It’s Elmo’s world, we only get to watch it. That’s until Being Elmo exposes the red furry one’s diabolic plans to rule the world! OK, so maybe the documentary Being Elmo isn’t anything like that. Part of me wishes it was or at least dared to take a bizarre twist in the third act in …
Tag Archives: documentary
Way late review: Project Nim
If the story of a chimp raised by humans told in Project Nim sounds vaguely familiar to the blockbuster Rise of the Planet of the Apes, there’s a good reason for that. The screenwriters for Rise were well aware of Nim, the chimp whom scientists wanted to see if they could teach sign language as …
Way late review: Floored
After watching Floored, a documentary about old-school traders on Chicago’s exchange floors, I wonder (once again) if there is much difference between gambling and trading commodities. One can’t help but notice the subjects of the film, struggling to adapt to the new ways of doing business (computer vs. in-person trades), resemble professional poker players. They …
Way late review: Beauty Day
Before Youtube and before Johnny Knoxville and his crew there was Ralph Zavadil, aka Cap’n Video. A local access cable show in St. Catharines, Ontario, Cap’n Video existed in obscurity until Zavadil’s alter ego attempted one too many dangerous stunts. And it is that stunt, a botched plunge into a covered pool off a shaky …
Way late review: Candyman: The David Klein Story
Way late review: Bill Cunningham New York
Fashion and the industry that revolves around it are not my forte. Therefore it might come as a surprise that I enjoyed Bill Cunningham New York, a documentary that centers on an 80-year-old photographer who captures what people are wearing in New York City. While fashion is Bill’s obsession, the director (Richard Press) obsesses over …
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Way late review: Best Worse Movie
Is it any less bold to claim that you’ve made the worst movie ever or that you’ve made the best? Both are relative claims and hold little validity either way. Troll 2, the focus of the documentary Best Worse Movie, is said to be the worst movie ever. The zero (or near zero) scores on …
Way late review: Buck
The way we treat animals can often speak volumes about us. The types of pets we have (or don’t have) can also say a lot about us. The behavior of the pet can often reflect a lot on its owner. If Buck Brannaman’s horses reflect on him then the man is one of the greatest …
Way late review: Senna
Formula One racing is a mystery to many of us in the US. NASCAR dominates as they drive “stock” cars in an endless loop. Meanwhile Formula One races through twisting tracks in cars that seem like they’re one strong wind away from being blown off the track. After watching the 2011 documentary, Senna, I have …
Way late review: Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
It’s funny how our perception of celebrities often depends on when we’re introduced to them. Michael Jackson is pop genius to some, cultural oddity to others. Elvis was either skinny rock icon or fat Vegas crooner. The same can likely be said for Joan Rivers. To me she would likely be labeled the loud mouthed …
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