THE GOD CELLS- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Medical experiments using fetal stem cell injections have shown great efficacy in treating various neurological and immune disorders. But religious opposition has severely slowed approval of the therapy in America, as detailed in this documentary.”
6/3/16- Poor reviews from the critics but very good ones from audiences. The reviews I read make the movie seem more emotional than informative. TRDB.
Add comment June 3rd, 2016
ART BASTARD- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This engrossing documentary profiles the career of artistic rebel Robert Cenedella, whose vivid urban portraits reflect his determination to go his own way during an era dominated by pop art, minimalism and money.”
6/3/16- Not many reviews as yet but the ones available are fairly good. TRDB.
Add comment June 3rd, 2016
TO LIFE (A LA VIE)- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After surviving the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp, three women who were close friends in confinement lose contact. Fifteen years later, they meet again at a French seaside resort, where they help one another transcend their shared trauma.”
5/27/16- Weak reviews but the subject sounds interesting enough that I’ll probably see it. TRDB.
Add comment May 27th, 2016
PRINCESS- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “While her mother works, 12-year-old Adar and her jobless stepfather engage in role-playing routines — but they soon begin to unnerve her. When she meets Alan, a homeless boy who looks just like her, he helps Adar face the reality of her situation.
5/27/16– I could not find a single review for this film except for the very good one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment May 27th, 2016
JIA ZHANGKE, A GUY FROM FENYANG- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Focusing a lens on trailblazing director Jia Zhang-ke, this incisive documentary follows the auteur as he returns to his hometown of Fenyang. While revisiting shooting locales from his films, Jia ruminates on his career and China’s uncertain future.”
5/27/16- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
Add comment May 27th, 2016
HOLY HELL- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Through more than two decades of footage that he shot while a member of the Buddhafield spiritual community, documentarian Will Allen recounts his gradual immersion into the Southern California cult and his eventual disenchantment with it.”
5/27/16- Mixed reviews from critics and terrible ones from audiences but I read enough positive comments to warrant a recommendation. TRDB.
Add comment May 27th, 2016
AS I AM: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DJ AM- Synopsis by Netflix. “This absorbing documentary charts the rocky road to fame and success taken by Adam Goldstein, the mash-up master known as DJ AM in the world of electronic club music, whose life was cut short at age 36 after a drug overdose.”
5/27/16- I’ve seen just 4 reviews of this documentary and they are all very positive. Audiences have liked this movie very much as well. TRDB.
Add comment May 27th, 2016
WELCOME TO HAPPINESS- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “At his landlord’s request, young author Woody Ward becomes the guardian of a mysterious door inside his closet, opened only to those in mental agony. When Woody’s own miseries begin to mount, he desperately seeks to gain entry.”
5/20/16- Not one positive review from a critic but audiences have liked it. TRDB.
Add comment May 20th, 2016
PERVERT PARK- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This unflinching documentary examines the often-difficult lives of convicted sex offenders, who must cope with vilification and severe restrictions on their public movements long after their sentences have been served.”
5/20/16- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
Add comment May 20th, 2016
O.J.: MADE IN AMERICA- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “O.J.: Made in America is an essential examination of the rise and fall of Orenthal James Simpson, and parallels between his incredible story with that of race in America. This critically-acclaimed documentary series reveals how he first became a football star, why America fell in love with him off the field, what happened in the trial for his ex-wife’s murder, and finally, why he is now sitting in jail for another crime 20 years later. His is a story that divided America like few things before or since, and it is perhaps the defining cultural tale of twentieth-century America.”
5/20/16- Just a few reviews but they are all very good. TRDB.
Add comment May 20th, 2016