I'd be hard put to name another documentary that feels so much like a narrative feature. Not that Steve James' Hoop Dreams looks like a fiction film; it most certainly does not. The hand-held cameras, extreme lenses, and low video resolution makes it look like the cinéma vérité documentary that it is. But James and … Continue reading Hoop Dreams (my Blu-ray review)
Category: Documentaries
Who are they? My review of Lambert & Stamp
B+ Music documentary Directed by James D. Cooper I don't know if I enjoyed this movie so much because it was very well made, or simply because it's about The Who--a band that I have been a fan of for more than 40 years. I doubt if Lambert & Stamp would be of much interest … Continue reading Who are they? My review of Lambert & Stamp
The Wrecking Crew: The hidden heroes of rock ‘n’ roll (my review)
B Music documentary Directed by Denny Tedesco Who supplied the addictive riffs on “Da Doo Ron Ron,” "California Dreamin'," “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and the theme music for Mission: Impossible? Despite what it says on the LP sleeves, much of the inspiration came from an unsung collection of Los Angeles session musicians informally called The … Continue reading The Wrecking Crew: The hidden heroes of rock ‘n’ roll (my review)
Documentary Tearjerker: Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine
A Documentary Directed by Michele Josue I have a rule. If a film makes me cry, it deserves a high grade. If it makes me cry a lot, it gets an A. This documentary about the homophobic murder of a young gay man had me all but audibly sobbing. Do you remember Matthew Shepard? In … Continue reading Documentary Tearjerker: Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine
Magician: The life and times of Citizen Welles
B+ Documentary Directed by Chuck Workman Every cinephile has to contemplate the strange phenomenon named Orson Welles. He had conquered radio and the New York stage, and had signed a Hollywood movie contract that turned established directors green with envy, before he turned 25. His first film, Citizen Kane, has been called the "greatest film … Continue reading Magician: The life and times of Citizen Welles
To be a Gay Japanese-American Sci-Fi Actor and the Subject of To Be Takei
B+ Documentary Directed by Jennifer M. Kroot Who would have guessed that, almost 50 years after Star Trek first premiered on NBC, George Takei would be the most beloved member of the original cast. But why not. He has a warm, upbeat personality and a great sense of humor. He's been a political activist for … Continue reading To be a Gay Japanese-American Sci-Fi Actor and the Subject of To Be Takei
A Life Itself at the Movies
A- Documentary Directed by Steve James The first thing you have to understand about Life Itself, Steve James' biographical documentary about Roger Ebert, is that James is hardly a dispassionate observer. He was not a close friend to Ebert, but he owed a lot to the famous film critic. It was Ebert, and his partner … Continue reading A Life Itself at the Movies
Cinematic Romance: My Review of Liv & Ingmar
B Film history documentary Directed by Dheeraj Akolkar Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann comprise one of the great teams in film history. Their collaborations include Persona, Cries & Whispers, Scenes From a Marriage, and Autumn Sonata. As a romantic couple, they lasted only five years. But their artistic collaboration, and their friendship, lasted nearly 40, … Continue reading Cinematic Romance: My Review of Liv & Ingmar
Sweet Dreams: Drumming, Ice Cream, and the aftermath of genocide
C+ documentary Directed by Lisa and Rob Fruchtman This upbeat, everything-turns-out-okay documentary tries to tell three different stories in 84 minutes. While it has its high points, it doesn't do justice to any of them. The location, modern-day Rwanda not quite 20 years after the genocide, promises something fascinating and disturbing. In 1994, one of … Continue reading Sweet Dreams: Drumming, Ice Cream, and the aftermath of genocide
Did You Hear the One About the Documentary? When Comedy Went to School
B Documentary Directed by Mevlet Akkava and Ron Frank I didn't know it at the time (after all, I grew up in Los Angeles), but I was raised on Catskills Mountain humor. Jerry Lewis, Danny Kaye, and Buddy Hackett taught me to laugh. As I grew older, Carl Reiner, Woody Allen, and Tom Lehrer took … Continue reading Did You Hear the One About the Documentary? When Comedy Went to School
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