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"Directors: Joey Figueroa, Zak Knutson; Starring: John Milius, George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, George Hamilton, Paul Schrader, Sam Elliott, Francis Ford Coppola, Richard Dreyfuss; Running time: 103 mins; Certificate: 15  &amp;quot;You&amp;#039;ve got to ask yourself one question: &amp;#039;Do I feel lucky?&amp;#039; Well, do ya, punk?&amp;quot; &amp;quot;I love the smell of napalm in the morning...&amp;quot; With a ferocious demeanor as sharp as the iconic movie lines he wrote, John Milius became an &amp;#039;enfant terrible&amp;#039; amongst studio executives despite his credits including Apocalypse Now, Dirty Harry, Jaws and Conan The Barbarian. The rise and fall of the legendary scribe and script doctor is a narrative worthy of Hollywood itself, laden with potent twists and superbly conveyed in this fascinating documentary.  Milius unfolds chronologically and fuses classic footage from movies alongside archival and newly-recorded interviews with key players, interspersed with candid behind-the-scenes audio and visual recordings. These all combine to give the viewer a strong sense of the self-proclaimed &amp;#039;zen anarchist&amp;#039;, who often arrived at meetings equipped with a pistol.  The bullish, bear-like figure of Milius was the inspiration for John Goodman&amp;#039;s memorable character Walter (&amp;quot;Am I wrong? Am I wrong?!&amp;quot;) in The Big Lebowski, but this documentary scythes through the macho bravado to reveal a complex character, whose bark is far worse than his bite. It also looks at the wider issues of how passionate artists and their creative processes fare within the realms of the commerce-orientated movie industry. You&amp;#039;ll be stunned by the way Big Wednesday was treated.  The calibre of interviewees used by debut directors Joey Figueroa and Zak Knutson demonstrates the esteem that Milius is held in by his fellow creatives. His film school contemporaries George Lucas and Steven Spielberg recount various amusing tales of their fledgling endeavours, while the likes of Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone sing his praises and impart often amusing anecdotes of their experiences on and off set with the man.  Arnold Schwarzenengger reveals how Milius effectively shaped his entire star persona from scratch while directing him in his big break Conan The Barbarian. So now we know who to blame for Jingle All The Way. Milius, you bastard.  The controversy over the jingoistic Red Dawn, which Milius wrote and directed, functions as an enthralling time capsule from 1984. A society gripped by fear stemming from Cold War political machinations flocked to the movie, but led to its creator being branded a pariah by many cultural observers. We&amp;#039;re treated to nostalgia-inducing footage of Barry Norman, Sue Lawley and Peter Snow all wading in on the controversy of the kids versus invaders flick.  While it&amp;#039;s a reasonably affectionate depiction of the subject matter, Milius refreshingly doesn&amp;#039;t try to sugar coat his volatile nature. As Paul Schrader comments, Milius aspired to be &amp;quot;bigger than life&amp;quot; and there&amp;#039;s a degree of Schadenfreude at work that arguably resulted from his own behaviour.  Structured to fine effect, Milius is both a celebration of one man&amp;#039;s unique artistry and a cautionary tale about the propensity for self-destruction. Given the unflinching nature of his work and his mind, it feels like there couldn&amp;#039;t be one without the other.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/review/a526965/milius-review-fascinating-documentary-about-volatile-genius/>