I Think We're Alone Now

I didn't learn much here, except for seeing a shallow portrait of an unusual older Asperger's man and an intersex person as they struggle with life and their particular obsession. I came away with a feeling of sadness without any depth or wisdom gained (and I do very much like many "sad" documentaries/films, but this one was more like an overlong episode of Catfish without the humorous hosts.)

This film has had criticism that it exploits the 2 core subjects of this film for laughs but I think it fairly allows the subjects to present their own stories, and this is a film not about creeps being creepy for laughs but about mental health in our society. I never got the feeling there was any attempt to do anything other than capture these individuals, their problems and their place in our society. It raised many questions and points to think about and showed there are many things left to understand about the human condition and sanity in its wide and varied forms.

I Think We're Alone Now is a documentary by Sean Donnelly about two mentally-disturbed individuals obsessed with '80s pop star Tiffany. This is one of the most interesting documentaries I have ever heard of. I almost bought it at Salzer's as soon as I read it because I was so intrigued, but it was like $28 for some weird reason and I only had $6. :( I finally got to see it and I was not let down. It was just as interesting as I thought it would be, possibly even more, in fact. I thought I was just going to witness the infatuation of one middle aged man, but I actually got to meet a 31 year-old hermaphrodite who saw Tiffany in a vision she had during a coma and now believes she's "the one." Damn. I could not look away from this movie. I was exhausted, but I never turned it off. It is completely fascinating. It's funny, but you feel bad for laughing because it's most likely at something weird that one of the stalkers says. I don't like laughing at them but their thoughts are so unbelievable. I never got the impression that Donnelly was making this film so that we could laugh at these people, it was never like that. I think the purpose of the film is more to show people who these stalkers are, to see their reasoning and understand their disease. I don't think they're sick monsters, they're just lonely.

My problem with it was that it didn't flow smoothly. It was a pretty choppy film. You'd be watching, and then randomly it would switch to the middle-aged man, then randomly back to Kelly, the hermaphrodite. It was all over the place bouncy, staccato. It was still enjoyable though.

It's a very emotional film. It's tragic to see these people, outcasts of average society, believe wholeheartedly that they can capture the heart of a celebrity. They have no doubt that if Tiffany just had a conversation with them, that they could convince her to marry them and live together. It's bizarre. It's so crazy to see these mental illnesses in action. I was flabbergasted by almost everything they said. They really live in a delusion, and it's really amazing to witness. Tiffany is actually in the film a lot too, and it's interesting to see how she handles them. She's very sweet.

I do recommend this film. It's a great watch, incredibly difficult to put your attention elsewhere as it plays on your screen. I may buy it someday, for an occasional re-watch to make me laugh and feel thankful for my sanity, but it's not a priority. It's only about an hour long so even if you don't like it, you won't feel too bad about the time spent with it. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

"Biggest fans" can often be innocuous, but many times they cross the threshold from adoring to creepy. The latter is how I would best describe the two fans in this film.

The documentary outlines the quest of both these fans to meet Tiffany and attend one of her concerts. The film itself is quite fair in their portrayal of the fans, allowing themselves to share details of their lives and not setting the stage to brand them as stalkers. Through the fans' own words and actions, they set that stage for themselves. Jeff is the seemingly more harmless of the two, in that he is on the autism spectrum, and seems more to be living in his own dream world than present a safety risk to Tiffany. Kelly, however, shows signs of possible mental illness, referenced by jealously exhibited towards Jeff, and several things said during the course of the film which most people would consider at least slightly unnerving. I would be worried for Tiffany's safety in the lone company of Kelly.

I came away from this film with a feeling of uneasiness and a new understanding for stars who have to endure stalkers.

This documentary does an honorable job of giving dignity to two Tiffany fans (read "stalkers") that society would be eager to dismiss. The filmmakers allow us to enter Jeff Turner's and Kelly McCormick's inner worlds, and see the humanity of both. Kelly McCormick in the documentary claims that a beautiful woman appeared to her in a coma, thus saving her life - - following a near fatal bike crash. She later recognized this woman to be Tiffany. Jeff, on the other hand, says that Tiffany is an interdimensional time traveler, and a mystic Sufi master, able to intervene on a supernatural level. So there is a strange convergence of the two "stalkers"' worlds, in their granting to Tiffany of supernatural and saintly gifts.

I have known Jeff for 20 years, and actually made an appearance at the second of the two showings at Slamdance in Park City, where I shared my thoughts following the screening. I am one of the few individuals who is willing to talk who can confirm any of the details of Jeff's remarkable claims. There is substance to his story - - although for years I have attempted to talk him out of the fixed idea that he and Tiffany are meant to be together. (Jeff now is quite happy with Tiffany's union with Englishman Ben - - Kelly's views are not necessarily so amiable.) In the closing scene, the viewer is relieved to find out that Jeff has overcome his fixation on Tiffany - - only to discover that he has now transferred his romantic interest toward celebrity Alyssa Milano.

I must admit that I am the only one who accepts Jeff's assertion that he has a connection to Alyssa and her family - - dating back to his days in New York City in the eighties when he hung out with various Italian families. But believe me, I have tried to talk Jeff out of the idea that he has a romantic possibility with Alyssa. Nonetheless, I believe his assertions that Alyssa in 1996 dropped by for a visit to his apartment during the shooting of "Glory Daze" in Santa Cruz - - Jeff's current place of residence.

Jeff, in my estimation, is a celebrity in his own right. In the documentary, he displays a positive and redeeming side that sees good and light in all situations. It seems that it is Jeff that give Kelly a positive approach and attitude to her first encounter with Tiffany, during the remarkable meeting of the two "obsessed stalkers" with each other, and with the object of their desire, at the Krave Gay Nightclub in Las Vegas - - a meeting which was orchestrated by the filmmakers themselves.