Moviegoers and Cinephiles today are privileged to receive insights into their favorite films through any number of Vanity Fair scene breakdowns, WTF Pod confessionals, and, despite studios’ best efforts, the Blu-ray special feature. Maybe this is why David Lynch, an… Read More ›
documentary
“All Man: The International Male Story” captures a sweet but brief moment in time.
It would be difficult to find an American adult who hasn’t heard of Playboy. Since the magazine was first printed in the 1950s, Hugh Hefner’s infamous publication has become an American cultural staple and a generalized symbol for a young… Read More ›
Though the approach threatens to push away general audiences, there are many lessons within documentarian Melody C. Miller’s “California’s Forgotten Children” that should be heeded.
The stories we tell ourselves shape how we view the world. Sometimes the narrating voice is our own, unable to pull us up out of a self-defeating dive; other times, the voice is someone else’s, taking advantage of our vulnerability… Read More ›
Documentary “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” captures the perpetual-motion life of the actor through multi-media.
Biography pictures come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they take a more chronological approach (Malcolm X), sometimes they’re more focused on a specific moment in time (Chevalier), and, for others, it’s more interpretive (Rocketman). This doesn’t just apply to… Read More ›
Justin Johnson tells a “Naturally Impressive” story in “Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory.”
Personal stories can be the most challenging stories to tell. Talking about yourself is easy, but refining a personal story in order to share it with others takes skill and humility. For an unskilled writer or filmmaker, the result is… Read More ›
“The King of Wuxia:” Fall in love with the Twilight Samurai. [Old School Kung Fu Fest]
“He was a pure artist. The kind you meet once or twice in a lifetime.” King Hu, the subject of documentary The King of Wuxia, was once named among the five greatest filmmakers on Earth. Kicking off Metrograph’s 10th Old… Read More ›
EoM Presents: A Conversation with “Personality Crisis: One Night Only” co-director David Tedeschi and producer Margaret Bodde.
In this conversation, EoM Senior Interviewer Thomas Manning speaks with co-director David Tedeschi and producer Margaret Bodde about their work on the documentary Personality Crisis: One Night Only, a portrait of New York musician David Johansen (aka Buster Poindexter). Throughout… Read More ›
For better or worse, doc “We Kill for Love” explores every nook and cranny of the erotic thriller cinematic genre. [The Overlook Film Festival]
I am all for documentaries that decide to explore every single facet of their and refuse to leave anything unturned as long as there are two caveats followed: the subject matter at hand is interesting and the way it is… Read More ›
“Last Stop Larrimah:” A cozy true crime doc for scandal junkies. [SXSW]
Last Stop Larrimah grabbed my attention right away from the description. It’s a stranger-than-fiction true crime documentary about the goings-on in Larrimah, a remote Australian town with only 10 residents. There were 11 until Paddy Moriarty went missing on December… Read More ›
“Citizen Sleuth” is an interesting exploration of the lines between true crime investigation and exploitation. [SXSW]
True Crime podcasts are a dicey guilty pleasure: on one hand, the reinterpretation/summary of gruesome and/or strange murders can be enticing to delve into; on the other hand, you risk crashing into the space of exploiting the tragic lives in… Read More ›
Explore every nook of “299 Queen Street West” with Sean Menard’s new documentary. [SXSW]
If you grew up in Canada, specifically Toronto, the address 299 Queen Street West most likely held a special place in your heart as more likely than not you either fought your way through the pandemonium of crowds OR you… Read More ›
EoM Presents: A Conversation with “Citizen Sleuth” director Chris Kasick. [SXSW]
In this conversation, EoM senior interviewer Thomas Manning speaks with filmmaker Chris Kasick about his feature documentary directorial debut Citizen Sleuth, an official selection at SXSW 2023. Kasick discusses the vast evolution of the project over a five year period… Read More ›
“Black Barbie: A Documentary” is a frustrating, fascinating documentary centered around the marginalized, underrepresented toy product. [SXSW]
Representation is a big pain point with many products in today’s consumer market, specifically those aimed towards kids. In walks Barbie, the iconic, independent, tall white girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. The problem however lies with the young… Read More ›
Documentarian Tracy Droz Tragos’s “Plan C” declares that there is no freedom when healthcare is criminalized. [SXSW]
One of the founding principles in the United States is the separation of Church and State. This concept is intended to ensure that the laws of the land are written without any one specific faith guiding how the country functions…. Read More ›
Tünde Skovrán’s pseudo-narrative documentary may not inform who you are, but it will strongly convey “Who I Am Not.” [SXSW]
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. – Genesis 1:27 – New International Version There are many versions of Genesis 1:27. They each carry the… Read More ›
Documentary “Pay or Die” ignites the passion to fight back against medical greed. [SXSW]
I always find it a little weird when I start off anything I write with a personal note, but there was something about this documentary that hit me hard. It might have something to do with the fact that I… Read More ›
Documentary “Another Body” explores the impacts of deepfake revenge porn. [SXSW]
There are a lot of things on the internet that are gross, and I don’t mean those weird videos of people popping pimples or anything like that. In the last 10 years or so, “revenge porn” became a thing, and… Read More ›
With “Confessions of a Good Samaritan,” documentarian Penny Lane’s uninhibited examination of self via altruistic donation may change perceptions and save lives. [SXSW]
Documentaries often reveal as much about their subject as they do the documentarian capturing it. We get a sense of who they are and what they value based on the editing, the structure, and the overall energy of a film… Read More ›
Documentarian Christine Yoo’s “26.2 to Life” has you running a marathon in a few inmates’ shoes. [Santa Barbara International Film Festival]
“Running is good punishment.” – 1000 Mile Club volunteer Well into writer/director Christine Yoo’s documentary 26.2 to Life, one of the interviewees comments that running is the thing that all other sports use as punishment. Miss a basket? Screw up… Read More ›
David Mesfin’s documentary “Wade in the Water” inspires audiences to dive deep into the lesser known history of African aquatic culture. [Santa Barbara International Film Festival]
When it comes to surfing and aquatic culture, where does your first thought go? Whom do you see? If you’re like this reviewer, you may think of Gidget (1959), Blue Hawaii (1961), Bikini Beach (1964), Point Break (1991), Blue Crush… Read More ›