The Oscar-nominated documentary Hell and Back Again is an intimate portrait of one American soldier’s attempt to transition back to regular life after a harrowing deployment in which he was horribly injured. Unfortunately, despite its strengths, Hell and Back Again does not stand out in any way or form.
Read FilmJabber’s full Hell and Back Again movie review.
I’ve never been a fan of racing. Whether it’s NASCAR or Formula One, I’ve never understood the appeal. The suspense isn’t there for me, the only entertaining aspect being the crashes. And when the best part about a "sport" is when something goes horribly wrong, that’s a problem. Somehow, though, the documentary Senna, about Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, has convinced me to appreciate the sport just a little more.
Read FilmJabber’s full Senna movie review.
Chimpanzees are very similar to humans. They have emotions, they’re intelligent and they can even communicate on a limited basis. They are not, however, humans. Project Nim is a disturbing documentary that looks at the life of one chimp – named Nim – who was raised from birth as a child in a human home.
Read FilmJabber’s full Project Nim movie review.
Frankly, 2011 was not a great year for movies. There were a lot of good movies, but few great movies. Spielberg released two movies, but neither were among his best. Scorsese made a kid’s movie, which, despite popular opinion, is not an Oscar-caliber film. The comic book adaptations were entertaining but not mind blowing. The various sequels lived up to their predecessors, but nothing more.
Still, there were a few that stood out from the rest. Few if any on this list were amazing, but they are the best that 2011 had to offer.
Read the full article »
Not to be confused with a James Cameron action-thriller, Into the Abyss is Werner Herzog’s latest documentary, a plain-spoken examination of the death penalty and its morality. Does anyone, no matter their crimes, deserve to put to death? Does the threat of the death penalty deter criminals? As a so-called civilized culture, is it beneath us to execute people? Into the Abyss is a touching, emotional journey that, despite the filmmaker’s clearly stated opinion, doesn’t take sides.
Read FilmJabber’s full Into the Abyss movie review.
See Michael Jackson, one of the most recognizable and popular entertainers of all time, like never before in the feature-length tribute Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon. Known to millions of fans worldwide for his record-breaking albums, groundbreaking music videos, mesmerizing dance moves and humanitarian efforts, his true story has never really been told…until now.
We’re giving away a free copy of Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon on Blu-ray, as well as a Blu-ray player on which to watch the movie. Enter to win today!
Like so many people, I grew up with the original Star Wars trilogy. I was only one-year old when Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi was released to theaters, which means I grew up watching all three on VHS. In fact, I’m pretty sure I saw Return of the Jedi before the other two movies. Since I was a kid at the time, I also grew up liking Ewoks. I’ll just get that out of the way right now.
When Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace came to theaters, I enjoyed it. Sure, Jar-Jar Binks was stupid, Jake Lloyd not very good, the writing clunky, but I enjoyed it. In my original [poorly written] review, authored a day after the film’s May 1999 release, I said the “dialogue might not be the greatest, and the characters might not be as enthralling as those in the latter trilogy, but it still is an exciting and awesome science-fiction blockbuster”.
Even as I was praising the movie, deluded by my excitement that a new Star Wars trilogy was upon us, it’s clear how my long-term opinions would pan out.
The Star Wars prequels are not terrible movies [EDITOR'S NOTE: Since writing this, I started watching The Phantom Menace again. Boy, is it painful to watch]. They have some good action sequences, great visual effects and some entertainment value. Each movie has its memorable sequences, and there have been far worse productions put to film. This perspective often gets lost in the Star Wars discussion.
That being said, the prequels aren’t good movies. They suffer from poor writing, lame characters, questionable plotting and a complete and utter failure to come close to the original films. Don’t even get me started on the continuous tweaking creator George Lucas continues to inflict upon his creations, and his legions of confused and frustrated fans.
The new documentary The People vs. George Lucas looks at the dilemma, the paradox, that is George Lucas. The biggest haters of Star Wars are the biggest Star Wars fans. They hate George Lucas for making piss-poor prequels and for tinkering with the originals, and yet he defined a generation and is responsible for making the original trilogy, three of the most cherished films of all time.
Having just watched William Shatner’s The Captains, which was a rudimentary documentary that looked at the lives of the six actors who’ve played Starship Captains over the years, The People vs. George Lucas is a reprieve. Whereas The Captains was dull and unimaginative, The People vs. George Lucas has flair, passion, intrigue and a story to tell.
The documentary puts to film what so many Star Wars fans feel, their utter frustration with George Lucas and their conflicting feelings for the man who is responsible for influencing so many of their lives and yet failing to deliver on the high expectations he established.
Yes, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is also discussed.
Filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe has assembled a visually creative and engaging production full of fan interviews, fan-made Star Wars footage and a surprisingly balanced view of the issue at hand. “Balanced” isn’t quite accurate. The documentary definitely comes from the perspective of frustrated fans, but manages to avoid being completely one-sided. It does raise the question of whether an artist should be allowed to refine his art after it’s “finished”, and whether fans have the right to claim such ownership over said art. After all, the movie is George Lucas’ creation; does he not have the right to do with it as he pleases?
The People vs. George Lucas is a documentary made for Star Wars fans. It’s entertaining, insightful and engaging, and well worth owning.
The People vs. George Lucas is now available on DVD.
Five years ago, filmmaker Chris Paine directed the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?, a movie I described as “a must-see documentary” and “one of the most frustrating yet captivating films of 2006″. At the time, the advent of electric cars had been crushed – literally and figuratively – by the major automobile manufacturers.
Read the rest of FilmJabber’s Revenge of the Electric Car movie review.
“Everybody Loves Raymond” was a highly successful American sitcom. It was extremely popular during its nine-year run. Not cool enough to be watched by me, but popular. About an everyman who has to deal with average American issues, it of course was a natural candidate to be adapted for Russian audiences. The documentary Exporting Raymond depicts the Chernobyl-sized culture clash that ensued.
Read FilmJabber’s full Exporting Raymond movie review.
Many were surprised when the documentary Waiting for Superman wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award earlier this year, despite its strong reviews and relatively successful box office run. Having finally watched the movie, I see why it was ignored; it’s good, but not remarkable.
Read FilmJabber’s full Waiting for Superman movie review.
Thirty years before the antics of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears were regular gossip fodder, Miss Wyoming Joyce McKinney made her mark as a tabloid staple ne plus ultra. By turns funny, strange, and disturbing, Tabloid is a vivid portrayal of a phenomenally driven woman whose romantic obsessions and delusions catapult her over the edge into scandal sheet notoriety and an unimaginable life. The movie opens in theaters on July 15, 2011.
We’re giving away a great prize – an autographed movie poster signed by acclaimed filmmaker Errol Morris! Enter to win now!
Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold has everything you want from a Morgan Spurlock documentary: creativity, humor and definitely a style-over-substance approach. While examining how advertising and brands have assimilated themselves into nearly every aspect of our lives, Spurlock goes on a hilarious journey to accomplish his most important goal – to fund his film solely through brand integration.
Read our review of this unique film, and also enter to win an autographed Morgan Spurlock poster!
Directed by Alex Gibney (No End in Sight, Taxi to the Dark Side), Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, is an examination of… the rise and fall of Eliot Spitzer, the former governor of New York whose glowing political career was destroyed after it was revealed he had an affinity for high-class escorts.
Read FilmJabber’s full Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer movie review.
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