documentaries Archives

Candid ‘WHAM!’ Doc Celebrates Career in Their Own Words (Review)

30Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Candid ‘WHAM!’ Doc Celebrates Career in Their Own Words (Review)

British duo Wham! were one of the biggest pop acts on the 1980s, selling over 30 million records worldwide. Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael in Wham! Courtesy of Netflix © 2023 Childhood best friends George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley grew up outside of London and bonded over their love of music. After starting out in a ska band, they began writing and recording the early songs that would turn in to Wham!'s first album, "Fantastic." Those early tracks contained a slice of social commentary that got them noticed in the music press. Despite initially flailing on the UK charts, a last-minute booking on Top Of The Pops in 1982 to perform "Young Guns (Go For It!)" was a game changer. https://youtu.be/6_MhjfgeC44 They had 6 #1 singles in England and 3 in the United States in ...

‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ Traces the Roots of a Rock & Roll Innovator (Review)

28Apr

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ Traces the Roots of a Rock & Roll Innovator (Review)

You can say a lot of things about Little Richard, but you can't ever say that he was shy. He spent decades telling anyone who would listen that he was the architect of rock and roll. And, of course, he truly was a pioneer but the extreme racism of the American South meant that his singles became even bigger hits when watered down by white artists like Pat Boone and Elvis. Little Richard (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures) In her fantastic documentary, filmmaker Lisa Cortés attempts to correct the record. An opening night selection at this year's Sundance, 'Little Richard: I Am Everything' is an origin story with extreme admiration. It also illustrates just how far ahead of his time that Little Richard was. He broke stereotypes, gender norms, and the lines of segregation. ...

HBO Max Premieres Oscar-nominated ‘All The Beauty And The Bloodshed’ (Review)

17Mar

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

HBO Max Premieres Oscar-nominated ‘All The Beauty And The Bloodshed’ (Review)

The latest and greatest from filmmaker Laura Poitras ('Citizenfour') is a captivating look at the life and career of artist Nan Goldin. In 'All The Beauty And The Bloodshed,' Poitras takes us far beyond the artistic achievements of a remarkable woman. The film was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, only the second time in the fest's history that a documentary won the honor. Sadly, it lost out to the timely 'Navalny' at the Oscars this year in the Best Documentary Feature category, It should find a much bigger audience on HBO Max than it did during a brief theatrical release last fall. Nan Goldin in 'All The Beauty And The Bloodshed' (NEON/HBO Documentary Films) The Verdict 'All The Beauty And The Bloodshed' was in my Top 10 for 2022, so you can safely presum...

How to Virtually Attend the Sundance Film Festival 2023

31Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Events, Features, Film

How to Virtually Attend the Sundance Film Festival 2023

The Sundance Film Festival 2023 is now underway in Park City, Utah. Despite the return of the in-person festival this year, organizers have continued with a way for film fans across the country to attend virtually. The in-person event is running from now until January 29. Titles will be available to watch at home from January 24-29. The full in-person lineup is not available virtually this year, but you will have the opportunity to watch every movie in competition in the dramatic and documentary categories as well as the NEXT programming and several other premieres. Tickets This year, most ticket packages sold out pretty quickly. Many festival titles are still available for individual purchase. You can buy access to all available movies for $20 each. Keep in mind that everyt...

‘Stay On Board’ Chronicles Life of Trans Skateboarder Leo Baker (Review)

16Aug

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Stay On Board’ Chronicles Life of Trans Skateboarder Leo Baker (Review)

For two decades, Leo Baker was a professional skateboarder who competed professionally all around the world. Co-directors Nicola Marsh and Giovanni Reda followed Baker from 2019 to 2021 during a period of intense personal turmoil. The film begins with what should have been a career highlight - Baker was announced to represent the USA on the first-ever Women's Olympic Skateboarding Team. Leo Baker reaches new heights in 'Stay On Board' (Netflix) The problem? Baker was experiencing extreme gender dysphoria, already identifying themselves as Leo and using they/them pronouns amongst friends and family. Being chosen for the Olympics was a life changing moment, but not in the way you might expect. Every interview and comment that identified them as a woman became harder and harder...

New Documentary Takes Us Inside New York’s Legendary Chelsea Hotel (Review)

22Jul

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

New Documentary Takes Us Inside New York’s Legendary Chelsea Hotel (Review)

The Chelsea Hotel is one of the most iconic buildings in the history of New York City. It has famously housed poets, rock stars, and artists and has been a designated landmark in the city since 1966. As times have changed, so has the building. For decades, many lived within rent-stabilized units within the building. Most of the long-term tenants were bought out and paid to move after plans were made to renovate the building into a luxury hotel. Some Residents Refuse To Leave With 'Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel,' directors Maya Duverdier and Amélie van Elmbt have chosen a "fly-on-the-wall" approach to document the building's residents who have refused to leave. We meet some of the more eccentric tenants from what is about 40 apartments left in the building during 1...

Tribeca Film Festival 2022 Dispatch (Reviews)

31Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Events, Features, Film, Reviews

Tribeca Film Festival 2022 Dispatch (Reviews)

The 21st annual Tribeca Film Festival has been been going on since June 8. The in-person portion of the event has ended, but the online "at home" programming continues through this weekend. I haven't had as much time as I would like to dive in to everything. I've focused so far on some of the excellent documentaries on the lineup. All of the films featured below had their World Premiere at Tribeca and are available to rent online for $15/each and are viewable through the Tribeca At Home app until Sunday, June 26. This was the 21st year of the Tribeca Film Festival. 'Butterfly in the Sky' Directors Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb follow-up 'Jasper Mall' with this loving portrait of the long-running PBS series, 'Reading Rainbow.' Host LeVar Burton is interviewed alongs...