“How many times do you have to see a film before you´ve actually seen it?” —Jack Angstreich

A documentary cult classic, Cinemania is an affectionate portrait of five obsessive film goers whose voracious appetite for films has consumed everything else in their lives.

The “cinemaniacs” have seen thousands of movies. They often cannot hold jobs and are on the verge of poverty, but absolutely must watch films day and night, no matter the cost. The cinemaniacs reveal not only their lives, but their vast encyclopedic knowledge of cinema, from classic pre-code actresses to the least known science-fiction schlock as well as organizational techniques for coping with the complex scheduling difficulties posed by multiple festivals and special screenings of rarities. The film follows the cinemaniacs as they hop from screening to screening across town, calling cinemas to check on the condition of the print. Eric, who also watches video makes an exception among the pack—the other cinemaniacs insist on movies and hate television. Sometimes their dreams are movies, they say, perhaps in black and white or CinemaScope.

A fascinating look at the roots of film-addiction, Cinemania is an irresistible and hilarious ode to cinephilia for the ages.