Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, July 16:
ROBERT SHAW: MAN OF MANY VOICES
Directors:
Pamela Roberts and Peter Miller
World Premiere:
Atlanta Symphony Hall (April 2016)
Select Festivals:
Newport Beach, San Diego Jewish, Breckenridge
About:
An appreciation of acclaimed conductor Robert Shaw.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, July 16:
MAN ON FIRE
Director:
Joel Fendelman
Premiere:
Slamdance 2018
Select Festivals:
Big Sky Doc, Indie Grits, Atlanta, Newport Beach, Sidewalk, Hot Springs Doc, St Louis
About:
The self-immolation of a local pastor forces a small Texan town to reckon with its history of racism.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to PBS’s POV this coming Monday, July 15:
BISBEE ’17
Director:
Robert Greene
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, True/False, CPH:DOX, Visions du Reel, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, BAMcinemaFest, Sydney, Jeonju, Minneapolis/St Paul, Cleveland
About:
An old town on the Arizona-Mexico border collectively confronts the darkest episode in its history.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres today, Friday, July 12:
SEA OF SHADOWS
Director:
Richard Ladkani
Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Ambulante, Hot Docs, CPH:DOX, Hong Kong
About:
An investigation into efforts to save an endangered whale species caught in the crossfire of a lucrative black market battle.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, July 12:
GENERAL MAGIC
Directors:
Matt Maude and Sarah Kerruish
World Premiere:
Tribeca 2018
Select Festival:
Palm Springs, Cleveland, Florida, Doc Edge, Sidewalk, Philadelphia, Hot Springs Doc, Milwaukee, Denver, Hawaii
About:
A look back at an ahead-of-its-time tech company.
Smartphones have become ubiquitous in just over a decade, but, in 1990, the very idea of a handheld computer was so out there, that one of the companies that developed the concept was called General Magic. A spinoff of Apple just a few years after the introduction of the Macintosh, the company drew together some of the leading minds in technology, as well as partnerships with AT&T and Sony, promising groundbreaking developments. Fortunately for directors Matt Maude and Sarah Kerruish, company insiders also did a remarkable job of documenting their efforts, including filming key moments that are included in this intriguing if somewhat hagiographic history lesson of ambition, forward-thinking, and failure. The film chronicles the company’s efforts to develop, produce, and market the Magic Link, which, upon its release in 1994, was an expensive, clunky misfire that led to General Magic’s bankruptcy. Key players in the firm went on to make magic elsewhere, however, and, as the film argues, the principles behind the Magic Link informed the next couple of decades’ worth of invention that fundamentally have altered society’s relationship to technology.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, July 12:
BETHANY HAMILTON: UNSTOPPABLE
Directors:
Aaron Lieber
World Premiere:
Tribeca 2018
Select Festival:
Los Angeles, Hot Springs Doc, Palm Springs, Martha’s Vineyard, Hawaii, Newport Beach
About:
A portrait of the professional surfer, best known for losing an arm to a shark attack as a teenager.
Hawaiian born Bethany Hamilton had already been surfing competitively for five years when she was attacked by a tiger shark at the age of 13. She gained fame not only for surviving the encounter, but for bouncing back and continuing to compete. Her story became a bestselling book, which was later adapted into a film. Director Aaron Lieber is understandably less interested in focusing on this well-trod territory here, and instead follows the now adult Hamilton, as she still attempts to compete on the pro circuit while balancing the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood. While featuring the requisite well-lensed surfing footage one would expect from such a project, this puffy portrait offers no real surprise or drama and feels overstretched with multiple endings, making it best suited to Hamilton’s existing fanbase.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to VOD this Friday, July 12:
MAY IT LAST: A PORTRAIT OF THE AVETT BROTHERS
Directors:
Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio
Premiere:
SXSW 2017
Select Festivals:
Full Frame, Nashville, IDFA
About:
A behind-the-scenes look at the folk rock band as they record their latest album.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
New to DVD/VOD this week:
THE MOST DANGEROUS YEAR
Director:
Vlada Knowlton
Premiere:
Seattle 2018
Select Festivals:
St Louis, Rhode Island, Newburyport Doc, Atlanta Doc, Kansas, Portland
About:
The parents of trans kids fight against discriminatory legislation in Washington State.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, July 9:
THE KLEPTOCRATS
Directors:
Havana Marking and Sam Hobkinson
World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2018
Select Festival:
CPH:DOX, Docville, Sydney, Cleveland, Docs Against Gravity, Sonoma
About:
An investigation into an audacious financial scandal.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
In one of the world’s biggest financial crimes, 3.5 billion dollars were stolen from a Malaysian government fund. Investigative reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Hollywood Reporter follow the money as it travels across the globe, financing everything from luxury real estate and decadent parties to Martin Scorsese’s THE WOLF OF WALL STREET. Capturing white-collar crime at its greedy best, Havana Marking and Sam Hobkinson’s explosive film is a tale of embezzlement, scams, and greed run amok.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD and VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, July 9:
INVISIBLE HANDS
Director:
Shraysi Tandon
Premiere:
Kansas 2017
Select Festivals:
NYC Asian American, Wales, Bali, Sedona, Julien Dubuque
About:
An investigation into the continued exploitation of child labor around the world.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
what (not) to doc 