There are some fans out there who are so committed to the movies they love and so knowledgeable about every aspect of cinema that they put even the most vocal fanboys to shame. These are the people who have moved beyond mere fandom, obsessing over one particular franchise or genre, and should rather be considered as experts in their field capable of holding their own in the company of film critics and academics. These are the true film buffs. Cinemania follows five such film buffs around Manhattan as they struggle to cram in as many films in each day as the listings and subway timetables will allow for while maintaining their meticulous notes (one man obsesses over running times, and often corrects a theatre for getting the times wrong), occasionally finding some time to socialise with their fellow film-spotters. Most of them refuse to watch movies on home media, and instead their apartments are full to the rafters with endless books on films and their makers. Their standards are incredibly high too, largely dismissing Hollywood fodder in favour of the true greats of film history, from Rainer Werner Fassbender (no relation to Michael) and Ingmar Bergman to Federico Fellini and Jean-Luc Godard. Cinemania is a real gem, both a fantastic documentary about obsession which cautiously touches on the mental illness of fandom (after all, the word "fan" derives from "fanatic") and an ode to the cinema itself; that vast, ever-changing silver canvas upon which our dreams and realities are projected. German directors Angela Christlieb and Steven Kijak's affectionate documentary does full justice to the subject matter - a must-see for film buffs everywhere.
