Combover: The Movie (2005) User Reviews

Entertaining and Informative

[JohnnyCNote · 8/10 · 21 March 2008]

If you've ever had any questions about combovers, this is the movie to see. Or, even if you've never given any thought to the subject, I'd still recommend it for its entertainment value. I'd disagree that it's at all mean spirited.

The entertainment is almost entirely from the interviewees, all of whom were very good-natured about their do's. Several had great senses of humor. I really only saw one case where anyone was "stalked". In the opening minutes, the producer pursued a man down the street in NYC, backing off when the guy threatened him with bodily harm.

There were two big surprises (not at all spoilers). One was the young man who deliberately shaves his head so that he can have a combover. I'd say the best word to describe him would be "individualist", or perhaps "eccentric" (in a positive way).

The other was the son of the man who actually patented the combover. I never would have guessed such a thing could even be patented. Judging from the man's home, it doesn't appear to have been the most lucrative patent one could hold.

If you get a chance, don't pass this one up!

Bizarrely Interesting ...

[Vic_max · 7/10 · 30 April 2008]

If you've ever been curious about the segment of the male population that chooses to cover up their baldness by growing their side hair long ... this movie is worth checking out. It's a documentary that follows Tim Fenoglio (a fellow with a lot of hair) around as he looks for and talks to men who do combovers.

This movie is about 50 minutes long and covers, in a pop-culture way, the background and techniques for doing combovers. Fenoglio is a little weird in his fascination / enthusiasm with the men who do this - but it seems all innocently good. If you're interested in learning about this topic, this is probably one of the very few shows (maybe even the "only" one) to address it.

Hilarious and brilliant !

[chromalevel · 10/10 · 8 April 2008]

Watched this movie the other day with my wife and we literally fell off the bed in hysterics. It is more than just a silly movie, it's a side splitting metaphor for the human condition. Whether you have a comb-over or not, it's a revealing look at how our human psyche works.

The rationalizations that each of Marino's interviewees give him is priceless. From the guy who does a comb-over even though he has a full head of hair, to a gentleman who really believes that it prevents him from getting head colds.

Anybody who is looking for an hour of laughs should keep an eye out for this documentary.

I love this movie ..An insightful look into a fascinating phenomenon

[coffecup-1 · 10/10 · 7 April 2008]

Why it took so long for someone to document such an interesting solution to a natural event is another question that needs to be answered.

I Googled the doc and was surprised to see so much had already been written about it. I must have been living in a box for the last couple of years because I am always looking for documentaries that enlighten and Combover: the Movie not only enlightens, it entertains and leaves you feeling good. Every character in the doc offers a unique perspective into a hairstyle that everyone is curious about. It is definitely not mean spirited! During my Google search I found a review that was written about Combover: the Movie from the London Daily News, I think it sums it up well: "It is funny to the last without stooping to cruelty" I felt that way after watching the doc, which is quite high praise given the subject matter.

Hilarious

[raftdude1 · 10/10 · 12 June 2008]

Okay, I was skeptical when I first considered that an entire movie could be made about combovers. However, after watching this movie (at least four or five times), I'm totally convinced there needs to be a sequel!

Not only is this movie hysterically funny, it's cleverly structured to give us a light-hearted insight into why this disturbing hair style is popular among a small group of people. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of the academic analysis to help explain why this troubling fashion statement might be chosen!

Anyone thinking that this movie is mean-spirited or harsh in any way probably just isn't comfortable with their own combover. C'mon, even the "interview-ees" were laughing about their own "do".

A subculture expose' at it's finest.

Unnecessary roughness

[MidwestMike · 5/10 · 8 March 2008]

From the title alone, I figured this documentary would be a lighthearted take on the odd phenomenon of the combover. What I didn't expect was that the filmmakers would choose to spice it up with "ambush journalism" tactics that are much more mean-spirited than the subject warrants. There are many scenes of director/writer Marino stalking men on the street, aiming his camera down at their combovers before even asking for their consent to be interviewed. When he gets a hostile response (a frequent occurrence which doesn't surprise me at all), he walks away cackling. Clearly this guy enjoys embarrassing strangers - I'm glad he didn't choose acne or obesity as his subject matter.

Anybody with a conscience will cringe at these moments of cruelty. As goofy-looking as combovers can be, this is still a touchy subject of male self-esteem and midlife insecurity. The documentary is redeemed somewhat by thoughtful commentary from academics, barbers and other cooperating interview subjects. Especially engaging are interviews with a few good-natured combover-ers who are surprisingly willing to talk about their odd hairstyles. These guys show a basic decency and humility that the filmmakers sorely lacked.