Posts Tagged ‘documentary’
Shakespeare: The King’s Man DVD Review: The Political Education of Willy Shakes
A fantastic resource as well as an enjoyable examination of the inimitable Bard of Avon.
Read MoreHistory of the Eagles Movie Review: A Fascinating Look at a Legendary Group
This thorough look at one of the 1970s’ most successful bands is a must-own for Eagles fans.
Read MoreBill Moyers: Beyond Hate DVD Review: A Timeless Exploration of Hatred
A lucid exploration of a complex subject.
Read MoreGreat Barrier Reef Blu-ray Review: Keeping the Streak Alive
BBC Earth’s tradition of excellence continues with this closer look at one of the world’s greatest natural marvels.
Read MoreOne Life DVD Review: Most Impressive
Incredible study of nature from BBC Earth.
Read MoreLost Angels: Skid Row Is My Home (2010) DVD Review: A Sobering Look
A very important glimpse into a world that many of us avoid.
Read MoreScavenger Hunt: An Unlikely Union DVD Review: It’s for the Birds
Makes a strong case for the use of lead-free bullets.
Read MoreAfrica (2012) Blu-ray Review: Remarkable, Vast, Deadly Wilderness, Now in High Definition
One of the most untamed parts of the world, revealed in all its fury and tenderness.
Read MoreAfrica (2012) DVD Review: Insert Preferred Toto Reference Here
You’ll bless the rains (and the deserts, and the oceans, and the jungles) down in Africa while watching this gorgeous nature documentary.
Read MoreShe-Wolves: England’s Early Queens DVD Review: Goddesses and Monsters
An interesting reexamination of the earliest English queens and their vilified roles as the “she-wolves” of history.
Read MoreChronicle of a Summer Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Fascinating Glimpse into Paris in 1960
A unique portrait of a very specific time and and a very specific place.
Read MoreI’m Now: The Story of Mudhoney DVD Review: The History of the Godfathers of Grunge
They somehow survived with their integrity intact.
Read MorePhotographic Memory DVD Review: An Intriguing Essay on Images and Memory
Ross McElwee’s fractured, introspective documentary is often appealingly beguiling.
Read MoreGirl Model DVD Review: New Faces Faced with Unglamorous Realities
Filmmakers David Redmon and Ashley Sabin reveal how swiftly the international modeling industry can chew up and spit out unsuspecting beauties.
Read MoreUndersea Edens DVD Review: A Marvelous Viewing Experience
For those who enjoy nature programs about nature, Undersea Edens is a great choice.
Read MoreBully (2011) Blu-ray Review: A Disappointing Approach to a Complex Issue
Simplistic and showy, this documentary leaves a lot to be desired.
Read MorePina Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Striking Elegy for an Artistic Giant
Wim Wenders’ tribute to modern dance legend Pina Bausch is gorgeous and moving.
Read MoreAfter Kony: Staging Hope DVD Review: The Play’s the Thing
A documentary that shows how theater can help heal the pains of war.
Read MoreThree Stars DVD Review: A Pretty Good Documentary
The CliffsNotes version of being an elite chef with a three-star restaurant.
Read MoreThe Origins of Oz DVD Review: The Story of the True Man Behind the Curtain
This documentary makes for a nice companion to the classic film.
Read MoreYERT: Your Environmental Road Trip DVD Review: Worth Watching
A documentary that should have gotten its own TV series.
Read MoreBill Moyers: Becoming American DVD Review: An Engrossing, Absorbing Documentary
Bill Moyers details the Chinese American experience.
Read More56 Up Movie Review: Still Going Strong After Nearly 50 Years
Acclaimed director Michael Apted continues his legendary documentary series in its latest seven-year installment.
Read MoreThis Is Not a Film Movie Review: Maybe Not a Film, but a Masterpiece Nonetheless
Under house arrest in Iran, Jafar Panahi made a defiant, playful, heart-rending piece of protest cinema and much more.
Read MoreThe Rolling Stones: Under Review 1975-1983 DVD Review: Focuses on First Years with Ronnie Wood
Ronnie Wood comes to the Stones’ emotional rescue.
Read MoreWagner & Me Movie Review: Stephen Fry Gets Real About His Favorite Composer
Stephen Fry attempts to find light in the darkness that shrouds Richard Wagner’s career.
Read MoreSaxon: Heavy Metal Thunder: The Movie DVD Review: About as Rock and Roll as it Gets
The story of the premier NWOBHM band.
