a review of

#25: I Am Thor (streaming on Netflix) I was first introduced to the over-the-top insanity of Jon Mikl Thor through Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare, his unforgettable VHS-era supernatural horror camp classic, and later with Zombie Nightmare on MST3K. But I didn't become aware of his heavy metal career until later, when he began his comeback in the late '90s/early 2000s. I'd never really been sure how sincere his online fan following actually was, although I did happen upon a re-release of his 1977 debut album "Keep The Dogs Away" and found it an enjoyable chunk of off-brand glam/power-pop. So I was curious to see if this documentary succeeded in filling in some of the blanks for me with regards to Thor as a figure of cult adoration. The answer to that question is "yes and no". The first 30 minutes, detailing Thor's squeaky-clean all-Canadian upbringing, his early career as a male stripper and Vegas performer, and his subsequent abortive stab at heavy metal stardom, paints a picture of the late '70s rock scene, and the neo-vaudeville of Vegas and variety television, both vividly and efficiently. The filmmakers make a semi-convincing argument that Thor could have made as much of a mark as Alice Cooper and KISS, were it not for some unlucky breaks. Unfortunately, when the film fast-forwards through Thor's B-movie career and mid-'90s retirement and divorce to catch up to his present-day revival, it becomes sort of cringey and hard to watch. It becomes clear that Thor has become a bit of a self-mythologizing control freak, basically driving away one group of backing musicians after another in a succession of shambolic, money-losing tours. One imagines a different version of this film in which Thor realizes that he can't do all of this himself, and hires a real manager, costumers, and roadies to help him actually achieve his vision of savage metal-warrior heroism. But instead, it's a movie about a broken-down tragic clown wearing badly-coordinated costume shop accessories and smuggling steel bars in his luggage. As it is, it's fitfully entertaining to see how he muddles through in spite of his clear organizational deficiences, but ultimately the filmmakers don't really show us an arc that reveals him learning anything from his struggles. It's an interesting enough documentary, but increasingly frustrating the longer it goes.