Film is Pwn

I watched so many tree-hugger movies this weekend. Whether it was Avatar or a host of documentaries I was berated with sustainability and social responsibility. This didn’t really happen on purpose at first, though the last of the 3 documentaries I’m going to discuss came from realizing trend and figuring I might as well keep it going.

I can admit to being a tree-hugger. I’m pretty environmentally/socially conscious. I’m very aware of my food: I read labels, eat mostly organic and/or locally grown product. In fact, I have a fairly large vegetable garden, I raise chickens and I used to have quail as well. I buy from socially responsible companies for the most part. I’ve researched alternative energy on my home and I’m concerned about climate change.

But, I don’t sit around preaching about it. I made my decisions and you are free to make yours. This is always the problem with documentaries about these types of issues. They have an opinion they want you to form. They know what they want you to think and figure they have your attention for 2 hours so they can use it to force their thoughts down your throat. Sometimes strong language is important and sometimes there are messages to get across. However, I just don’t think most documentaries get it right.

What I love about documentaries is information. Although, I generally want unbiased information, or at least an admission of bias if it exists. That’s why I had to give my disclaimer above. So don’t think I didn’t already partially agree with the documentaries I watched, therefore my opinions are well… what they are.

Below are reviews for:

1. Food, Inc.
2. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices
3. King Corn

(more…)

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers  is documentary that takes a humorous swipe at the divisive political and social perception of Christianity and God in general.  The film isn’t a salvo in the culture wars by any stretch of the imagination; rather it is an exploration as to why there is a culture war, if there is a culture war, and why “the Gospel of Love” has become such a contentious topic.  One of the critic quotations used in the trailer hits the nail on the head: “A peace offering, not a battlecry.”  I know, it’s not protocol to site other film reviews in your film review, but Film Is Pwn possesses no standard operating procedure, so let’s move on to some new quotes, shall we? (more…)

The Heart Is a Drum Machine is a documentary by Christopher Pomerenke which explores the question What is Music?  To start off, the film was very enjoyable if only for the numerous musicians and actors who were interviewed.  I was particularly excited to see musicians such as John Frusciante, Matt Sorum and the always entertaining Juliette Lewis.  Also interesting was the fact that many of the most lucid explanations of what music is came from Bijou Phillips which was something in the order of “Music is a way of letting another person feel what you are feeling”.  I think anyone who has ever given a mix tape (yes, I understand that phrase dates me) will understand that sentiment.

Although the film was interesting and full of great interviews, it have one flaw which was the editing.  Cuts were jumpy and the pacing was not very good.  The movie starts off with a (more…)

The Heart is a Drum Machine is an interesting if ill-defined documentary on the hopelessly expansive topic of music.  The documentary is at times fascinating and beguiling, though it dragged for unbearable stretches and actually felt tediously protracted despite clocking in short for a feature film at roughly 75 minutes in length.
(more…)

Earlier this week, former Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, Robert McNamara passed away at the age of 93.  McNamara was, to put it lightly, a controversial figure, considered “evil” by some, best remembered as the architect of the Viet Nam war.  Even though I’m a conservative Republican (and McNamara served under two Democratic Presidents) I am a huge admirer of the Errol Morris documentary The Fog of War (2003), which is essentially the audio-visual autobiography of Mr. McNamara. 

The film follows McNamara’s life through his service in World War II (including his sobering thoughts on deserving to be prosecuted as a war criminal if the Allies lost); ascension trough the Ford Motor Company (where he became the first President not a member of the Ford family); being recruited as one of JFK’s “Best and Brightest;” the Cuban Missile Crisis and how close we came to World War III; looking back on the mistakes and misconceptions of VIet Nam; and so much more. 
(more…)

Expelled: No Intelligence Design is an admirable and intriguing documentary on the subject of Intelligent Design (I.D.) and, more specifically, the censorship and ostracism inflicted on those in the scientific community who dare to so much as mention I.D. as a possibility.
(more…)

I am here to tell you a tale of undying love, indescribable joy, gut wrenching heartbreak, and relentless hope. It’s a story that spans a century soaked in tears and built on the back of shattered dreams. The story features a bunch of bums, heroes, villains, a goat, a cat, and a whole lot of young bears. I’m going to talk about the Chicago Cubs.
(more…)

With apologies to Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese, in my opinion the greatest director who ever lived is Alfred Hitchcock. Vertigo, Rear Window, North By Northwest (my personal favorite), Dial M For Murder, Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, and the list of the man’s works goes on and on. Hitchcock knew how to create tension, and invented a number of cinematic techniques. He was a master at pulling the audience in to his stories and pulling the rug out from under the audience as well. And perfect for those who appreciate the man and his work is the documentary from Ted Haimes, Dial H For Hitchcock.

(more…)

Generally speaking, movies don’t change lives. At best, a really powerful movie that catches the right person at the right time can persuade them on a certain issue or convince another person to change in one aspect or another. Movies can inspire people in some cases and many people help learn languages from watching movies from that country, but more often than not a motion picture is little more than a pleasant (or sometimes not so pleasant) diversion. One movie that most definitely changed a life is Errol Morris’ documentary “The Thin Blue Line.” This movie got a man who had been convicted of murder acquitted. Now THAT is impressive.

(more…)