Documentary Movie Reviews »
New On DVD: Screaming In High Heels (2011)
One of the most iconic images in the horror genre is a beautiful woman, sometimes covered in blood, often topless, screaming in terror. These actresses became widely known as “scream queens”, and hold a...
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Frightfest ’12: Eurocrime, Outpost 2: Black Sun, and Paura 3D
EUROCRIME! THE ITALIAN COP AND GANGSTER FILMS THAT RULED THE ’70S (2012) Directed by Mike Malloy, “Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films that Ruled the ’70s” is a documentary exploring the cop thrillers...
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August, Beijing (2008) Movie Review
Screened at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. “August, Beijing” is a collection of short films from a variety of directors which chart some of the many different far-reaching ways in which hosting the 2008...
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Meishi Street (2006) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. The 2006 documentary “Meishi Street”, directed by famed Chinese visual artist Ou Ning, is quite a remarkable film in a number of different ways, chief amongst which...
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Once Upon a Time Proletarian (2009) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. “Once Upon a Time Proletarian” is a 2009 documentary feature from acclaimed director, novelist and poet Guo Xiaolou, also known for her award winning fiction films “She,...
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University City Savages (2009) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. “University City Savages” is a bold documentary which deals with one of the most topical and controversial issues in Modern China, the government’s practice of forced land...
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Where Should I Go? (2011) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. Director Li Junhu’s documentary “Where Should I Go?” explores one of the most interesting issues in contemporary China, the interaction between the rural and the urban. Covering...
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Using (2007) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. “Using” was Chinese documentary director Zhou Hao’s follow up to his much loved and critically praised high school doc “Senior Year”, and is a very different proposition...
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Bachelor Mountain (2011) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. Director Yu Guangyi completes his ‘Hometown Trilogy’ with “Bachelor Mountain”, following up on the documentaries “Timber Gang” (2006) and “Survival Song” (2008). The film is another set...
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Senior Year (2005) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. Although high school students in the West may think they have it tough, the pressure and hardships they face are simply nothing when compared to the trials...
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Shanghai Quest (2007) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. Kim Taylor’s documentary “Shanghai Quest” has an immediately intriguing premise, following the ups and downs of three westerners trying to make their fortunes in Shanghai. Her three...
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Dragon Boat (2010) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. “Dragon Boat” is the latest film from acclaimed Chinese director and artist Cao Dan, a feature documentary which charts the effects of modernisation on the tradition of...
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The Weird World Of Blowfly (2010) Movie Review
Do you want to watch a 66 year old man dressed like a superhero lay down some of the filthiest rhymes you’ve heard this side of a 2 Live Crew record? If you answered...
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Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide (2010) DVD Review
Video Nasties – a term not necessarily as prevalent in the U.S as it is over here in the sunny old U.K. In case you’re unaware of what they are, I’ll tell you. They...
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Renaissance Village (2008) Movie Review
Good documentaries provide the viewer with an intimate perspective of a person, place, event or period of time. A great documentary either simply educates, if unbiased, or improves social awareness by immersing people in...
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Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? (2008) Movie Review
Morgan Spurlock, the man famous for putting on the pounds eating McDonalds three meals a day for thirty days in Super Size Me, is back and he’s on a mission, a global one this...
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The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief (2006) Movie Review
As the credits rolled at the end of “The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief” (2006), I immediately thought of “Leaving Las Vegas,” “The Grifters,” and “Requiem for a Dream,” three...
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Fight or Flight (2006) Movie Review
When watching documentaries there is, commonly, a great deal of material that needs to be overlooked in order to fully enjoy the film. Typically, the cinematography, the editing and a number of other purely...
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King of Kong (2007) Movie Review
Every boy grows up loving videogames, whether it be the clunky arcades of the ’80s or the virtual fighters of the ’90s and beyond, but we never loved them as much as the men...
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Behind Forgotten Eyes (2006) Movie Review
Anthony Gilmore’s “Behind Forgotten Eyes” is an unendingly mesmerizing tale of cruelty, survival, and the indomitable human spirit. It is at times gut wrenching, and at other times a truly inspiration tribute to women...
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