Currently browsing the "Documentary" category.

Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him?)

Casino Jack and the United States of Money

Not to be confused with the Casino Jack with Kevin Spacey opening today, Casino Jack and the United States of Money is a documentary, which examines the rise and fall of über-lobbyist Jack Abramoff from his beginnings with the College Republicans to his multi-million dollar deals with Indian Casinos and questionable foreign heads of state, his possible ties to organized crime, and his too close relationships with very powerful politicians which finally brought him down. He was just released last week from a federal prison after serving 3 1/2 years for the defrauding of American Indian tribes and corruption of public officials.

Waiting for “Superman”

Sorry, kids, Superman aint comin’. So it’s up to us mere mortals to try and save America’s very flawed – if not completely broken- public education system. That’s the take-home message of the new documentary, “Waiting for ‘Superman’”. The film is a call to action in the vein of Al Gore’s global-warming conscious-raiser, An Inconvenient Truth (same director). It’s Scared Straight for parents and politicians. And it’s quite effective.

2010 Fall Movies

We’re moving out of the summer blockbuster kids’ movies and into the fall when traditionally a more serious adult roster hits the screens. This year? Well, there are a few that seem Oscar worthy, several with our favorite men headlining, a couple that look like real chick flicks and what just might be some nice comedies. See for yourself.

Summer Movies

Summer is upon us and where are the blockbusters? Here is a list of some of the flix that people will be watching and talking about. Not too much that is exciting, in my opinion, but I am hoping that some of them are surprising. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until September for a dose of Clooney.

Babies

“Oh how cute!” That’s what I found myself saying out loud in the theater throughout the documentary Babies.  (I’d apologize to those sitting around me if they weren’t all doing the same thing.) The film follows four infants from four different parts of the world “from first breath to first step.” It’s like a nature doc with babies instead of animals. There’s no narration, no commentary from the parents, just a series of adorable infant vignettes.

The Cove

There are a lot of worthy films that I put off watching because the subject matter seems too hard to take. The Cove was at the top of my list for “must see but don’t know if I can take” movies. Winner of the 2010 Oscar for Best Documentary, its main subject is the dolphin slaughter that takes place in one small town in Japan. And I am all for stopping dolphin genocide, but sitting down for 90 minutes to watch a film about it seemed to be asking a lot.

Art & Copy

Usually when you think about advertising, you feel a bit disgusted at the way we are targeted by the “ad men.” They manipulate us into buying things we don’t need, with money we don’t have. They make things that are not good for us sound indispensable. And everywhere we turn we are bombarded by their pitches. So going into Art & Copy, I my expectations for a documentary about the ad world were very low. Imagine my surprise then when I was treated to a fascinatingly wonderful homage to the men and women who made some of the most iconic ads in the late 20th century.

Dancing Across Borders

Dancing Across Borders is the type of documentary that tells an interesting story but never quite draws you in. The film chronicles a young man’s improbable journey from the villages of Siem Reap, Cambodia to the halls of the American School of Ballet in New York, and on to the professional ranks of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company in Seattle.

This Is It

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.