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Post by cheesecake on Nov 19, 2021 20:43:47 GMT
Revisited Jesus Camp for the first time since it came out. BIG MISTAKE. Still the scariest horror movie I've ever seen. I'm still scared to watch that. Definitely don't watch it stoned! Yikes.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Nov 20, 2021 19:51:17 GMT
Attica (Stanley Nelson, 2021)A chilling history of the infamous 1971 prison uprising famously referenced in Pacino's improvised line from Dog Day Afternoon, and for many (myself included before watching this) that Lumet film is the extent of what people know about this event. Utilizing interviews from first hand sources including many former Attica inmates, family members of correctional officers, lawyers, and law enforcement figures, as well as archival footage and photographs, Nelson weaves a comprehensive narrative of Black Uprising and explosive white retaliation and the individuals caught in the crossfire. Viewer discretion absolutely advised. Even though this concept is not surprising at all (and if you really want to be depressed watch the 2013 doc Let the Fire Burn next), some of footage towards the end of this film is truly sickening and I was not prepared. One of the subjects compared what happened after police retook control of the prison to images of antebellum slavery and Nelson doesn't shy away from the carnage and abuse these men experienced. The photos tell the whole story.
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Post by Mattsby on Nov 20, 2021 22:10:56 GMT
Looking for Richard (1996) 9/10 rewatch. I once took a college course 'Shakespeare in the Movies' and we watched like a dozen adaptations and docs and at the end of the semester the class voted for their favorite watch and guess what won? It's an excitingly made movie that Pacino self financed... He gave himself several years to film this, fill his boots on the Bard, exploring this particular play that he'd performed before, and tinkered for some more years editing his exploration. "I often hear the echo of Orson Welles ringing in my ears," Pacino said a little while after finishing it.... and he's indeed like Welles in his directed projects in terms of trawling along effort and criss-crossing form. Put it all together cleverly, swiftly, and it looks like magic. It leaves me in awe every time. And it's so thoroughly cooked with Pacino's personality and process and history. It's an enormous cast of scholars, thesps, and so many of Pacino's former collaborators and important people to him personally. Winona, Baldwin, Spacey, F Murray, Estelle Parsons, Branagh, Gielgud, Redgrave, Kevin Kline, James Earl Jones, Heathcote Williams, Ira Lewis, Judith Malina, the great Penny Allen....is that Paul Gleason and Dominic Chianese... and best of all Actors Studio member Frederic Kimball who acts as Pacino's sidekick or rather a hilarious Fool. Pacino brings great half-mad delight here as host and actor, and his Richard is very interesting in that way. I'd forgotten about the "What do I fear? Myself? There's none else by" scene in the gold-hued tent where he awakens from a nightmare - which may well be the film itself. It's a great piece of acting and an important scene (that Olivier omitted from his Richard film)....if everyone is to fear him, does that include himself. Pacino speaks lowly almost superstitiously... I couldn't help but think the feeling would fit his eventual Lear. Fun fact. Pacino won a DGA for Best Documentary direction. Not impressed? The previous winner was Hoop Dreams!! How many actors have won the DGA, to stretch..... Beatty, Clint, Woody Allen, Ben Affleck, Robert Redford, Kevin Costner, Ben Stiller.... is that it? And so by a hop and a skip, Pacino is the best actor to have ever won a Director's Guild statue. Consider me wooed and won.
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Post by wilcinema on Nov 26, 2021 13:57:54 GMT
Procession: What a powerful documentary.
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SZilla
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Post by SZilla on Dec 3, 2021 0:47:26 GMT
High School (1968) Dir. Frederick Wiseman
Finally found this after a long search, and it was remarkable. Wiseman's "fly on the wall" approach works wonders here, letting the events just play out at this Pennsylvania high school. I think we all know that teachers can have it rough - they're overworked and its not always a rewarding job because let's be real - teenagers can be pretty nasty. But do their instincts to always "be the authority" and shut things down result in them becoming authoritarian and squashing any form of disagreement, seeing it as a sign of rebellion - especially in the tension charged late 1960s? Can some teachers be so insistent about "following the rules" that it ends up actually being detrimental to the children they're supposed to be helping? Some scenes that stick out include the fashion class, the teacher telling the boy to take the wrongful detention "just to prove that he can," and of course the horrifying sex ed class for the boys. Balance that out with the scene of a teacher playing Simon & Garfunkel to teach her class about poetry. It's a fascinating watch, seeing how far we've come along while some things seemingly never change. 8/10
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Post by PromNightCarrie on Jan 1, 2022 12:43:34 GMT
The Wolfpack from 2015. About a group of brothers who were raised locked away from the outside world by their father in an apartment. They only have each other and their only escape was movies, so they pass the time by impressively recreating Tarantino and Scorsese films. Really cool documentary.
