eccentric artist who spends all his days making Barbie art. The documentary chronicles the decade-long relationship between artist and filmmaker Jeremy Workman, who became Carbee's closest friend and only link to the outside world. At its core, Magical Universe is about wonder, friendship, and the transcendent power of creativity, and it culminates with Al Carbee's greatest triumph as an artist and man.

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Taglines:

Imagination can take you out of this world.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Universo Mágico

Filming Locations:

Saco, Maine, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wheelhouse Creative

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

References Carbee's Barbies (2002)

User Reviews

Unraveling the Mystery that is Al Carbee - a MUST SEE

This making of this film was clearly a labor of love. It is a great movie, and not a mere "project" as one IMDB user reviewer falsely describes it. The filmmaker, Jeremy Workman, had to walk a tightrope between pity and piety, and only his honest and fearless love for his subject, a mysterious, bizarre and eccentric old gentleman, Al Carbee, kept him aloft. The result is a MUST SEE for audiences of all kinds. This film is not political; it doesn't have an agenda; it doesn't have a cause or an ax to grind; it is neither mean-spirited nor sarcastic; it's just plain weird fun, that pulls you in, engages you, but then, most surprisingly, leads you to ponder the most profound questions that one can ask. Fact is stranger than fiction, and the story of Al Carbee illustrates this strange fact perfectly. Mr. Workman's brilliance is evident in his artful slow peeling back of the layers of the endless onion that is the bizarre enigma of Al Carbee. You have to see this movie for yourself to understand why it keeps affecting people so deeply, and has garnered such a following, a growing following. The real mystery is this: was Al Carbee a silly old fool, or a sly mystical sage? What did Al Carbee actually know? Where did he actually go? And most important, what is and where is Epicuma?