Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth
| Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Anthony DiMaria |
| Produced by | Noor Ahmed Johnny Bishop Voss Boreta Anthony DiMaria Chad Layne Maria Rogers Jacob Strunk |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Johnny Bishop |
| Edited by | Johnny Bishop |
| Music by | Jeff Beal |
Production companies | 1010 Films Halation |
| Distributed by | Shout Factory |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth is a 2020 American documentary film that studies Jay Sebring's life as the first international pioneer[1] in the industry of men's style and hair.[2] Cited as the inspiration for Warren Beatty's character in the 1975 film Shampoo,[3][4] Jay Sebring's life ended at age 35 when he and four others were killed by the Manson family[5] in what would become known as the Tate murders.[6]
Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth premiered at the 2020 Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival,[7] where it was signed to North American streaming distribution by Shout Studios on 26 February 2020.[8] Vice president of Shout acquisitions Jordan Fields remarked, "(Cutting to the Truth) is an intimate, fascinating portrait of a man whose legacy is so much more than how he died. It's how he lived that is the main subject here, and his profound contribution to an entire industry, as well as to the style of the 1960s, is expertly, and finally, celebrated."[9]
Description
[edit]Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth was directed and produced by Sebring's nephew, Anthony DiMaria.[10] [11] With a production timeline spanning 12 years,[12] DiMaria sought to correct nonfactual and sensational aspects of his uncle's story, in part through the documentary's extensive forensic and firsthand accounts, and also from numerous investigative interviews with Quincy Jones, David Milch, Nancy Sinatra, and others.[13] For example, director Quentin Tarantino, interviewed at length for Cutting to the Truth,[14][15] commented that, "Jay was different. He created a market where there really wasn't one. Not just a haircut, but men's hair fashion."
In a 2020 interview, Anthony DiMaria said that through his documentary he hoped to remove his uncle from the singular crime history narrative that for decades has celebrated the Manson family as "rock stars". DiMaria presents a wide spectrum of evidence that seeks to re-establish the authentic legacy of Jay Sebring's influence and accomplishments.[16] In 2019, DiMaria told the Chicago Tribune, "The point of the documentary is to restore the face to a culturally, historically relevant individual whose identity and legacy has been stolen from him in the sensationalism of his murder."[17] Later he would say, "It's always boggled my mind that Jay's story wasn’t told sooner".[18]
Soundtrack
[edit]The Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth musical score was created by Jeff Beal, who is noted for his Blackfish documentary soundtrack[19][20] along with multiple television Emmy wins and nominations.[21]
Reception
[edit]Cutting to the Truth has received largely positive reviews[22][23][24] and as of October 2021[update] holds a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 88%.[25]
Jordan Raup of The Film Stage noted the film's revelation of Jay Sebring as a "great influence on a generation of Hollywood stars, from Marlon Brando to Bruce Lee,"[26] while USA Today included the documentary in its exclusive "All the Fall Movies You'll Want To Stream".[27]
William Friedkin, director of The French Connection and the original Exorcist said, "Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth is an important, wonderful film and should be seen by as many people as possible."[28]
Michael Ordoña in his 2020 Los Angeles Times review says the film is "stylish," an "absorbing and passionate documentary." Ordoña singles-out DiMaria for "an impressive directorial debut."[29]
References
[edit]- ^ "Remembering Jay Sebring, Hollywood's First Celebrity Hairstylist". Vogue. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Jay Sebring Is the Godfather of Men's Hairstyling. So Why Haven't You Heard of Him?". Esquire. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Hal Ashby's "Shampoo": The Brazen Comedy That Depicted the End of the Sixties' Innocence". Cinephilia & Beyond. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Message In a Shampoo Bottle". New York Times. 18 August 2002. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Who Was Jay Sebring? A-List Hair Dresser With Michigan Ties Was More Than a Manson Victim". Detroit Free Press. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "From the Archives: Manson Indicted With 5 Others in Tate Murders". Los Angeles Times. 9 December 1969. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Shout! Studios Acquires North American Rights To Anthony Dimaria's Highly Anticipated Documentary JAY SEBRING....CUTTING TO THE TRUTH". Shout Factory. February 27, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ "Jay Sebring Documentary Lands at Shout! Studios (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "A New Documentary On Hollywood Hairdresser and Manson Murder Victim Jay Sebring Is Coming Soon". Los Angeles Magazine. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Once Upon a Time..." Las Vegas Review Journal. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Review: "Jay Sebring...Cutting To The Truth" Sets Record Straight On Hollywood Actor Beyond the Manson Family Murders". Punch Drunk Critics. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "New Documentary Highlights (That) Manson Family Murders of 1969 Have Little-known Las Vegas Connection". KTNV Las Vegas. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Filmmaker Anthony DiMaria. Director of Film "Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth"". iHeart Radio. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Quentin Tarantino Talks Jay Sebring In New Doc On Celebrity Hairstylist Killed By Manson Family". Entertainment Weekly. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ ""Jay Sebring" Trailer: Tarantino, Others, Set the Record Straight About Manson Victim". The Playlist. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Jay Sebring...Cutting to the Truth: A Tribute to a Forgotten "Name" Manson Victim, and an Indictment of Media Frenzy". Original-Cin. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Families of Charles Manson Victims Still Fighting To Tell Their Loved Ones' Stories, 50 Years Later". Chicago Tribune. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Henderson Native's "Jay Sebring" Film Seeks To Redeem Manson Family Victim". Las Vegas Review Journal. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "'Blackfish' to Be Celebrated at Live Concert Event in Hollywood". 30 June 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "From 'Monk' to 'An Inconvenient Sequel,' Composer Jeff Beal Discusses His Career in TV and Film". 23 January 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ Television Academy: Jeff Beal, The Television Academy and Foundation, retrieved 2 November 2024
- ^ "The New Movie Every Hairdresser Needs to Watch This Month". Behind the Chair. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "'Jay Sebring...Cutting to the Truth': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "EMAV Film Review: 'Jay Sebring...Cutting to the Truth'". Eat More Art! Vegas. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Jay Sebring....Cutting to the Truth". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- ^ "First Trailer For Jay Sebring Documentary Explores a Life Cut Short". Entertainment Weekly. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Exclusive: Sneak Peeks At All the Fall Movies You'll Want To Stream". USA Today. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Twitter: Jay Sebring...Cutting to the Truth (William Friedkin Quote)". Twitter. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Sebring and Stuntwomen Documentaries Peel Back Layers of Hollywood History". Los Angeles Times. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2022.