Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to PBS’s Voces this Friday, September 20:
THE PUSHOUTS

Directors:
Katie Galloway and Dawn Valadez

World Premiere:
Full Frame 2018

Select Festivals:
San Francisco, Urbanworld, St Louis, Indie Memphis, Sebastopol Doc, Bentonville, Latino fests in Los Angeles, Boston, San Diego

About:
A former dropout-turned-professor is on a mission to re-engage at risk students.

Victor Rios was on a path to nowhere by his mid-teens – a dropout, drug dealer, gang member, and convicted felon. Through the critical help of mentors, however, Rios found a way out of the poverty and violence, and eventually became a professor. Recognizing the failures of the American education system, Rios reframes the idea of “dropouts” to “pushouts,” questioning how schools fail their students instead. Directors Katie Galloway and Dawn Valadez weave Rios’ story together with those of present-day 16-24-year-old youth mentored as part of the Yo!Watts youth center. The film’s strength is in the charismatic Rios; its too-short running time unfortunately leads to only a cursory sense of the kids in the mentorship program. Despite this, the doc offers a positive message – one responsive to the needs of students rather than the school system.

New to DVD/VOD this week:
IRON FISTS AND KUNG FU KICKS

Director:
Serge Ou

World Premiere:
Melbourne 2019

About:
A look at the origins and popularization of martial arts films.

Taking a fast and furious approach to this genre love letter, director Serge Ou assembles an impressive collection of film clips – beginning with the prolific output of Hong Kong’s legendary Shaw Brothers and continuing, more or less, to the present day – with commentary from an expansive parade of talking heads representing actors, academics, and film programmers. Best when focused on the giddy enjoyment of the films themselves, with their over-the-top action and wild energy – echoed to an excessive degree in the doc’s distracting score – the film also tries to make the case or martial arts mania’s impact on such disparate developments as hip-hop, parkour, and even boxing dramas like ROCKY – some claims more convincingly than others. While, unsurprisingly, best suited to pre-existing genre fans, Ou’s doc still has its pleasures for the casual viewer.

New to DVD and VOD this week:
CASSANDRO, THE EXOTICO!

Director:
Marie Losier

World Premiere:
Cannes 2018 (ACID)

Select Festivals:
IDFA, CPH:DOX, Morelia, Ambulante, Tempo Doc, Mar del Plata, Santa Barbara, Jeonju, São Paulo, Hamburg, San Diego Latino, SF DocFest, Sarasota, Outfest Fusion, BFI Flare

About:
An intimate profile of the “Liberace of lucha libre” as he faces the end of his career.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, September 17:
I USED TO BE NORMAL: A BOYBAND FANGIRL STORY

Director:
Jessica Leski

Premiere:
Hot Docs 2018

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Sydney, Revelation Perth, Melbourne, Fantastic Fest, Adelaide, London, Hawaii, Göteborg, Rotterdam, Miami, Santa Barbara, Cleveland, Istanbul

About:
A look at boyband superfans.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to theatres today, Friday, September 13:
DESOLATION CENTER

Director:
Stuart Swezey

World Premiere:
CPH:DOX 2018

Select Festivals:
Sheffield, DokuFest, Big Sky Doc, Slamdance, DOXA, Indielisboa, Chicago Underground, Revelation, Sydney Underground, In-Edit Spain, Cork, Freep, Florida

About:
A look back at underground happenings stemming from the 1980s LA punk and industrial scene.

I previously wrote about the doc here.