Diane Taylor

At the Movies: All About DJ AM

Adam Goldstein, aka DJ AM, the slimmed down version. Courtesy photo
Adam Goldstein, the slimmed down version.
Photo courtesy of the film producers

I saw a screening of “As I Am, The Life and Times of DJ AM” on Sunday. The documentary film was fascinating.

I am not a teenager or even a millennial, so prior to the movie, I had no idea who DJ AM, born Adam Michael Goldstein, was. His story is at the same time inspiring, exciting and sad.

I loved every minute learning the background of an overweight young Goldstein who “had beats comin’ out of his ass”, who had a world-class collection of sneakers and who “knew what people sway to”.

DJ AM
DJ AM “knew what people would sway to”.
Photo courtesy of the film producers

Goldstein as DJ AM was a pioneering DJ, we are told, earning the first big money in residencies for DJs. Many who saw Goldstein perform in Las Vegas, Hollywood and Atlantic City said he was “the best DJ in the world”. Self-improvement surgery, tabloid romances, passion for his work, top shelf endorsement deals, and front-page headlines are all part of the hour and 50-minute film.

In case readers, like me, had never followed DJ AM’s life, I’m not going to be a spoiler in terms of retelling the entire DJ AM story here. I will simply add that adults and teenagers alike will enjoy this film. Its lessons are worth remembering. One of those lessons, in Goldstein’s words, was simply, “Money fucks stuff up”.

Director Kevin Kerslake says, “I think anyone can relate to the story of an underdog prevailing against all odds.”

DJ AM was last a resident DJ at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The film, in limited release, will be playing at the Palms Brenden Theatre starting June 1st.

Comments

One response on “At the Movies: All About DJ AM”

  1. Editor’s Note: There was a quotation in the original article above that Diane Taylor mistakenly attributed to a friend of Goldstein. Due to a editing misunderstanding, that quote was removed after the article was published. Ms. Gross’ comment was in response to this now-missing sentence. We apologize for any resultant confusion.

    This above quote, “cunning, baffling and powerful” is from the Big Book of Alcoholic Anonymous. Adam
    said it many times when he gave a share of his story. It is a reference to what addiction is.

Comments are closed.