Read MorePaul McCartney: Live Kisses DVD Review: A Thoroughly Enjoyable Document of an Artist’s Labor of Love
The ex-Beatle uncovers some buried treasures and interprets them his own way in this deeply personal performance.
Read MoreColor Me Obsessed: A Film About The Replacements DVD Review
The low-budget film paints a fragmented picture of a complicated post-punk band.
Read MoreAFI Fest 2012 Review: The Central Park Five: One the Most Important Films of the Year
It will surely ruin whatever faith viewers have in the U.S. justice system.
Read MoreCulinary Masterpieces: Special Edition Box Set Review: Appetizing Flicks
An alluring glimpse into the world of high-end dining.
Read MoreInventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment Movie Review: Is the Kibbutz Kaputz?
A look at whether this grand experiment worked or not.
Read MoreDawn of the Dead (2012) Movie Review: Tunes, Tabs, and Tie-dye
The Grateful Dead and the rise of the San Francisco Underground.
Read MoreDreams of a Life DVD Review: A Beautiful Yet Flawed Dream of a Lonely Life
A haunting, and interesting subject gets mired down by the director Carol Morley.
Read MoreWith Great Power: The Stan Lee Story DVD Review: Despite My Complaints, I Still Recommend It
As fake and one-sided as Stan’s toupee, but also just as entertaining.
Read MoreWoody Herman: Blue Flame DVD Review: An Impressive Story
A performance-filled account of the life of the legendary big-band leader.
Read MorePaul Williams Still Alive Movie Review: Tells the Story of the Man More than the Songwriter
Director and subject make an odd couple in this flawed but endearing documentary
Read MoreNazi Collaborators DVD Review: A Worthy Addition to any WWII Buff’s Library
A disturbing, yet fascinating perspective on Nazi collaborators.
Read MoreCircle Jerks: My Career as a Jerk DVD Review: A Wonderful Documentary
David Markey’s film about one of L.A.’s most seminal punk bands.
Read MoreNarrow Escapes of World War II DVD Review: A Great Series
“The only new things in the world is the history you don’t know” – Harry S. Truman
Read MoreThe Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye DVD Review: Should be Titled Plastic Surgery Disasters
A flawed, yet ultimately moving account of the “pandrogynous” couple.
Read MoreBeatles Stories DVD Review: Tales Even Hardcore Beatles Fans May Not Know
Captivating hearsay delivered by Beatles fans for Beatles fans.
Read MoreCure for Pain: The Mark Sandman Story Movie Review: An Enlightening Documentary
A look at the legacy of a man and his music.
Read MoreDown in the Flood DVD Review: Bob Dylan and the Band Examined in New Documentary
Don’t think twice, this film is more than alright.
Read MoreThe War Room Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Peek Behind the Campaign Curtain
It’s The Criterion Collection, stupid.
Read MoreOne Bright Shining Moment Movie Review: What Made George McGovern Run
An insightful documentary that examines the candidacy of Senator George McGovern sans gonzo journalism.
Read MoreBrave New World with Stephen Hawking DVD Review: The Hunt for Humanity’s Next Great Leap Forward
An examination of the modern technological breakthroughs that promise a “brave new world” for humankind.
Read MoreGive Up Tomorrow DVD Review: A Story That Needs to be Watched and Shared
“In the face of injustice, no one is safe.”
Read MoreProduced by George Martin Blu-ray Review: A Stroll Down Melody Lane with Britain’s Most Lauded Music Maker
Record producer George Martin talks wartime, music school, comedy records, The Beatles, and beyond.
Read MoreProduced by George Martin Blu-ray Review: An Inside Look At The Producing Legend
A look at the life of one of music’s most beloved producers.
Read MoreSurviving Progress DVD Review: How to Temper a Double-Edged Sword
Human progress has given us some fantastic tools and technology, but that same development threatens our continued existence on this planet.
Read MoreFreddie Mercury: The Great Pretender Blu-ray Review: Queen’s Frontman Gets the Royal Treatment
A respectable look at a man and his talent.
Read MoreSpokAnarchy! DVD Review: An Excellent Documentary
A chronicle of the vibrant ’80s punk scene in Spokane, WA.
Read MoreAli: The Man, The Moves, The Mouth DVD Review: Pulls Too Many Punches
This new release is incomplete.
Read MoreFor All Mankind Criterion Collection DVD Review: A Great Source of Inspiration
The story told is bigger than that of the Apollo missions.
Read MoreApollo 11: A Night to Remember DVD Review: How the British Saw the Giant Leap for Mankind
Fascinating to both relive or to witness for the first time.
