“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.
Tag Archives: Documentary
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.
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex (2016) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2016]
Film buffs will be elated to see “Creature Designers,” a very technical cogs and gears documentary that spotlights the grueling process of creating creatures for movies. Directors Gilles Penso, and Alexandre Poncet mold a love letter to the classic master creature creators, as well as a very down to business film that shows the technology behind some of the most iconic creatures and monsters of all time. It’s a thrill to see how the directors have such a reverence for these artists, as we get to visit with a ton of unique artists and concept designers that are enthusiastic about their work. Since the beginning of film, special effects and creature have found a wonderful marriage with filmmaking.
That’s thanks in part to Lon Chaney who was able to use his make up kit to build some amazing monsters out of his face and own features. From there it’s been a rising tide of artists and creators that have added to the cinematic experienced and helped advance storytelling as a whole. Both filmmakers visit with iconic masterminds like Rick Baker, Joe Dante, and Guillermo Del Toro, all of whom explore their love for special effects, and convey the process of building creatures for some of their films. What becomes apparent within “Creature Designers” is that the advancement of special effects would lead in to less and less necessity for suits and machines, and more need for computer technology.
This darker period is chronicled in “Creature Designers” where we’re able to view a more vulnerable side of these individuals, all of whom had to adapt to the shift in technology or risk losing their livelihoods. Thankfully, the documentary doesn’t depict the introduction of CGI and motion capture as the bane of the special effects industry. Directors Gilles Penso, and Alexandre Poncet explore some of the amazing advancements made in computer technology, from motion capture, facial recognition, and how they’ve used this kind of programming to bring to life amazing characters like Golum from “Lord of the Rings” and the T-1000 from “Terminator 2.” No stone is left unturned, as every interview is informative, exciting, and filled with amazing anecdotes.
For folks that are seeking a career in the special effects industry, or for films buffs very invested in the special effects element of filmmaking, “Creature Designers” is a wonderful documentary that brings us up close and personal from the fan viewpoint and a technical viewpoint.
Yoani’s Trip (2016)
In 2013, a change to Cuban passport laws enabled the controversial blogger Yoani Sánchez to leave her country for a trip abroad – she had previously been rejected 20 times for an exit permit. This documentary by Peppe Siffredi and Raphael Bottino follows Sánchez on a February 2013 trip to Brazil, where she is greeted with a mix of praise and hostility.
While Sánchez’s schedule is packed with media interviews and guest appearances at special events, she is constantly shadowed by angry protestors that call her a traitor to her country and the spirit of the Castro revolution. Sánchez appears to be mostly amused by her detractors – it is never entirely clear who is organizing their efforts – and her presence in Brazil is overwhelmingly greeted with positive feedback from the reporters, government officials and students she encounters.
While the film offers disturbing insight on the extreme measures used the Cuban government to censor and limit Internet access among its people, Sánchez’s power as a writer is presented mostly by reputation than substance. Relatively little of the writing from her famous Generation Y blog is offered to the viewer. And what is presented – a relatively mild and vaguely academic criticism of the Castro regime and an inventory of the problems facing Cubans – seems rather tame by the roughhouse standards of American blogging.
Oddly, at 70 minutes the film feels a bit flabby – some tighter editing would have made it more effective. But as a consideration on the continued lack of free expression in Cuba, this production is a welcome arrival.
Fanarchy (2015)
Fans get a really bad rap these days and for good reason. The fan community was once derided and ostracized and is now doing the deriding and ostracizing toward anyone that tries to integrate themselves in to a fandom. That said, being a fan or a part of a fan community isn’t always bad, and “Fanarchy” is merely an ode to the fans. Most of all it’s a tribute to how much influence the fan community has had on pop culture at large and how they can use their love for characters and properties to help fuel their lives and inspire hope and strength. No one has been harder on fans than I have this year, but Donna Davies offers up a look at how fans can also do great things and inspire one another to reach for creativity and aspirations.
Davies spans the globe looking at various fans and fan communities that have achieved some remarkable feats. Some of them have become massive pop culture phenomenon, while Davies also sets the light on more personal and touching stories. Some of the more interesting stories involve the career of beloved geek goddess Brea Grant, who is most recognized for her work in shows like “Heroes” and has spent a lot of her acting career producing the kind of work she wants to. There’s also the inspiring story of one of the first fan films ever made for “Raiders of the Lost Ark” which drew the attention of Steven Spielberg. It also became such a fan favorite at festivals that it garnered its own book and is currently being developed in to a movie.
The most inspiring story though is the tale of Maya Glick whose rabid fandom for X-Men character Storm helped her push through some really tough times in her life and helped her grow as a person and find a form of personal victory. It’s also interesting to see how Ms. Glick has absolutely no love for Storm’s depiction in the “X-Men” movies which prompted her to make her own fan film, with a strong and fierce version of her favorite character. In the end “Fanarchy,” is a very breezy and entertaining ode to being fan boy or fan girl. Sure, the fan community has been very dark and volatile over the last few years, Donna Davies does a bang up job of showing how fandom can entertain, benefit pop culture, and benefit the fans personally.