Documentary Movie Reviews »
Dong (2006) Movie Review
“Dong” is a companion piece to Chinese director Jia Zhangke’s prize winning “Still Life”, and both played at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. Interestingly, it was this documentary which was actually planned first, with...
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Manufacturing Dissent (2007) Movie Review
(Movie Review by Christiaan Harden) When Debbie Melnyk and Nick Caine, two self-proclaimed progressive liberal filmmakers, set out to make a biography celebrating Michael Moore, they began as admirers and fans. After discovering a...
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Bukowski: Born Into This (2003) Movie Review
Unlike documentaries on musicians and even visual artists, docs focused on major literary figures are far and few in between. Of course, there are the obligatory A&E spotlights on Mark Twain and Shakespeare, but...
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How is Your Fish Today? (2006) Movie Review
“How Is Your Fish Today?” began life as a British-commissioned Chinese documentary about Mohe, a small village in the northernmost part of China , lying on the Russian border. However, when the crew reached...
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Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic (2005) Movie Review
It really pays to be born a woman with a genotype predestined for phenotypic cuteness; that is, if you are misfortunate enough to have to be born at all. What can’t they get away...
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Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man (2005) Movie Review
Nothing gets me more hype than finding out that a musician I am a fan of is really as fucking weird as I imagined them to be. For instance, Prince. Now, if you’re a...
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The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005) Movie Review
Documentaries should always be approached with a grain of salt already in hand. While they always purport to tell ‘the truth’ about their subjects, they invariably choose a side and rely on generous helpings...
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Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt (2004) Movie Review
As a musician, I truly savor films which are made in effigy, in historical retrospect or just in plain celebration of the lives and artwork of other, considerably better known musicians. And the musician...
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The Future of Food (2004) Movie Review
Besides all of the generous plants who give us oxygen, photosynthesis which makes that possible, and the 99.5% reliability of the TV turning on everyday if our cable bills have been paid, there is...
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The Aristocrats (2005) Movie Review
On paper, the concept of “The Aristocrats” sounds terrible: it is, essentially, 90 minutes of comedians being interviewed about a very dirty joke with the titular two-word punch line, “The Aristocrats”, and the role...
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Overnight (2003) Movie Review
There is a telling scene in the documentary “Overnight” when Troy Duffy, the documentary’s star, is discussing the fate of his band with his bandmates, wherein he uses the word “we” a lot. What...
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Murderball (2005) Movie Review
“Can you believe this? These guys get more tail than I do.” Once the above thought pops into your head while watching the documentary “Murderball”, pity for the people being profiled goes right out...
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Gunner Palace (2004) Movie Review
“Gunner Palace” is a frank and at times profanity-laden look at the life of the 2/3 Field Artillery, which found itself occupying Uday Hussein’s bombed out palace after the end of major combat in...
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Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong (2004) Movie Review
If your interest lies in Hong Kong Cinema of old, the new documentary “Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong” is what you’re looking for. “Chop Socky” is an hour-long, made-for-TV documentary that has assembled quite...
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Wisconsin Death Trip (1999) Movie Review
Despite its title, “Wisconsin Death Trip” is not a crazed backwoods slasher film, but rather a feature length documentary about the high incidence of murder and madness which afflicted the small town of Black...
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The Life aka Yo Puta aka Whore (2004) Movie Review
(Movie Review by Donnie Saxton) One of the most confusing things about “The Life,” a film fraught with confusion, is what to call it. Upon theatrical release it was called “Yo Puta,” presumably because...
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Michael Moore Hates America (2004) Movie Review
As a caveat, let me say that I haven’t seen any of Michael Moore’s documentaries, for two simple reasons: one) high school has taught me to rebel against peer pressure, and the overwhelming peer...
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Trekkies 2 (2004) Movie Review
Want to know if you’ll be interested in “Trekkies 2″? Here’s a question: Did you like the first “Trekkies”? If so, then you’ll be happy with the sequel, which is more of the same....
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Trekkies (1997) Movie Review
Here’s the thing: Trekkies (or Trekkers, as some of them likes to be called) freaks me out. I’ve seen every episode of “Star Trek: Voyager”, but I’ve never, ever entertained the thought of wearing...
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Super Size Me (2004) Movie Review
Fast food is not good for you, so stop eating it. Of course saying it is easier than doing it. As documentarian Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me” shows, America has been programmed to eat...
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