SXSW and World Premier -- Conan O'Brien Can't Stop

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop
Dir. Rodman Flender
28/300

Synopsis: Did Conan O'Brien go on tour to connect with his fans of fill a void within himself? Rodman Flender's documentary captures an artist trained in improvisations at the most improvisational time of his career.

So, I'm currently 12 blog posts behind what I've viewed, and I'm really quite sorry to anyone who has been following this trying to be patient and wait on the rest of the SXSW posts, but here goes!

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop is a film that picks up just days after Conan has been pushed out of the late night lineup.  On the surface, he seems to be in good spirits, joking around with a bus of tourists.  But one can tell, the man doesn't know what to do with himself.  So, when left to his own devices, extra time (that he's not used to having, and great emotional fury, he sets off on tour.

I know, I just gave you another synopsis.  Sorry.


This movie works in a lot of ways.  It brings the laughs from his tour footage, people that come to support him, and just Conan being Conan.  I'm not sure that this movie could have not been funny, no matter who was behind the camera.  What's interestingly captured throughout though, is emotion that an entertainer suppresses.  It's this emotion that Conan uses to recreate himself and create a new act.  In the history of television, people have been laid off and fired, but never in this kind of spotlight.  So, to watch someone at that level of the business go through the feelings of not knowing what's next, nor how to get there, is very interesting and almost inspiring.  A very engaging story is being told in this film about a man that doesn't just let himself be let go, he doesn't just fall, he fights back and rallies his troupes.

Anyway, this movie was picked up within 24 hours of it's first screening by Abramorama, Magnolia Home Entertainment, and AT&T’s U-verse for screening, video on demand and dvd distribution, and online viewing.  So, I guess the moral of the story on this one seems to be if you can find the right person at the wrong time to point a camera at, you can make a very good documentary. 


Being a huge Conan fan myself, I loved the movie, and of course, I enjoyed the Q and A where he was present.  I hope you will too!

Run Time: 89 minutes + 2942 = 3031