Get to know Dick Miller. This documentary had me in stitches. That Guy Dick Miller by Elijah Drenner pays homage to one of Hollywood's hardest working and finest character actors during the last six decades. Dick Miller is a familiar face and has been in films we all know and cherish. This documentary shines a light on the qualities that made him who he is as a person and as an actor.
From blockbusters like Gremlins and The Terminator to grind house classics such as Truck Turner and Little Shop of Horrors, Dick Miller has been in everything, but that wasn't what he envisioned when he broke into the business back in 1955. Miller's first starring role was playing Tall Tree, an Indian ally to a government agent in Apache Woman. After that film, he kept getting offers for more films and the rest is history.
Originally Miller wanted to be a writer and had no intention of being an actor, but as fate would have it, he ended up on the other side of the camera. With his good looks and charming personality, Miller, no matter the size of his characters role, always left a lasting impression on each film he was in. This was a true testament to his dedication and craft to the art of filmmaking.
Aside from being an avid writer and actor, Miller is an accomplished artist; he draws an array of things such as naked women (naturally), cartoon characters, portraits and courtroom sketches, the latter of which booked him a film role in a courtroom drama as a sketch artist. Aside from this, I would have liked to have peeled back the onion and gotten to know the man behind the actor better. Instead, this film takes the viewer through Dick's extensive film career, which is interesting enough, but comes up a tad short in my opinion. Overall, this film is worth a rental and will be a joy for grind house aficionados and Miller fans alike.