Read MoreEcstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters Movie Review: The Pieces Fall Perfectly into Place
I could’ve watched an entire movie about Thor Aackerlund and been perfectly happy.
Read MoreThe Beatles: Their Golden Age DVD Review: A Short, but Information-packed Documentary on the Fab Four
Les Krantz narrates this hour-long documentary on the most successful band of all time.
Read MoreTrue Wolf Movie Review: Don’t Be Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf
Documentary recounts the full life of a wolf raised by humans.
Read MoreThe Sacred Science Movie Review: Searching for Remedies
Worth a watch, but hard to get involved with on a deeper level.
Read MoreMarley Is the Pick of the Week
A new documentary on Bob Marley might just teach me it’s about the music not the posturing.
Read MoreMansome Movie Review: Lots of Comedians, Little Comedy
Documentary ace Morgan Spurlock misses the mark with this uninspired take on male grooming.
Read MoreOccupation: Fighter Movie Review: The Story of a Contender
An inspirational, though not completely objective, look at one man’s dedication to mixed martial arts.
Read MoreResurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles Movie Review: An Intriguing Documentary about a Decades-Long Mystery
Jon Foy uses beautiful artwork and well-placed music to draw you in.
Read MoreLAFF 2012 Review: A Band Called Death Rises from Obscurity
An overlooked proto-punk band from the 1970s is rediscovered.
Read MoreTreasure Houses of Britain DVD Review: How the One-Percenters Used to Live
A very interesting series about a way of life which (for the most part) no longer exists.
Read MoreWith Great Power: The Stan Lee Story Movie Review: A Man Behind the Masks
A fun documentary about the man behind Marvel Comics.
Read MoreNever Stand Still Movie Review: A Love Letter to Dance, Dancers, and the Legendary Jacob’s Pillow
Ron Honsa’s Never Stand Still gets to the heart of why people dance and why where they dance makes all the difference.
Read MoreJoffrey: Mavericks of American Dance Movie Review: The Politics of Dance from the Ground Up
This documentary chronicles the Joffrey Ballet’s risk-taking journey through the often unstable world of American dance.
Read MoreFrozen Planet Blu-ray Review: BBC Hits the Poles
The singular focus on polar nature wears thin, but the HD photography is spellbinding.
Read MoreSurviving Progress Movie Review: A Wake-Up Call About the Progress Trap
Could be aptly re-titled Surviving Greed.
Read MoreThe War Room Criterion Collection DVD Review: The Men Behind the Man from Hope
This two-disc DVD of the 1992 campaign documentary is a delightful trip down memory lane.
Read MoreStrange Fruit: The Beatles’ Apple Records DVD Review: Gets to the Core of the Company
Learn about the fascinating rise and fall of The Beatles’ failed label Apple Records.
Read MoreAnn Arbor Film Festival 2012 Review: Poetic Injustice and The Strawberry Tree
The historic 50th festival continues with a strong collection of shorts and a moving pictorial.
Read MoreSXSW 2012 Review: Paul Williams Still Alive
Director Stephen Kessler explores celebrity and addiction in the life of pop-culture icon, Paul Williams.
Read MoreSXSW 2012 Review: Paul Williams Still Alive
Director Stephen Kessler explores celebrity and addiction in the life of pop-culture icon, Paul Williams.
Read MoreThe Beat Hotel Movie Review: Expat Writers in Paradise
Reliving the glorious days of the Beats in Paris.
Read MoreThe Doors: Mr. Mojo Risin’: The Making of L.A. Woman DVD Review: The Story of a Truly Great Album and Band
All the dope on the Doors’ final album.
Read MoreIn the Garden of Sounds DVD Review: Who Says Blindness is a Disability?
A fascinating portrait of a caring man who refuses to be limited by his disability.
Read MorePianomania DVD Review: Surprisingly Compelling Study of a Master Piano Technician
I will never watch or listen to a great pianist quite the same way again.
Read MoreAmerican Teacher DVD Review: A Distant Look at the Profession
Full of facts but lacking the ability to keep this student engaged.
Read MoreThe Sons of Tennessee Williams DVD Review: Mardi Gras Offers Sanctuary Amidst the Celebration
An important documentary about the gay civil rights movement in Louisiana.
Read More2012 Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts Review: Bring Tissues, Because You’re Going to Cry
This year’s nominees stuff a lot of emotion into small packages.
Read MoreGod Is the Bigger Elvis Movie Review: Classic Film Star Dolores Hart Returns After 50 Years, and Oscar Notices
The Hollywood starlet who became a nun is back in this unlikely Oscar nominee.
