RWU DocFilm Fall 2011

Buck

2011-12-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

Buck Brannaman has been branded a horse whisperer, based on his ability to work with horses without resorting to the traditional means of “breaking” the animals. He calls his technique “starting.” For lack of a better, more marketable term, that indeed sums up what he teaches. Brannaman helps owners “start” to develop a mutually beneficial working relationship with their horses that is rooted in trust and respect and the awareness of the largely unspoken bond between the two living beings that must exist.

Brannaman travels 40 weeks a year across the United States. He is more of a counselor or psychologist rather than a “whisperer,” and his real subjects are the people paying for these sessions, not the horses. The film captures Brannaman in a series of sessions, preaching and embodying his mannered Southern philosophy. He is a modern-day cowboy, complete with the 10-gallon hat, the boots and the chaps, and again this almost New Age take on training humans and animals to work together.

The film hints at Brannaman’s dark past, the inspiration for his code, and when it is revealed that Brannaman and his brother were abused by their father after their mother’s death, everything comes full circle.

Everyone who works with Buck knows his story and appreciates how it makes him the perfect trainer, but, more importantly, they understand that it has started him on the path to being a better human being. He doesn’t see the horses as pets or beasts of burden; they are living creatures worthy of certain inalienable rights and respect. It should be noted, though, that there are moments, real moments, which will call into question his approach as part of more complex dynamic. How do you stand before ethical and personal challenges where the well-being and fate of another living creature are at stake?

“Buck” is about overcoming fear and pain, breaking free of a cycle of suffering. It offers an example of a man who figured out how to start over and helps others to do the same.

-Michael Tancredi

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2011-12-22T17:29:00.000-08:00

The innocent son of a high-ranking Nazi commandant, Bruno has been largely shielded from the harsh realities of the war. When Bruno discovers that his father has been promoted and that their family will be moving from Berlin into the countryside, he doesn't take the news well. Increasingly bored in his sprawling yet dreary country abode and forbidden by his mother from exploring the backyard, young Bruno searches for something to do. One day, bored and gazing out his bedroom window, Bruno spies what first appears to be a nearby farm; his parents refuse to discuss it, and all of the inhabitants there are curiously clad in striped pajamas. But while Bruno's mother naively believes the "farm" to be an internment camp, her husband has sworn under oath never to reveal that it is in fact an extermination camp specifically designed to help the Nazis achieve their horrific "Final Solution." Eventually defying his mother's rules and venturing out beyond the backyard, Bruno arrives at a barbed wire fence to find a young boy just his age emptying rubble from a wheel barrel. His name is Shmuel, and before long the two young boys become fast friends. But the closer these two boys grow, the more Bruno becomes awakened to the horrors unfolding all around them. His mother is catching on quickly as well, a fact that causes great tension in her marriage to Bruno's father. When Bruno's father announces that the young boy and his mother will be going to live with their aunt in Heidelberg, Bruno grabs a shovel and makes his way to the camp, setting into motion a tragic and devastating sequence of events

Other than what "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” is about, it almost seems to be an orderly story of those British who always know how to speak and behave. Yes, the actors speak with crisp British accents, which I think is actually more effective than having them speaking with German accents, or in subtitles. It dramatizes the way the German professional class internalized Hitler's rule and treated it as business as usual.

How can ordinary professional people proceed in this orderly routine when their business is evil? Easier than we think, I believe. Relating it to the Enron executives who knew the entire company was a Ponzi scheme. The laughter of Enron soldiers who joked about killing grandmothers with their phony California "energy crisis." Whenever loyalty to the enterprise becomes more important than simple morality, you will find evil functioning smoothly.

-Michael Tancredi

2011-12-22T17:26:00.000-08:00

Prisoner of Paradise

2011-12-22T17:23:00.000-08:00

Kurt Gerron was an actor, filmmaker, and musician who rose to acclaim and stardom in Germany in the late '20s and early '30s. Gerron appeared in The Blue Angel alongside Marlene Dietrich, starred in the inaugural production of the groundbreaking The Three penny Opera, and directed a string of successful movie musicals. Gerron, however, was also a Jew, and while he had the good sense to flee to Amsterdam after the early Nazi programs when Holland fell under Axis occupation, he was later deported back to Germany. Unable to join such colleagues as Peter Lorre and Billy Wilder in the United States, Gerron found himself using his talents acting in vile Nazi propaganda films such asDer Ewige Jude (aka The Eternal Jew), and was finally forced to direct Theresienstadt (1944, aka The Fuhrer Gives a City to the Jews), a remarkable bit of fabrication which portrayed one of the Third Reich's death camps as a safe haven for Jewish refugees. Gerron's reward for his hard work on the film was a one-way trip in a railroad car to a gas chamber. Prisoner of Paradise is a documentary that chronicles Gerron's remarkable and tragic life story, in which his desire to create and his need to work in the limelight led him to both betrayal and his doom.

-Michael Tancredi

Triumph Of the Will

2011-12-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

The original intention of this film was to document the early days of the NSDAP, so future generations could look back and see how the Third Reich began. In reality, Triumph of the Will shows historians how the Nazi state drew in the masses through propaganda and also how Adolf Hitler had a unique and terrifying ability to entice crowds to his beliefs by the very power of his words .The film starts with a prolonged orchestral overture using a score by Herbert Windt. Riefenstahl edited the sound into the film later, carefully synchronizing the music, the roars of the crowd, and the cadence of the speeches to the motion. The title, 'TRIUMPH DES WILLENS, slowly fades in with the caption: "Made by order of the Fuhrer 20 years since the outbreak of the World War, 16 years after the beginning of the German misery, 19 months after the beginning of the German Renaissance: 1934, the Party Congress." From white billowing clouds, Hitler's airplane, a symbol of the modernity of the new Reich, breaks through over the gothic city of Nürnberg. The plane casts a cross-like shadow over the city whose streets are filed with long lines of marching men. Like a god, Hitler descends to earth where the noise of the crowds replaces the silence of the heaven.

Germany had not seen images of military power and strength since the end of World War I, and the huge formations of men would remind the audience that Germany was becoming a great power once again. Though the Labor Service men carried spades, they handled them as if they were rifles. The large mass of well drilled party members could be seen in a more ominous light, as a warning to dissidents thinking of challenging the regime.

-Michael Tancredi

Enron:The Smartest Guys in the Room

2011-12-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

This is not a political documentary. It is a crime story. No matter what your politics, "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" will make you mad. It tells the story of how Enron rose to become the seventh largest corporation in America with what was essentially a Ponzi scheme, and in its last days looted the retirement funds of its employees to buy a little more time.

There is a general impression that Enron was a good corporation that went bad. The movie argues that it was a con game almost from the start. It was "the best energy company in the world," according to its top executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. At the time they made that claim, they must have known that the company was bankrupt, had been worthless for years, had inflated its profits and concealed its losses through bookkeeping practices so corrupt that the venerable Arthur Anderson accounting firm was destroyed in the aftermath.

The film shows how it happened. To keep its stock price climbing, Enron created good quarterly returns out of thin air. One accounting tactic was called "mark to market," which meant if Enron began a venture that might make $50 million 10 years from now, it could claim the $50 million as current income. In an astonishing in-house video made for employees, Skilling stars in a skit that satirizes "HFV" accounting, which he explains stands for "Hypothetical Future Value." Little did employees suspect that was more or less what the company was counting on. During a Q&A session with employees, Lay actually reads this question from the floor: "Are you on crack? If you are that might explain a lot of things. If you aren't, maybe you should be."

-Michael Tancredi

The Pipe

2011-12-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

The discovery of a huge and untapped cache of natural gas off the coast of County Mayo seemed a gold mine to Shell Oil, which acquired rights to extract the resource and planned to move it under high pressure by pipe to an inland refinery. The energy behemoth failed to realize, however, that local folk, particularly residents of coastal Rossport, would deem the plan unacceptable because it would disrupt their way of life, endanger the environment and prevent them from supporting themselves by fishing and farming, as their forebears had for generations. Rossport said no and geared up to halt installation of the pipe.

The Pipe is an observational documentary that periodically uses explanatory intertitles. The filmmaker doesn't appear as a character, nor does he editorialize. Yet, it's easy to tell that he supports local folk. Guided by cinematography that captures the wildly majestic beauty of the landscape and sea, you, too, will support the characters that love their unspoiled environment and way of life. Your sentiments will flow for the Rossport citizens.

-Michael Tancredi

Buck - Colleen Connulty

2011-12-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

The last film viewed this semester was Buck, which documented the life Buck Brannaman, an American cowboy who is known to be the "horse whisperer." Abused as a child, Brannaman was able to overcome his rough past and channel his engery into a pioneer approach to treating horses. While I'm not a fan of horses or horse riding, the film's storyline of transforming horses and people was interesting.

I enjoyed learning about the midwestern culture of the cowboy life and looking into the life of Brannaman and his family. It is heartwarming to learn that Brannaman has such a strong, positive affect on both people and their horses. I was shocked to learn how poorly horses have been treated for hundreds of years. Since I am unfamiliar with them, I suppose I always assumed they were treated humanely.

I am glad to have seen this inspirational story. It is heartwarming to watch the life of story of someone who turned a negative into a positive. Rather than continuing the abusive nature that he was accustomed to growing up, Brannaman became a gentle, positive, and caring individual to both his family and horses.

Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2011-12-21T10:58:00.003-08:00

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008), was directed by Mark Herman and produced by David Heyman. Unlike the previous three films, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is not a documentary film, but a narrative film. The film is seen through the eyes of a young boy Bruno, the son of a SS officer, Ralf during World War II. It shows his struggle in pleasing his father and succumbing to fear or following his values and naïve, though moral, feelings towards the horrifying actions of the government, ultimately his father. The film focuses on his interactions with the prisoners in the extermination camp located directly outside his house, especially on his relationship with a young boy his age, Shmuel, one of the prisoners. He promises Shmuel that he will find his missing father, Bruno dresses in the striped attire the prisoners were required to wear, and digs an opening under the barbed, electric fence and enters the camp. Immediately after he enters, he is rushed to a gas chamber, where he is killed along with hundreds of others. His family discovers his disappearance. Franticly rushing to find him, they acknowledge he had entered the extermination camp. His father yelling is for him, and arrives at the chamber too late to find that his son was killed. The film takes away the black and white and humanized the enemy. By placing the viewers in the lives of people in families involved in pursuing Hitler’s goal of a pure race, allows the viewers to relate and feel the struggle they must have faced. It requires the contemplation of each individual viewer about how they would act in the situation and if they would do anything differently then the people portrayed. This prospective is one no one wants to relate to, it is much easier to categorize them as the enemy then to be put in the enemies shoes. This film, due to the genre of narration films, targets and uses the viewer’s emotions. These emotions can be capitalized because of the ability to create the characters, plot, and setting however desired.

