Category Archives: Documentary

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12: 180 DAYS: HARTSVILLE

Jacquie Jones and Gerald McLaurin’s indepth look at a South Carolina school year debuted on PBS this Spring.

I previously wrote about the doc upon its broadcast here.

Coming to HBO tonight, Monday, May 11: THOUGHT CRIMES: THE CASE OF THE CANNIBAL COP

Erin Lee Carr’s exploration of an Internet fantasy turned nightmare debuted last month at Tribeca. It went on to screen at Hot Docs and Montclair before its broadcast premiere.

After work, NYPD officer Gilberto Valle would return to the home he shared with his wife Kathleen and baby daughter and unwind online for several hours. Growing suspicious, Kathleen eventually installed spyware, and discovered her husband’s secret: His time on the web was devoted to exploring disturbing, violent fantasies involving kidnapping, rape, and cannibalism. Feeling endangered, and concerned that he was planning to follow through on his dark thoughts, she left Valle and reported his actions to the authorities. The ensuing arrest and trial resulted in a media circus, turning the public against the so-called “Cannibal Cop,” who was convicted not only of the illegal use of police databases, but, more chillingly, of conspiring to kidnap and eat women. Carr, with the cooperation of Valle and his parents, goes beyond the sensationalistic headlines to uncover how a man was prosecuted for his fantasies, as gruesome as they might be. Interviews with journalists, psychologists, attorneys, and jurors navigate the complex and fascinating case, parsing its ethical implications for the US legal system.

Coming to DVD this coming Tuesday, May 12: IN COUNTRY

Mike Attie and Meghan O’Hara’s look at a group of Vietnam War hobbyists debuted at Full Frame last year. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, Hot Docs, CPH:DOX, and Camden, and to be released theatrically and on VOD by Bond/360.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens this coming Monday, May 11: BORN TO FLY: ELIZABETH STREB VS GRAVITY

Catherine Gund’s look at the work of an “extreme action” choreographer had its world premiere at SXSW last year. Other fests included Cleveland, Full Frame, Seattle, Sydney, Brooklyn, Sheffield, and Frameline, among others.

I previously wrote about the doc upon its theatrical release here.

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Thursday, May 7 and to theatres this Friday, May 8: THE SEVEN FIVE

Tiller Russell’s look at a notorious case of police corruption debuted last year at DOC NYC. It now comes to theatres and VOD platforms via IFC Films/Sundance Selects.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
For Michael Dowd, being a police officer wasn’t a calling, it was just a job – and, assigned to the 75th Precinct in crime-ridden East New York, not an easy or lucrative one. Seizing the opportunity to profit, he stole money from drug dealers, eventually recruiting his partner into an expanding criminal ring. Their 1992 arrest exposed widespread corruption in the NYPD. Weaving together Dowd’s revelatory testimony from the investigation, dramatic surveillance footage and interviews with the primary players, Tiller Russell’s film tells his incendiary tale.

Coming to PBS’s America ReFramed series as part of Asian American Heritage month tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5: 9-MAN

Ursula Liang’s look at a unique intersection of sports and culture debuted at IFF Boston last year. It also screened at DOC NYC, Stranger Than Fiction, Hawaii, and at scores of Asian American fests in Toronto, Philadelphia, Seattle, Austin, Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco, among others.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
Played since the 1930s, 9-Man, a variant of volleyball, was developed by Chinese immigrants to America as both an athletic pastime and a social outlet in a time of widespread anti-Chinese sentiment, discrimination, and segregation. Ursula Liang’s film traces the game’s fascinating history as a backdrop to the present-day national championship, in which Asian-American players, now fully integrated into mainstream North American culture, defy stereotypes about Asian masculinity and athleticism even as they connect to their heritage.

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5 and to theatres this Wednesday, May 6: I AM BIG BIRD

Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker’s portrait of the man behind beloved children’s television characters debuted at Hot Docs last year. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, AFI Docs, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Seattle, Montclair, and Melbourne, among others.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
SESAME STREET’s Big Bird may be one of the world’s most recognizable characters, but far less familiar is Caroll Spinney, the man who has brought to life the yellow- feathered Muppet – as well as the irascible Oscar the Grouch – since 1969. Through Spinney’s rich personal archive and behind-the-scenes show footage, this endearing film celebrates a career spanning nearly a half century, which includes a memorable adventure in China, a near-trip to outer space and, most importantly, an indelible impact on generations of kids.