Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to VOD and to Los Angeles theatres tomorrow Friday, October 31: SHOWRUNNERS: THE ART OF RUNNING A TV SHOW

Des Doyle’s exploration of the world of television creation premiered in Ireland as part of Dublin’s Stranger Than Fiction doc festival. It has also screened at Zurich and Austin, and now comes to VOD platforms, with a theatrical engagement in LA.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to theatres and to VOD tomorrow, Friday, October 31: MAGICAL UNIVERSE

Jeremy Workman’s portrait of an eccentric artist debuted at the Florida Film Festival last year. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, New Orleans, Woodstock, Big Sky, Salem, Hot Springs, and SF DocFest. In addition to select theatrical dates, the doc will be available on VOD platforms from Sundance Selects, including iTunes.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC, saying:
Step into the unique and visionary world of lifetime outsider artist Al Carbee, an 88-year old eccentric who spends his days creating outlandish works of art featuring Barbie dolls. Filmmaker Jeremy Workman has spent over a decade with his friend Carbee, compiling extensive footage and memories to provide audiences with a window into the magical universe of Carbee’s bizarre creative force and a glimpse of an otherwise unknown artist’s lifelong body of work.

Coming to NYC’s Film Forum today, Wednesday, October 29: REVENGE OF THE MEKONS

Joe Angio’s look at the surprisingly long-lived band debuted at DOC NYC last year. It’s gone on to screen at Cucalorus, Leeds, Milwaukee, DOXA, Sarasota, and In-Edit Barcelona, among others.

Angio’s entertaining film is a love-letter to the self-effacing UK band which started as something of an art school project at the University of Leeds but has somehow managed to continue for over three decades. Despite critical acclaim and an enthusiastic fanbase, they’ve never quite broken into mainstream success, with bandmates still having to hold day jobs. Angio charts their development from 1976 university students who didn’t quite know what punk was – or how to play the instruments they “borrowed” from the real punk band, The Gang of Four – through multiple reinventions – Thatcher-era folk, American honkeytonk, anti-grunge rock, and most recently art world darlings – alienating record companies along the way, but always remaining quintessentially punk.

Coming to Showtime tomorrow, Thursday, October 30: BRONX OBAMA

Ryan Murdock’s profile of a presidential impersonator bowed at True/False this Winter. Its fest circuit has included AFI Docs, Montclair, Traverse City, Hot Docs, Ambulante CA, and Bergen.

I previously wrote about the film here.