Category Archives: Film

Coming to Discovery+ today, Thursday, October 14:
CRUTCH

Director:
Sachi Cunningham, Vayabobo

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2020

Select Festivals:
Cleveland, ReelAbilities, Bentonville

About:
From angry skatepunk to international provocateur, the emotional story of a one-of-a-kind artist’s struggle to be understood.

The film previously screened at DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Dance, art, performance, and disability politics converge in this entertaining and enlightening portrait of Bill Shannon, an internationally renowned artist, break dancer, and skate punk, who wields his crutches as tools of expression and instruments for audience provocation. The film journeys through a decade of intimate access and a lifetime of archival footage that includes Shannon’s stage work for Cirque du Soleil, the Sydney Opera House, the Tate Modern, and the Chicago MOCA.

New to DVD this week:
ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN

Director:
Morgan Neville

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2021

Select Festivals:
Nantucket, AFI Docs

About:
A remarkably constructed portrait of the uncommon life and untimely death of the late storyteller, explorer, and chef.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Wednesday, October 13 and to Apple TV+ this Friday, October 15:
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

Director:
Todd Haynes

World Premiere:
Cannes 2021

Select Festivals:
New York Film Festival, Telluride, San Sebastian, Zurich, BFI London, Chicago

About:
An exploration of how The Velvet Underground became a cultural touchstone representing a range of contradictions.

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, October 12:
THE BIG SCARY “S” WORD

Director:
Yael Bridge

World Premiere:
Mill Valley 2020

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hot Docs, AFI Fest, Big Sky Doc, Cleveland, Wisconsin, Mountainfilm, DOXA, Thessaloniki Doc, Melbourne Doc

About:
A comprehensive exploration of the ideology of socialism, increasingly attracting both supporters and detractors in a polarized America.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, October 12:
WITKIN & WITKIN

Director:
Trisha Ziff

World Premiere:
Morelia 2017

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Los Cabos, San Francisco DocFest, Hot Docs, AFI Docs

About:
Gifted twin brothers—photographer Joel-Peter Witkin and painter Jerome Witkin—reunite for a joint show.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to Independent Lens today, Monday, October 11:
CURED

Director:
Bennett Singer, Patrick Sammon

World Premiere:
Outfest 2020

Select Festivals:
NewFest, Frameline, BFI Flare, Cleveland, Vancouver, Image+Nation

About:
The David-versus-Goliath struggle that led the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its manual of mental illnesses in 1973.