Nov 19 2009 Some of These Documentaries Will Be Nominated for an Oscar
Specifically, five of them.
The preliminary fifteen documentaries that will be cut down to the five that will be Academy Award nominees have been announced. So, uh, here they are:
-"The Beaches of Agnes," Agnès Varda, director
-"Burma VJ," Anders Østergaard, director
-"The Cove," Louie Psihoyos, director
-"Every Little Step," James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors
-"Facing Ali," Pete McCormack, director
-"Food, Inc.," Robert Kenner, director
-"Garbage Dreams," Mai Iskander, director
-"Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders," Mark N. Hopkins, director
-"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers," Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors
-"Mugabe and the White African," Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors
-"Sergio," Greg Barker, director
-"Soundtrack for a Revolution," Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors
-"Under Our Skin," Andy Abrahams Wilson, director
-"Valentino: The Last Emperor," Matt Tyrnauer, director
-"Which Way Home," Rebecca Cammisa, director
I, for one, am fairly surprised by the absence of Tyson, Anvil, and Capitalism: A Love Story. As well as the lack of nomination for Man on Wire, Super Size Me, An Inconvenient Truth, The Thin Blue Line, Spellbound, the entire Maysles Brothers catalog, and Nanook of the North. I don't understand exactly how these things work, but man, those were some good documentaries.
Nov 16 2009 'Disney's Oceans' Trailer: See Our Maritime Freaks on the Big Screen
Next Earth Day, spend the holiday the way nature intended: see some of the freaks nature has allowed to thrive in our waters with Disney's Oceans.
This trailer is pretty light on the freak fare, but I imagine the actual film must include at least a few examples of deep sea things with jaws so impossibly giant that it's infuriating/cringe-inducing:
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Oct 2 2009 'Capitalism: A Love Story' Poster: Conspiracy!
Figures MICHAEL MOORE would plaster himself on a RED poster! COMMIE!!! NOT MY DOCUMENTARIAN!!!
I just saved one crazy person several seconds of comment typing.
'Capitalism: A Love Story [IMPA]
Sep 14 2009 'This Is It' Trailer: Michael Jackson's Final Air Bass Guitar Performance
Well, Monday has once again rolled around, and I know if you're anything like me (or anyone else who enjoys the weekend over the work week, or Garfield), you hate Mondays! So you're probably looking for an effective, novel way to relieve the Monday blues by getting drunk during your lunch hour. Why not play the Michael Jackson Movie Drinking Game?
It's easy. Just watch this trailer for This Is It, the new concert/behind-the-scenes film put together from footage of Jackson's final rehearsals, and take swig of adult beverage every time you see a shot of the King of Pop shoving one arm in the air or both arms straight out in a Christlike pose. Any time he plays air bass, finish your drink. Enjoy:
Continue Reading " 'This Is It' Trailer: Michael Jackson's Final Air Bass Guitar Performance "
Sep 9 2009 'This Is It' Poster: MJ At His Most Posthumous Ever
The first one-sheet for Michael Jackson's final concert film, pieced together from hours of rehearsal footage, has been released--and less than three months after the singer's death! Good job rushing this one out before total apathy set in.
The poster promises Jackson "like you've never seen him before," but I'm not exactly sure what that means. With previously unseen levels of tragedy and exploitation? Because I thought TV Guide Channel's nonstop, month-long, top-third-of-the-screen coverage of his death already used that boast.
Sep 2 2009 'Hands on a Hard Body: The Musical' Only Makes Sense
The difficult-to-find cult documentary Hands on a Hard Body is become a musical? So Variety tells me! The film focused on a group of eccentric Texas characters competing in a contest of endurance to hold their hands on a truck the longest, thereby winning the vehicle; the Doug Wright and Amanda Green-scripted musical would presumably focus on the same, but with occasional song-and-dance breaks.
Well, at least this might bring enough attention to Hands on a Hard Body for the film to get a proper DVD release. And now visiting tourists have an alternative to Shrek: The Musical that they'll never see under the assumption it's "some kinda gay thing."
Aug 28 2009 'Capitalism: A Love Story' Poster: Is That Donald Trump's Hair?
Michael Moore is our chubby, petulant 8th grade boy-leader in the face of corporate/government thieves! What do you think about that, capitalist fat cats!? Oh, you're just going to keep on going how you have been, ignoring Michael Moore and his supporters? That's fair.
Aug 20 2009 'Capitalism: A Love Story' Trailer: It Turns Out This Economic and Political System Has Some Issues
Hey, it's the new trailer for Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story. Hopefully this latest documentary will do as good a job opening eyes to the flaws of capitalism as Sicko did at making everyone realize how obvious it is that all citizens should be afforded health care. That's the national opinion now, right?
Trailer:
Aug 13 2009 'Crimson Wing' Poster: Thankfully Unrelated to the PC Game 'Crimson Skies'
Empire has just revealed a poster for the DisneyNature flamingo documentary, Crimson Wing. It's got me kind of curious to see how March of the Penguins will look with awkward, pink birds instead of penguins, but at the same time, knowing Disney's conservative, pro-bird slant, you know it's just going to be some bullshit that paints flamingos in a positive light. We'll have to wait for Michael Moore to expose these gangling freaks for what they really are.
