Category Archives: Releases

On DVD today, November 9: ZOMBIE GIRL: THE MOVIE

Austin-based filmmakers Justin Johnson, Aaron Marshall, and Erik Mauck collaborated on this documentary portrait, which premiered at Slamdance last year and fittingly won the Spirit of Slamdance Award. The film has had a nice festival run, and is now out on DVD, partnered with the narrative feature whose production the doc charts, PATHOGEN.

The titular figure in the doc is not a member of the walking dead, but Emily Hagins, a twelve-year-old filmmaker who sets out to make her own zombie film, recruiting family members, friends, and classmates to help. Despite limited experience and a fairly limited budget (though helped by a young filmmaker’s grant), Hagin’s DIY spirit lets her balance curfews with long shoots to get the job done, culminating in a successful hometown premiere screening. While we don’t see enough of her film, PATHOGEN, to really tell how good it is, that’s not really the point of ZOMBIE GIRL – the filmmakers have very successfully captured Emily as a character, and the infectious fun of her process of filmmaking.

Coming to ESPN2 this Monday, November 8: A FIGHTING CHANCE

Takashi Doscher and Alex Shofner’s documentary on Kyle Maynard had its world premiere this summer as part of SnagFilms’ SummerFest, and now makes its cable broadcast debut.

The film focuses on the charismatic Maynard, who was born without arms and legs, and his controversial attempt to compete in an official Mixed Martial Arts match against an able-bodied opponent. A FIGHTING CHANCE succeeds in making viewers who might normally not have any interest in MMA engage with the inspirational protagonist, who is also a motivational speaker and works with wounded military veterans.

Read my interview with the directors here.

Note: The film will also be shown on ESPN Classic on Veterans Day, November 11 and on Christmas, December 25.

Coming to theatres next Friday, November 12: DISCO AND ATOMIC WAR

Jaak Kilmi’s sardonic story of growing up under Communism had its international premiere at Telluride last year and went on to have a successful festival run before heading to a theatrical release via Icarus Films next week.

In a very engaging and humorous fashion, Kilmi reveals that the Iron Curtain was brought down in large part by reruns of DALLAS and KNIGHT RIDER, illegally (and craftily) intercepted in Estonia from nearby Finnish TV broadcasts. Behind closed doors, families consumed Western media, more powerful than any propaganda that the USSR could feed them through their own boring TV programming. The result is a fresh and playful look at life during the Cold War.

Note: I briefly wrote about the film when it was part of SnagFilm’s SummerFest, including a link to an interview I conducted with the director for indieWIRE. See the earlier post here.

Coming to theatres around the US next Wednesday, October 20 for one night only & VOD on Thursday, October 21: 11/4/08

Part of IFC Films’ acquisitions team responsible for giving theatrical and VOD exposure for scores of indie and international filmmakers each year, Jeff Deutchman experienced the other side of distribution negotiations after his documentary debuted at this year’s SXSW. After successful screenings in Austin, the film has played additional higher profile fests and was picked up by Cinetic Film Buff, culminating in it’s nationwide release this week.

Described as a “participatory documentary,” 11/4/08 is actually one part of a larger plan to document the titular election day of President Barack Obama using an interactive, multiperspectival approach. Though Deutchman is the film’s director, he assembled footage shot on the same day by filmmakers all over the world, and he hasn’t stopped soliciting footage from anyone else who was recording the historic events, no matter what side of the political spectrum they happen to be on. Exploring the concept of actively engaging with the process of making and documenting history as it’s happening, the film captures 24 hours as people engage with the electoral process in various ways, from waiting to cast their ballots, to trying to get the vote out, to celebrating or ruing the outcome.

Note: The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Damon Dash are presenting a special screening of 11/4/08 on Thursday evening, followed by a Q&A and after party for ticket holders. More info here. Follow the first link above for a full list of screenings on Wednesday evening.

Coming to DVD next Tuesday, October 19: OCTOBER COUNTRY

Michael Palmieri & Donal Mosher’s documentary feature debut premiered at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival and at Silverdocs in the same month, winning the latter fest’s Sterling Grand Jury Prize. The film went on to screen at more than two dozen festivals around the world, where it picked up an additional half dozen awards, and had a limited theatrical release around the US.

OCTOBER COUNTRY is a poignant, lyrical, and visually compelling portrait of a poor, working-class upstate New York family who struggle with a history of teenage pregnancy, foster care, child abuse, and war. Following the various Mosher family members over the course of a year, the film provides an intimate and powerful look at individuals whose stories are often left untold and whose ghosts are left to haunt their children later, continuing a vicious cycle.

Note: Before you pick up the DVD, NYers can watch the film on the big screen this coming Monday, October 18, as part of the Tribeca Cinemas Doc Series. More info here.

Opening in NYC’s Quad Cinema this Friday, October 8: GOING BLIND

After a long stint producing at ABC News 20/20, Joe Lovett set out on his own, producing and directing award-winning specials on AIDS education and cancer. He may be best known in recent years for GAY SEX IN THE ’70s, which premiered at Tribeca and revisited the growing political and sexual visibility of the gay community between Stonewall and the first reports of AIDS.

Lovett’s newest film, like one of his first independent documentaries, is a very personal film, detailing his own struggles with vision loss as he profiles a number of others who are blind or have limited vision. Serving as both a series of portraits of individuals who have not let their limited sight limit them and an awareness-building tool to educate audiences about the issues facing people like them (and Lovett himself) and about the new technologies that offer hope, GOING BLIND provides inspiration and information in equal measure. If there’s one standout in the doc, it’s Jessica Jones, a photographer whose vision loss led her to become an art teacher for impaired children – she’s a natural for the camera and could easily be the standalone subject of a follow up film.