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Barbie
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Post by Barbie on Jan 2, 2022 22:35:04 GMT
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork
6/10
I like how the narrative in this documentary played out. The shocking reveal of the suspect, the shot credibility of the star witness, and what the victim’s family is doing now to get justice.
I like that it challenges our preconceived notions about the justice system, police procedures, and innocent vs. guilty
Also, this documentary is more proof that police incompetence, mismanagement, and tunnel vision is a global problem. It’s not just cops in the US that are corrupt
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2022 18:10:57 GMT
I find everything about this case so intensely disturbing and yet so fascinating - it truly is more terrifying than anything I've ever seen in a horror film... I liked this documentary just fine, but I think it still leaves so many unanswered questions... It's really hard for me to believe that there wasn't a sexual component in the boys' murders (as this film suggests)... stephen cheesecake - If I remember correctly from the IMDb ideas, you guys had watched the HBO documentaries about this case? Really interested to see what your opinions are... There's a series on Amazon that I'm considering buying called "The Forgotten West Memphis Three" that I think will focus more heavily on the crime itself.
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Post by stephen on Jan 10, 2022 18:41:48 GMT
I find everything about this case so intensely disturbing and yet so fascinating - it truly is more terrifying than anything I've ever seen in a horror film... I liked this documentary just fine, but I think it still leaves so many unanswered questions... It's really hard for me to believe that there wasn't a sexual component in the boys' murders (as this film suggests)... stephen cheesecake - If I remember correctly from the IMDb ideas, you guys had watched the HBO documentaries about this case? Really interested to see what your opinions are... There's a series on Amazon that I'm considering buying called "The Forgotten West Memphis Three" that I think will focus more heavily on the crime itself. I definitely think that this is a situation where justice was miscarried so wildly that there is no way in hell we'll ever truly know what happened (bar a confession), but I definitely don't think Echols/Baldwin/Misskelley had anything to do with it other than just being (in the former two's cases) outsider teens in an incredibly religious area and (in the latter's case) woefully manipulated by the powers-that-be. Last Podcast on the Left did a fantastic three-episode series detailing the West Memphis Three case, and while their presentation style isn't for everyone (they are comedians who happened to have a deep interest in true-crime and occult cases), they do their damnedest to get the information right because so much of the case was due to misinformation. I definitely recommend it.
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Post by cheesecake on Jan 12, 2022 1:18:38 GMT
I find everything about this case so intensely disturbing and yet so fascinating - it truly is more terrifying than anything I've ever seen in a horror film... I liked this documentary just fine, but I think it still leaves so many unanswered questions... It's really hard for me to believe that there wasn't a sexual component in the boys' murders (as this film suggests)... stephen cheesecake - If I remember correctly from the IMDb ideas, you guys had watched the HBO documentaries about this case? Really interested to see what your opinions are... There's a series on Amazon that I'm considering buying called "The Forgotten West Memphis Three" that I think will focus more heavily on the crime itself. Such a fascinating look at Satanic Panic. I've not seen the Amazon series but NEVER watch Devil's Knot lol.
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Post by cheesecake on Jan 12, 2022 1:20:22 GMT
Procession (2021, Robert Greene)
What an uncomfortable and fascinating approach to this all too familiar topic. One of the best films of the year.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2022 22:14:54 GMT
Lee Grant's searing, Oscar-winning indictment of Reaganomics. A deeply sad but necessary viewing.
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Jan 17, 2022 22:41:19 GMT
The First Wave - Heartbreaking glimpse into the first four months of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York. Incredibly candid and emotionally charged in its presentation, as we witness the devastation of essential medical staff grapple with the psychological toll of death, while also taking time to address the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, and the general air of complacency among cries for real change as both the disease, and ongoing racial tensions continue to escalate. A very strong watch. cheesecake Procession is next on my list.
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Post by cheesecake on Jan 19, 2022 20:22:27 GMT
The First Wave - Heartbreaking glimpse into the first four months of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York. Incredibly candid and emotionally charged in its presentation, as we witness the devastation of essential medical staff grapple with the psychological toll of death, while also taking time to address the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, and the general air of complacency among cries for real change as both the disease, and ongoing racial tensions continue to escalate. A very strong watch. cheesecake Procession is next on my list. I watched Help the other day and it was so incredibly harrowing -- I'm sure in the coming months/years I'll be able to digest more on the topic but it's so, so heavy.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2022 16:18:57 GMT
Blacks Britannica (1978) - A very insightful and absorbing look at institutional racism in the UK. It was initially banned from public viewing there for its controversial subject matter. pupdurcs
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Post by ibbi on Feb 4, 2022 23:26:00 GMT
I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE FIRST PERSON WHO SEES COW!