Prisoner of Paradise

2011-12-21T10:58:00.001-08:00

Prisoner of Paradise (2003) is a documentary film, directed by Malcolm Clarke and Stuart Sender. This film is a combination of actual footage and reenactments, the majority consisting of reenactments. The film follows the life of Kurt Gerron, a famous Jewish director and an actor of cabernet and film. Along with Kurt Gerron, the film told stories of people he encountered and their eventual fate. The film explored the price Kurt Gerron paid, his moral choices he made to survive, which ultimately did not matter in the end. The portrayal of one mans journey was used to illustrate the journey of the population. Prior to the rise of Hitler, Gerron lived a lavish lifestyle and thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of his passion for acting. Even when the political state became obviously clear, he ignored it all and submersed himself in his career. With multiple opportunities to flee, Gerron remained, and when forced to move, he moved nearby and had the expectation he would move home shortly. This hubris behavior ultimately led to his downfall, his ego was his weakness. This film exploited the Nazi regime and their behavior. Through Kurt Gerron, the film created a connection and a relationship to the journey of a Jewish person in this time period. This journey, while was not an accurate depiction of an average person due to his popularity but ultimately resulted in the conclusion that no one was treated differently and the Nazi’s had one goal and one goal only. Kurt Gerron was given special treatment and transferred to one of the “nicer” concentration camps for the upper class. He was able to participate in shows to entertain both the soldiers and prisoners. These performances led to Gerron accepting an offer to direct a film on the concentration camp for the United States Embassy to demonstrate the everyday life within the concentration camp. His job was to glorify the concentration camps. Due to his participation, Gerron was ostracized by all of his peers. He was tormented and abused by those that worked with him and was not allowed to speak to anyone. This raised the question if he pursued this due to moral motives, was it artist driven, or was it a selfish act made to preserve his life. Ultimately, the film ended stating that Gerron walked like a king to the train, where he was killed on arrival.

Jesus Camp

2011-12-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

Jesus Camp (2006), directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, pursued a different approach of straight forward compiling of footage. The documentary followed a religious group of Evangelists, a form of Christianity. This group has an extreme view of what the religion of Christianity consists of and has strict rules the followers must obey. The majority of footage is from a summer camp for children outside of Devils Lake, North Dakota run by Becky Fischer. The rest of the footage is with Ted Haggard, a preacher at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, home life of certain children that attend the camp, and the opinions of Mike Papantonio, an attorney, in his radio talk show called Ring of Fire. The propaganda within this film is directed towards the children who attend the camp. The technique of testimonials is exploited throughout the film. Becky Fischer, Ted Haggard, and the children’s parents are the experts in the children’s minds and pursued them to believe that the information given by these experts is the only truth. They are told that why would they do what the perceived enemy, the human race who are not evangelists, is doing. Since it is believed children are born again before the age of thirteen, the children can start fresh and become the way they are suppose to be even if they have faulted in the past. The children are told that they are being helped because the devil goes after the young. This statement creates fear within the children, forcing them to obey, because what child wants to be “attacked” by the devil. The children are told that there is a war where they are fighting for the benefit the greater good and they can either be a part of it or not. They are being trained to be warriors and others are in need of their help. The superiors use negative words towards the children. If actions of the children are not up to their standards, they are called phonies and hypocrites. This is used as a source of punishment causing the children to never act in the manner that would result in name-calling and ultimately being bullied. The majority of kids that attend this summer camp are homeschooled by their parents, who do not follow the public education process and lesson outlines. Television, a source of entertainment, is also filled with shows only pertaining to the Evangelists beliefs. This poses the question if this is teaching or indoctrinating. For example, a scene in the film showed a lesson of placing red tape across the kid’s mouths with the word life written across it, along with the presentation of characters of how they believe an unborn child is depicted in the first stages of pregnancy. These lessons do not allow imagination or creating of opinions, they are told what is considered right and wrong. President Bush is also used as an icon that the kids worship and pray to because of his political stance on global warming and abortion. This allows the children to idealize a famous figure and creates a desire to achieve a position in the government and politics, a main goal of the evangelists. This process is similar to a young child that idealizes and dreams of becoming a movie star or pop singer.

Triumph of the Will

2011-12-21T10:54:00.000-08:00

The documentary film, Triumph of the Will (1935), created by Leni Fiefenstahl follows the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg. Leni Fiefenstahl was an actress who was admired by Hitler. This film was glorified, controlled storytelling. Music and scores was an important tool of propaganda in the film. These scores were grand and created a sense of importance in what was happening. One song that was used was a well-known German drinking song, which created recognition within Germans of entertainment and created memories of good times within certain viewers. The use of color and product placement of the Swastika is a subtle, yet was very effective device. The Swastika was always large, in view, and bright in color. The eyes of the viewer are drawn towards this symbol unknowingly to the viewer. The propaganda techniques are effective, yet the rhetoric of the film is still extremely harsh and negative no matter how it is shown. The truth within this film is that the victors wrote the film. After the film took places, these leaders gained power because of the assumption of power the film provided. Hitler in the beginning of the documentary was second in command and had no real power, until the fist in command died, giving him power. By watching the film, this fact was not known to the viewers. The film was created in a way that made Hitler the main focus of admiration and power. It shaped the vision that Hitler could achieve anything and that he must be on the right path to create such a large, loyal, and willing following.

Prisoner of paradise - Nick Souza

2011-12-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

“Prisoner of Paradise” tells the story of a German-Jewish actor and director, Kurt Gerron. The documentary follows the life and career of Gerron as he struggles to make a living while the Nazis rise to power. Despite requests for Gerron to move out of Germany and instead to America, Gerron remained. Kurt was captured by the Germans in 1943 and sent to a concentration camp located near Prague. While there, Kurt was recruited to write and direct a 23-minute “The fuehrer gives a City to the Jews”. Regardless of his cooperation, Gerron and his wife were sent to Auschwitz were they were murdered on arrival.

This film was very informative as well as having a great storyline at the same time. Using old clips and photographs along with interviews the film did a good job of making it seem as though we were watching a documentary from that time period. The film also did a great job of giving the audience a different perspective of the war. The war suddenly became something that we all have studied in high school, to something very personalized and emotional. Though those emotions were conflicted, as I did not agree with many of the actions of Gerron, I believe that this is a film I would recommend to any one who is interested in history or war. It is always good to see things from others perspectives, it helps make sense of things.

Earth - Nick Souza

2011-12-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

Disneynature’s “Earth” depicts wild animals across the planet as they adapt and survive while the seasons change. The film follows the story of three main animals: A polar bear, an African bush elephant, and a humpback whale. This is one of the lighter happier films that we’ve seen in class this semester and I really enjoyed.

One of the things I was most impressed with this film was the fact that there were no human actors. The storyline solely relied on that of wild animals and their actions. The story was further developed with the help of a narrator. The narrator created a story around these animals, essentially personifying them in the eyes of the audiences. This is a film that proves, you don’t need actors or interviews in order to have a compelling storyline in a film.

What impressed me even more then the story line was the camera work that was used. They were able to not only get extreme close ups of these dangerous animals but were able to take high angled shots from hot-air balloons, to underwater shots with the humpback whales.

In my opinion the film “Earth” is a film for all audiences to enjoy. It is captivating, beautiful, and you are sure to learn some things about nature that you never knew before. “Earth” is truly a spectacular film.

The Pipe

2011-12-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

The Pipe was one of the first movies we watched in class this year and was one of the best films we viewd. Directed by Risteard O' Domhnaill, The Pipe is the story of a community tragically divided and how they deal with a pipe that could bring economical prosperity or destruction of a way of life shared for generations.

The documentary is about how the company Shell Oil finds the perfect landfall for the Corrib Gas Pipeline. However, that perfect location along the coastline of a remote corner of West Ireland that is a perfect picture postcard and home to generations of farmers and fishermen. It is the inspiring tale of a community that joined together to help prevent the pipe from being built.

Joann Rivers - A Peice of Work

2011-12-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

The documentary Joann Rivers - A Peice of Work was one of the best films we watched all year. It chonricled a year in the life of the Actress/comedian Joann Rivers as she turned 75 years old. It was really interesting to learn about her life journey through the entertainment industry, including both her struggles and accomplishments.

Earth

2011-12-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

Nothing serves as better inspiration to protect the beauty of the Earth, than Earth itself. And even if you cant travel the globe to see for yourself, just go rent the amazing documentary by Disenynature - Earth. Directed by the same team that produced the incredible series, Planet Earth, brings you this new epic adventure. Narrated by James Earl Jones, Earth, tells the tale of three different species - the polar bear, African Elaphant, and the Humback whale and their incredible journey across our planet. The film captures the species in the most inimate moments.

I was so happy we watched this film in class. The images were something I've never seen before and the story telling was both engaging and inspiring.

The Boy and the Striped Pajamas

2011-12-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

The film, The Boy and the Striped Pajamas, is another prospective of propaganda in whcih is given by an eight yaer old German boy who struggles to realize reality and what is going on in the world at the time. The boy, Bruno, moves out to the country side with his family as his father is a high ranking officer who becomes the commandant of the Nazi concentration camp, Aushwitz. Bruno, who has no idea what is going on in the world of Nazi Germany during the 1940s is introduced first hand to the horrible acts that were being kept from them. After discovering the camp from a distance through hiss window, Bruno's adventures lead him into a new freindship with another eight year old boy, Shmuel, who hides at the far end of the camp everday close enough to the fence that the two of them can talk. As Bruno's curiosity rised and talks about with both his father and tutor, it was interesting to see how the Germans were raised to believe as his father told that they were not real people, bu Jews. His tutor would try and drive home the notion that all Jews are horrible people and they are to blame for everything. This film showed the methods of propaganda from the inside out. It was very-well directed and acted and is a must see film!

Prisoner of Paradise

2011-12-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

In the documentary, Prisoner of Paradise, we saw propaganda from a very different perspective. The film chronicled the life and career of the German-Jew Kurt Gerron, who during the 1920s and 30s was a well-known actor and director in Berlin, Germany. When the Nazis were in power, Gerron remained in Germany despite the serious efforts from his peers to flee the country becuase he was Jewish. Eventually, he relocated in Paris and Amersterdam to continue his entertainment career before being captured by the Germans in the early 1940s. He was sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp, which was used by the Germans as a purpose of propagating and fabricating the situation that the jews were not being treated bad in the camps. Gerron was specifically placed there to direct a film depicting the concrentration camp as a wonderful place. However, upon completion, Gerron was sent to Aushwitz concentration camp where he was eventually murdered.

