Trudell (2006)

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

Is it ridiculous to think the government killed Trudell’s family? Is it dumb to think the government had it out for Trudell at all? Not when you pile on the evidence. Lennon, Hoffman, Kennedy all were radical thinkers whom are still discussed as men possibly done in by their own government, but the documentary “Trudell” is apologist in every way and form making exception for Trudell who, simply put, incited violence and in many ways had the potential for terrorism. Not only was committing the crime of burning an American flag a possible clue, but he called for revolution and war. The fact he hated America didn’t make him less interesting to me, but the mere fact that he had the potential to be a terrorist in the sense of Guevera makes him a slight threat, thus a reasonable worry for the government.

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The Talent Given Us (2004)

Posted on February 9, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

This was in Sundance? This? This crap? So, how does one get a bad film in to Sundance? Well, you first film the movie on a handheld camera to give it a real indie look, then you cast your parents because all these self-indulgent “artists” cast their relatives, but you don’t stop there, you cast your sisters and their friends, and then you write a script and then let your two main stars bicker at one another improvising just to make it look cool, and then to make it conventional, you have two people whom look like they’ve never been outside their neighborhood take a cross country road trip where they happen to come across their friends on this trip.

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The Aristocrats (2005) (DVD)

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

Now for the record, I’ve heard the joke told on this film months before its actual release, and I have my own version I tell that involves a baby, a small girl, and a lot of piss. But I digress. The thing you must know about this joke is that it’s not about the punch line, it’s the descriptions within the lead up to the punch line. It’s not that funny of a joke, you won’t even laugh, but the description is the genius. The set up: “A man walks in to a Vaudeville agents office and says: ‘Boy, do I have an act for you!'” and thus begins one of the most vile jokes ever told.

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Grizzly Man (2005)

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

I’ve constantly heard “Grizzly Man” in contrast with a train wreck. It’s miserable, but you just have to keep watching for some odd reason, and that’s a dead on summarizing of this film. It’s a train wreck, but a compelling one. Director Werner Herzog explores wildlife enthusiast Timothy Treadwell through much footage of his exploration of woods and commuting with his favorite animals, the bears. All of the clips are morbid reflections of a man content with his surroundings and desperately attempting to unify with nature. The film is morbid because it explores tapes from Treadwell leading up to his inevitable death (Tim’s friend even recalls when he discovered the mangled bodies, or what was left of them). He and his girlfriend were mauled to death and eaten by the same grizzlies he’d grown to love, and though Herzog doesn’t show the deaths, it’s still compelling to watch this man implode.

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Through the Fire (2006)

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Felix Vasquez

I’m no sports fan. I find no interest in sports, and I really don’t watch it, but “Through the Fire” is not about sports. You don’t have to like sports to know how damn good this is. It’s typical to say such a thing, but as a man who hasn’t seen a full basketball game in eleven years, it says something about the sheer quality and excellence of “Through the Fire”, that it was able to grab a hold of me and keep me glued to the screen. It’s not an insider documentary, it’s not a new look at sports, and it is not an exploitative peek at a man who ruined himself. It’s simply a down to Earth story about a young man who worked for his dreams and achieved them.

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Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)

Posted on December 19, 2005 by Felix Vasquez

As if “Titanic” wasn’t worse enough, now we have to go back and re-visit it for what reason? Tell me, Mr. Cameron. He never explains to us why he’s documenting a voyage to the bottom of the sea to look at the Titanic yet again. My theory is that he’s still riding on the success from it so he milked this cow one last time, but what’s the point of this mission? Is someone going to study this and say “Yes, the titanic sure did sink after all, and even better People actually did die!” Well, thanks for reminding me, I wasn’t sure if the the titanic sinking was actually an event that happened in history or if it was fictional like the NASA launch.

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Crusades: Crescent & the Cross

Posted on October 25, 2005 by Felix Vasquez

“The Crusades”–most recently depicted in the epic “Kingdom of Heaven”–is the focus of yet another documentary in the History Channel’s sprawling documentary epic called “The Crusades: The Crescent and the Cross”. The Crusades was the ultimate holy war, one the world is experiencing now, but it was less a war of religion, but more a journey to prove their religion wasn’t in vain. As an interviewee declares, it was less of a search and more to prove their love of their religion, and ultimately futile effort that would prove later on.

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