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Barbie
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Post by Barbie on Mar 16, 2022 22:47:07 GMT
I find everything about this case so intensely disturbing and yet so fascinating - it truly is more terrifying than anything I've ever seen in a horror film... I liked this documentary just fine, but I think it still leaves so many unanswered questions... It's really hard for me to believe that there wasn't a sexual component in the boys' murders (as this film suggests)... stephen cheesecake - If I remember correctly from the IMDb ideas, you guys had watched the HBO documentaries about this case? Really interested to see what your opinions are... There's a series on Amazon that I'm considering buying called "The Forgotten West Memphis Three" that I think will focus more heavily on the crime itself. Such a fascinating look at Satanic Panic. I've not seen the Amazon series but NEVER watch Devil's Knot lol. Is Devil’s Knot really bad?
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Barbie
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Post by Barbie on Mar 16, 2022 22:57:35 GMT
Bad Vegan (2022) on Netflix
This is even more absurd than Tinder Swindler. The lies, abuse, and manipulation are very similar. Also reminds me of the conman in The Puppet Master.
This lady seriously fell for a con about her dog becoming immortal? Come on man. I will say that those who swear by astrology have no right to judge this woman for falling for crazy new age-y garbage. Luckily, I think astrology is also bullshit 😌
I think the saddest thing about these scam stories is how these women are so eager to please the men they’re with. I think the fact that love bombing is an effective and gripping manipulating tactic speaks to how desperate women are for true love, pure love. I don’t mean desperate in a bad judgemental way. Quite the opposite. The desperation is understandable bc we still live in an oppressive patriarchal system and toxic masculinity is rampant. Respect and humanity for women is not common. It’s hard to find. This makes it easier for abusive men to prey on these women’s optimistic and romantic idealism
I wanna see a documentary series on that. I don’t think these documentaries are touching that aspect in these stories
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Post by cheesecake on Mar 17, 2022 15:15:30 GMT
Such a fascinating look at Satanic Panic. I've not seen the Amazon series but NEVER watch Devil's Knot lol. Is Devil’s Knot really bad? It's sooooooo bad. The screenplay is a mess, the casting is bizarre. Such a misfire.
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Post by wilcinema on Mar 17, 2022 16:24:09 GMT
I'm speechless.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2022 19:42:42 GMT
Such a fascinating look at Satanic Panic. I've not seen the Amazon series but NEVER watch Devil's Knot lol. Is Devil’s Knot really bad? OMG, yes. It's heinous.
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Post by Viced on Mar 25, 2022 15:12:49 GMT
Looks like I've found the best film of 2021... Probably the most harrowing doc I've ever watched. Thrillingly puts you right in the action of small time crime and devastatingly plunges you into the depths of drug addiction. The first half is jawdropping in a "am I really watching this actually happen?" sort of way, and the second half fallout is unforgettably depressing. You want to believe in the glimmers of hope so badly, but the failure of the system and total lack of forgiveness/empathy in it is nearly impossible to overcome. The last few minutes of this had me sobbing more than anything I've ever watched in my life. I still haven't recovered.
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Post by JangoB on Mar 30, 2022 19:46:56 GMT
Woodstock which is among the very best documentaries I've ever seen. Absolutely extraordinary, transportative stuff. Numerous sequences feel just an injection of pure musical energy.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2022 0:41:50 GMT
Adele's Wish (2008) - A far more interesting and illuminating look at the case of Maria Altmann than Woman in Gold could ever have hoped to be. Much of the commentary is provided by American art historian Jonathan Petropoulos, who actually (sort of) befriended a Nazi art plunderer, Bruno Lohse, as a means of gaining access to his knowledge of stolen works. Have any of you seen The Rape of Europa (2006)? I think I'll seek this documentary out next.
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Post by Mattsby on Apr 21, 2022 4:00:59 GMT
The Scorsese Machine (1990) Loved this, on YouTube btw. 70m from the French filmmaker who did that great little '60s doc observing Cassavetes, driving his car around and being charismatic as hell. Here the director gives a subtle structure - a peering in, Marty and Thelma in their editing rooms tinkering with Life Lessons. We get a real sense of the humor and habits of Scorsese, the tone he sets, and he's captivating when he gets the proverbial stage, dishing on being a filmmaker. There's also some lovely reveals with his parents - fans of Italianamerican know his mother is such a naturally funny legend. And it all ends like a New York movie might, there's a world out there....and people drawn to the show, any show, and they can't wait for what's next.
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