Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, September 16: SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR

Deborah S Esquenazi’s look at a case of wrongful conviction debuted at Tribeca earlier this year. The doc also screened at Hot Docs, Sheffield, DocuWest, AFI Docs, Frameline, Outfest, and Inside Out.

As signaled by its somewhat too-reminiscent title, Esquenazi’s film looks at the tragic fallout of 1990s Satanic panic that also claimed the West Memphis Three, as documented in Joe Berlinger’s PARADISE LOST trilogy and Amy Berg’s WEST OF MEMPHIS. In this particular instance, the supposed perpetrators, known by their supporters as the San Antonio Four, faced a quadruple whammy while facing the justice system – not only where they accused of Satanism, but they were women, Latina, and lesbians. Looking back, the accusations against them are so ludicrous it would be laughable, except that these charges put four innocent women behind bars for decades. Lesbian couple Anna and Liz, along with two friends, were accused of gang raping Liz’s two young nieces while babysitting. While there is no physical evidence, and the nieces’ father clearly had it out for Liz, prosecutors trumpeted up outlandish theories and considered the defendants’ sexuality as de facto guilt. After languishing in prison for years, their story eventually comes to the attention of the Innocence Project of Texas, which eventually leads to a more clear-eyed re-examination of the case. Esquenazi’s film is largely compelling, if fairly conventionally constructed, and while it eschews the sensationalism that dogged the women in their trials, it displays a strange lack of urgency that undercuts the women’s desire for a full exoneration. Still, the injustice done to the sympathetic San Antonio Four is clearly conveyed.

Coming to theatres and to VOD tomorrow, Friday, September 16: SILICON COWBOYS

Jason Cohen’s look at personal computing history made its bow at SXSW. Screenings followed at Nantucket, Montclair, SF Doc, and Sidewalk, among other events.

I previously wrote about the doc for Nantucket’s program, saying:
In the early 1980s, at the dawn of personal computing, three Houston mavericks dared to take on seemingly unstoppable industry leader IBM with a new company. Compaq saw a future in portability and compatibility – though in those early years, a portable computer was closer in size to a piece of luggage than to a briefcase. Through determination and a memorable marketing campaign featuring Monty Python’s John Cleese, Compaq became a success, at least for a time. Jason Cohen’s film is a nostalgic and entertaining David-and-Goliath tale about entrepreneurs whose revolutionary innovations helped pave the way for today’s modern digital world.

Coming to theatres today, Wednesday, September 14: COMMAND AND CONTROL

Robert Kenner’s chronicle of a near nuclear catastrophe on American soil premiered at Tribeca this Spring. Other fest screenings have included Sheffield, AFI Docs, Traverse City, deadCENTER, and the upcoming Camden and GlobeDocs.

Damascus, Arkansas might have ended up as infamous a location as Chernobyl or Fukushima on September 18-19, 1980 had events played out only slightly differently. During those dates, in an underground silo, a dropped wrench socket nearly led to the detonation of a potent Titan II missile warhead during a routine maintenance. Using re-enactments filmed in a decommissioned Arizona Titan II missile silo for added verisimilitude, together with the recollections of the teams on the ground who reacted to avert disaster, plus various others who intersected with the events of that evening, Kenner draws the viewer in to experience just how close the country came to facing the reality of a nuclear detonation. While the film remains unconvincing about the inevitability of such an accident happening again in the future, with more dire consequences, Kenner nevertheless constructs an engrossing retelling of a disturbing near-miss.

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 13: PRESENTING PRINCESS SHAW

Ido Haar’s exploration of an unorthodox musical partnership had its world premiere at Jerusalem last year. Screenings followed at Toronto, Miami, SXSW, True/False, Cleveland, Nashville, San Francisco, Montclair, Seattle, Tempo Doc, and Docs Against Gravity, among other events.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, September 12: ALL THE DIFFERENCE

Tod Lending’s long-range profile of African-American young men’s college aspirations made its world premiere at Big Sky earlier this year. Other fest screenings have included Black Harvest and Austin.

Confronting the systemic socioeconomic forces that have resulted in the sobering statistic that only sees 16% of African-American men complete college, Lending’s film focuses on two young men who are committed to being among that number. Filmed over more than five years, Krishaun and Robert stories begin in Chicago’s South Side, with challenging backgrounds involving family deaths, incarceration, and gangs, but, through the positive influence of the Urban Prep Charter Academy, they plan for a better life through education. They take different paths to their end goals, with Robert pursuing pre-med classes at the predominantly white Lake Forest College, leading to some feelings of isolation, while Krishaun seeks out a greater sense of community at the historically black Fisk University towards his dreams of a successful career in law enforcement. As Lending shows in this sensitively crafted portrait, the challenges don’t end with college acceptance, as both young men face economic and academic difficulties, forcing them to look within to recommit themselves to their own potential success.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 13: THE DWARVENAUT

Josh Bishop’s profile of a Dungeons & Dragons speciality craftsman had its world premiere at SXSW earlier this year. Screenings followed at IFF Boston, SF DocFest, Calgary Underground, and Fantasia.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 13: BEING CANADIAN

Rob Cohen’s defense of the Great White North debuted at Hot Docs. Screenings followed at Nantucket, Traverse City, and Ottawa Indie.

I previously wrote about the doc here.