Maidstone

Norman Mailer directs and stars as a filmmaker preparing to shoot his latest experimental film, which also deals with a film-within-a-film. The project becomes a chaotic blend of reality and fiction as the lines between the characters and the actors blur. Mailer's alter-ego, a presidential candidate, grapples with his sanity and the ethical dilemmas of filmmaking. The film delves into themes of power, madness, and the nature of art itself. It's a meta-cinematic exploration that challenges conventional storytelling.

Maidstone received highly polarized reviews, with many critics baffled by its unconventional structure and content, while others praised its audacity and Welles's challenging artistic vision. It has since gained a cult following among cinephiles interested in experimental cinema. The film was largely considered a commercial failure upon release but is now recognized as a significant, albeit difficult, work of its time.

• A challenging and self-indulgent meta-film that pushes the boundaries of cinematic form.

• Orson Welles's direction is both lauded for its ambition and criticized for its excessive length and pretentiousness.

• Explores themes of power, art, and madness in a fragmented and often inscrutable narrative.

Google audience: Audience reception is largely undocumented, but the film is known for its experimental nature which likely appealed to a niche audience rather than mainstream viewers.

The film is famous for a scene where Orson Welles, playing himself as a director, gets into an actual fistfight with Rip Torn during a drunken argument on camera, which was improvised and added to the film.