The film is another example of how we struggle to understand fantasy from reality, truth from propaganda. Gerron was manipulated into making a propaganda film to show how good life was for the Jews in the concentration camps. It showed us from a different perspective how powerful propaganda was for the Nazi regime and how they used it o manipulate anyone who was not part of the Nazi party.

Triumph for the Will

2011-12-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

Triumph for the Will was a propaganda film direction by Leni Riefenstahl. It chonricles the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg, which was attended by more than 700,000 Nazi supporters. The film contains several excerpts from speeches given by different Nazi leaders, including Adolf Hitler. The speeches are combined with footage of massed party members. The overriding theme of the film is the return of Germany as a great power, which Hitler as the true German leader who will bring glory to the nation.

The film showed the evidence of how propaganda made it diffilcult for the people of Germany to undertstand what was true and real to what was not.

Marathon Boy

2011-12-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

Marathon boy is the epic journey of a four-year old named Budhia, who was rescued from poverty by Biranchi Das, a judo coach and operator of an orphanage for children from the slums in India. After Biranchi notices Budhia's unique talent for long distance running at such a young age, he nutures his gift and begins heralding him as a folk hereo for the people of India. However, after Budhia breaks down during a world record run through India at the age of four, public opinion begins to turn on Biranchi and soon the two are swept into a political scandal and media controversy.

The documentary is a tale of corruption, greed, and broken-dreams as nothing is what it seems. In Budhia and Biranchi's incredible story we battle through the notion of "faith vs. reality" in this shocking story of opprtunism and manipulation, but in the end the story of the bond between parent and child.

Buck - Caty Draicchio

2011-12-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

Buck was the last movie we watched this semester in our Documentary Film class and it was really an uplifting movie. The film integrated a compilation of pictures from the past, video footage from the past, recently shot video footage, and interviews. All to tell the story of this amazing man and the hardships he had endured through his life. What we learned this semester is the power of a documentary as opposed to a narrative film. This story about Buck introduced us to something knew, a true story about a man's life who we would probably never have learned about without watching this documentary. Documentaries like this are influential because it opens peoples minds to all the possibilities that we may never think of and tells us a story about someone we will probably never meet. Even though we have never met Buck we learned so much about his life in the short eighty minute film that we watched. I think it was a really great movie to end off the semester.

Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work- Rachael Crifo

2011-12-06T01:18:00.001-08:00

The documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg was released in 2010. The film stars Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, and Kathy Griffin, yet the main attraction is of course Joan Rivers. Before viewing this documentary, all I knew about Joan was that she added witty humor to the dramatically criticizing commentary for the “Best/Worst-Dressed” on Hollywood’s Red Carpet, not that she has been a female comedienne since the early ’60’s. So, that is one thing that this documentary going for it; it definitely opens eyes up and gives Joan some recognition.

Aside from all the evidently bad surgical decisions she had made, Joan Rivers has made some terrific decisions throughout her career as an entertainer. For one, the film persistently reinforces by interviews of her close friends, family and co-workers, that she is a very, very hard worker that has a passion for her career. I think that Joan’s longing passion to be in the spotlight at all times keeps her in the game. No matter if the promotion is a photo-shoot or a gig in a dive bar- Joan will take it! The documentary allows her perseverance and determination to shine through and definitely calls the audience to appreciate that she still has confidence and is still working hard at her age.

Exit Through the Gift Shop- Rachael Crifo

2011-12-06T01:00:00.001-08:00

The documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by Banksy himself, is a narrative that follows the actions of a Frenchmen Thierry Guette throughout his journey of “making a documentary on street artists”. Banksy includes his own interview within the film, because after all, Banksy was one among many other artists who decided to help this filmmaker, who inevitably used all of the street artists he encountered.

Sneakishly, Thierry captured thousand and thousands of minutes of footage of the artists doing their work on the streets, and fleeing from the police, which was then stored away into large bins at his residence. While lying to the artists about the so-called “documentary” he claimed to be crafting all along, was really an excuse for him, I believe, to buy some time in figuring out the purpose of his obsession. When it came time for Thierry to master the art of street art himself, and name himself “Mr. Brainwash”, the real street artists, including Banksy had his support- fake or not- they promoted him in their blogs and websites. His first opening included questionable pieces of work, yet he deceived them all and made a fortune!

My thoughts after seeing this was- how could the artists on the street such as Banksy not think that Thierry was up to something fishy? Thierry was offering all of his time and transportation to these guys and they did not think twice about it. I think that Thierry was a guy who saw something he wanted to be and by chance, he took advantage of the people in the movement, adapted their ways and by luck made thousands. It really disturbs me that someone that naive and unintelligent could make a fortune off of (forgive me) crap. I do not think he deserves any artistic merit. He cheated out other artists in the movement, looking for quick money.

Spine Tingler- Rachael Crifo

2011-12-06T00:43:00.000-08:00

William Castle was born April 24, 1914 in New York and was orphaned at the age of eleven. When he dropped out of high school, he began working for Broadway, setting up sets and had small acting positions, but then he landed a job in Hollywood at the age of 23. Throughout the narration, and the interviews incorporated in the film the audience gets a feel for the personality of Bill Castle. I began to sympathize with him, as he continuous got shut down in the entertainment industry.

Six years into his career, Castle has the chance to make his first film! He gets the idea from the book Rosemary’s Baby. Paramount makes an exclusive offer with him; Roman Polanski was given the chance to direct, while Castle was offered to produce the film. He was absolutely outraged, but once he realized Polanski had a better eye and style of creativity for the film, Castle began to understand his brilliance. Another struggle in Castle’s filmmaking career was that Orson Welles took the Lady From Shanghai right from underneath Castle. (Keep your friends close and your enemies closer...)

William Castle clearly had the evident fear of not being able to please the audience- ALL of the time. He kept coming up with exciting, attention-grabbing “gimick film” promotions which led to his success. Critics claimed that he had no artistic value in the filmmaking world, yet they respected him in the entertainment industry for his efforts in major promotion of his films and successful turn-outs.

Earth- Rachael Crifo

2011-12-06T00:10:00.000-08:00

The documentary film, Earth, is the first nature film documentary to be released by Disneynature, and it was released in 2009. It is co-directed by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield. The film captures footage of animals around the planet, more specifically polar bears, African elephants, and humpback whales, during January in the Arctic up until December in Antarctica, within the same year. The film’s world-wide gross is $108,975,160.

Not only was the footage pleasing to the eye, consisting of beautiful landscapes, but it also offers a witty, educational narration of the creatures’ survival instincts and methods in their natural habitats and long journeys. Some of the things I learned in this documentary were that walrus’s should not be underestimated- granted the polar bear was weak at the time, they injured and killed him with their tusks- and lions will be more vicious than expected when they are hungry for elephants.

There were two types of filming techniques that really stood out to me in this film. One of the techniques was the high angled, aerial shots taken from hot-air balloon-like vehicles and helicopters. The other, was the time-lapse photography taken of seasonal blooming of flowers and growing of fungi in the jungles and forests. I think that the documentary was beautifully crafted; it told a story, and it was very aesthetically captivating.

Earth - Natalie Mik

2011-12-05T18:56:00.001-08:00

At the beginning of last class, we got vote to watch a "lighter" or "darker" film. The majority picked to watch the lighter documentary, and it turned out to be Disney's Earth. It followed animals from the cold Arctic to animals of the dry, hot desert, and to the animals of the mysteries deep blue sea. I was extremely impressed with all the footage that was captured to make this film. Everything was so pristine and crystal clear, and the various kinds of shots that were used made the documentary much more intense. It was hard to look away from the entire documentary, except for when it showed animals in pain or getting killed (call me 8 years-old, but I had to turn away from all of those scenes. These were the aspects of the film that were not "light" in any way, shape or form in my opinion!)

However, aside from the circle of life that was shown with the animals, I as a viewer appreciated all that was captured and how it was edited. Showing the leaves turning from green to the colors of the fall and then to falling off in the winter in the fast motion were great features of this film to show how much time elapsed creating it and putting it all together.

The music incorporated into this film was also a great touch. The music used in each scene went along with what was happening; such as a male bird trying to impress a female bird by cleaning and moving around, the music in the background pushed this amusing story line along. The narration by James Earl Jones was also a unique aspect of this film. His calming voice added to the whole aesthetic of Earth.

I would recommend this movie to any one who could appreciate this beautiful world we live in. We were able to see footage that we have never seen before, of some of the most amazing animals and amazing scenery ever. But, I would warn all animal-lovers out there that they will be in for some heart-shattering scenes!

Earth - Caty Draicchio

2011-12-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

The footage in this film was great. I liked how at the end of the film they showed you how they captured a lot of it. It was cool to see all the animals and plants in nature that I haven't really learned much about. When someone in class brought up if they were following the exact same animals the whole time was exactly what I was wondering the entire movie. How did they know it was the same polar bears, or whales, or elephants, etc? The music in the film really helped tell the story. At some points I felt bad for some of the animals, such as the polar bear dad or the baby elephant that got lost in the wrong direction. This was another film we saw that took over a year to make. I feel as though a lot of the films we have watched this year have been filmed over a large span of time. Exit Through The Gift Shop was filmed over a few years, and the same with Marathon Boy and the Joan Rivers documentary. This one too, took awhile to film. Narrative films also take some time to make, but since they are not real it is easy for them to edit and change things on a computer where as documentaries are all actual footage of things in real life.

Exit Through The Gift Shop - Caty Draicchio

2011-12-05T12:51:00.000-08:00

I'm glad we watched this movie in class because I had been wanting to watch it for a while but haven't had time. I thought it would be a movie that would interest me because I am a graphic design major and graffiti is an art. It was funny how Terry was just randomly filming all these people with no particular purpose in mind. When he actually decided to make a documentary out of it it was awful. Like Banksy described in the movie it just looked like a really bad, really long trailer for a movie. The thing was, the footage could be used to make a documentary film, Terry just had no idea what he was doing. Once Banksy took over he told Terry to start making street art and eventually Banksy can turn all the footage Terry collected and turn it into a story about street art, and shows Terry's story of his struggle to make a film and becoming a street artist.

Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work - Caty Draicchio

2011-12-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

I found this movie extremely interesting because because she decided to make a documentary about herself. I always knew Joan Rivers as this funny old lady, but I never knew how she became famous or anything like that. After hearing her life story I felt bad for her. She seems as though she always worked hard for what she wanted and was always real, not a fake person like we see a lot of celebrities acting a certain way when there are cameras and stuff around. I think her story is extremely interesting, and the fact that she had all these cameras following her for an entire year is extremely courageous of her. This was definitely my favorite film we have watched this semester. I like how they used clips from her previous television experiences mixed with the film she had collected to help tell her story.

Enron: The Smartest Guys In the Room - Caty Draicchio

2011-12-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

Even though I grew up during the time this was happening I had never really heard about it or had any idea what was happening. I thought it was an interesting movie, for these guys to come up with this whole conspiracy they must have been so smart - until it all failed them in the end. After watching it I asked my family about it. My sister has learned so much about it because she goes to a business school and they had to study about it, my parents knew a little about it because it had happened during their lifetime. I was obviously too little to understand it at the time. I liked how the film was set up where they interviewed specific people unlike in the previous films we had seen where most of the time they just showed what was happening to the people and someone narrated it. They also had a lot of great footage of people who weren't willing to be interviewed. At some points I thought the guys that had planned the whole thing were so smart and then at other times I thought they were so stupid. Overall I thought it was an interesting film to watch.

A Piece of Work - Colleen Connulty

2011-12-04T14:43:00.001-08:00

The documentary film, A Piece of Work, successfully captured my attention and guided me empathize and learn to love comedian Joan Rivers. I have only been aware of the post-plastic surgery Joan Rivers and viewing her earlier years was intriguing. Simply seeing what she looked like naturally was enough to draw me into the film. I enjoyed being taken into the life of a comedian in showbiz and understanding the ins and outs of what goes on behind the scenes. A couple years ago I had watched the Celebrity Apprentice season week to week, and saw the finale live, which she won. It was fun to go behind the scenes and see how parts of that season were filmed.

Waking up with Joan Rivers and following her throughout her day until the sun went down made me feel bad for her struggles and see her in a new light. The vanity that is involved with celebrity life is absurd - it makes me cherish life as an average person. Joan Rivers' struggle with aging and her looks is sad for someone who had such a successful career. Now, when I see Joan Rivers on TV I view her in a different light for having gone through a year of what life is like for her. A Piece of Work is an example of how documentary films have the power to change someone's point of view of a particular subject.

Boy In The Striped Pajamas- Rachael Crifo

2011-11-30T22:29:00.001-08:00

The film, Boy in the Striped Pajamas, is based on the novel by the same name and written by the Irish writer John Boyne. This film is very different from any other film we have screened in this class because it is a narrative film. This means that going into this film we knew that this would be a fictional story, including fictional characters, yet effect of the film was very powerful and moving because it is based on true events in history. We have studied propaganda in different forms of documentary films, yet there was no emotional connection to the characters in the films, although they were real people, the films were not really sympathizing with a particular character such as this film. And although there was a definite twist to the story that warped our perceptions of the “bad side”, I believe that Boy in the Striped Pajamas allowed us to connect to the characters on a more personal level. The storytelling definitely swayed my opinions.

This film truly challenges a person to justify their opinion as well as blurs the lines between our perceptions of what is black and what is white. I think that this movie successfully revealed the ways in which human beings are flawed beings, in many different ways. I thought after seeing this film, Would I really have sympathy for the son of a Nazi leader, if he was any older than the age he is in the film?...I think that the writer’s decision to make the main character a young boy was very wise because it really helped the audience shift their feelings about the human race; people begin to recognize that controlling an innocent child’s life, no matter who that child is connected to, is the wrong thing to do. The boy’s innocence and curiosity reminds the audience as well as some people in the film, such as his mother, that you should ask questions and you should speak about something when you know it is wrong.

Prisoners of Paradise- Rachael Crifo

2011-11-30T22:27:00.000-08:00

The film Prisoners of Paradise directed by Malcolm Clarke, follows the life of the famous cabaret and film actor, Kurt Gerron, from Berlin, Germany. This documentary is a narrative-style documentary with a voice over. The film is composed of still images and the use of the “Ken Burns” effect, and also incorporates reenactments and live footage. I believe this is a well-made documentary, but it tells a tragic story leaving the audience with mixed emotions and frustration.

Many jews were fleeing Germany and acting against encouragement to flee as well, Gerron’s decision to remain in the country ultimately lead to his death. Gerron was eventually captured and taken to a concentration camp, where nazis had ordered him to create propaganda films. He titled the most famous film, “The Führer Gives a City to the Jews”, which portrayed the concentration camp as a “paradise” for jews.

Gerron was given a choice, and despite his motives for cooperating with the Nazis, which we recognize as a quest for fame and his artistic drive; Gerron chose the route that brainwashed thousands of his fellow jews and promoted the fabrication of nazi lies and deception. I do not think that any person deserves to be lied to and murdered as Gerron did, but I can also not say that I have much sympathy for him in that the nazis’ message he passed on to the Jewish people did in fact lie to them and led to many deaths. Yes, he was trapped, and I am not saying that I would completely turn down an opportunity to survive in that situation, but I would not take so much enjoyment in gaining an artist appreciation for this piece of work as Gerron did. Gerron was part of the viscous machine of propaganda led by the Nazis, and it all could have been avoided.

Exit Through the Gift Shop- Angie Cardona

2011-11-29T12:01:00.001-08:00

"Exit Through the Gift Shop" was definately a film that was not only interesting, but I really got into it.

Street artist Banksy is named one of the best street artists around and to my surprise- the film was not all about him. In fact it was about Theirry Guetta and how he rose up and became the well known artist "Mr. Brainwash".

Guettea started (well, sort of) the documentary by following street artists in the middle of the night and recording their amazing and crazy works of art. Guetta kept telling the artists he was following that he would eventually make a documentary about everything he had recorded....unfortunately, that was not the case because it didn't happen. He stated that in order for the filming to be complete he would need to find Banksy, the best artist around. And by sheer coincidence, the two met and became good partners and friends.

Guetta helps Banksy put on this massive and successful art show that brings in thousands! Guetta got the notion in his head that he would be able to pull an art show of that kind off just as well as Banksy. Well, the show was a success but when you really look at the art pieces, he ripped off the styles from other artists that he met. I personally think Guetta, "Mr. Brainwash" is a guy who got extremely lucky with being at the right place at the right time. Maybe he should put down the paint brush (leave it to real artists) and play the power ball.

Exit Through the Gift Shop - Natalie Mik

2011-11-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

Before Thanksgiving Break, our class watched the documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop" directed by street artist Banksy. The story behind this documentary is unlike any other out there, because it started in one direction and ended up in a complete different direction based on all the footage the viewer saw. It first introduced a French shop keeper named Thierry Guetta and how in his whole life, he carried around a video camera and filmed everything, and everyone, all day and into night, every day.

Through his journey, he captured footage of close acquaintances participating in a new form of art that was sweeping the world by storm: street/graffiti art. He befriended people who traveled around at night from city to city leaving their own unique marks on street signs, walls, roofs and so forth. In the midst of Guetta developing his own story about street art, he met artists like Shepard Fairey and the mysterious Banksy who gave him a true insider's point of view on how they develop their projects and where they put them.

Throughout his entire time filming these graffiti artists, Guetta tells them he is editing all of the footage into his own documentary, yet he admitted to viewers to never having any plans to comprise them into a film at all. His footage piled up for almost 20 years at this point, and he had no intentions on touching any of it! From the help of these two artists, Guetta started hatching a plan of his own: becoming an artist himself. With the guidance of Banksy and the influence of Fairey and other artists like Invader, Guetta transformed himself into MBW or "Mr. Brainwash."

In the end, MBW holds a huge opening art show to the public in Los Angeles to rave reviews of the masses. People were calling him the "modern artist of our generation." While Guetta's rags-to-riches story is inspiring to some degree, many can argue that he ended up being a huge sell-out and that he basically used the artists he got to trust him. All of the footage used in the film along with the interviews carried the story along and brought the entire story all together. MBW's art is "cool" but so typical of what "cool" art should be considered today, and what younger generations would apparently want to buy or appreciate. It is evident Guetta used Banksy and Fairey's aesthetic to guide him in his art-making; if it weren't for them, he would probably have no point-of-view in his art at all. Guetta is a very enthusiastic individual, from the way he told his stories to the way he communicated with those around him, which made this documentary very enjoyable and entertaining on the surface. Yet, when one digs deeper into this film, one can see how Guetta was just one really lucky guy who was always in the right place at the right time.

Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story

2011-11-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

Compared to other films that we watched this past semester, I would say that “Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story” was a much more high spirit happy film, though it did have it’s moments of despair and anguish the film overall was happier then those of Nazis and concentration camps.

The film follows the career of a great American showman, William Castle, The master of spook, and the inventor of the gimmick. Throughout the 1950s and the 1960s, William castle created many horror films that were trademarked by goofy gimmicks and the ability for crowd participation. From buzzing seats, to real life insurance policies, Castle was all about the show, and people loved it.

Though well beloved and respected by his peers, William Castle seemed to always live in shadows of Alfred Hitchcock as a B list Filmmaker. His one big break came with the film “Rosemary’s Baby”, a film that he was forced to share with young and upcoming filmmaker Roman Polanski. The film was an A film success, but it seemed to come with a price. Castle lost lots of friends and family, who believed that the film was sacrilegious. Things got worse after “Rosemary’s Baby” as Castle and others fell ill, and Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski’s Wife was murdered by the Manson Family.

From that point on Castles career seemed to be dead. He felt as though other filmmakers would see him as an old man, irrelevant to the industry. He was surprised to find that he was well loved and respected to and was asked to make many cameos in films throughout the rest of his life. Even after his death, theatres still pay tribute to the master of gimmicks, by showing his films in full tricks, gimmicks and all.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

2011-11-27T15:09:00.001-08:00

Being born in 1990, I was quite ignorant of what Enron was let alone their unethical business practices. After watching the film “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” I was astonished at what they were able to do with very little punishment.

The documentary chronological tells the story of Enron from it’s beginning all the way to it’s bankruptcy less than a year after it’s start. The story not only follows the business practices of the company but it follows the major people involved such as Jeff Skilling, Lou Pai, and Andy Fastow. We watch as these people manipulate stockholders with false promises, and kill the Californian economy through its deregulated electricity market.

