7 years ago
documentary 10
“I Am Eleven” An Inoffensive, Lazy New Documentary Six Years in the Making
Far be it from me to claim being the ultimate authority on the subject, but when distinguishing between good and bad documentaries, so much popular consensus falls short. The subject matter and engaging “performances” by its subjects can do much to uphold othe...
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“The Green Prince” A Slickly Made But Simplistic Israel/Palestine Documentary
The Green Prince has arrived in theaters at a spectacularly bad time. Israeli/Palestinian relations are always a touchy subject, but this documentary is coming out just a few weeks after the latest Israeli bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip wrapped up. More th...
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Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 161: “Frank and Ollie”
We're going back in time once again on Mousterpiece Cinema, so get set. This week, Josh and Gabe take on one of the most dynamic duos in Disney history: Frank and Ollie. That's Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of the venerated Nine Old Men, to all of you w...
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Netflix Weekend 9/5: Werner Herzog Week!
This week we’ll be highlighting three documentaries by our favorite German maestro: Werner Herzog. We begin on a journey to the ends of the earth, as Herzog travels to Antarctica, in Encounters at the End of the World; then travel deep into the earth’s depths...
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“Last Days in Vietnam” Flattens the Fall of Saigon into Bland Apologia
A riveting tale told in the most pedestrian and unimaginative fashion possible, director Rory Kennedy’s Last Days in Vietnam squanders some stunning archival footage and a few heartbreaking interviews, flattening the Fall of Saigon into an oatmeal-bland apolog...
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“The Dog” A Flashy But Gratuitous Documentary About The Inspiration for “Dog Day Afternoon”
Sidney Lumet’s Oscar-winning film Dog Day Afternoon tells the story of Sonny Wortzik, a man who robs a bank in Manhattan to pay for his lover's sex reassignment surgery. The film is based on the true story of John Wojtowicz, a soldier-turned-criminal who becam...
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Ron Howard to Chase ‘The Beatles’ in New Documentary
Director Ron Howard has been tapped to direct an official documentary on The Beatles. The film will focus on the 1960-66 period when the four lads from Liverpool captivated audiences around the world. It has the full cooperation of Apple Corps Ltd, the studio ...
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Documentarians and Their Subjects
Midway through his heart-palpating new Roger Ebert chronicle Life Itself, director Steve James ‘fesses up to a slight documentarian’s faux pas. In a voice-over narration, James notes that he and Ebert enjoyed a friendly relationship prior to the start of produ...
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“The Pleasures Of Being Out Of Step” Misses A Beat Or Two
A record bathed in blue is spinning. The needle grazes overhead. It drops, and the scene is taken over by a blank black screen. A wilting jazz number plays over the unpainted canvas, and it’s the only thing to the audience has to grab onto in the darkened thea...
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“Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger” A Conflicted, Distracted New Crime Documentary
James "Whitey" Bulger is a very, very bad man; even with a title like Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger, this documentary doesn't intend to debate whether or not Bulger is guilty of the various crimes he's been accused of throughout the last ...
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