Category Archives: Documentary

Coming to HBO Max tonight, Thursday, August 27:
CLASS ACTION PARK

Directors:
Chris Charles Scott and Seth Porges

World Premiere:
Florida 2020

Select Festivals:
Fantasia, Indie Street, Docville

About:
A look back at NJ’s notorious amusement park, Action Park.

Located in Vernon NJ, just 50 miles away from NYC, Action Park was a regular attraction for families and teens from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s. As revealed in Chris Charles Scott and Seth Porges’ infectiously enjoyable revisitation of the site’s heyday, Action Park was also likely the world’s most dangerous amusement park, with patrons regularly suffering injuries both minor and major, and, in many cases, death. Drawing on a parade of past attendees, former staff, and Vernon residents, the film indulges the audience in a wild recounting of the highs and lows of Action Park – the Wild West, no-holds-barred freedom that attracted die-hard fans, but also the shocking lack of even basic security precautions that resulted in far too many accidents, and, intriguingly, the story of Gene Mulvihill, the shady owner that made it all possible. While not the most polished production, this memorable film successfully evokes nostalgia for a lost era when kids could enjoy the thrill and adventure of unsupervised play and parents didn’t live in constant fear.

Coming to virtual cinemas tomorrow, Friday, August 28:
HOUSE OF CARDIN

Directors:
P David Ebersole and Todd Hughes

World Premiere:
Venice 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Chicago, Frameline, Provincetown, Palm Springs, Cleveland, RiverRun, Outfest

About:
A portrait of legendary fashion designer Pierre Cardin.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Pierre Cardin forever changed fashion in multiple ways: He freed women from figure-molded clothes and introduced new shapes, styles, and colors; he was a pioneer in crossing over from haute couture to ready-to-wear; and he brought his designs to multiple products beyond clothes. Drawing on Cardin’s archives and insightful interviews with the designer himself, filmmakers P David Ebersole and Todd Hughes provide a lively, entertaining, and joyous overview of his contributions to the world of fashion and beyond.

Coming to CNN this Saturday, August 29:
AFTER TRUTH: DISINFORMATION AND THE COST OF FAKE NEWS

Director:
Andrew Rossi

World Premiere:
SXSW 2020

About:
An investigation into the development, dissemination, and impact of conspiracy theories and fake news.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to select theatres and to virtual cinemas this Friday, August 28:
MR SOUL!

Director:
Melissa Haizlip

Co-Director:
Sam Pollard

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2018

Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, True/False, AFI Docs, New Orleans, Rotterdam, Durban, BlackStar, Urbanworld, Pan African, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, London, Indie Memphis, Woodstock, Heartland

About:
A portrait of the pioneer behind SOUL!, the acclaimed African-American public television cultural variety show.

Between 1968-1973, NYC’s public television station produced SOUL!, a weekly performance-oriented variety program made by and primarily for African-American audiences. The show quickly grew in popularity, drawing regular viewership by more than half of African-American households across the nation. At the heart of SOUL! was its creator and host, Ellis Haizlip, whose forward thinking approach to shining the spotlight on Black culture introduced audiences to a wide range of artists and thinkers, from popular singers and avant-garde jazz performers to outspoken poets and controversial political activists. Haizlip emerges as an intriguing, singular figure, an openly gay man who rejected the showboating of the traditional host role but whose insightful interviewing skills and curatorial acumen gave the program its revolutionary edge. Here, his niece, Melissa Haizlip, crafts an illuminating and fascinating portrait not only of her uncle, but of his landmark program, fondly remembered by a generation influenced by its positive representation and message of uplift and excellence – but largely unknown to viewers who came of age after 1973, when political pressures from the Nixon administration forced its cancellation. This portrait, with its extensive footage from the show, helps re-establish SOUL!’s vital position in cultural history.

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, August 25:
OTHER MUSIC

Directors:
Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2019

Select Festivals:
Montclair, Maryland, Calgary, Vancouver, Nashville, Cork, St Louis, Sound Unseen, Cleveland

About:
A love letter to the now-shuttered NYC record store institution.

I previously wrote about the doc here.