As I watched the film I became more and more disgusted at the actions of these people; Not only those who were in charge but even the ground level traders. It seemed that every single one of these people had complete disregard for the welfare of others. It was as if the company ran on the efforts of sociopaths and men and women with borderline personality disorders. Quarterly profits were constantly changed, numbers were never reported, the company was in the toilet and all the while those in charge led everyone to think everything wasn’t just fine, but that in fact things were better than ever.

What made me more upset than anything else in this documentary is the fact that many of these people went without close to enough punishment. Never have I been so disappointed in humanity than when I watched this movie. I suggest that everyone should watch this documentary, history repeats itself, and it is truly an eye opening experience about how corporations truly work in this country. I

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work"

2011-11-21T08:56:00.001-08:00

Before seeing the documentary "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" I had no idea who Joan Rivers was; she wasn't part of my generation, as one would be able to tell from all the plastic surgery she has had done. Going into the film I held a pre-made notion that the film would be about a snotty ritzy old women done up for the camera. This notion was only made because of the few times I have scene her was, either her being made fun of or her making a scene on the red carpet. As the movie progressed, I was pleasantly surprised to find she was a witty, hardworking, and intelligent women.

The film follows Joan for a year during the decline of her career. You see from her perspective the trials and difficulties she faces as an aging female comedian. As a self-proclaimed actress playing a comedian Joan doesn’t sell her comedy but instead sells herself. She sacrifices it all to be famous and successful. She has turned her personal life into her career, it seems as if now she is playing herself rather than a character she created.

Joan Rivers isn’t all red carpet, Hollywood and glamour though. In one scene we see her going door to door delivering Thanksgiving meals to those who are less fortunate, and though she may not seem like a people person on stage, this scene proved other wise. She is very much family oriented and understand that she is lucky for what she has and says that she thanks god everyday for it.

In comparison to other films that we have watched this semester this one falls on the lighter side. It made me genuinely laugh and learn something about someone who I thought had fallen from the spotlight.

Joan Rivers (a piece of work)- Angie Cardona

2011-11-15T13:21:00.001-08:00

I thought this film was great! Normally when people look at Joan Rivers they only see the plastic surgery and the dead career. I had no idea she was such a hit in her prime and it is such a waste with the plastic surgery because she was beautiful and her spirit was so alive.

It was really sad that she was over 70 and seemed very depressed, despite living her life as a comedian and actress..or as she put it "the actress playing a comedian". While I did feel sorry for her in that she seemed very sad because she wasn't working as much and that made her work even harder to try to secure gigs and other meaningless ways to obtain money.

There was also the side of her I did admire, the side that delivered food to those in need on holidays. She also inspired her fans to continue with their goals and never giving up. I never thought I would expect that from Joan Rivers. Overall, I do admire her for what she has done in her career and how she is persistent. We don't see that a lot in Hollywood these days.

Marathon Boy- Angie Cardona

2011-11-15T12:13:00.000-08:00

While it has been quite sometime since I have seen this film, it still remains to be a film that has inspired viewers to go for their dreams. The story was about a young boy, Budhia, who had the capability to run over long distances in amazing times. He was trained by the owner of an orphanage, Biranchi Das, who also had saved him from a life of misery ad poverty.

Budhia loved being in the care of his coach and Biranchi loved Budhia in return. It all seemed to be go downhill when Budhia's birth mother came back into the picture claiming that Biranchi was abusing Budhia and that he was only making him run marathons so he could profit off the boy. Biranchi denied having to use Budhia in any sort of abusive fashion, but no one believed him. It even got to the point that Budhia was telling others that the rumors were true.

Having Budhia say lies about Biranchi took a toll on him, and in the end he was killed by those who believed he was out only for money. Budhia was deeply saddened by the loss of his only father-like figure and he eventually told everyone that Biranchi never abused him and the rumors were false.

This film did have it uplifting parts which made all the difference during the hard times Biranchi and Budhia faced. However, they were overshadowed by the miserable times they suffered. Budhia was denied privlages to run marathons because of his age and he lost a person near and dear to him. In the end, I did appreciate watching this movie because it opened my eyes to experience and go for my dreams.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work - Natalie Mik

2011-11-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

Last week in class, we got to watch a much lighter documentary on the anything-but-boring entertainer, Joan Rivers. The documentary called Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work followed a year in her life, and we got to see some of her highest high's to her lowest lows. It also featured parts of her life in the industry from when she first started out as a sassy, young comedienne on late night television.

Because I am obsessed with television, and Kathy Griffin, I previously knew who Joan Rivers was before we watched this film. However, I could not tell you one detail of her life before this documentary (minus the plastic surgery). Like the title of this film, she truly is a piece of work. From the vulgarity that comes out of her mouth during her comedy shows to the compassion she showed to those in need during the Thanksgiving season, she may be the least predictable person in Hollywood.

Going strong at almost eighty years-old, Joan Rivers shows no signs of slowing down in her industry. During the filming of this documentary, she was in a bit of a slope regarding her work schedule. She was not as busy as she wanted to be, and she was getting really down on herself and how the media portrayed her at this time. Another thing that was difficult for her at this time was having to let go her long-time manager Billy, who was not putting enough effort into his job for her. He was the only connection she had to the past. I had no idea that her husband committed suicide and left her with so many debts to pay on his behalf. This hit close to home for me, and showed how much she had to pick up and rebuild her life with her daughter Melissa (like remaking that exact situation in a made-for-TV movie --- intense stuff!) Towards the end, we got to see Joan ended up winning her season of Celebrity Apprentice, and she was climbing back to the top. She now has her own E! show that airs each week her basically making fun of the outfits celebrities were pictured or seen in. She is also always featured on the E's Red Carpet commentary during every awards show.

Many people look at her and automatically make fun of her appearance, but when you look past the make-up and the get-ups, Joan Rivers is actually full of a lot of life and a lot of love to give. She considers herself an actress who plays a comedienne, and I think that sums it up pretty nicely; she is just simply a riot. I would recommend this documentary to any one who appreciates comedy at its fullest, and who is willing to give this over-the-top woman a chance to unveil herself in this documentary as a human who just wants to mean something and be something in this world.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

2011-11-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

The documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room was deeply disturbing. The greed of the companies top executives was disgusting, while the impact they had on loyal, honest Enron employees' pensions and 401k plans was unsettling enough. Relatively unfamiliar with the details of the Enron collapse, this documentary was informative and advocated against the top executives, as it rightly should have.

The opening scene to the film, the suicidal gun shot in a driveway, captured my attention. At the end of the film it is revealed (if one hadn't known already) that it was executive Clifford Baxter who had taken his life. The film successfully retained my interest as it covered details of the scandal that I had a difficult time digesting.

I could not get over the scenes that covered the power outages in California due to the efforts of Enron traders, manipulating the power system to favor Enron. The actual audio clips of their conversations added to the footage and I couldn't believe that the employees would openly rave about and take pride in their illegal activities. I remember one trader encouraging a fire to continue burning in California, creating a power outage, to which he laughed something along the lines of, "Burn baby burn, let it burn."

This documentary is eye-opening and frames its position against the scandal of Enron's top executives. It is organized in a logical chronological manner that focuses on one CEO at a time and how they were all involved together, from the scandal to court proceedings. I would recommend this film to anyone interested in learning about the scandal, or looking for a couple hours of anger and frustration...

Incident in New Baghdad - Natalie Mik

2011-11-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

Starting the new topic of advocacy surrounding documentary films, we were introduced to a short piece titled Incident in New Baghdad about a very disturbing occurrence of the War in Iraq that was caught on film in 2007, and then a few years later released online to much dismay of people around the world. The film features an interview of a U.S. Army veteran named Dennis McCord, who was one of the few soldiers captured on this video leaked to the media. This video was leaked from the now very controversial website "WikiLeaks," and was discussed about and debated upon in the news from various journalists and reporters about the apparent unjust actions of our military which was captured.

By replaying this video in the documentary film, the viewer can see footage taped from a military helicopter of U.S. officials deciding to shoot at a random van whom appeared, to them at the time, to be dangerous, yet were later found unarmed. In the midst of this shooting, there were innocent bystanders who were slain and also critically injured, including two children McCord rescued from the wreckage and tried to resuscitate. During his interview in the film, he kept thinking back to his children at home and comparing this tragedy to them, and he tried everything he could to help. He knew then that what just happened was extremely uncalled for by the U.S. military, and he tried to move on from the incident until it leaked to the press a few years later, and he was haunted by that day yet again.

McCord's life changed forever from this moment of his military career, and this moment changed many views of those who supported the war movement in Iraq. Many debated about whether the calls made that day were just and appropriate and followed specific protocol of the military, or if it was a faulty misjudgment of the situation. However one may debate about it, the fact of the matter is that innocent people were killed that day, and this incident can only be learned from for the future.

This was a very touching portrayal of a U.S.'s soldier point-of-view of the recent war in Iraq. I could feel his emotion and pain through the screen as I watched this short documentary. I was familiar with the website WikiLeaks my media law class, and I still believe the way in which this video was leaked for the world to see is very controversial in itself. I think some things are not meant for people to see, including these vicious acts of shooting innocent people on the street from helicopters, yet at the same time I think people do deserve to know the truth of what goes truly goes on in the U.S. government.

William Castle- Spine Tingler (Angie Cardona)

2011-11-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

I thought that this film was a special treat to watch for the Halloween season in my opinion. This film was an uplift from the other films we have seen because for once I was not in tears, but I was smiling and even at times laughing along. This documentaries tells the story of the late filmmaker William Castle, through the trials and tribulations of his life.

Castle is well known for his special effects, crazy ideas, and not so "A" rated films. The one thing that really spoke to me about his personality was the fact that he wasn't making movies for the money aspect (while that was a perk for some of his films), but he did it because he absolutely loved his audience and he would go to great lengths to put a smile on each of their faces. His film gimmicks included "Emergo", in which a skeleton would emerge from the screen into the audience. The children especially loved it! Another was "Illusion-O", in which the audience members were each given sunglasses with blue and red lenses. The blue stood for "seeing the ghosts on screen" and the red took the ghosts away. I personally liked Illusion-O because we still use those today now in 3d.

He strived to make an "A" rated film, and he did have one success with Rosemary's Baby. However, he had to share the spotlight with Roman Polanski, who was actually the main director and Castle stayed as the producer. After the filming of this movie, strange things started to happen where Castle fell ill, Polanski's wife was murdered, cameramen were becoming ill or dying and many other things. At the price of making an "A" rated film, the crew had lost so much.

