Category: Documentaries

Harold and Lillian: The happy marriage of unsung Hollywood heroes

~ Lincoln Spector

B+ Film history documentary Directed by Daniel Raim Harold Michelson was one of Hollywood's top storyboard artists…until he became a top production designer. His wife, Lillian Michelson, ran a research library and helped filmmakers learn about the places and times in which their movies were set. Between them, they influenced an astonishingly large group of … Continue reading Harold and Lillian: The happy marriage of unsung Hollywood heroes

Dawson City: A Hidden Treasure Trove in an Artic Swimming Pool

~ Lincoln Spector

C+ Film history documentary Directed by Bill Morrison In 1978, Michael Gates of Dawson City stumbled on a huge collection of 35mm nitrate film, buried in a former swimming pool below a torn-down ice rink. The once-thriving Yukon mining town sits less than 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The film stock was much … Continue reading Dawson City: A Hidden Treasure Trove in an Artic Swimming Pool

Nowhere to Hide: Powerful, important, & horribly depressing

~ Lincoln Spector

A- Documentary Directed by Zaradasht Ahmed The experience of sitting through this documentary can best be described as harrowing, gruesome, scary, and deeply depressing. At yet, I have to recommend it. You'll be a better person for seeing Nowhere to Hide. In 2011, as American troops left Iraq, the filmmakers gave a small video camera … Continue reading Nowhere to Hide: Powerful, important, & horribly depressing

Sonita: A suspenseful documentary about forced marriage

~ Lincoln Spector

A documentary Directed by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami Note: This exceptional documentary struck a tremendous chord when I saw at the 2016 San Francisco Film Festival. I wrote the review below at that time, but held back publication until until Bay Area viewers could see the picture.Now that Sonita is available on Netflix, I'm publishing my review. Young … Continue reading Sonita: A suspenseful documentary about forced marriage

James Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson, & I Am Not Your Negro

~ Lincoln Spector

A documentary Written by James Baldwin Directed by Raoul Peck In the final decade of his life, author James Baldwin wrote 30 pages of an unfinished book about his own experiences, his friendships with Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and the African American experience in general. Now Raoul Peck has turned … Continue reading James Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson, & I Am Not Your Negro

Mifune documentary enjoyable and enlightening

~ Lincoln Spector

B+ Documentary Directed by Steven Okazaki If you have any interest at all in Japanese cinema, you're bound to enjoy Mifune: The Last Samurai, a love letter to the legendary movie star. Even if you already know a great deal about Toshiro Mifune, you'll probably learn something new. For instance, I discovered through this film that … Continue reading Mifune documentary enjoyable and enlightening

Doc Stories festival opens with Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds

~ Lincoln Spector

Quick note: Yes, I've been changing Bayflicks' design a lot lately. Hopefully this one will last. Growing up with famous parents can't be easy--especially if your father left home for Elizabeth Taylor, and your relentlessly upbeat mother insisted that you follow in her footsteps. And then, decades later, a bunch of documentarians invade your privacy … Continue reading Doc Stories festival opens with Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds