Spaz does not break any ground in terms of style and technique. However, the main subject is fascinating all on his own, and his story is equally as compelling. The good, the bad, and the ugly are presented here for everyone to consider and draw their own conclusions about Spaz’s work and temperament.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The film occasionally has trouble balancing the two subjects, with the more personal side of the doc occasionally getting lost in the archival clips and photos of the Hollywood fervor Spaz stirred up with his innovations. But it's still fascinating, insightful, and certainly entertaining.
The New York Times by Glenn Kenny
Directed by Scott Leberecht, Jurassic Punk tells the very juicy story of pioneers, naysayers and professional hierarchies that made Williams both the Necessary Man and an eventual outcast.
RogerEbert.com by Matt Zoller Seitz
It's a portrait of a hard-drinking, charismatic, obnoxious self-styled rebel who was his own worst enemy but whose brilliance and tenacity allowed him to thrive in an industry that wouldn't ordinarily have any use for someone like him.
“Spaz” works best when, within the film’s fascinating unpacking of cinematic history, Leberecht also interrogates the unfair practice of crediting and illuminates the work of Williams. He’s a man whose behind-the-scenes talent made every scene unforgettable, and it deserves a bolder documentary than this one.
Director Scott Leberecht’s eye-opening and memory-jogging documentary is a Spaz Williams — he was given the nickname ironically, because “Look at me. I’m Popeye!” — appreciation and in many ways a rehabilitation project.