Category Archives: documentary

“Heavy Wave” Trailer and Poster

action, adventure, biography, documentary, historical, sports, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Directed by Michael Oblowitz, Heavy Wave arrives at the movie theaters as a Fathom Event, so audiences have limited time to see this movie. The movie explores why surfing is so dangerous and why people like the Fletchers tackle the heavy waves worldwide.

I viewed the movie and interviewed Nathan Fletcher and Oblowitz, though I barely spoke with the director. I am mesmerized by the sheer extreme sport of surfing. I flooded Fletcher with questions about surfing.

The documentary follows the lives of several surfers. It’s a culture, a way of life that few get to adventure. Some pass away while living their dream of surfing the big one. I spoke with Fletcher about the spiritual aspect of surfing because it’s mentioned in the movie a lot. “You go to the water, and you see the sun, magnificent ocean, you’re right there. Then you get to see the fish and the birds and all the beauty…, obviously swells come from across the world, these magnificent pulses of energy, and you go out there, and you ride them. So, if that’s not spiritual…, or somehow connected to the water, and then you’re waiting for a wave, all of a sudden, your mind is somewhere else. And you’re totally in the moment because you’re totally concentrating on what’s happening right there.”

Watch the trailer and see how dangerous and unbelievably surreal surfing the heavy waves can be.

“Maiden” Poster, Trailer & Clips

documentary, true stories,

Directed by Alex Holmes, Maiden is a documentary about the story of Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old cook on charter boats who became the skipper of the first-ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989.

Alex Holmes is a documentarian. He’s produced and directed many documentaries, including Dunkirk, The Ice King, and Hunting the KGB Killers.

Seeing a movie about women competing against men in a man’s sport is enthralling.

The following movie clips tell a bit about the story, and it is a fantastic story about women achieving the unexpected.

The following movie clips transform the concept of sailing around the world with a crew of dedicated women. The crux of the journey is that this is the first women’s crew to join this sport. Sure, it is daunting but liberating.

“Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love” Poster & Trailer

biography, documentary, true stories, ,

Directed by Nick Broomfield, the documentary Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is Broomfield’s personal and romantic film of his multi-level career.

The documentary starts on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960, where Leonard Cohen, then a struggling and unknown fiction writer, and Marianne Ihlen, a single mother with a young son, became part of a community of expat artists, writers, and musicians.

Never-before-seen footage shot by documentarian Broomfield brings to light a unique portrait of an idyllic 1960’s bohemia. It was a time that left a lasting imprint on both Marianne and Leonard, whose friendship would last another fifty years before their deaths in 2016.

The movie trailer is bleak with out of focus shots and undefining frames of a woman and a man. I never heard of these two people. I sense this documentary is for a limited audience. An audience who knows these individuals and can relate to them on a personal or fandom level.

I saw a clip of Cohen talking about the love between a man and a woman. I am not sure how it relates to promoting the movie, but it offers insight into his psyche – who this being is and how he feels about his relationship with Ihlen. The clip blocked, so you cannot see it. I have it posted below in hopes they will release it soon. At least, you can see an image of Cohen and how he looks, in the interview, an older man.

Ron Howard’s “Pavarotti: Genius Is Forever” Trailer, Featurettes, Clips & Poster

biography, documentary, legend, music, true stories,

Ron Howard brought together the same filmmaking team that forged the documentary The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years. Pavarotti takes the opera star’s talent, personality, and forbearance by lifting the curtain on the icon. We understand how he brought opera to the people.

The Oscar winner Howard trailer puts us in the front row for an “exploration of The Voice… The Man… The Legend. Luciano Pavarotti gave his life to music and a voice to the world. This cinematic event features history-making performances and intimate interviews, including never-before-seen footage.”

They all brought Dolby ATMOS technology into production, a fancy way of saying a whole new technology that makes the presentation even better.

The movie clip shows Princess Diana in the audience, outside in the pouring rain. She looks delighted and spectacular—a memorable moment in this extraordinary documentary.

The following featurettes show Pavarotti’s ambition and desire to spread opera worldwide. He wanted to give it to the people, as he felt opera was for the people.

The following two movie clips are about Bono’s relationship with Pavarotti and how he was a master at developing relationships with anyone.

