Twisted: A Balloonamentary

2007 documentary

Rating: 10/20

Plot: Balloon twisting enthusiasts meet at Twist and Shout, a balloon art convention. This documentary clumsily tells the stories of eight balloon twisters. They range from dull to barely interesting.

Not a bad subject for a documentary, but this really cheap production didn't do it for me. The stories go all over the place, and there are more than a few times when the filmmakers are guilty of getting just a little too precious, especially when telling the rags-to-latex story of the girl who lived with her mom and sister in the travel trailer or when referring to the death of a legendary balloon twister. Highlights include the gospel balloon twister John Holmes whose professional goal is to have as many video releases as his namesake. And yes, he makes crucified Christs out of balloons and tears up while talking about them. There are also some balloon twisters who create pornographic balloon art. I didn't expect to have to turn this off when one of my daughters came into the room. And there was one woman who not only twisted balloons but who added ventriloquism to the act. She has a six-figure income, and it's hard not to watch her and think about how terrific this country is.