Category Archives: Releases

Coming to DVD next Tuesday, March 22: THE WINDMILL MOVIE

A film more than twenty-five years in the making, THE WINDMILL MOVIE began as an autobiographical project by filmmaker Richard P Rogers, but was left unfinished upon his death in 2001. His former student, photographer Alexander Olch, was brought on to construct a film out of Rogers footage, and the result, his feature debut, had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival in 2008 before going on to a theatrical run at Film Forum in the summer of 2009.

Given this background, THE WINDMILL MOVIE is nothing if not unusual – an autobiographical documentary created by someone else, using a hybrid of fiction and non-fiction to tell Rogers’ story – that of a skilled filmmaker who was nonetheless tortured by unfulfilled success, who carefully documented his life yet still managed to stop short of truly revealing himself. With the help of Rogers’ wife, photographer Susan Meiselas, Olch skillfully found a way to shape the hundreds of hours of footage into an intriguing, poignant, and evocative portrait – one that Rogers might frustratingly have been unable to create, but likely would have approved of. At the same time, the film offers a metacommentary into the construction of fact vs fiction, making it essential viewing for other documentary filmmakers.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday March 15: WASTE LAND

I offered my thoughts on Lucy Walker’s Oscar-nominated documentary upon its theatrical release here.

Coming to DVD this coming Tuesday, March 15: THE PARKING LOT MOVIE

Director Meghan Eckman made her documentary feature debut with this look at Charlottesville, VA’s Corner Parking and its many attendants through the years. The film premiered at SXSW last year and went on to screen at Hot Docs, BFI London, and RIDM, among others. It had a limited theatrical release via the reRun Gastropub Theater this past August and also screened on Independent Lens in the Fall.

THE PARKING LOT MOVIE is an incredibly likeable film – Eckman ‘s subjects, the owner and past and present employees of the small business, are an eclectic group, perhaps unified in a general slacker nature. Beyond that, with the film’s small college town setting, many of the attendants are or were students, hailing largely from the anthropology and sociology department, and as a result are prone to philosophizing about their experiences, even as they relate anecdotes about cheapskate customers and drunk frat boys looking to pick a fight while they’re on duty. After all, as the film’s tagline reminds us, “It’s not just a parking lot, it’s a battle with humanity.” It’s a doc that anyone who’s ever suffered the tedium of and frustration with an unskilled job can relate to, and bears a look now that it’s coming to DVD.

Now available on iTunes: OCTOBER COUNTRY

The ubiquitous filmmakers Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher are a welcome sight at whatever festival they come through – I just saw them at True/False this past weekend. I’ve previously written about their beautiful film here.

To access OCTOBER COUNTRY via iTunes, click here.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, March 8: A FILM UNFINISHED

I previously wrote about Yael Hersonski’s Sundance award-winning film here.

Coming to DVD next Tuesday, March 8: INSIDE JOB

For my earlier take on Charles Ferguson’s Academy Award-winning documentary, click here.

Now playing in NYC’s Quad Cinemas: ORGASM INC

Liz Canner’s playful and insightful debut feature documentary premiered at Hot Docs in 2009, but has finally made its way to NYC theatres with an exclusive engagement at the Quad (which actually began last week).

A must-see for anyone concerned about the disturbing tendency our culture has to try to medicalize (and profit on) just about everything, ORGASM INC explores the race to develop what many refer to as “Viagra for women,” to combat the recently-discovered disorder “Female Sexual Dysfunction” – or, to put it in different (and more accurate) terms, the film charges that the pharmaceutical industry has fabricated a fictitious condition so that they can sucker insecure women into spending money on new drugs the companies are developing and greedily marketing – drugs which may not even help women achieve the orgasms they promise to deliver. If you’re in NYC, catch the film this week while you can!

Coming to DVD this Tuesday, February 22: LAST TRAIN HOME

I wrote about Lixin Fan’s stunning multiple Cinema Eye Honors winner, cited on numerous Top Tens of 2010 lists (including my own), previously here.

Coming to DVD next Tuesday, February 22: KINGS OF PASTRY

I’ve offered my take on Chris Hegedus & DA Pennebaker’s behind-the-scenes look at the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France pastry competition upon its theatrical release last fall here.

Coming to DVD next Tuesday, February 15: WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN”

I wrote about Davis Guggenheim’s Sundance Audience Award-winning documentary on the eve of its theatrical premiere this past fall. Though passed over for an Oscar nomination, the film has done much to create a nationwide dialogue about the state of the American education system, and bears another look now that it’s coming to DVD. Take a look at my thoughts here.