Doc Star of the Month: Michael Martin, 'Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets'

Though Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets premiered in the US Documentary Competition at pre-pandemic Sundance back in January, I didn’t catch Bill and Turner Ross' heartfelt film until the festival world had turned upside down and digital. Fortunately, I was able to watch the unusual dive-bar drama during CPH:DOX's pioneering virtual edition, deeming it "the quintessential CPH:DOX film — i.e., designed to have doc purists tearing their hair out," and summed it up as follows: "Veering from the ridiculous to the poignant, often in the same scene, this collection of character studies shot during last call at a Las Vegas bar before it closes for good [but filmed in a New Orleans canteen that's still open] includes a patron named Michael, a washed-up actor who sweeps up and sleeps at the Sin City saloon. Played by Michael Martin [a former actor who really does sweep up at a Big Easy bar], he delivers drunken profound wisdom that sounds so good as to be scripted. And when he warns a young musician to 'get out' before he gets stuck because 'there's nothing more boring than a guy who used to do stuff and doesn’t do stuff no more,' it's simply devastating. An uneasy portrait of an actor who long ago lost a part of his soul to the roles he played."

So now that Utopia has launched an online rollout of the provocative doc (it premiered July 10), Documentary thought it the perfect time to reach out to the riveting thespian at its center. And luckily, Michael Martin graciously agreed to take on the role of July's Doc Star of the Month — and to give us the scoop on how he managed to pull off one of the year’s most inspired performances in a documentary.

To read my interview visit Documentary magazine.