"East of Havana is a blunt, unflinching close-up on the lives of three young rappers compelled to address their generation’s future from the confines of a Cuban ghetto. Soandry, Magyori, and Mikki are the defacto leaders of Cuba’s rebellious underground hip hop movement. Possessing the undeniable talent and charisma of pop icons, these fearless performers push self-expression to its sharpest, riskiest, and most triumphant point."
A couple of other notes on this film, Charlize Theron is one of the producers, and it's on Sundance Film Channel today.
One of my favorite documentaries from the last decade was "Bus 174 (2002)":
"On June 12th, 2000, a bus full of passengers was kidnapped in Rio de Janeiro in broad daylight. The kidnapper, Sandro do Nascimento, terrorized his victims and when he finally agreed to surrender and the episode was close to an end, a policeman tried to shoot him, killing one of the hostages instead, a young woman. The whole episode was broadcast live, causing revolt among the population. The documentary is about the incident, with interviews, focusing on Sandro do Nascimento, his childhood, and how unavoidably he was doomed to become a bandit."
So when I realized a feature film had been made about the same story, and that it was written by Braulio Mantovani, the man who wrote another favorite of mine, "City of God (2002)", I knew I absolutely had to watch "Last Stop 174 (2008)".
This is definitely one case in which the documentary and film complemented one another, while both being great movies on their own. I would recommend "Last Stop 174" even if you haven't seen the documentary, because Sandro's story is both fascinating and tragic.
When I started watching "Choking Man (2006)", one of the things that instantly struck was how gritty and realistic it was. Then out of the blue these strange animated scenes appeared and totally surprised me. I think that contrast contributed to the surreal feeling of the film. Had I realized at the time that it was written and directed by the same man who directed A-Ha's "Take on Me" video I probably would have been prepared for the animation. Overall I thought this was a very interesting story and presentation, which is definitely worth watching if you can find it. "Choking Man is an intense blend of psychological drama and magical realism that encapsulates the contemporary immigrant experience in America. Jorge is a morbidly shy Ecuadorian dishwasher toiling away in a shabby Jamaica, Queens, New York diner run by Rick. He works all day long in the shadow of the ever-present Heimlich Maneuver instruction poster which hangs in the diner kitchen. From his solitary kitchen corner, Jorge gropes mutely for a bond with Amy, the newly hired Chinese waitress and even though she tries to reciprocate, the gulf that separates them may be too large. On the job he is continually tormented by his coworker Jerry and at home in his Harlem boarding, under the psychological control of his domineering 'roomate,' he battles his inner demons. Set in the vicinity of JFK airport, the most culturally diverse neighborhood in the world, Choking Man captures the feeling of claustrophobia and almost literal asphyxiation newcomers to America experience as they struggle to find a place and purpose in this strange land."
Sometimes stuff is funny, simply because it is so true, and that is exactly the case with this film. I had passed the movie "The Boy's and Girl's Guide to Getting Down (2006)" several times when I saw it showing on cable over the last year or so, but recently I've been watching a lot of Current TV. One of the guys who hosts some of their shows, Dominique Purdy, is hilarious, so I looked him up. Well, there is very little information about him, other than the fact that he was in this movie, so I decided to watch it. Turns out it was one of the funniest, most unique movies I've seen in a long time. The cast is pretty much a lot of unknown people, but I thought that made it more realistic.
"Tongue-in-cheek look at 20-something singles clubbing and partying in L.A.; it's organized into 15 chapters from overview and preparation to partying and the morning after. Voice-over narration, charts and graphs, and visits to a research laboratory punctuate the story of a single night when groups of friends go out, drink alcohol, take drugs, dance and talk, and look for someone to go home with. Dangers, minor and major, await those who don't plan well or behave foolishly, and the rewards, even for those who plan well, are few. But the species' survival may depend on these rituals."
""Which Way Home" is a feature documentary film that follows unaccompanied child migrants, on their journey through Mexico, as they try to reach the United States. We follow children like Olga and Freddy, nine-year old Hondurans, who are desperately trying to reach their parents in the US.; children like Jose, a ten-year old El Salvadoran, who has been abandoned by smugglers and ends up alone in a Mexican detention center; and Kevin, a canny, streetwise fourteen-year old Honduran, whose mother hopes that he will reach the U.S. and send money back to her. These are stories of hope and courage, disappointment and sorrow. They are the children you never hear about; the invisible ones."
This weekend is the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. There are several great documentaries about it out there, and I recommend all of them. But by far the most powerful and insightful has to be the must see, Academy Award nominated "Trouble the Water (2008)". Unlike the other documentaries which show New Orleans before and after the hurricane, this film shows what actually happened during the storm, from the stranded resident's perspective.
"TROUBLE THE WATER takes you inside Hurricane Katrina in a way never before seen on screen. It's a redemptive tale of two self-described street hustlers who become heroes-two unforgettable people who survive the storm and then seize a chance for a new beginning.
