"American Prince" is an update/sequel profiling actor and multi-task man Steven Prince (Easy Andy, the gun salesman in "Taxi Driver") a few
decades after being profiled by personal friend/director Martin Scorsese in the obscure documentary "American Boy" (1978). In that film, Prince tells
countless of hilarious stories, a few dangerous ones - being the most memorable the heroin overdose victim who got ressurected with an adrenaline
shot, of which Tarantino recreated in "Pulp Fiction" - and the man tells the craziest stories in a very charismatic manner. His friendship with
Scorsese provided him with a series of jobs for the director in the late 1970's, but Prince was already a key figure to whatever need you may have. This
very film returns to analyze the previous film, curious stories from other movies he worked with Marty and what changed in the man's life after all
these years.
He aged a little, does not work in the movie business though he had some sparse returns (which includes retelling a story from "American Boy"
within Linklater's "Waking Life" - the director is one of the interviewers here), yet the charisma, the sense of humor and the crazed manner of telling
stories remained the same. Yet, he's still a mystery of sorts and we're not destined to see a biography of the man talking about his life, marriage or
anything similar. It all relates with the craziness of how his friendship with Scorsese started (hilarious), working on "Taxi Driver" and "New York,
New York" (when his role end up being deleted from the film when during his capacity as an assistant he suggested the removal of secondary characters
when Marty's film was going too long), and other amusing stories. His time living in the neighborhood where the Wonderland murders happened goes as
the darkest part of it all, yet he manages to inject some humor in it.
If I were to define Steven Prince I'd say he was one of the luckiest man in show business. A non-trained actor who had plenty of talent to do
whatever he wanted and needed, found the right connections to show his skills and with wisdom, humor, some wild acts too, he stayed on the scene for
a brief period, and conquered admirers from his work and his stories. It's a pity Marty doesn't show up to present his version of everything, but it's
all there in "American Boy", a very fun documentary.
"American Prince" is less crazed and erratic than Scorsese's film, it has more of a focus and direction to go as Linklater and others interview
the man in between lots of wine, giant laughter and full attention and memory from Prince. It's like one of those delightful evenings one has with a
captivating storyteller who charm the crowd with ease and levity. Truly, lots of fun. 9/10.
