peacecreep Ralph seems like a very cool dude that has been surrounded by assholes his entire life: The girlfriend that left him after his accident- even after he cared for her (by all accounts) unpleasant self for two years; The mother of his daughter didn't even inform him of her existence until she was 12 (that is extremely cruel); And the "co-star" of the film, his best friend, that spends the film arguing with people... dude doesn't come off very well. On the other hand Ralph is the quintessential free spirited artist battling against the odds stacked against him. Good for him, he is a hero we can cheer on. Ralph recognizes and states that MDMA helped cure his illness, that alone he deserves a standing ovation for. Great little doc. Yeeeooowww indeed.

Ralphus2 I had no idea what this documentary was about before watching it. The blurb said something about, "Before there was Jackass, there was Cap'n Video..." Frankly, this didn't enthuse me so much. I'm lukewarm at best about Jackass. If you feel the same way, forget about the whole Jackass thing and just watch "Beauty Day". There is so much more here to enjoy.As with any documentary, the subject is key to how interesting you will find it. If the subject is a person, then that person needs to be interesting or special or exemplary in some way. Or all of the above and more. In Ralph Zavadil, director Jay Cheel has a unique and endearing subject. Yes, Zavadil is the creator of a pre-Jackass cable TV show that featured him jumping off stuff, setting stuff on fire, rigging up motorized stuff, and just generally playing the fool, but the man, Ralph, turns out to be much more than that.He's had some hardships, but nothing TOO disadvantageous. He's injured himself; one crucial time quite seriously, but he's recovered fully. He's had and then lost true love, but he's coping with that OK it seems. His old career is over, but he's got a job with a close friend that he seems to enjoy and is good at. He tries to resurrect the Cap'n Video show and it doesn't quite work out, but he's not depressed about it. In other words, Ralph is an optimist and a big-hearted positive force in the world. If he never even thought up Cap'n Video (though that seems unlikely) he would still be an interesting and lovable specimen. Actually, it's his intelligence and balanced world-view that come across so strongly; more so than any Jackass-like tom-foolishness.It's Ralph that makes this documentary and Jay Cheel is wise enough to let it happen that way. He doesn't get in the way (Gasland!!!) and you might even assume that this is Ralph's own project a la Cap'n Video, although production values are...ahem...CONSIDERABLY higher.This reminded me of my very favorite documentary, "The Devil at Your Heels" (Robert Fortier, 1980), which, coincidentally, is also Canadian. Both feature characters that effect you as you watch them; characters that remain in your heart and mind long after meeting them. The difference being that Ralph is a smarter and more positive force than the poor doomed Ken Carter. (If you haven't seen "The Devil at Your Heels", seek it out. It's quite remarkable.) Thanks Ralph and Jay. You made my day.

AMichaelL Cap'N Video is quite a character, and if you are like me, you have no doubt seen his epic fail ladder stunt. But the man behind that goofy moment is an incredibly alive philosopher whose goal in life is to open peoples' eyes to the joys of goofing off. I was shocked how perfectly this Doc came together. It has great drama, lots of laughs, and so many interesting characters/stories that a lot of it seems almost unbelievable. But this is a true story, so you'd better believe. If Cap'N video doesn't inspire you - either you're already like him, or you'll never understand him.

curtistalls I had never heard of this film before my initial viewing of it at MOMA NYC a few months ago. My good friend listens to the director's (Jay Cheel) podcast (Film Junk) and had found that Beauty Day was showing for two days here so we decided to check it out. The film centers around Ralph Zavadil, or as he's better known to native Ontarians, Cap'n Video. Cap'n Video was a outlandish 80's local cable celebrity known for performing crazy, low budget stunts à la MTV's Jackass, but well before them. It goes into the history of that character then into the present and how his life has changed. I had never heard of him, but did recognize him from a quasi famous youtube video where he attempts to just off a ladder into a swimming pool. Needless to say, he didn't make it. Ralph is an extremely entertaining study and Jay Cheel does an excellent job showcasing him. The film is beautifully shot and the music choices are spot on. I look forward to seeing more films from Jay and I am now an avid Film Junk listener.