After Rosemary's Baby, Castle had struggled to make films that would be kept up to "A" rated standards and unfortunately went back to "B" rated films. It broke his heart to know that the jokes and gimmicks had come to an end and he believed his audience had moved on. It wasn't until after his death that the theater he would show his films reopened and showed Castle's films along with the gimmicks Castle himself had made. The chairs had buzzers under the seat, skeletons came out and spine tinglers were crawling.

William Castle lived an exciting and fulfilling life. He is survived by his daughter who assists in producing films, like father like daughter.

William Castle

2011-11-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

The film we watched last week viewed the career of William Castle, a B-horror movie director who climbed the ladder to success through very indirect ways. Sure he drew audiences in and made money, but it wasn't the quality of his work that he was famous for, it was the way it was presented.

Will Castle was all about gimmicks. He would stage some sort of event or incident relating to his film and it would attract audiences because it was new and different. For example, in his humble beginnings an actress of his was German and was requested to return to Germany for a national film festival. Castle allegedly had sent a letter to Hitler denying his request, and Castle then trashed his own theater and littered it with Nazi propaganda to make it look like the Nazis had responded to his disrespect. This drew audiences, he recognized this, and capitalized on it for the rest of his career.

Now every movie that Castle made had a gimmick. It could be "Percepto!" where a skeleton would zip line through the audience (very slowly) and provide extra entertainment. It could be "The Tingler!" where certain seats in the theater were wired to give an electric jolt, giving that viewer a "tingling" feeling. Castle was extremely original in his gimmicks, and it was obvious that it was the gimmicks that drew the crowds, not exactly the movies.

Castle himself recognized this fault, and was always very weary to stray away from his trusted formula. When he finally did step aside from the gimmicks and helped produce "Rosemary's Baby", it was met with mild success. Sure, I've heard one of my friends say that it was the worst movie he's ever seen in his life, but it's Castle so i'm not exactly surprised. But it was an A-list movie at the time, and Castle was happy nonetheless. But soon enough tragedy had struck many members of the crew who had worked on the movie.

Castle eventually found himself working on his B-list horror flicks again, where he eventually became outdated to the ever-changing tastes of the audiences over the decades. Though he wasn't the best movie director/producer, he sure as hell made his mark on the film industry, and showed that the road to success isn't always a traditional one.

Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story

2011-11-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

After many of the serious documentaries we've watched in class, it was a treat to watch this uplifting, whimsical film about the life of filmmaker William Castle. The style of this documentary was engaging, with hand-drawn, comic book type graphics overlaying frames, and with numerous pictures from Castle's life. Every photograph was in black and white, with Castle highlighted in color - portraying the life of the picture, the showman that he always strived to be.

This documentary not only took me into the daily life of William Castle, but into life as a movie director. I learned a lot about budgets, screen plays, acting, marketing, gimmicks and other elements of film making by watching this film. I fell in love with the quarky ideas and gimmicks marketed by Castle, such as "Emergo," in which a skeleton hung on a wire would float across the audience, "emerging" from the screen.

It was frustrating to see the life and charisma that radiated from Castle and know he was only producing B rated films when he had the potential to produce top-notch productions. I found it disturbing and ironic how after his most successful production that he helped produce, Rosemary's Baby, tragic events happened to many involved in the film. The murder of director Roman Polanski's wife and the death of the music choreographer along with other tragedies were enough to make me wonder if the events were more than a mere coincidence. It was difficult to watch Castle continue to work on B rated movies after the success of Rosemary's Baby, while battling his health.

William Castle, with his huge smile, reminded me of a big kid. Simply a big kid, with a big heart and love for fun and horror films. This documentary certainly made me gain respect for Castle. He was not only a creative soul, but a showman whose top priority was always pleasing an audience.

Jesus Camp- Rachael Crifo

2011-11-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

The film, “Jesus Camp” directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing explores a children’s summer camp in North Dakota, led by Becky Fischer, a pentecostal pastor from an evangelical Christian community in Kansas City. We were asked three questions prior to the screening of the film Jesus Camp; “Is this child abuse? Does the film anger you? Is this a bias film?”

This film angers and frustrates me very much because I was brought up in a Christian household, yet I was not “trained” like the children at the camp. There was no fear instilled in me by my parents or church members. Fischer indoctrinates children at a young age to become an “army of God.” She uses propaganda tactics, such as dancing and music and group activities, in order to brainwash these children. The underlying truth in this film is that this community is training these children for the motives of a political party. They teach the children to worship George Bush, at the time was president, and to

I do believe that this is child abuse; mentally, and emotionally. Fischer says, “It’s about whether you’re going to be a sinner, or saved. Whether you are going to be the one of the people on the side of salvation, or on the side of doom. Whether you are going to be one of us, or one of them.” Just by telling this to children, you are teaching them that their religion is superior to any other religion, and you are also telling them they cannot have personal views or make decisions on their own. This kind of propaganda completely eliminates a persons, or in this case, a child’s free will.

The directors claim their film is objective. I believe there is certainly some evidence that this community is being portrayed in an unflattering light, and it is a very small portion of the film which incorporates a voice of reason by a radio talk show host. It blatantly accuses the camp director over air, and supports his argument that the camp is run by aggressive radicals and it can literally be categorized as Authoritarian, not Christian.

The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas- Angie Cardona

2011-11-02T13:23:00.001-07:00

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, was an extremely sad film to watch, I was teary eyed the entire film. The film is told through the perspective of 8 year old Bruno, whose father is an SS soldier and moves the family to a home right next to a concentration camp. During one of his "adventures", Bruno stumbles upon the camp and meets 8 year old Shmuel, a Jewish child who is at the camp. They develop a sweet and innocent relationship that no one knows about.

At the end of the film, I knew what was going to happen as soon as Bruno made his way under the fence into the concentration camp. I felt as if I was a part of the film, in the same room with the characters and feeling their pain. I also think this movie was a definite wake up call for those who engage in racism because they really don't understand what their hatred is doing to the victims affected by them. All in all, this film was the most emotional film I have yet watched and I have already recommended it to others for its fascinating work and messages.

Killing in the Name-Angie Cardona

2011-11-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

I think what shocked me the most about this film was the fact that this man suffered so much by losing his father and father in law at his wedding, and he still managed to have such a productive life. During the film it did not shock me to find out that his own people were responsible for the deaths at his wedding. And when I say his own people, I mean those who grew up around him with the same beliefs. I guess it just goes to show that we believe terrorists come from other places, when the reality is that terrorists could be our next door neighbors.

One of the scenarios that really touched me was when the main character went to go visit the boy's home way out North. This boys were to be associating and believing with the group that had bombed his wedding. They were not part of the group yet, but they shared the beliefs and would one day carry out the group mission. I thought it most brave when he went and spoke to the young boys because he wanted to make a difference and make sure that he could prevent at least one bombing.

Incident in Baghdad- Angie Cardona

2011-10-31T12:52:00.000-07:00

Incident in Baghdad was definitely a shocking film. It also touched me personally because I have family members who are overseas now, so it was tough to watch what happens over there because I don't want to picture my family hurt. The solider in the film joined the army because he believed that he would do good in another country and he "wanted to be the guy that the civilians cheered for as he crossed the street". However, what he got was multiple car explosions and seeing close friends perish. It took a major toll on his family because when he came back he was not the same as when he left. Being overseas definitely changes you, most of the time it is for the negative. I applaud those who go overseas because they are brave just for signing up and going through training. However, this is not our war. They shouldn't have to fight for a false hope. It is not fair.

Jesus Camp- Angie Cardona

2011-10-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

Jesus Camp was not only emotional, it was definitely scary in it's own way. When it came to emotions, I did feel bad for the children because they were not thinking for themselves. I believe that children need to have a sense of freewill and the children in this film were not getting that. They seemed as if they were puppets and their parents, along with the head of the camp, were the puppet masters who would make up their moves for them. When I say it was scary in it's own way, I mean to say that this is not a scripted film, this is real life. Real children are feeding into what others want them to believe in at such a young age! I watched these young kids talk about issues and situations that even grown adults have trouble discussing. I don't think topics such as abortion and homosexuality should be discussed to 8 year olds!

Before the film was shown, our Professor stated that many viewers thought that what was happening to the children was considered child abuse. Personally, I don't believe I would call it child abuse. To an extent I would agree with people who would say "they are treating the children in a hurtful manner". I would not 100% agree with this because I believe that this parents truly hold dear this values and beliefs and they shouldn't be punished for it. Evangelicals probably look at those who don't believe in their beliefs as hurting our children too. I guess it's on all who you ask.

Overall, the movie was very powerful and a real eye opener. I would recommend it to others too.

Incident in Bahgdad

2011-10-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

I found Incident in Bahgdad to be a very touching film, although watching it deeply disturbed me. Caught up in my own life's daily activiites, I feel like it is easy to forget the people who are risking their lives for our country. However, it's shocking and eye-opening to see what actually goes on in battle and hear from the perspective of a US solider.

The documentary greatly impacted me largely in part due to the actual footage that was shown of the shooting and the bodies falling, bleeding and mangled on the ground. Listening to the solider describe the tragic day while simultaneously seeing the actual event occur was an overwhelming feeling. The documentary successfully portrayed their point of view that this was a tragic event that never should have occurred.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2011-10-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

The narrative film, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, was an extremely sad yet captivating movie. I was intrigued because the film portrayed the Holocaust from the perspective of Bruno, the 8-year-old son of a recently promoted SS solider. Bruno's young age and innocence allowed me to view the Holocaust situation from his point of view, even though I didn't want to. By the end of the film I was practically in tears because I knew what was going to happen as soon as he put on the "pajama"suit and the alarms when off in the barracks.

The relationship built between the two young boys, "Shmuel" (the 8-year-old Jewish boy) and Bruno was bittersweet. The relationship reminded me again of the innocence that lies within children and how their perspective of the world is different than that of an adult. Watching Shmool suffer, with the rest of his camp was unbearable to watch and yet I also felt for Bruno, confused in his new home with the strange "farmers."

This narrative film captured my attention and affected my feelings more than all of the Nazi Propaganda documentaries we have watched this semester. Becoming attached to a young protagonist such as Bruno by watching his adventures unfold throughout the film struck my emotions harder than the documentaries.

Incident in Baghdad/Killing in the Name - Caty Draicchio

2011-10-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Incident in Baghdad was also an eye-opening film. It is tough to see some of the awful things that our country is doing, we are just expected to believe that everything they are doing is right. The soldier in this film thought that he was being used and that there was nothing patriotic about what he was doing. After this all he was doing was trying to survive and make it home. What most Americans think is that our soldiers are there to help the Iraqis, if this is true, then why are we killing innocent civilians and children?

