John F. Kennedy Jr. was the rare American who spent his entire life in the public eye. But despite constantly being seen in newspapers and on TV since infancy, most people never heard him speak until a speech at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, and even fewer got to know him well. This documentary attempts to give us a better idea of who Kennedy really was, but the subject ultimately disappoints.
Author Archives: Phil Hall
Glen or the Bride of the Night of the Plan 9 from Outer Space (2015)
The winner of the Best Picture Award at this year’s New England Underground Film Festival, this amusing 25-minute from filmmaker Jesse Berger slices and dices scenes and dialogue from four anti-classics from the notorious Edward D. Wood Jr. – “Glen or Glenda?”, “Bride of the Monster,” “Plan 9 from Outer Space” and “Night of the Ghouls” – into a wonderfully warped blend of lunacy that perfectly captures the inane spirit of Wood’s work in a fraction of their running time.
Carl Haber and the Rome International Film School
Carl Haber is a prominent independent filmmaker whose latest project is the launch of the Rome International Film School (RIFS). In this exclusive interview, Mr. Haber details the inspiration for creating the school and his plans on educating the next generation of filmmakers.
Snowden (2016)
If Hannah Arendt focused on the banality of evil, Oliver Stone focuses on the banality of goodness. His new film “Snowden” feels like a retread of “Wall Street,” where a terminally bland young man is intoxicated by the excesses of a brilliantly corrupt environment but turns on his benefactors in the name of justice. In this case, Stone is working from a real-life adventure that does not necessarily translate smoothly into a reel-life presentation.
Swiss Yodeling: 30 Years Later (2015)
In 1984, documentary filmmaker Hugo Zemp traveled to Muotatal in the Pre-Alps region of Switzerland to create a nonfiction feature on the traditional local style of yodeling known as “yootz,” which differed in many aspects from the more theatrical yodeling presentations that most people associate with Switzerland. After restoring his film, Zemp decided to return to Muotatal in 2014 as a follow-up, and he connected with Bernhard Betschart, who was a seven years old in Zemp’s original production.
Boris Godunov (2016)
Modest Mussorgsky’s opera receives a lavishly imaginative interpretation in this production from Bulgaria’s Sofia Opera and Ballet. Director/producer/stage designer Plamen Kartaloff brings the work to an open air setting in front of Sofia’s towering Aleksandr Nevskj Cathedral, and he fills his stage with an opulent parade of grandly costumed figures of the monarchial and religious hierarchies, offering a visual feast worthy of conductor Konstantin Chudovksi’s presentation of Mussorgsky’s towering music.
No Control (2016)
One of the most polarizing political issues dividing American society involves gun ownership. Indeed, there appears to be little middle ground here: those seeking to increase the level of federal regulatory control on gun sales and ownership are unable to comprehend the arguments of those that see gun ownership as a basic constitutional freedom, and vice versa.