Category Archives: Recommendations

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.

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, September 6: THE SEVENTH FIRE

Jack Pettibone Riccobono’s candid look at Native American gang life debuted at Berlin last year. Its fest circuit has included New Orleans, Palm Springs, Documenta Madrid, Mar del Plata, Stockholm, Minneapolis-St Paul, Big Sky, Hawaii, Iran’s Cinema Vérité, Ashland, and Hot Springs Doc.

I previously wrote about the doc here.