Documentary Reviews

Documentary

African American Lives 2

African American Lives 2

For some reason I always wind up watching epic PBS documentaries at, like, two in the morning. There’s nowhere else to go, nothing else on TV, and the narration...

Jennifer
In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)

In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)

Back in 1969 when the first moon landing happened, I did watch it. I was just over a year old, but I proudly like to say that I was...

Tom
Impact! Songs That Changed the World (2007)

Impact! Songs That Changed the World (2007)

I chose to check out a couple of the selections—songs that at least supposedly changed the world in my conscious memory: Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like...

Linda
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

Anyone who came of age in the early-80s probably still feels an uncontrollable shudder of delight when they hear the all-too-familiar “wakka-wakka-wakka” sound of classic Pac-Man chomping his way...

Linda
Planet Earth (2006)

Planet Earth (2006)

At last, I have watched every episode of Planet Earth, the BBC nature documentary that aired on the Discovery Channel. Except “nature documentary” doesn’t even begin to describe it,...

Eric
Rank (2006)

Rank (2006)

I became a fan of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) on a rainy Sunday a few years ago when I happened to catch it on TV while parked on...

Linda
Cowboy del Amor (2005)

Cowboy del Amor (2005)

Are you an oldish American man with no social skills looking to marry a young, vivacious Mexican woman? Well, Ivan Thompson is the man for you. For a mere...

Jennifer
Summercamp!

Summercamp!

You will not a find a more entertaining, heartfelt or unapologetically spirited documentary anywhere this year. You won’t. In fact, I dare you to try. Because, seriously, Summercamp! is fantastic. It’s...

Vickie
Al Franken: God Spoke

Al Franken: God Spoke

If anything, it offers a character portrait of one man who is not afraid to stand on his own pedestal and shake his liberal fist at conservative pundits and...

Linda
Fallen Angel: Gram Parsons

Fallen Angel: Gram Parsons

From what I learned from the film, Gram Parsons was a handsome and charming trust-fund baby (from an admittedly fucked-up family), who was lucky enough to pursue music full...

Linda
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2003)

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2003)

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is a gentle ode not just to a specific bunch of feathered friends that roam San Francisco, but in a way it is...

Linda
Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies Of Wrestling (2004)

Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies Of Wrestling (2004)

There are those of us (myself included) that may doubt that mid-century American women had the smackdown skills of, say, modern WWE entertainers. But any doubts will be laid...

Linda