The film opens the day before the storm makes landfall-twenty-four year old aspiring rap artist Kimberly Rivers Roberts is turning her new video camera on herself and her 9th Ward neighbors trapped in the city. "It's going to be a day to remember," Kim declares. With no means to leave the city and equipped with just a few supplies and her hi 8 camera, she and her husband Scott tape their harrowing ordeal as the storm rages, the nearby levee breaches, and floodwaters fill their home and their community.
Seamlessly weaving 15 minutes of this home movie footage shot the day before and the day of the storm, with archival news segments and verite footage shot over two years, directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal document a journey of remarkable people surviving not only failed levees, bungling bureaucrats and armed soldiers, but also their own past.
Directed and produced by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal and Executive Produced by Joslyn Barnes and Danny Glover of Louverture Films, edited and co-produced by T. Woody Richman, with addiitonal editing by Mary Lampson, Trouble the Water features an original musical score by Neil Davidge and Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack, and the music of Dr. John, Mary Mary, Citizen Cope, TK Soul, John Lee Hooker, and the Free Agents Brass Band and introduces the music of Black Kold Madina. "
During the movie, Kim gives an incredible performance of her song "Amazing", which unfortunately I can't find (there are other versions out there, but the clip from the film is far superior to the rest). That song alone makes this movie worth watching.
Today's selection of "Blow Out (1981)" is inspired by Ted Kennedy, who passed away yesterday (you may have to watch the movie to get the connection). Directed by Brian DePalma and starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, and a very young John Lithgow, I guess this could be considered one of my favorite movies, since I still watch it regularly. There aren't too many movies that I can think of that combine political intrigue with a serial killer storyline, but somehow it works wonderfully here. "Blow Out" is actually a remake of the Italian film "Blowup (1966)", which I haven't seen yet, but I'd like to.
"This stylish Brian DePalma thriller plays off the theme of the unsuspecting witness who discovers a crime and is thereby put in grave danger, but with a novel twist. Jack is a sound-man who works on "Grade-B" horror movies. Late one evening, he is "sampling" sounds for use on his movies, when he hears something unexpected through his sound equipment and records it. Curiosity gets the better of him when the media become involved, and he begins to unravel the pieces of a nefarious conspiracy. As he struggles to survive against his shadowy enemies and expose the truth, he doesn't know who he can trust."
I've always enjoyed Patrick Warburton as a comedic actor, so I was pretty surprised to see him starring in "The Civilization of Maxwell Bright (2005)" since it deals with some pretty heavy topics. The film does have a lot of funny moments as well, and a full frontal male nude scene in the first few minutes, so clearly it is a must see. There is also a pretty great cast (Jennifer Tilly, Eric Roberts, Carol Kane, Nora Dunn). "Patrick Warburton (TV's Less Than Perfect and Seinfeld) is Max Bright, a male chauvinist who's tired of relationships with strong-willed, independent women. Max's solution: shell out big bucks for an Asian mail order bride who will do what she's told, only speak when spoken to and never say "no." But what Max gets is an unexpected lesson in life in this moving film about the search for meaning and the power of love." (Amazon)
(Rumor has it that this movie is available to stream on Netflix.)
When I saw "Martyrs (2008)" at Blockbuster, I assumed that it was another "Saw"/"Hostel" type torture movie, but since it was foreign I figured I would check it out anyway. Boy was I wrong! It is really almost impossible to describe this movie. At first it appears to be an extremely violent revenge flick, mixed with a scary creature haunting. What is surprising is how quickly these aspects appear, it really has you wondering what could possibly happen in the rest of the movie. By around the middle of the film, it takes a completely unexpected turn. The last part of the movie is extremely difficult to watch, not only because of the disturbing visuals, but also because of the pacing. While it is uncomfortable, I think it manages to convey the intended tone. "A young woman's quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tormented her as a child leads her and a friend, who is also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity."
I've seen lots of disturbing, gory movies over the years, but I really don't know if I could watch it again, although I feel I need to just to try to comprehend it better.
Throw in some Elizabeth Hurley and Owen Wilson, and you get "Permanent Midnight (1998)". It is the true story of ALF writer (among other things) Jerry Stahl's battle with drug addiction, and it is both sad and hilarious. "Comedy writer Jerry Stahl (Ben Stiller), whose $6000-a-week heroin habit had him taking his infant daughter along on his drug runs and doing smack during TV script conferences. Departing detox, Stahl explores memories with survivor Kitty, who listens patiently to Stahl's flashback. Other women in Stahl's life are his British wife Sandra (Elizabeth Hurley) and his agent Vola. For the TV series "Mr. Chompers" (inspired by ALF), Stahl meets with sitcom exec Craig Ziffer and puppeteer Allen. For freaky freebasing, Stahl hangs with mumbler Nicky and druggie Gus."
"Towelhead (2007)" is both disturbing and oddly funny. I saw this around the same time that I watched "The Dark Knight", so it was strange to see Aaron Eckhart as a sleazy neighbor (to put it mildly). The film explores sexuality, racism, and cultural differences in a pretty unique way, which makes it a must see (it's playing on Cinemax throughout August and September).
