MARINONI: THE FIRE IN THE FRAME- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “First a bike racer and later a bike builder, Giuseppe Marinoni has long been obsessed with two-wheel travel. Now 75, he’s ready to enter the arena again in pursuit of his age-group world record for distance cycled in an hour.”
3/31/16- Good reviews from the critics and very good ones from audiences. TRDB.
Add comment April 2nd, 2016
FRANCOFONIA- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Spotlighting the legacy and priceless art collection of the Louvre Museum, this vivid docudrama recounts many dramatic moments in the institution’s history, including the hasty caching of its treasures when German forces occupied Paris in 1940.”
3/31/16- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
7/11/16- One of the most boring movies I have ever seen–like a narrated poem that won’t quit. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment April 2nd, 2016
THE FLIGHT FANTASTIC- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the 1960s, the family trapeze troupe known as the Flying Gaonas began astonishing and thrilling circus audiences with their aerial acrobatics. This absorbing documentary traces the Gaonas’ history, from shows in their native Mexico to global fame.”
3/31/16- Just a few reviews but they are good. TRDB.
Add comment April 2nd, 2016
FASTBALL- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Kevin Costner narrates as a gallery of baseball greats — including Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan and Derek Jeter — explain the mythos and mechanics of the fastball: what it’s like to throw one and what it’s like to face one at the plate.”
3/25/16- Very good reviews from critics and great ones from audiences for this documentary. TRDB.
4/25/16- Excellent reviews as noted and I did like this documentary. My only complaint was that it was too long and began getting a bit boring. One critic said it should have been a one hour made for TV show. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
Add comment March 26th, 2016
THANK YOU FOR PLAYING- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Devastated by the news of his 4-year-old son’s terminal cancer diagnosis, video game developer Ryan Green starts building a new game — this one designed to help ease the grief of his entire family, and potentially many others.”
3/18/16- Very good early reviews. TRDB.
Add comment March 18th, 2016
A SPACE PROGRAM- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This high-spirited documentary chronicles a project by bricolage artist Tom Sachs, who assembled a team to help him construct a homemade spaceship. The vessel then launches on a mission to Mars carrying two female astronauts.”
3/18/16- Fairly good critical review. TRDB.
Add comment March 18th, 2016
EVERYTHING IS COPY- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Author and screenwriter Nora Ephron became famous first for her acerbic wit and later for her stormy marriage to journalist Carl Bernstein, as chronicled in this candid but affectionate documentary directed by Ephron’s son Jacob.”
3/18/16- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
Add comment March 18th, 2016
THE BRAINWASHING OF MY DAD- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Alarmed and intrigued by her father’s gradual conversion to hard-right political views, documentarian Jen Senko examines the ascent of right-wing media, which whips up civic resentments daily through an army of conservative talk-radio pundits.”
3/18/16- Poor reviews by both critics and audiences. TRDB.
Add comment March 18th, 2016
THE BIRTH OF SAKE- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “At Yoshida Brewery, which is nearly 150 years old, a small group of skilled artisans practices the 2,000-year-old tradition of saké-making, spending months away from friends and family as they devote themselves to preserving the ancient craft.”
3/18/16- Just 2 professional reviews— 1 up and 1 down. Audiences have liked it very much. TRDB.
Add comment March 18th, 2016
CITY OF GOLD- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “From behind the wheel of his green pickup truck, acclaimed food writer Jonathan Gold sets off on a journey to explore the panoply of regional cuisines and trademark dishes to be found within the vast urban sprawl of Los Angeles.”
3/11/16- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
10/30/16- An excellent documentary just as much about LA as it is about food. TRDB.
Add comment March 12th, 2016