“Amazing Grace” Documentary of Aretha Franklin’s Live Recording

documentary, music, , ,

Co-directed by Alan Elliott and the late Sydney Pollack, Amazing Grace documents Aretha Franklin’s live recording of her “Amazing Grace” album. Presenting Franklin with the choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles on January 1972, she arrived, sang her heart out, and brought the house down to its knees.

The movie trailer shows a young and impressionable Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. Other notables are in the crowd as well. You need to pay attention to who is in the church.

“The Biggest Little Farm” Poster & Trailer

documentary, true stories, ,

Directed by John Chester, an established documentarian, The Biggest Little Farm follows a husband and wife team as they dream of sustainable living on a 200-acre piece of land in the foothills of Ventura County. The documentary received several nominations and awards, including the “Truly Moving Picture Award” from the Heartland Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

A testament to the immense complexity of nature, it all started when they received an eviction notice from their tiny LA apartment. John and Molly Chester decided to hoof it to the rural area and make or break it, building a diverse farm. The goal is to create a kind of farm that coexists with nature.

The area of land they chose is depleted of nutrients and suffering from a brutal drought. Still, Chester saw a chance to make a documentary, so they filmed for eight years. They took on the daunting task and unreal idealism as an attempt to create the utopia they seek, planting 10,000 orchard trees and over 200 different crops and bringing in animals of every kind- including an unforgettable pig named Emma and her best friend, Greasy the rooster.

When they finally sense a reawakening and the hope they will reap the benefits of their hard-earned effort, their plan goes awry and through wild turns. They come to terms with surviving, taking a greater understanding of the intricacies and wisdom of nature and life itself.

“Apollo 11” Trailer

documentary, historical, true stories, , ,

Directed by Todd Douglas Miller, Apollo 11 is a documentary that takes a look at Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon. The mission led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin is shown through real-time footage during the time of the preparation and launch of the historical event.

The footage before and during this event is amazing and revolutionary in the fact of what this event meant to the people of Earth on that summer day in 1969 when Neil Armstrong step foot on the moon.

This is Miller’s first attempt at directing a documentary, and the footage looks good.

“Bathtubs Over Broadway” Trailer

documentary, music, ,

Co-written and directed by Dava Whisenant, Bathtubs Over Broadway follows a late-night comedy writer, Steve Young, who wrote for David Letterman. He stumbled on a fantastic, crazy, and hilarious hidden world of entertainment. He locates some oddball and old musical records about various commercial products. Created only for businesses and their employees or peripheral connections.  Each album featured professionally produced numbers and songs while strangely and esoterically focusing on their corporate brands. 

Watch the trailer and view talented people promoting the glories of anything and everything: cars, toilets, tractors, and refrigerators. The secret productions of industrial musicals are now known thanks to Young.

Screenwriters Ozzy Inguanzo and Dava Whisenant documented Young’s determination to locate more of these rare records and the people involved with them.  It sounds like an interesting subject focusing on the creative talent behind these bits of musical history. The movie won several awards on the film festival circuit. The most notable is Tribeca Film Festival Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award. The movie includes interviews with David Letterman, Martin Short, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, and Jello Biafra.

Amazing Portfolio “Jay Myself” Documentary Trailer and Poster

documentary, independent,

Written and directed by Stephen Wilkes, Jay Myself is a documentary that focuses on Jay Maisel’s work. Wilkes worked with Maisel, and this movie is a love letter to the photographer’s work while being a tribute to the 35,000 square foot, 100-year-old building in New York called “The Bank” that Jay used to call his home.

After 48 years, begrudgingly, Maisel sold his home. The famous photographer story is a monumental move told through the eyes of Wilkes, who is also Jay’s protege.

Wilkes is also a noted artist and photographer, which opens the story through this intimate lens that the viewer is taken on a remarkable journey through Jay’s life as an artist, mentor, and man. A man is grappling with himself, growth, change, and the end of an era in New York City.

Play hard wheelchair basketball for recognition

Wheelchair Basketball Struggles for Survival in “Rebound”

documentary, drama, sports, true stories,

Directed by Shaina Allen, Rebound follows the Miami Heat Wheels and their quest for their first-ever National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Championship.

Allen helms a story that offers an insider’s look at the struggling wheelchair basketball team following a defeat at the national championships. Each player pushes their way physically, mentally and emotionally through each season. They play hard even though they receive no recognition or resources from mainstream sports. Money plays a factor in their game because without it they might not win the national title.