"Against the backdrop of the first Gulf War, Jasira Maroun is 13, physically well developed but naïve and unable to say no. As puberty arrives, her mother sends her from Syracuse to Houston to her curt, up-tight, Lebanese-born father. Over the next few months, Jasira must navigate her father's strict indifference, her discovery of sexual pleasure, the casual racism of a neighbor boy and her classmates, the sexual advances of the boy's father, the proffered friendship of a pregnant neighbor, and her attraction to Thomas, an African-American classmate whom her father forbids her to see. Things happen to her, but can she take responsibility and control, or is tragedy inevitable?"
"Vice Squad (1982)" is probably my favorite 80s crime movie. I remember being scared as hell of the killer, Ramrod. In fact this movie is so scary and violent that it's also considered to be a horror movie (it was even featured in "Terror in the Aisles (1984)").
"A Los Angeles businesswoman, known only by her street name of Princess, turns to prostitution to support herself and her young daughter when she's forced by Detective Tom Walsh and his vice squad to help them arrest a brutal pimp named Ramrod for the murder of a prostitute named Ginger. But when Ramrod learns that he was set up, he escapes from police custody and begins a long night of tracking down Princess while Walsh and his vice squad are always one step behind him."
As soon as I heard about "Zombie Girl (2009)", I knew I had to see it, since I love documentaries almost as much as I love zombies. As a parent, it was nice to see other other kids that are into horror movies, yet seem pretty well adjusted. Although her movie, "Pathogen (2006)", had an extremely low budget, her script is really intriguing.
"Emily Hagins is making a zombie movie. It's feature-length, it's bloody, and the zombies don't run. Just like it should be. But there's just one difference between her film and every other zombie movie you've ever seen. Emily is twelve."
You can watch the film for free on Snagfilms until 8/20.
Here is the trailer for "Pathogen", and her latest feature length film, "The Retelling (2009)"
Since I don't watch "Lost", I really didn't make the connection between it and "Fermat's Room (2007)", but apparently numbers play a big part in the plot of "Lost", and the same goes for this movie. In fact 'the' magic numbers from "Lost" make an appearance in "Fermat's Room".
"Four mathematicians who do not know each other are invited by a mysterious host on the pretext of resolving a great enigma. The room in which they find themselves turns out to be a shrinking room that will crush them if they do not discover in time what connects them all and why someone might wish to murder them."
Although I didn't expect to, I really enjoyed this film. (It probably has to do with the fact that I love puzzles). In fact I might even be inspired to watch "Lost" now.
"From the short film Why We Wax by Kimberly Wetherell, this pod explores the history, fashion, function and not-strictly-feminine fascination with maintaining the hair... 'down there.'"
Years ago, I bought a book at Dollar Tree (yes, Dollar Tree) about Marion Barry. Although I can't quite remember the details of the book, I do remember it being mostly focused on his scandals, so I didn't learn a lot about his early political career. Luckily I had a chance to watch "The Nine Lives of Marion Barry (2009)" on HBO. I must say, as a young politician, Marion Barry was dope. (no pun intended)
So who should play him in the (inevitable) movie? I say Kanye West for the early years, and John Witherspoon for the later years.
When you mix all of these elements together you get a fascinating documentary called "'Bama Girl (2008)".
"'Bama Girl follows a charismatic black woman's quest to become the 2005 Homecoming Queen at the University of Alabama, one of the great Deep South institutions. Homecoming has a rich history there, tied into centuries of privilege, old money, and racial exclusivity. We follow Jessica Thomas' campaign for Queen, running against not only 15 other co-eds, but a strictly segregated Greek system, internal black politics, and, most ominously, a secret all-white association called 'The Machine' that has been controlling politics at the University for most of the past century. This is a film about the light and the dark sides of tradition - and a fascinating parable for the electoral politics that affect our country everyday."
"Independent Lens" on PBS is one of my favorite shows on television. The new fall schedule has been announced, and once again they have some great films lined up:
VH1 has a new documentary series airing this week called "Lords of the Revolution", which will feature episodes about Cheech and Chong, The Black Panthers, Timothy Leary, Andy Warhol, and Muhammad Ali. The one episode I've seen so far was really interesting, so I'm recording all of the others. "They questioned authority. They celebrated nonconformity. They dared to be different.
In Lords of the Revolution, a provocative new documentary series, VH1 will profile the nonconformist heroes -- and anti-heroes -- of the 60s and 70s, honoring those icons who challenged the social, political and cultural institutions of the time.
Edgy, colorful, and visually dynamic, each hour long episode will feature rare archival footage and photos; an unconventional graphic treatment; a hip rock soundtrack; and new first-hand interviews from the people who were there -- all combined to tell the compelling, dangerous and subversive stories of a revolution that continues to influence popular culture today.
Lords of the Revolution is here to celebrate the leaders of the most significant cultural transformation of the 20th century."