Killing in the Name shocked me. I had no idea that the majority of people killed by terrorists were muslim. They said that in the past five years 88,000 people were killed from terrorist attacks, which is astonishing to me. To see that the majority of them are muslim was something hard for me to believe - that they were killing their own people. No one is doing anything to stop it. The man in the film was trying to find justice for all the people killed during his wedding, he wanted to know why his own people were killing them. He was not a terrorist but the terrorists that bombed his wedding where from his country. It was awful because so many people know what is going wrong but they aren't doing anything to fix it. It takes something to affect them until they think it is actually worth it to do something about it - they don't care enough until it hits them close to home. Some people are scared because if they try to fix the problem, they think they will become a target, which is why a lot of people don't really get involved.

Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Caty Draicchio

2011-10-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

Although this movie was extremely sad, I actually liked it. It shows that as young children there are no prejudices, but as we grow up we learn prejudices through media, propaganda, etc. The boy who was the son of the Nazi soldier had no idea what was going on in the camps, he thought they were good because that is what he was told, which is why he didn't see any harm in going into the camp to help the little Jewish boy look for his father. I felt bad for the old man, Peverly, he was extremely nice to their family and did everything he was told, and he was extremely nice to the young boy. It is sad to see that such awful things were happening to such nice people just because of their religion. I am glad we got to watch a narrative film, because it gave us a different view than the documentary films.

Prisoner of Paradise - Caty Draicchio

2011-10-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

This movie was pretty interesting. Kurt Gerron was an extremely selfish man, but he was choosing to do this because he thought it would mean his ultimate survival. It is hard to say what I would do in this position because he was creating a major lie. On the other hand, if he tried to show what was really happening at the camp all of the footage most likely would have been destroyed and he would be immediately killed. And perhaps he decided he didn't want to do the film, he probably would have been killed right then and there, so I can see why he chose to do what he did. One thing that he did that I found really stupid was that he decided to stay in Europe although almost everyone else he knew in the film industry decided to get out and go to Hollywood. Maybe if he had decided to go there in the beginning instead of trying to stay in Europe and become even richer and famous he would never have been put in the position that he was. Kurt Gerron didn't care about the Jews, he went above and what was asked of him instead of doing the minimal - he wanted to get his name out, even if it meant creating a major lie.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Nick Souza

2011-10-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

The boy in the stripped pajamas follows the story of eight year old bruno, a german boy growing up in berlin during World War 2. When his father is promoted to Commandant, he and the family are forced to move to a house outside of Auschwitz. Due to a lack of boredom and increasing homesickness, Bruno find himself exploring outside of his mothers limits. One day while exploring, out back he unknowingly stumbles upon Auschwitz, thinking its a farm, and meets a boy behind the fence named Shmuel. day after day Bruno visits Shmuel until the end, where Bruno sneaks into the camp dressed to fit in and ends up in one of the concentration camps showers.

The fact that the story is being told through the eyes of an eight year old helps us better empathize with the man character; something that Prisoner of Paradise wasn't able to do with Kurt Gerron. In both films we see the atrocities that the nazis committed, but feel more for Bruno as he was not aware of the social and political issues at the time whereas Gerron was able to escape many times.

Throughout the film uses of propaganda were evident. From the type of music that was used to the colors that each scene contained. The director was well aware if what he was doing, and was able to invoke certain emotions through the use of these techniques.

Prisoner of Paradise - Natalie Mik

2011-10-11T16:24:00.001-07:00

This past week we watched Prisoner of Paradise by Malcolm Clarke and Stuart Sender. It followed the true story of a German-Jewish actor named Kurt Geron and the years of his life that led up to the Nazi take-over and creation of the concentration camps. It chronicled his life from the time he was making a huge name for himself in German films to the end of his life as he was murdered at a concentration camp. It also showed historical recreations of this time period, as well as interviews with older men and women who were children when they knew Geron.

I thought this was an excellent film beginning to end. What made this even more interesting was how Geron was basically forced into directing and filming a Nazi propaganda film. At this time in his life, he was really left with few options. He had many opportunities to follow his fellow actor friends to Hollywood but passed each time on going until it was too late and the Nazi regime took over.

Because Geron was a recognizable person for his movies and directing in Germany, the officers took notice of him and believed he could put together a propaganda film, depicting the concentration camp as a peaceful and happy environment, masking what was really happening to the people trapped inside. He shot a lot of footage using happy and smiling children to make it seem like a positive place to be. He thought in turn filming this his life would be sparred, but he ended up being killed, and that very next day the camps began to be shut down. Questions of why he chose to direct their film were raised with those who knew him. Was he selfish or did he think he had no other choice? His huge ego was his ultimate weakness and sadly led him to his demise.

It was a very sad story to watch unfold and gave many more insights on propaganda in this time period. Themes of power, control and fear were depicted throughout the entire documentary.

Triumph of the Will - Natalie Mik

2011-10-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

The next film that was screened in our class was Triumph of the Will by Leni Riefenstahl. It depicted the 1934 Nazi Party Congress as Hitler was just starting to make his mark in Germany and rise to his infamous yet horrible glory.

I cannot lie when I say this film was very boring to me. I attempted to put myself into that time frame and try to invest myself emotionally into what I was watching but it was very difficult. It was just slow to me - with it being silent and having to read subtitles, it being old and seeing the same footage of the huge crowds supporting the Nazi's it was somewhat repetitive to me. However, the footage that was captured is certainly impressive, especially because of the events that occurred after this year. There were many unique shots which can be appreciated as a movie watcher.

It is obvious that this documentary centered around propaganda. The Nazi symbols were evidence of propaganda as were the speeches each man in the Nazi Party made at the rallies. Also all of the movements and hand gestures everyone made to have one unison group of people supporting Hitler and his party. Also, the music that was used throughout the movie was another form of propaganda - in attempts to showcase the power of this party at the time and how much nationalism they tried to show.

Triumph of the Will - Angie Cardona

2011-10-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

Triumph of the Will was not one of my favorites to watch. Yes it had different elements to it, but overall it was just one man who came to power by not even doing anything! This movie deffinately portrayed Hitler to be the one to give rise to the soliders, when in fact he just stood on the sidelines and rode in a car.

This documentary was a definate propaganda piece. The swastica signs on the buildings and in the crowds and on people. It was a scary thought to imagine how one might be affected by seeing all those swasticas. The amount they had and where they were placed were intimidating.

The music also added to the element of propaganda becauase during certain scenes, they made it seem as if something overwhellming was happening, which for them it was. A specific scene that sticks out to me is when the boys were at what appeared to be a camp, having fun and playing around. The music made that scene seem as if something good was happening and that life was beautiful. But for the millions of innocent people who were affected by this time period, life wasn't good.

Triumph of the Will - Rachael Crifo

2011-10-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

The propaganda film, Triumph of the Will, made by Leni Riefenstahl captures hundreds of thousand supporters of the Nazi Party during 1934 in Nuremberg. It includes marches and various speeches made by Adolf Hitler and party members. Although, being an American, I hold a personal bias to the Nazi party, and already had preconceived notions about what this film would mean to me, I believe that it did a good job in manipulating a viewers mind into thinking that Germany had a great power with Hitler as its leader, especially the viewers who had since this film in its historical context.

Putting my bias aside, I attempted to put myself in the lens of a person from another country besides Germany during the 1930’s. FIlm techniques, such as moving cameras, and incorporation of music, allowed for a sense of nationality and pride. Aerial shots of the city, revealed to the viewer that this party did not stand alone; thousands of people surrounded the streets, cheering on the marchers and saluting Hitler as he emerged through the streets, standing tall on his car. Long focus lenses in the hall meetings in which the members held their speeches, also revealed a enormous crowd of support.

A factor of repetition in this film, although may seem like overkill to us, was a reinforcement of this idea that Hitler was the main power of Germany. We saw numerous shots of crowds “hailing” Hitler in an uproar, as well as the marchers striding in unison. The most important technique used by the filmmaker, in my opinion, was the over use of shots of the Nationalist Socialist flag. I counted over 40 flag shots within the first ten minutes of the documentary.

My personal reflection of this film, was influenced mainly by the close ups of the public in the streets. Knowing that the marching party members were staged pre-meditated, I tended to focus mainly of the faces of the public, in order to find a sense of truth in this propaganda. I came to the resolution that the film intended to portray these people as genuine followers who were loyal to their leader, yet I witnessed a sense of fear in their eyes. As we discussed in class, one of the main functions of propaganda is “band wagon,” meaning that if a group of people begin to support a party, then others will begin to believe they must follow as well. The public in this film, just as the viewers that were soon manipulated by this propaganda film when it was released, believed they should support the Nazi party because of its strength and the sense of loyalty and respect it attracts. What I witnessed in this film was indeed respect and loyalty, but I believe that it is because the party instilled fear in the public in order to gain it.

Triumph of the Will - Caty Draicchio

2011-10-04T11:08:00.001-07:00

Triumph of the Will... Definitely wasn’t a fan of this documentary. Not only because it was black and white and in a different language, where we had to read subtitles the entire film, but because it was so boring. Basically all I interpreted was Hitler giving speeches screaming at all the Germans the entire time. I could definitely see the propaganda aspect the film was trying to portray throughout the entire film. In the beginning I began to count how many swastikas were on the buildings, flags, soldiers, etc. I think I got to about fifty in the first twenty minutes of the film; their must have been hundreds portrayed throughout the two hour duration of the film. The scenes in the film reinforced the fact that all of the Germans were supporting “Hitler’s Germany”and victory. Everything was focused on Hitler and victory for Germany. Although I didn’t really like the film, I think it had a huge impact on Germany in the 1930s and was a good use of propaganda and helped Hitler’s rise in power. I think if something came out like this today it probably wouldn’t have the same affect because today’s society is so critical and our nation has so many different beliefs and values.

I liked watching this film after Jesus Camp because all I can think of is how the lady that ran the camp reminds me of Hitler and all the children and their families remind me of German soldiers. Hitler brainwashed all the Germans, just like all these adults and kids are brainwashed by the church.

Triumph of the Will - Colleen Connulty

2011-10-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Triumph of the Will definitely stood out from the other documentaries we have screened in class. Not only because of its black & white nature, english subtitles, staged scenes, and aggressive symphonic scores, but because of its elevated, obvious use of propaganda.

