Posts filed under 'Documentary/History'
NEW YORK STREET GAMES-
NEW YORK STREET GAMES- Directed by Matt Levy. Premise by Rotten Tomatoes. “Through interviews with dozens of prominent New Yorkers including Ray Romano, Regis Philbin, Hector Elizondo, Joe Pantoliano, Curtis Sliwa and experts including former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop (a Brooklyn boy), New York Street Games takes us back to a simpler time when the rules of the game were?.well, the rules of the game. Their stories offer an intriguing and often humorous portrait of how things used to be, how they have changed, and how to recapture some of the positives of a simpler time.”
7/10- About the games we used to play e.g. punchball, stoopball, stickball, etc. Very good documentary. TRDB. Borrowed from a friend.
Tags: documentary
July 21st, 2010
PRODIGAL SONS- 2008. Premise by Netflix. “In high school, Kimberly Reed was male, a straight-A student and captain of the football team. But since leaving his rural Montana hometown, he’s become a woman — and a filmmaker whose documentary could not be any more personal. Half the story involves her attending her high school reunion as a transgendered female; the other half involves reuniting with her siblings, including her estranged adopted brother.” Very good reviews for this documentary. Netflix Streaming also.”
7/10- An interesting documentary with a few scenes that were actually pretty scary. TRDB.
Tags: docudrama
July 20th, 2010
THE RUNAWAYS- Premise by Netflix. “Dakota Fanning stars in this musical biopic as Cherie Currie, lead singer of the 1970s all-girl rock group the Runaways, whose meteoric rise up the charts was saturated with drugs and other excesses of the era. Though the Runaways start out as a novelty act, the rock ‘n’ roll chops of Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart), Lita Ford (Scout Taylor-Compton) and the other girls lift the group to international stardom. Floria Sigismondi directs.” Reviews were just OK.
7/10- I could not get into this movie at all and turned it off fairly quickly. TRDB.
Tags: docudrama
July 20th, 2010
COUNTDOWN TO ZERO- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Since the first atomic bomb exploded in 1945, scientists and world leaders have grappled with the apocalyptic dangers and paradoxes posed by nuclear weapons. Lucy Walker‘s documentary presents an unblinking look at humanity’s lethal predicament. The film outlines current threats posed by a growing list of nuclear-armed states and weighs the prospects for global disarmament, soliciting insights from a gallery of world leaders and policy experts.” Just a few reviews and they are good.
12/10- Great documentary!! TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: Documentary/History
July 16th, 2010
THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS- Premise by Netflix. “Revisit a pivotal point in American history in this documentary that chronicles Pentagon insider Daniel Ellsberg’s daring endeavor to leak top-secret government papers that disclosed shocking truths about the Vietnam War and Nixon’s presidency. Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith direct this absorbing, Oscar-nominated account that features compelling interviews with Ellsberg, retired New York Times editor Max Frankel and other key figures.” Great reviews.
7/10- Very good documentary that describes a tumultuous period in our country’s history. Highly recommended. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: Documentary/History
July 10th, 2010
LOVE AND DIANE- Premise by Netflix. “Following the real-life drama of a family torn apart, this heart-wrenching documentary reveals what happens when history seems doomed to repeat itself. Taken from their drug-abusing mother, Diane, when they were just children, Love and her siblings entered the foster-care system. But Love’s subsequent choices as a young adult have now brought her to a desperate crossroads: She’s 18 years old, HIV positive and the mother of an infant son.”
Tags: docudrama
July 10th, 2010
REFUSENIK- Premise by Netflix. “This compelling documentary from filmmaker Laura Bialis follows the 30-year fight to free Jews in the U.S.S.R. from Soviet oppression, a movement that resulted in the emigration of more than a million Jews out of Russia. Including penetrating interviews with activists and those who suffered behind the Iron Curtain, along with archival footage and photographs, the film offers a glimpse into an important if little-known battle of the Cold War era.”
Tags: Documentary/History
July 10th, 2010
RED ALERT- Documentary about the Maoist rebels in India. Mediocre review in NY Times on 7/9/10.
Tags: documentary
July 10th, 2010
ONLY WHEN I DANCE- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “To achieve their shared dream of becoming ballet superstars, two young black dancers from the slums of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, must overcome poverty, prejudice and incredible odds — a journey captured in this inspiring documentary. Filmmaker Beadie Finzi chronicles the day-to-day struggles of these gifted performers as they challenge the notion that ballet is the province of the wealthy, white elite.” OK review in NY Times.
12/10- Very good documentary and I enjoyed it very much. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
July 2nd, 2010
SAVING MARRIAGE- 2006. Directed by Mike Roth and John Henning. Premise by Netflix. “In the recent intense debate over same-sex marriage, Massachusetts emerged as a key battleground state. Mike Roth and John Henning’s documentary follows progressive politicians, lobbyists and civil rights activists who brought attention to the issue. Along the way, the filmmakers meet ordinary people whose passion for this controversial topic helped them make state history and expand national awareness.”
7/10- Excellent documentary. The message is that the fight is not over. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
July 1st, 2010
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