Patiently Waiting: "Bob Marley Stay with the Rhythm (2010)"

Actually, I'm not patiently waiting. I don't think I've ever been more anxious to see a documentary, and I haven't even seen a trailer yet, but hearing that this is being directed by Jonathan Demme is enough for me. Here's an article that gives lots of information about "Bob Marley Stay With the Rhythm (2010)".

Tokyo Tearjerker

"Nobody Knows (2004)" is a really depressing movie about a mother who abandons her four children in their apartment. What's even more depressing is that it is based on a true story.

Chris Kattan in "Bollywood Hero"

I had no intention of watching "Bollywood Hero (2009)", but I caught the first episode and I thought it was hilarious. I can't wait to watch the rest of it.


From IFC Now:

"'Bollywood Hero' is a three-night Bollywood musical event starring Chris Kattan that will premiere on IFC August 6, 7 and 8 at 10pm ET/PT. Kattan plays himself, sort of, in this scripted comedy -- tired of being rejected as a leading-man in Hollywood, he burns his professional bridges in L.A. and accepts a starring role in the Bollywood film "Peculiar Dancing Boy." Fresh off the plane, he's flung into a world of sibling rivalry, cultural faux pas, funding issues and power hungry starlets.

In his quest to become Bollywood's leading leading man, Kattan unexpectedly finds a great dance instructor, trawls India's countryside for his co-star, falls in love and ultimately fulfills dreams he never even imagined. Facing culture clashes, language barriers and complex dance moves, Kattan will stop at nothing to conquer his destiny.

Filmed over ten weeks on location in Mumbai, India, "Bollywood Hero" also co-stars Maya Rudolph, Julian Sands, Neha Dhupia, Pooja Kumar, Rachna Shah, Ali Fazal, and Ruma Sengupta, with guest appearances from Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Coolidge, David Alan Grier and more. Several key crew members from "Slumdog Millionaire" collaborated on the series, including Longinus Fernandes, who choreographed the Oscar-winning "Jai Ho" dance sequence, and who's created numerous dance numbers for the series."

Rachel Getting Married

When I first heard that there was a movie called "Rachel Getting Married (2008)" starring Anne Hathaway, I assumed it was another generic chick flick (not that there's anything wrong with that). Then I learned that it was written by Jenny Lumet, so I was slightly interested. When I realized that it was directed by Jonathan Demme, I knew this was probably not your run of the mill romantic comedy, so I rented it.



Turns out this was a pretty heavy drama, with a very unique style. Because several of the characters are musicians, the movie also featured a variety of talented artists and an interesting soundtrack. Redblog has a great article that delves deeper into the musical aspect of this film.

See Also: Who is Jenny Lumet?

Set Your DVR: "Brick City"

From the Hollywood Examiner:

"Sundance Channel’s provocative and eye-opening documentary series “Brick City,” executive produced by Forest Whitaker and filmmakers Marc Levin and Mark Benjamin, takes an in-depth and no-holds-barred look at the immense challenges facing the city of Newark, New Jersey and its outspoken and charismatic mayor, Cory Booker."



"Brick City (2009)" premieres on the Sundance Film Channel (Comcast Channel 505) on September 21st.

Patiently Waiting: Chan-wook Park's "Thirst"

When I heard that the writer/dirctor of "Oldboy" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" was making a vampire movie called "Thirst (2009)", I could barely contain my excitement. Now I'm just counting the days until the DVD is released...




See Also: Lady Vengeance

Slingshot Hip Hop

I've watched several documentaries about rappers from other countries, and it's always interesting to watch the impact that hip hop has around the world, especially in areas of political unrest. "Slingshot Hip Hop (2008)" is one of the best examples of this. It also has some cool animation effects throughout the movie, especially the opening sequence.

"The voice of a new generation rocks and rhymes as Palestinian rappers form alternative voices of resistance within the Israeli-Palestinian struggle."