Read MoreWhat Do You Say To A Naked Lady? DVD Review: Not Ready for 1970 Prime Time
Allen Funt turned his “Candid Camera” to more adult themes for a dated, but entertaining film.
Read MoreQueen: Days of Our Lives Blu-ray Review: A Definitive Look at the Legendary Band
The best documentary on the band to date.
Read MoreMurder By Proxy: How America Went Postal DVD Review: Intriguing yet Offers More Questions Than Answers
A documentary focusing on the disturbingly frequent occurrences of mass shootings in America.
Read MoreQueen: Days of Our Lives DVD Review: They Made the Rockin’ World Go Round
The full story of Queen, one of the greatest bands in rock history.
Read MoreThe Doors: Mr. Mojo Risin’: The Story of L.A. Woman DVD Review: A Look at One of Their Most Enduring Works
The story of the band’s final album made with Jim Morrison.
Read MoreThe Pruitt-Igoe Myth Movie Review: An Absolutely Fascinating Documentary
How building a better tomorrow destroyed a community’s ‘today.’
Read MoreEat This New York DVD Review: Jumbled Restaurant Documentary Proves Unsatisfying
Displaying many of the same problems — only magnified — that plagued 2011’s Page One: Inside the New York Times, this 2004 effort from the same filmmakers underwhelms.
Read MoreFrom Straight to Bizarre: Zappa, Beefheart, Alice Cooper, and LA’s Lunatic Fringe DVD Review: A Must for Zappa-philes
A study of the L.A. “Freak Scene” like no other.
Read MoreSome Kind of Monster DVD Review: A Fearless Portrait of Metallica
Hit the lights and watch this DVD!
Read MoreThe Love We Make DVD Review: Paul McCartney Leads the Charge to Heal a City and a Nation
Behind the scenes at the Concert for New York City.
Read MoreGod Bless Ozzy Osbourne DVD Review: Pulling Back the Persona to Reveal the Man
A fascinating look at the private side of the Prince of Darkness.
Read MoreWoody Allen: A Documentary Review: His Films Make Life Worth Living
The director is featured in this career overview on PBS’ American Masters.
Read MoreMaking the Boys DVD Review: An Important Look at the Boys from The Boys in the Band
Even though padded to feature length, this documentary is a must-see for aficionados of theater, movies, and gay cultural history.
Read MoreGod Bless Ozzy Osbourne DVD Review: A Side of Ozzy We Have Never Seen Before
The film has a very strong story to tell.
Read MoreEames: The Architect and The Painter Movie Review: More Nostalgia Than Anything Else
An almost dynamic documentary about a dynamic couple.
Read MoreAFI FEST 2011 Review: Into the Abyss
Director Werner Herzog stares into Texas’ death penalty.
Read MoreShut Up, Little Man! Movie Review: Viral Outrageousness from the Pre-Internet Age
An amusing/disturbing, funny/depressing little documentary about a nearly forgotten cult “audio verite” hit from 20 years ago.
Read MorePhil Ochs: There but for Fortune Movie Review: A Study of a Study in Contradictions
A complex study of the troubled troubadour’s life.
Read MoreHey, Boo: Harper Lee & To Kill A Mockingbird DVD Review: A Pretty Flawless Documentary
We walk a mile in Harper Lee’s shoes and learn the story behind the great American novel.
Read MoreMake Believe Movie Review: Teen Magicians Vie for Glory
Cut from the same cloth as similar documentaries before it, Make Believe is still a fairly charming film.
Read MoreAmerican: The Bill Hicks Story Blu-ray Review: Only the Ruthlessly Funny Die Young
There aren’t now and haven’t been many comedians like Bill Hicks.
Read MoreOrgasm Inc. DVD Review: The Sick Practices of the Pharmaceutical Industry
A though-provoking documentary about the search for a female Viagra.
Read MoreThe Times of Harvey Milk Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: History in the Making
An outstanding documentary that presents an important chapter in the United States civil rights movement.
Read MoreI’m Dangerous with Love DVD Review: Michel Negroponte Examines an Unorthodox Cure for Addiction
“We should start listening to the people who wear feathers.”
Read MoreThe Complete Monterey Pop Festival Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Marvelous Time Capsule
The set includes the films: Monterey Pop, Jimi Plays Monterey, and Shake! Otis at Monterey.
Read More4192: The Crowning of the Hit King DVD Review: A Solid Hit But Not a Home Run
A good albeit incomplete story.
Read MoreKings of Pastry DVD Review: A Remarkably Stimulating Documentary
Each time in the kitchen feels like a life or death adventure.
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