Jul 9 2009 Moore's New Film Gets a Title, and I'm Sensing Some Sarcasm
Controversial, baseball cap-wearing Michigander Michael Moore has at least revealed the title of his economic collapse film: Capitalism: A Love Story. The director said in a statement:
It will be the perfect date movie. It's got it all -- lust, passion, romance and 14,000 jobs being eliminated every day. It's a forbidden love, one that dare not speak its name. Heck, let's just say it: It's capitalism.
Moore then added, "I would totally marry capitalism--except it would divorce me! And take all the money! Just kidding, folks, I just slept with capitalism last night--which reminds me: anyone seen my penis? I think it got laid off! Because so many people are losing jobs." Then he brought out an inflatable doll labeled "capitalism" and fed money into its mouth.
Jul 2 2009 'Arrested Development' Movie Trailer! ...For a Documentary About the Show
Yeah, it's just a trailer for an Arrested Development documentary some fans are making, but since this the only AD movie that is not a thing of myth, it will have to do:
Continue Reading " 'Arrested Development' Movie Trailer! ...For a Documentary About the Show "
Jun 15 2009 Michael Moore's 'Save Our CEOs' Teaser Well-Received by Choir
As a staunch supporter of CEOs, this teaser for Michael Moore's still-untitled film has me so confused. If I can't trust men who own yachts and more than one pair of pants, who can I trust?
Continue Reading " Michael Moore's 'Save Our CEOs' Teaser Well-Received by Choir "
Apr 21 2009 'Paper Heart' Trailer: Fine, You Charmed Me
Saccharine romance gets a sort-of-documentary twist, and I think I like it. Here's the trailer for Paper Heart, a film that follows Charlyne Yi on her quest to learn about love (largely from the Judd Apatow crowd), and her real-but-also-fictionalized romance with Michael Cera. It's kind of a Curb Your Enthusiasm by way of indie dramedy plus real interviews (I think?):
Continue Reading " 'Paper Heart' Trailer: Fine, You Charmed Me "
Mar 13 2009 'Tyson' Trailer: Mike Was Only Mad At Himself!
He's met the president of Istanbul; he's had a parade in Moscow (where they don't even speak English!); he did, you know, all those really crazy things. Now you can hear Mike's side of things in the documentary Tyson. Here's the trailer, where he reveals that, if he has any anger, it's directed at himself. How about that? Iron Mike holds no animosity towards Evander Holyfield for making his ear look so delicious, nor towards the woman he sexually assaulted, nor towards the president of Istanbul. What a great guy:
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Mar 10 2009 'Anvil! The Story of Anvil' Trailer
I'm guessing every person who has seen any portion of Anvil! The Story of Anvil has already drawn some sort of comparison to This is Spinal Tap, but I can't see any other way to describe this trailer other than "Spinal Tap but real, and therefore uncomfortably tragic." Now watch this trailer:
Mar 10 2009 'Tyson' Will Punch You Through This Photoshop Filter
I had no idea that this film existed, but if this interview can really paint a "sympathetic portrait" of the same man who's said some of the most insane things ever (which largely aren't safe for work), then use your coat to save me a seat, because I'd like to see that happen.
Is it possible, with Tyson in a heartfelt, candid documentary and in The Hangover, we're returning to an era where Punch-Out can again be known by its original title?
'Tyson' Poster Premiere [Cinematical]
Mar 5 2009 Look What Your Romantic Marriage Proposals Are Doing to Horses
Hansom cabs: they add character to the filming of a costume drama, but at what cost to horses? No, but really, it's a serious issue. As the film Blinders points out, it's dangerous and idiotic that we still have horse and carriages running alongside horseless carriages for the entertainment of tourists who couldn't get tickets to Shrek: The Musical. Horses hate it!
Here's the documentary's trailer. I guarantee once you see video of the above, pathetic horse gazing longingly out the barred window of his second-story (walk-up!) pen, you'll never wrap yourself in a blanket and take a romantic, equine-driven jaunt around Central Park again.
Continue Reading " Look What Your Romantic Marriage Proposals Are Doing to Horses "
Mar 4 2009 This Guy Will Take Care of All Your Truck Lifting and Coin Bending Needs
As the fable goes, just at the crossroads of comedy and tragedy lives a bulky, aging, pony-tailed man who goes by the name of Stanless Steel. There, he bends pennies with his bare fingers, hopelessly explains his nickname, and makes calls in the hopes someone wants him to life their truck. There's a documentary on this figure debuting at SXSW this year, and here's a teaser:
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Feb 10 2009 '45365' Like '90210' but with a Miniature Woman Instead of Luke Perry
45365, besides being a string of numbers you'll never remember, is the zip code for the small town of Sidney, Ohio. Director Bill Ross went there for nine months and shot a documentary, giving those of us without demolition derbies, swimming pigs, or a living 29-inch woman (every city is littered with dead 29-inch women) a glimpse at the lives of those who do. Here's the trailer:
Continue Reading " '45365' Like '90210' but with a Miniature Woman Instead of Luke Perry "
Jan 26 2009 'The Cove': 'All the President's Men' but with Dolphin Murder
Japan has a dirty little secret! Actually, Japan probably has a lot of dirty little secrets (the secret of why they have so many robots, the secret of why it's considered OK to sell used underwear in vending machines), but The Cove focuses on uncovering this one: why are these guys brutally slaughtering so many dolphins? Did Japan not get Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home? I know that was whales, but still, it was also fiction; we have no way of knowing what aquatic mammal call we might need to respond to future alien signals. What if it's dolphins, Japan?
Here's the trailer:
Continue Reading " 'The Cove': 'All the President's Men' but with Dolphin Murder "
