The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

What with all the documentaries about global warming, the Iraq War, the horrible medical system in the US, the environment, and protests, sometimes we want a documentary that’s compelling and fun at the same time. With documentaries there aren’t many out there that provide both for the American audience. “The King of Kong” is that documentary. It’s escapist without sacrificing brain cells. “The King of Kong” is that movie that places a great deal of importance around something that most of us would deem irrelevant and absurd.

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Bloodsucking Cinema

There are three reasons for “Bloodsucking Cinema” premiering on Starz! as part of the Fearfest Month. One: there’s the premiere of David Slade’s “30 Days of Night” which is, coincidentally centered around blood thirsty vampires in a terrain where night lasts for a full month. Two: Starz! is ringing in the holiday again with this great two hour documentary, and three: vampires are just flat out fantastic pieces of lore and the occult. Ever since I was a child from Bela Lugosi to Christopher Lee, vampires have been one of my primary focuses of the horror genre. They’re the easiest monster to create for the screen, and they’re the most prevalent, and that’s because there’s still so much to do with the vampire mythology.

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Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970) (Two-Disc Special Edition DVD)

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For Elvis fans of all kind, “That’s the Way It is: Two-Disc Special Edition” will bring about some truly good supplements, including two version of this documentary. You received the original 1970 theatrical edition, and the 2001 Special Edition, which is twelve minutes shorter, but visually restored. Elvis is pretty much like The Beatles, they’re both instantly identifiable, household names, difficult to resist, and made impacts on music that no one could ever re-capture. Pop and Rock stars will come and go, but there is only one Elvis, and the concert film “That’s the Way It Is” proves that, once and for all.

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Random Lunacy: Videos from the Road Less Traveled (2007)

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Very few people in life have the ability to drop everything, be rid of all sorts of city life vices, and go on the road to live the life they want to. Very few people actually have the courage to do so, and risk losing their family in the process. Poppa Neutrino is one of those people. He’s a man who isn’t rich or famous, or even that well known, but at the end of the day he can tell us that he’s lived his life how he’s wanted to, and no one can take that away from him. This is the subject of the latest documentary from the directing team of Victor Zimet and Stephanie Silber.

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Storyteller Films: A Writer Named Phil Hall (2007)

5198One of the interesting aspects of this special is that Phil Hall never seems full of himself and his accomplishments. This is a man who is on screen for almost a half hour, and his one intent is to teach and guide instead of boast of his endless accomplishments. Which is not to say his accomplishments are worthy of ignoring but for a special that would open the door for vanity, Hall is more intent on guiding.

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Human Weapon

Human_WeaponOne of the great aspects of “Human Weapon” is not so much that it’s different, but that it takes a unique perspective on the usual History Channel programming. Rather than explore man made weapons, the two charismatic hosts explore human weapons who use deadly and strong forms of fighting to battle opponents. Imagine “Dirty Jobs” but in a different format. Much like Mike Rowe, our two hosts are very experienced in platform they’re studying, explore these different art forms, and even involve themselves in it.

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