Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, March 10:
LIFELINE/ CLYFFORD STILL

Director:
Dennis Scholl

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2019

About:
An in-depth exploration of the life and work of the American Abstract Expressionist artist.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Clyfford Still’s striking compositions and idiosyncratic personality made him one of the preeminent figures of the American Abstract Expressionist movement. Through interviews and previously unreleased recordings, Still’s artistic philosophy and his relationships with contemporaries Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock are revealed. After his death, the legacy of the enigmatic artist faces further uncertainty, as museums vie to be the permanent home of the Still collection—if they can meet the strict demands of his will.

Coming to DVD and VOD today, Tuesday, March 10:
COLOSSUS

Director:
Jonathan Schienberg

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2018

Select Festivals:
St Louis

About:
A US-born teenager copes with the deportation of his undocumented family members.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
The personal impact of America’s immigration policies on families is deeply felt in this intimate portrait of 15-year-old Jamil Sunsin and his family. Jamil, born in the US, only finds out his parents and older sister are undocumented when they are deported to Honduras following a routine traffic stop. Traumatized by violence there, Jamil returns to Jersey City to stay with relatives and seek a better life, but this imposed separation weighs heavily on all members of the family.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, March 6:
THE BOOKSELLERS

Director:
DW Young

World Premiere:
New York Film Festival 2019

Select Festivals:
St Louis, Miami Jewish, RiverRun, Sebastopol Doc, Victoria

About:
An affectionate portrait of NYC’s community of rare book dealers and collectors.

In an age of ebooks and eBay, rare book collecting seems doomed – but there’s still room for hope in DW Young’s loving look at the antiquarian trade. When NYC once boasted hundreds of bookstores, there are now fewer than 80 left, and those who attempt to make a living as bibliophiles face more of a struggle when competing with the instant gratification of online book searching and shopping. The industry has certainly contracted, becoming decidedly more niche in recent decades, but there are still stalwart book dealers trudging along, helping collectors find their treasured tomes, and encouraging younger people to pursue the thrill of the hunt, sometimes in surprising directions. Young’s film may not be the flashiest, and prone to digressions of varying interest, but this fits its general milieu – older, white, rarefied – though an attempt is made to showcase a slow diversification of the field, from more women claiming prominence (they were always in the business, but often sidelined), to people of color and younger individuals carrying on the torch or blazing their own trail. Despite whatever minor shortcomings the film may have technically or structurally, it succeeds in capturing the love of books with infectious charm.

Coming to DVD and VOD today, Tuesday, March 3:
1275 DAYS

Directors:
Katie Green and Carlye Rubin

World Premiere:
Heartland 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC

About:
An exploration of the impact of juvenile incarceration and harsh sentencing laws.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
In Elkhart IN, 16-year old Blake Layman attempts to rob a home, only to see his friend and accomplice, Danzele, lose his life to the homeowner’s gun. Even though Blake did not pull the trigger, he faces a 55-year prison sentence under the felony murder rule. Directors Katie Green and Carlye Rubin chart the unwavering efforts of Blake’s mother and his devoted girlfriend to appeal his conviction so that he doesn’t spend a lifetime behind bars for one bad decision.