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Harry finds AMERICAN PRINCE to be the perfect companion to Scorsese's legendary semi-Lost film, AMERICAN BOY!

Published at: March 10, 2009, 7:43 a.m. CST

I've somewhat known Tommy Pallotta as a figure of Austin film here in Austin for years, but I've never really met the guy or gotten to know him. This year at SXSW, he has a wonderful Documentary that is premiering called AMERICAN PRINCE - a project that I hadn't heard a whisper of before Tommy dropped me an email asking if I'd like to see it pre-fest. I love screeners of things as it helps to simplify my scheduling once the beast of the festival is clawing upon my back for attention. So. What's AMERICAN PRINCE about? I didn't have the first clue before putting it on to watch. I wasn't entirely sure if I'd watch the whole thing, but as it started - and I realized what this was about and who it fixated upon... I found the film geek and historian in me giddy! AMERICAN PRINCE is the second documentary on the life of a Steven Prince - who was a close friend and associate of Martin Scorsese. I knew of him through a terribly degraded multi-generation cherished copy of AMERICAN BOY by Scorsese - which was Marty's profile of his rather colorful friend, Steven Prince. Steven Prince was Neil Diamond's manager for a period. He's the gun salesman in TAXI DRIVER. The record producer in NEW YORK, NEW YORK. And well... His life and the stories he told in AMERICAN BOY have affected pop-culture in ways that you'd only know about if you'd seen Scorsese's scared AMERICAN BOY (which is playing at SXSW this year and is a MUST SEE!). AMERICAN PRINCE is a reexamination of Steven Prince, the stories he told in AMERICAN BOY and how Steven has shaped a certain amount of pop culture film reality. And he also unleashes with new tales that could go on to further inspire future filmmakers to mine this amazing storyteller's tales. This is Tommy Pallotta's debut work as a feature Documentary director and it is absolutely a success. Scorsese & Tarantino & Neil Diamond nerds MUST SEE THIS! Amazing stories are told here. Seriously, just wait till you hear about the house that Steven Prince shared with Scorsese and Robbie Robertson! Astonishing stuff! This was my first documentary of many that I hope to enjoy at SXSW this year!

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