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By Mainstream Chick, on October 30th, 2009
 This Is It is what it is. And that’s what I like about it. There’s no foreshadowing. No hidden agenda. No real conflict. It’s simply a showcase for the phenomenal talent and musicality that was Michael Jackson. The documentary feels a bit draggy at times, but overall, it delivers what the filmmakers promised: a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the King of Pop as he prepared for a comeback/final concert series that was supposed to get underway in London this past July.
It’s impossible not to watch the movie through a morbidly curious lens… looking for hints about his health and stamina [... Keep reading]
By Adventurous Chick, on October 13th, 2009
 “A woman’s hair is her glory.” Maya Angelou says it in Good Hair and it’s an idea that goes back to biblical times. So no wonder so many women are obsessed with their hair. But what exactly is “good hair”? That’s the question comedian Chris Rock asks in his documentary and the answers he gets are hilarious, informative and sometimes political commentary – Reverend Al Sharpton talks about wearing your economic oppression on your head and comedian Paul Mooney says, “If your hair is relaxed, white people are relaxed. If your hair is nappy, they’re not happy.”
Rock went into [... Keep reading]
By Arty Chick, on October 12th, 2009
 Michael Moore makes controversial films. To call them documentaries is a miscategorization, though there really isn’t a word for what he does. He juxtaposes ideas, images, and words and lets the viewer fill in the missing connections. He plays a little fast and loose at times with his facts, but you always leave the theater thinking. And a day later, I still find myself thinking about Capitalism: A Love Story. The movie is a complete condemnation of capitalism. Moore is extremely clever with his images – beginning the film with comparisons of the decadence [... Keep reading]
By Arty Chick, on September 24th, 2009
 Every family has its secrets, its stories that only they can tell but frequently try to ignore. For filmmaker C.M. Hardt that story was about her grandfather. He lived in the small town of El Valle, Spain and following the Spanish Civil War, during the period of an unnamed secret war, he was arrested one night, then taken out and shot. The family home was burned to the ground and his wife thrown in jail. For C.M., the family story was never investigated or explained to her satisfaction and so she decided to go to Spain and [... Keep reading]
By Arty Chick, on September 20th, 2009
So, what is coming up this fall? More for the chicks, one can only hope. Usually, post-summer we get back to having adult fare and start the march to the Oscar race. The list below is wide releases. If you are in New York or Los Angeles, you will have a much wider choice. For the rest of us, there are a few gems and a bit of dreck. But that’s just my opinion. What do you think?
My choices as chickflix are marked with **. Others I would see are ***.
September [... Keep reading]
By Mainstream Chick, on September 9th, 2009
 As I looked around the small indie theater at the start of Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, I was somewhat surprised to realize that my friends and I were the youngest attendees – by far (and we aint exactly spring chickens). By film’s end, I understood why. We were probably the only ones who didn’t know beforehand who Mrs. Goldberg was… and that’s a crying shame.
The documentary is a long-overdue salute to broadcasting pioneer Gertrude “Tillie” Berg, who created, wrote and starred in America’s first family sitcom, The Goldbergs. The show – which started on radio in 1929 and moved to the [... Keep reading]
By Adventurous Chick, on September 8th, 2009
 The September Issue is a chick flick extraordinaire. It’s got fabulous clothes, exciting locations – New York, Paris, Rome – and two powerful, smart, creative women as the central characters. The documentary chronicles the making of Vogue’s September 2007 issue, the biggest in the magazine’s history, but even if you don’t care about fashion, it’s still entertaining.
It’s a fascinating glimpse inside the hallowed halls of what one Vogue staffer refers to as a “church” where Anna Wintour is “the pope.” Wintour has been Editor-in-Chief at Vogue for two decades and her reputation precedes her. She’s often referred to as an [... Keep reading]
By Mainstream Chick, on July 10th, 2009
 If you like Broadway musicals, you’ll definitely like Every Little Step. This pleasant documentary chronicles the creative genesis of the 1976 Tony-Award winning musical A Chorus Line and takes you inside the casting and audition process for the show’s revival some 30 years later.
The movie has its flaws… It’s easy to lose track of who’s who among the hopefuls, and there’s no real surprise or mystery as to will make the final cut. But there are enough moving moments, interesting tidbits and funny asides to put today’s “reality” competition shows to shame. This movie showcases real people with real backstories [... Keep reading]
By Adventurous Chick, on June 24th, 2009
 Go see this movie. But be forewarned, it could quite possibly alter the way you and your family eat. This is a well-done documentary about the Food Industry in America. Yes, there are disturbing images – you see animals killed, you see slaughterhouses – but what’s truly appalling is the state our nation’s food system is in.
The film does a good job of outlining how just a few huge corporations have largely taken over food production in the United States. Interviews with journalists and authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma) are woven throughout the [... Keep reading]
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What is Chickflix? In a nutshell, it’s a website/blog developed by three women on a mission to offer fun, informative, easy to digest movie reviews from a uniquely female perspective. (...more) |
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