HELL ON EARTH: THE FALL OF SYRIA AND THE RISE OF ISIS- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Turning their lens on the Syrian conflict after collaborating on three Afghanistan War films, Sebastian Junger and Nick Quested examine the political toll and human cost of the chaos that’s engulfed Syria and led to the rise of the Islamic State.”
5/19/17- Great reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
Add comment May 19th, 2017
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Thomas Sung opened tiny Abacus Bank to serve fellow Chinese immigrants, little did he dream that his would be the only financial institution indicted in the wake of the 2008 mortgage meltdown. This documentary chronicles his long legal battle.”
5/19/17- Very good reviews for this movie. TRDB.
Add comment May 19th, 2017
THE LAST SHAMAN- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Young James Freeman’s life appears filled with promise … to everyone but him. Unable to shake severe depression, he travels to the jungles of the Amazon in search of a shaman who will perform a healing ritual with a psychoactive brew.”
5/12/17- Mostly negative reviews with a few decent ones thrown in. TRDB.
Add comment May 12th, 2017
GET ME ROGER STONE- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “One of the major architects of Donald Trump’s landmark presidential campaign, controversial political operative Roger Stone has been involved in Republican causes since the Nixon administration, as recounted in this revealing profile.”
5/12/17- Excellent reviews by the critics and OK ones by audiences. As an aside, this movie is currently on Netflix Streaming. TRDB.
5/13/17- A well done and informative documentary that was good enough to send shivers up my spine. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment May 12th, 2017
SACRED- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Recruiting the labors of filmmakers the world over, director Thomas Lennon creates a stunning montage of the spiritual practices and beliefs — some solemn, some celebratory and some mysterious — followed by dozens of cultures.”
5/5/17- Only a few reviews but they are all good. TRDB.
Add comment May 5th, 2017
TA’ANG- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “For the Ta’ang people of Myanmar’s Kokang region, civil war has been a constant for decades. Joining a group of displaced Ta’ang refugees who’ve escaped over the border to China, filmmaker Bing Wang documents their nomadic lives.”
5/5/17- Just a few early reviews but they are all good. TRDB.
Add comment May 5th, 2017
JULIAN SCHNABEL: A PRIVATE PORTRAIT- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Celebrating the imaginative and eclectic achievements of artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel, this absorbing documentary recounts the high and low points of his life and career through interviews with his family, friends and fellow artists”
5/5/17- Mostly poor reviews. TRDB.
Add comment May 5th, 2017
BURDEN- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the 1970s, Chris Burden stunned the art world by staging performance events in which he was variously shot, electrocuted and crucified. This biographical documentary recounts the artist’s fascinating career and his recollections of the events.”
5/5/17- Great reviews by all with the notable exception of the NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment May 5th, 2017
ANGKOR AWAKENS: A PORTRAIT OF CAMBODIA- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Cambodia’s horrific ordeal of genocide during the 1970s — carried out by the Khmer Rouge — still casts a shadow over the nation. This incisive documentary looks at the country’s recovery from holocaust and its lingering psychological wounds.”
5/5/17-Just a few reviews so far but they are all good. TRDB.
Add comment May 5th, 2017
RISK- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this insightful documentary that unspools in the vein of a thriller, filmmaker Laura Poitras trains her lens on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whose whistle-blowing operation has reveled in a decade of exposing government surveillance programs.”
5/5/17- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
Add comment May 5th, 2017