It seems odd that there hasn’t been a film made about what happened in Jonestown in 1978 since the early 80s, the events of that time put such a scar on the national psyche. Whatever the reason for that, Stanley Nelson’s JONESTOWN: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE more than makes up for… Read More »
CHINA BLUE
Micha Peled uses a tried-and-true device in his documentary, CHINA BLUE, contrasting those at the top of the food chain, in this case the Chinese new economy, with those at the top. Not only does he use this method with startling effectiveness, it may well have been the only way to bring home to audiences in… Read More »
THE SITUATION
There is room for heartbreak but precious little for sentiment in Philip Haas’ THE SITUATION and its look at a particular time during the United States’ occupation of Iraq. Based on the experiences of journalist Wendy Steavenson, it is a stark film done in an almost documentary style that dwells on the contradictions of the… Read More »
MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES
Jennifer Baichwal’s documentary MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES starts with one of the most arresting sequences in cinema. It works both as a dazzling technical achievement, and also as a commentary on what is to come. The camera slowly tracks across the manufacturing floor of a Chinese factory and then it continues to track, and then it continues… Read More »
KING CORN
KING CORN may take a whimsical approach to its subject matter, the impact of corn on the American economy and population, but it’s deadly serious when it comes to pondering its implications. Expanding waistlines, the demise of the family farm, and what exactly goes into high fructose corn syrup all come into play as the… Read More »
NO IMPACT MAN
What is so accessible, even endearing, about Colin Beavan and his quest to become the NO IMPACT MAN is that he, like most of us, didnt have a clue about what he was getting into. The fact that his commitment and then his overarching passion for living lightly on the land of Manhattan for a… Read More »
ANTON CHEKHOV’S THE DUEL
A learned man with a small mind munches a banana while explaining the theory of evolution, totally unaware of the irony. It is one of the finer examples of how screenwriter Mary Bing has distilled the essence of Anton Chekhov in her engrossing adaptation of his novella, THE DUEL. The arch ironies, the piquant comedy,… Read More »
DAUGHTER FROM DANANG
Gail Dolgin and Franco Vicente’s heartrending documentary DAUGHTER FROM DANANG shows not only the long-term effects of the Vietnam War in very personal terms, but also looks at how fragile the bonds of blood and family can be. Both insights are disturbing, but in the able hands of these filmmakers, the story of one family’s… Read More »
CROP CIRCLES: QUEST FOR TRUTH DVD
Last fall, when I saw William Gazeckis intriguing documentary, CROP CIRCLES: QUEST FOR TRUTH, I came away wanting to see more. Now that CIRCLES is out on DVD, I get my wish. Though, to be honest, I still want to see more, but then Gazecki has found a topic that is endlessly fascinating and seemingly… Read More »
COOK, THE
Take note silent film fans and devotees of comedy, silent or not. Milestone has released a sterling collection of short silent films featuring Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle in two of its three selections. Arbuckle had a brilliant and lucrative career as a top box office attraction that ended when he was tried for causing the death… Read More »
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