All tagged Documentary
The largest complaint I have seen about this film is that it includes vital but already understood basic information about the world as it exists. I have to heartily disagree. For every millennial who has been dutifully educating themselves on the internet since the Myspace age, there is a tech unsavvy adult who doesn’t know the difference between HDMI and VPN.
Kirby Dick is probably one of my favorite documentarians thanks to his work on films such as This Film is Not Yet Rated, The Invisible War, and The Hunting Ground.
Joan Didion’s legendary writings have been chic for forty years, and not only did she capture the counterculture and the rock n’ roll lifestyle of the sixties, but she saw its end with the Manson murders.
Let’s get this out of the way: Gawker was somewhat vile. It was a site set up by pushy, arrogant, hate-filled people who wanted to poke fun at the elite and the powerful. A lot of the articles shamed famous people by being overtly cruel about things like being closeted, being bald, or no longer being relevant.
The 13th Amendment supposedly freed the slaves. Sadly, it did not, and has not, rendered all American citizens free. The prison industrial complex (a term that is greatly explored in this film) has incarcerated 25% of the entire world’s prisoners just in the US...
Lady Gaga is really honest in her everyday life. She tells people when she’s uncomfortable, sad, confused, or in pain, and that honesty is what makes her such an amazing celebrity.
This man is named Roger Stone, and he is the subject of this documentary. He is a man who does not apologize, nor cares about anything but his own infamy and political clout, a dangerous combination.
Though some of these excursions seem to undercut the fact that this is a film about volcanoes, this film never bores its audience. Between the panoramic shots of tropical foliage and the drone sequences that pan across villages and volcanoes alike, this is a feast for the eyes.
Amanda Knox comes off as a very likable and intelligent person. Many of the interviews she gives to the filmmakers show a likable, if eccentric, young woman who didn't know how to act when she came home to find her roommate, Meredith Kercher, viciously murdered.
Though their stories are often compelling and heartbreaking, the film works best when it looks at the overall issues of reporting and the way boys are let off the hook. The last interview with the Sherriff in Daisy's community had me actively yelling at my television screen. His idea of justice is to let the boys move on with their lives, like their offense is one that can be rectified and forgotten as a bit of juvenile fun.
Instead of being accountable Weiner goes on the defensive, using the same vitriol that made him famous on the floor of Congress to yell at reporters and the public alike. He was already far down the rabbit hole and then he took a Bobcat and dug down thirty more feet.
He also uses online dating, uses wedding season in the Indian community to troll for dates, and even goes to a Patel wedding expo where he meets tens to hundreds of women also looking for the perfect Indian man. While Patel seems to have a more liberal and relaxed attitude to the idea, and is willing to be a part of the American melting pot, he is still terrified of his parents' reaction
Crimmins' sets were a mix of highly volatile lessons on the politics of the United States and diatribes about the unjust practices of the world at large. Though Crimmins never hit is huge like Leary, Poundstone, or Wright, he did own several comedy clubs, and he churned out seasoned veterans who have now been doing stand-up for twenty plus years. He is seen as a mythical creature that chain smokes constantly, drinks like a pirate, and spits out his message in a quick string of expletives.
Fashion icon Iris Apfel is an interesting figure in a world that already has its share of oddities. Famous for fusing together the world of high fashion and the bargain bin, throughout the film you watch as she moves about in the world of high class, high fashion magnates, as well in the very streets where she often buys her bracelets and bangles. As a fashion icon she is unique, in that she doesn't design or have a brand in the world of fashion.
Between the ten or so people interviewed, it becomes clear that they see hotlines as a way to be open about yourself, in a time where the internet lets you be anything. The people on the other end of these calls are not alter egos who are there to listen, end the call, and go about their lives, but listeners who are impacted by everyday human interaction.
On the other side of the spectrum is one of the biggest music documentaries of the last twenty years: “Madonna: Truth or Dare.” Madonna was at her peak in popularity, already boasted as an icon in many ways. She was provocative, smart, edgy, and lacked the humility of any America’s sweetheart
A month or so ago I personally went off sugar for ten days, a challenge that the film advocates for in the end credits. Almost everything that I tried to eat had some kind of sugar, including ketchup, salad dressing, and bread.
In 2012, at the Largo Theater, Tig Notaro gave an impressively legendary set where she talked about her recent battle with an intestinal infection, breast cancer, a breakup, and the death of her mother, all at the urging of Ira Glass.
We get to see the response from pop icon Madonna, who supported and gave awareness to their plight while they were in prison. We learn about the politics and corruption of Putin, who the band strongly opposes for many reasons.
