Review: As I AM: The Life And Time$ of DJ AM

A fan of DJ AM’s scratching style and clever mashups in the mid-late 00’s, melancholy washed over me as I read about his passing. The world saw a life cut short of a talented DJ with authentic good intentions, helping other recovering addicts but whose inner personal demons proved too potent to fight. Still there were lingering questions. What caused him to tragically end his life at 36? What made him turn to drugs in the first place? Were the pressures of fame too much? When I’d learned of the national tour of the ‘As I Am: The Life and Times of DJ AM” documentary coming in June, I needed to see the movie. Making the rounds at prestigious film festivals, the movie’s currently making its way to over 40 cities with a mass digital distribution planned for June 14th.

Screening the film recently, the movie paints a portrait of a sad, troubled kid (with DJ AM heartwrenchingly saying “As I am, I am not enough” in an opening scene), affected by family drama at an early age who attempted suicide with a gun as a teen. He survived and eventually turned his passion for music and precise skill into a lucrative career, breaking several barriers and venturing into new territories unexplored for DJs. Gaining notoriety appearing in films, TV shows, dating starlets and playing settings where the word “No” doesn’t exist, how can one with an extreme addictive personality remain grounded and sober? How can one thrive in an industry where one can easily become a commodity or product and invites fame leeches the higher your star rises? Can loyalty among the DJ community exist? How does one recover from PTSD and anxiety after a horrific plane crash? The documentary explores these tough questions further. Can only hope Adam’s “broken” soul now rests in peace.

Check out the movie screening dates below and visit HERE for more info!

National Tour Dates:

6/1/16 Brenden Theatres – Las Vegas, NV
6/1 & 8/16 UltraStar Mission Valley – San Diego, CA
6/2/16 Angelika Carmel Mountain – San Diego, CA
6/2/16 Angelika Pop UP – Washington, DC
6/2/16 Consolidated Ward – Honolulu, HI
6/2/16 Reading Manville – Manville, NJ
6/2/16 Capitol Theatre – Cleveland, OH
6/2/16 Southside Works – Pittsburgh, PA
6/2/16 Frida Cinema – Santa Ana, CA
6/2/16 Angelika Dallas – Dallas, TX
6/2/16 Cobb Dolphin 19 – Miami, FL
6/2/16 Cobb Plaza Cinema Café – Orlando, FL
6/2/16 Cobb Tyrone Luxury 10 – St. Petersburg, FL
6/2/16 Pickford Film Center – Bellingham, WA
6/2/16 Angelika Mosaic – Fairfax, VA
6/3/16 Arclight Hollywood (full week) – Los Angeles, CA
6/3/16 Gateway Film Center – Columbus, OH
6/3/16 Fortune Sound Club – Vancouver, BC
6/7/16 Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane – Halifax, NS, Canada
6/7/16 Cineplex Yonge-Dundas and VIP – Toronto, ON, Canada
6/7/16 ArcLight Theatres Chicago – Chicago, IL
6/7/16 Cineplex Odeon Eau Claire Market – Calgary, AB
6/7/16 Krikorian Buena Park Metroplex – Buena Park, CA
6/7/16 Krikorian Redlands Cinema 14 – Redlands, CA
6/7/16 SIE Film Center – Denver, CO
9/9/16 Bow Tie Palace – Hartford, CT
6/9/16 Providence Place Cinemas – Providence, RI
6/10/16 Dairy Center for The Arts – Boulder, CO
6/11/16 Esquire Theatre – Cincinnati, OH
6/11&12/16 Moxie Cinema – Springfield, MO
6/12/16 Hollywood Theatre – Portland, OR
6/13/16 Alamo Drafthouse–The Ritz – Austin, TX