SUNSHINE SUPERMAN- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Obsessed with skydiving since childhood, Carl Boenish pioneered foot-launched human flight — aka BASE jumping — as chronicled in this fascinating documentary. Footage of Boenish’s earliest feats includes his famed leap from Yosemite’s El Capitan.”
5/22/15- Generally good reviews with a few noted exceptions. TRDB.
Add comment May 22nd, 2015
ONE CUT, ONE LIFE- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Upon learning he’s terminally ill, revered documentarian Ed Pincus decides to make a final movie — about his life. Collaborator Lucia Small weighs in with musings on his life and their creative relationship in this candid autobiographical portrait.”
5/15/15- Great reviews from critics and audiences. TRDB.
Add comment May 15th, 2015
OUR MAN IN TEHRAN- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Following close on the heels of Hollywood’s version of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis (Argo), this documentary focuses on Canada’s role in the ordeal, revealing new details about the efforts of the Canadian ambassador and the CIA to save six Americans.”
5/15/15- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
Add comment May 15th, 2015
DARK STAR: H.R. GIGER’S WORLD- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “This definitive new documentary brings viewers into the home and life of the surrealist goth artist who won an Academy Award for designing the legendary character from Ridley Scott’s Alien films starring Sigourney Weaver opposite creatures of Giger’s creation.”
5/15/15- Poor professional reviews but audiences have liked it. I’ll miss it. TRDB.
Add comment May 15th, 2015
THE CONNECTION- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Pierre Michel goes from serving as a court magistrate to investigating the Marseille crime cartel that controls the city’s heroin trade. In the process, he becomes obsessed with bringing down the operation’s powerful and feared leader, Gaëtan Zampa.”
5/15/15- Weak reviews in general. TRDB.
Add comment May 15th, 2015
FORBIDDEN FILMS- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “This unsettling documentary focuses on a host of Nazi propaganda films produced during World War II, whose content underscores the abhorrent philosophy and rabid anti-Semitism fed to the German public under Adolf Hitler’s regime.”
5/13/15- Good early reviews. TRDB.
Add comment May 14th, 2015
THE SEVEN FIVE- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the 1980s and ’90s, cop Michael Dowd terrorized New York City’s drug dealers, shaking them down at gunpoint for cash and cocaine. This riveting documentary looks at his fall from grace and the biggest police corruption scandal in Gotham’s history.”
5/8/15- Good reviews from critics and audiences. TRDB.
10/19/15- This movie was interesting for about 30 minutes or so and then became repetitious with all of the stories narrated by Dowd himself. I lost patience and turned if off. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment May 8th, 2015
SAINT LAURENT- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Spanning a decade in the life of couture designer Yves Saint Laurent — who left an indelible stamp on high fashion — this sleek biopic delves into a turbulent private life that was beset with drugs, romantic frustration and other personal crises.”
5/8/15- Weak reviews all around. TRDB.
Add comment May 8th, 2015
NATURAL RESISTANCE- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Reprising the theme of his 2004 documentary Mondovino, wine authority Jonathan Nossiter visits Italy’s vineyards to chronicle independent vintners’ efforts to resist regulatory and commercial pressures to modernize their production methods.”
5/1/15- I’ve seen just 1 review (from the NY Times) and it’s good. Sounds boring to me. TRDB.
Add comment May 1st, 2015
IRIS- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “At 93, fashion legend Iris Apfel is clearly still at the top of her game — supervising the dress selections for a tour, advising models and negotiating with buyers — in this affectionate documentary by Albert Maysles, himself an octogenarian.”
4/29/15- Excellent reviews by all critics and by audiences as well. TRDB.
Add comment April 29th, 2015