MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Sibling rivalry rears its head in this entertaining documentary when the ne’er-do-well younger brother of Matt Berninger, lead singer of the indie rock band The National, continually misbehaves in his big brother’s shadow while the band goes on tour.”
3/28/14- Good reviews all around. TRDB.
Add comment March 29th, 2014
JEWS OF EGYPT- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix “This documentary examines the history of Jews in Egypt during the early 20th century, through their forced exile during the 1956 Suez Crisis. Witnesses and historical footage chronicle a period of coexistence that seems unthinkable today.”
3/28/14- Good early reviews but a weak one from the NY Times in today’s review. TRDB.
Add comment March 29th, 2014
FINDING VIVIAN MAIER- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “When longtime nanny Vivian Maier died in 2009, she left behind thousands of photo negatives that she’d produced over the years. But the now-famous shutterbug’s unique body of work lay in storage until an amateur historian uncovered the trove.”
3/28/14- Very good reviews all around. TRDB.
Add comment March 29th, 2014
PARTICLE FEVER- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “The creation of the Higgs boson particle, an elusive key to unlocking secrets of the universe, unfolds on camera in this landmark documentary. Scientists discuss the race to create the particle and its potential to explain the origin of all matter.”
3/26/14- Great reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
Add comment March 26th, 2014
JODOROWSKY’S DUNE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the mid-1970s, director Alejandro Jodorowsky was determined to make a film version of Dune, Frank Herbert’s landmark science-fiction novel. This documentary recounts Jodorowsky’s efforts to gather a crew and find funding for the project.”
3/21/14- Very good reviews for this movie. The NY Times liked it also. TRDB.
7/11/14– Lots of very good reviews but I lost interest after half of the movie at most. I think I “got it” too early and didn’t need a whole parade singing Jodorowsky’s praise. TRDB.
Add comment March 23rd, 2014
FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AEGEAN- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This moving documentary recounts the deportation of Greeks and Turks from each other’s nations in 1922-1924, the result of brutal regional politics. Vivid personal recollections of the tragedy are combined with newly discovered photographic archives.”
3/21/14- Just a few reviews and they are mixed. TRDB.
Add comment March 23rd, 2014
ANITA: SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Anita Hill galvanized the nation with her appearance before the U.S. Senate in the hearings related to Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. This film documents the subsequent controversy and landmark event in the struggle for women’s rights.”
3/21/14- Fairly good reviews and the NY Times liked it also. TRDB.
6/29/14- I enjoyed this documentary very much. As noted above, this event was really the early stage of sexual harassment awareness in the workplace. TRDB.
Add comment March 22nd, 2014
AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Philosopher and social activist Grace Lee Boggs has been a fervent crusader for equality — not just in the United States but around the globe. This documentary captures Boggs at age 97, still promoting a new American Revolution.”
3/21/14- Good reviews so far. The NY Times liked it too. TRDB.
Add comment March 22nd, 2014
THE MISSING PICTURE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the film version of his harrowing memoir, director Rithy Panh uses ceramic figures to represent the Cambodian masses murdered in the 1970s. Panh’s painful memories include the loss of his parents and sisters in one of history’s darkest episodes.”
3/19/14- Great reviews. TRDB.
Add comment March 19th, 2014
I AM DEVINE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Get an inside look at the captivating story of Divine, aka Harris Glenn Milstead, who grew up as a chubby bullied Baltimore kid and rose to become filmmaker John Waters’s muse and an internationally celebrated drag superstar.”
3/17/14- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
Add comment March 17th, 2014