Originally released in 1981, The Killing of America is a “documentary of the decline of America.” The film is a collection of news footage and interviews about violent events that have happened in the United States up until the murder of John Lennon in Manhattan in 1980 and the violence at the gatherings following his death.
Tag Archives: Documentary
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.
Law Not War: Ben Ferencz’s Fight for Justice (2015)
In the realm of jurisprudence, Benjamin Ferencz is truly an icon. He is the last surviving Chief Prosecutor of the Nuremberg Trials and a primary force in the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC). And at 95, he shows no signs of slowing down – at least, not in Ullabritt Horn’s documentary on his remarkable life and career.
Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2016) [Blu-ray/DVD/Digital]
“Raiders!” is easily one of the best films of 2016. It’s a compelling and incredibly emotional tale of how one movie influenced a trio of young boys, and how that piece of art not only paved the road for their future, but also save them in many ways. What becomes incredibly evident throughout the duration of “Raiders!” that makes what unfolds before our eyes a truly gut wrenching journey is that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were men influenced by movies. Thanks to their love for serials and Westerns, they were motivated to make “Raiders of the Lost Ark” as a means of confronting their love for classic serial adventurers. After seeing “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in theaters, young Eric Zala sought out to remake of “Raiders” but with teenagers in place of the adult actors.
In the Street (1948)
Screen capture from the 1948 “In the Street”
When “In the Street” was first screened in 1948, it was unusual in several ways: it was a silent film created two decades after Hollywood jettisoned the silent format for talkies, it was a view of New York’s Spanish Harlem at a time when mainstream movies ignored the growing urban Hispanic population, and it offered an unprecedented view of daily life without the benefit of a preconceived screenplay.
Changing Face of Harlem (2016)
Among New York City’s neighborhoods, Harlem has seen the most dramatic highs and harrowing lows: it was a cultural epicenter during the 1920s and a beacon for African-Americans seeking an escape from the Jim Crow South, but economic deprivations during the Great Depression and acute social inequalities in the post-World War II years saw the community’s standard of living rapidly decline.
The First Monday in May (2016)
Forget about the “Ghostbuster” broads – the funniest woman on screen today is Anna Wintour, the Vogue editor-in-chief, who steals the show in Andrew Rossi’s documentary on the creation of the 2015 “China: Through the Looking Glass” exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Okay, Wintour is not trying to be funny in this film. In fact, she gives the impression that she has no sense of humor. But the woman’s overwhelming sense of self-importance, the exaggerated majesty that she receives – she travels with a small army of sycophantic babes and mincing queers, and her every word is absorbed with near-religious mania – and her impatience at anyone that fails to achieve her goal of glamour can inspire laughs for those with a delightfully cruel sense of humor. And, of course, there is her style: a clunky helmet of a hair, sunglasses that are two sizes too big and a garish wardrobe that would have embarrassed Phyllis Diller. For someone who is supposed to be an infallible expert on what’s chic, the real-life Wintour is more hilarious than the make-believe Wintour played by Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada.” (And, yes, some clueless reporter asks Wintour about that vehicle – her attempt to conceal contempt while offering a well-rehearsed diplomatic response is priceless.)
As for the rest of the film – well, let’s just say that it offers a none-too-flattering view of the cultural insensitivity and burdensome vanity that goes into simultaneously mounting an exhibit on Chinese-inspired Western fashions while setting up the museum’s annual Met Gala that is chaired by Wintour. (That is the event where starlets and singers vamp the red carpet while wearing outlandish gowns for the benefit of celebrity tabloids.) For people that may believe museum administrators are sophisticated and erudite, this grueling and lethargically paced portrait of ego, flattery and jittery planning skills will be quite an eye-opener – provided you don’t fall asleep during the film’s Wintour-less moments.