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Ozma of Oz
Book
Readers of all ages will welcome the chance to be reunited with Dorothy Gale and such beloved...
Ian Broudie recommended track Psycho Killer by Talking Heads in Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads in Music (curated)
Erika (17788 KP) rated The Sparks Brothers (2021) in Movies
Jun 25, 2021
When I first saw the preview for The Sparks Brothers, I was instantly intrigued, and eagerly counted down until the release date, 18 June. Then, when I checked the showtimes, I realized it was not playing at the theaters that had advertised it, and I would have to drive 45 minutes to see it. As luck would have it, I got an email at 2PM on Thursday from Focus Features, inviting me to an online screening that started at 7PM that same day.
The band ‘Sparks’, sounded familiar, but I couldn’t exactly remember where I knew them from. I decided to go into the documentary film blind because I wanted to enjoy it. Many of the talking heads in this documentary were some of my favorite musicians, like Beck, Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand, and Nick Rhodes and John Taylor from Duran Duran.
The Sparks Brothers are Ron and Russell Mael, who seem to be notoriously elusive. Honestly, the entire time, I didn’t know if these guys were being serious, or just messing with everyone. The documentary takes you through the brothers’ early life, then their massive, five-decade career. Apparently, all my favorite bands were inspired by the Mael bros, so that’s probably why their music sounded vaguely familiar in the movie trailer.
This is Edgar Wright’s first documentary, and I liked his approach. I watch a lot of documentary films, and sometimes they’re really hit or miss. Wright’s was a hit for me. It ebbed and flowed naturally and kept me engaged for the entire runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes. The variety of talking heads was diverse, the brothers, musicians, actors, longtime fans, former producers and bandmates, as well as Wright himself, were all great contributors. I don’t think the Mael bros would have chosen to do a documentary with any other filmmaker, and that it was a true collaboration. It’s one of the best films I’ve seen this year, and I am so glad I got the invitation at the last minute.
The band ‘Sparks’, sounded familiar, but I couldn’t exactly remember where I knew them from. I decided to go into the documentary film blind because I wanted to enjoy it. Many of the talking heads in this documentary were some of my favorite musicians, like Beck, Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand, and Nick Rhodes and John Taylor from Duran Duran.
The Sparks Brothers are Ron and Russell Mael, who seem to be notoriously elusive. Honestly, the entire time, I didn’t know if these guys were being serious, or just messing with everyone. The documentary takes you through the brothers’ early life, then their massive, five-decade career. Apparently, all my favorite bands were inspired by the Mael bros, so that’s probably why their music sounded vaguely familiar in the movie trailer.
This is Edgar Wright’s first documentary, and I liked his approach. I watch a lot of documentary films, and sometimes they’re really hit or miss. Wright’s was a hit for me. It ebbed and flowed naturally and kept me engaged for the entire runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes. The variety of talking heads was diverse, the brothers, musicians, actors, longtime fans, former producers and bandmates, as well as Wright himself, were all great contributors. I don’t think the Mael bros would have chosen to do a documentary with any other filmmaker, and that it was a true collaboration. It’s one of the best films I’ve seen this year, and I am so glad I got the invitation at the last minute.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Apollo 11 (2019) in Movies
Jul 5, 2019 (Updated Jul 5, 2019)
Following the slick disaster movie (1995's Apollo 13) and the oddball horror flick (2011's Apollo 18), cinema's most unpredictable franchise returns with, of all things, a prequel documentary made up almost entirely of contemporary footage of the first manned Moon landing (or possibly a bunch of Stanley Kubrick's out-takes from faking the whole thing, depending on what you personally believe).
No narration, no talking heads, almost no music or graphics: this tells the story in the most stripped-back way imaginable and as a result makes it seem remarkably fresh and engaging. One's first reaction is to wonder where they found all this incredible footage, depicting every aspect of the mission in extraordinary, pristine detail. The director wisely makes the decision to basically get out of the way and let the pictures tell the story of the human race's greatest achievement. Essential viewing for anyone interested in history, or the future.
No narration, no talking heads, almost no music or graphics: this tells the story in the most stripped-back way imaginable and as a result makes it seem remarkably fresh and engaging. One's first reaction is to wonder where they found all this incredible footage, depicting every aspect of the mission in extraordinary, pristine detail. The director wisely makes the decision to basically get out of the way and let the pictures tell the story of the human race's greatest achievement. Essential viewing for anyone interested in history, or the future.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Just Mercy (2019) in Movies
Jan 30, 2020 (Updated Jan 31, 2020)
Freedom and Justice
Why is this film not nominated for any awards at the oscars? Why is this film, not being talked about, why is no one talking about this film.
It is a powerful movie, a emotional movie, a film that will make you cry, a overall excellent and phenomenal movie.
The Plot: After graduating from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal and political maneuverings as he tirelessly fights for McMillian's life.
Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson and Tim Blake Nelson are all excellent and shouls have been nominated.
If you havent watched or heard about this film than go look it up and see it, cause it will make you cry.
It is a powerful movie, a emotional movie, a film that will make you cry, a overall excellent and phenomenal movie.
The Plot: After graduating from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal and political maneuverings as he tirelessly fights for McMillian's life.
Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson and Tim Blake Nelson are all excellent and shouls have been nominated.
If you havent watched or heard about this film than go look it up and see it, cause it will make you cry.
Somebody with a Little Hammer: Essays
Book
From one of the most singular presences in American fiction comes a searingly intelligent book of...
Psychology Essays social issues
The Proctor Hall Horror (The Bayou Hauntings #7)
Book
COULD FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD NOAH PROCTOR HAVE SLAUGHTERED HIS FAMILY IN THEIR BEDS, ARRANGED THEIR...
Horror Halloween hauntings ghosts
Johnny Marr recommended Out of Our Heads by The Rolling Stones in Music (curated)
David Byrne recommended track Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) by Parliament in Get Funked Up!: The Ultimate Collection by Parliament in Music (curated)
Bowling For Columbine (2002)
Movie Watch
“Bowling for Columbine” is an alternately humorous and horrifying film about the United States....