To be honest, I found this documentary to be boring, as if all I saw where German soldiers marching in step every scene. However, I couldn't help but notice the strategic placement of Nazi propaganda such as the swastika, which could be seen hanging from banners on buildings, flags, overhangs, etc.

The music, pacing of the scenes, color, shadows, and overall rhetoric of the documentary created a successful propaganda piece for the Germans. The scenes constantly reinforced a rank & file organization to Germany, such as the continuous marching scenes of soldiers, creating a sense of unified power. It amazes me how one person could dominate the hearts and minds of everyone, as the German's infatuation towards Hitler appeared in the documentary.

Watching this film has made me wonder if a video like this would be successful in contemporary society. I doubt it-everyone has a technological outlet to express their opinion, via youtube, facebook, twitter, etc and I don't think a staged documentary such as Triumph of the Will would work well. I do not believe there is enough loyalty in todays society for a documentary like this be a successful technique.

Jesus Camp - Peter Walerysiak

2011-09-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

"Jesus Camp" was a term my friends and I used to use as kids to refer to the dreadful place that some of our acquaintances had the misfortune of going to. We all went to CCD back then, so jesus camp just seemed like extra homework on Christ. But never have I ever thought that certain camps existed that were just so... disturbing.

This blog entry is going to be extremely random, as I'm literally going to look at my notes and rattle off random aspects of the film that really just grinded my gears.

The separation of church and state is something that has remained successful in this country for a long long time, and this group of Evangelists are teaching extremist children that the country is in a war between the schools and their religion and that the government is corrupt.

The counselors are constantly quoting what God wants, yet how would they know? Are they prophets? In their eyes they probably are. In my eyes they're out of their minds. Claiming that "they have the truth" is ludicrous. Nobody knows the truth.

The camp counselors are teaching these children topics that are WAY over their heads. What the hell do these seven-year-olds know about abortion, war, and politics? At some points in the film the counselors are yelling "THIS IS WAR!" and children are having seizures while speaking in tongues. A religious camp my ass, this is literally the definition of a cult.

"Harry Potter is a warlock and should be put to death" is a quote from the movie. Seriously? It's fiction, come on evangelists, take it for what it is. Preaching to these children that the punishment for sin is death is, well I suppose traditional, but too harsh. These kids aren't embracing Christianity because they want to, they are because they're being brainwashed with fear by the preachers and their parents.

Otherwise, it was a very interesting movie, but ultimately I agree with the radio host of the "Ring of Fire" talk show when he said something along the lines that, "you just want to shake those kind of people and show them that they're wrong."

Mullets and Mayhem aka Jesus Camp

2011-09-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

If you ask the question, What does it mean to be a christian? , you will receive many different answers. Those on the more moderate side will say something like, "it means to be a good person", or "it means to live a holy, healthy life." Last classed we were introduced to a group of Evangelical Christians, in the movie Jesus Camp whom would answer this question with "being a christian means becoming a warrior for christ and taking back American from the non-christ FEARING people." The documentary depicts the summer for a group of Evangelical Christians, and brings you into their homes, church, and summer camps. While the documentary itself was done nicely, I have to comment on some of the things I saw in the film.

To start off my anti- radical- evangelical rant I think all these kids and parents in this movie are unfortunately ignorant, and blinded. Maybe its the water in Tennessee and Texas, but these people live one big hypocritical lie. One of the main reasons for books like the Bible, Torah, and Koran, are to teach one life skills, and how to live with your fellow man, and coexist with nature.
None of the parental figures in the film had any life skills, opinions, theories, or good old parental advice to pass down to their children. Essentially none of these people had brains that they controlled, no beliefs of their own, only the churches. The churches beliefs became their beliefs, their beliefs became their life, and their life became their children's life.

This documentary was very informative and I think every American should see it. Some of the beliefs shown in this film, are still deeply rooted in the laws of our country as well as the minds of many politicians in office today.

Although I really enjoyed the "JC is in the house, JC is in the house" rap during the movie I was really hoping for a Biblical Rendition of a Wu Tang Clan Classic, appropriately portraying the intent of the money hungry fat preacher lady with the jersey shore haircut.

Christ rules everything around me, Cream get the money dolla dolla bills yall.

-Mike Tancredi

Jesus Camp - Caty Draicchio

2011-09-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

Jesus Camp was an eyeopening film for me to watch, it is about Evangelical Christians and a summer camp that they attend. Through interviews with the children, parents, and camp leaders and footage from the camp and the weeks leading up to and after their time at the camp we get a real live look into their lives. Their lives are based all around their religion, most of them even home schooled. To me it seems like these children are being brainwashed. It was awful for me to see these children being brought to tears praying to God. These children aren't even in their teens and they know they want to teach everyone about their religion when they grow up. They think that anyone that doesn't believe what they believe in are naive and arrogant. These children have nothing else to believe in, because they have been brought up this way. They don't have any evidence to back up their beliefs, but because this is the only thing they have ever been taught they believe everything to be truth. To me it is really messed up that these children are being brainwashed the way they are. I don't consider myself to be very religious, but my parents did make me take CCD when I was younger and I have been baptized, had communion, and confirmation in the Catholic church, but I don't believe everything that I have learned. These children don't even have a chance to go against anything because they can't even learn other things. There parents don't even let them go to school, they keep them home schooled so they can shield them from everything else in the world.

Waking Sleeping Beauty - Caty Draicchio

2011-09-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

Waking Sleeping Beauty was a film we watched in class and is about Disney animation. To me it was a very interesting film because I grew up watching these movies. This company was just getting underway around the time I was growing up. I was surprised when I discovered that the company almost went under, and that Beauty and the Beast was what basically saved the company, along with The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King. I couldn't believe that when they began working on The Lion King they thought it was going to be a movie that no one would really like, and that it wouldn't make much money. The Lion King is my favorite Disney movie! I particularly liked the part about Pixar. I didn't know it was a whole different company aside from Disney, nor did I know that Toy Story was the first movie they successfully published. I have seen many pixar movies throughout my childhood years and I have loved them all. One thing I found interesting was when Disney asked one of the Pixar members to come work for them and he denied, but agreed to help work on a movie with them cooperatively with Pixar, and that is how Toy Story was created. I saw an ad on Netflix for another documentary called The Pixar Story, and I will probably watch it after seeing Waking Sleeping Beauty. I never really thought about what went on behind the scenes in Disney or how all the movies of my childhood came to be about. It is really an interesting concept and I am excited to learn more about it.

Jesus Camp

2011-09-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

After watching the documentary "Jesus Camp," it really bothers me that there are people in this world like that. Not saying there is anything bad about being religious, I have eight years of catholic schooling under my belt, but people who take religion to that extreme -- especially with a religion that doesn't call for it, bothers me. There is nothing wrong with raising your children to be good catholics, however, not to the point where you are brain washing them. It can almost be considered child abuse. They force these kids to believe that if you raise your hands and sing to Jesus that you will be able to feel him and they break down into tears and start shaking. Not to healthy for children who aren't even teenagers yet. It is just not realistic and not the proper way children should be raised. They are sheltering them from the real world and forcing them to believe crazy things. A camp like that should be shut down, it is just not healthy for kids.

Waking Sleeping Beauty - Colleen Connulty

2011-09-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

The documentary film Waking Sleeping Beauty takes a behind the scenes approach to the little known world of the Disney animation studio of the 1980's through early 90's. It explores the desperation of the animation scene, overpowered by other Disney sectors such as live movies and theme parks, to the great success that animation became with the help of new technology innovation and persistence of loyal, talented artists.

Rather than a bright, happy, light depiction of the animation studio that an entity such as Disney would imply, the documentary follows the relatively dark power/ego struggle between Roy Disney, Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg through a unique lens - almost a home video technique with sort of a rough handheld footage (which I could relate to and enjoyed watching). Despite difficulties within personalities and each individual's judgement calls, successful movies such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and the Little Mermaid were born to great successes.

This documentary does not defend a side, but yet displays life as it was for numerous overworked, exhausted, yet passionate and exhilarated artists. Since their releases in theaters and to vhs, and eventually dvd and blue ray, the movies that the Disney animation team created affected the lives of children and adults everywhere, including myself.

I appreciated this documentary because it truly gave an inside look at the lives of the individuals who made the magic happen, while covering all sides of the drama and not focusing on one over the other. It is an enjoyable film, every second captures the attention of the viewer because the "inside the scenes" aspect is too much to resist. It is an unique experience, as if the viewer is in the animation studio as well, following along the day's activity, from working to daily meetings, to eventually award ceremonies; therefore, experiencing days in the life of Disney's animation. studio.

Jesus Camp - Natalie Mik

2011-09-27T16:48:00.001-07:00

This past week we watched the documentary Jesus Camp by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing that depicts a summer Christian camp where children and their families of Evangelical faith flocked to. This camp was run by a for lack of a better word, interesting woman named Becky Fischer, who was nothing but supportive of her faith, her camp, and the children who attended it. However, this film is highly controversial, with underlying cult themes and questions of child abuse occurring at this camp and with her ministry.

I watched this film freshman year and felt the same way then that I do now: disgusted. I cannot fathom children in this country being taught this side of the Christian faith. From speaking in tongues and convulsing around to having red duct tape be put across their mouths with the word "LIFE" written across were probably the most disturbing parts of this film to me. The film centered around three children at this camp, who are all... unique... and have their own takes on their religion and on life. What is scary about these children is how they are learning what the know, and why. A lot of it is from the influence of their parents. Levi's mom was very adamant in homeschooling her children and teaching him about the global warming "hoax," which in turn made Levi laugh at the thought of it and of evolution, where these topics would be discussed in public school. These children can be told that cows were going to start flying tomorrow, and they would probably believe it. Children can be so easily manipulated and convinced of the right way to believe and act, which is exactly what this camp is doing.

Not only do the childrens' parents influence them, but Becky Fischer is another one in this picture who influences the childrens' actions heavily at this camp. She is in charge of bringing in speakers, holding meetings and having children partake in preaching, praying, and being cleansed of their sins, with Nestle water bottles, and bringing in a cardboard cutout of George W. Bush and having everyone pray to the President. She seems very hypocritical of herself throughout this entire film, especially when she debates about her views and her camp with the radio show host Mike Papantonio, who is the only counter-part featured in this documentary.

After reading up on this film, I learned the camp was shut down because of the aftermath of this documentary and I could not be happier to know this now. Also we discussed how Ted Haggard, the former New Life Church pastor, was found guilty of homosexual behavior after he preached how homosexuality is wrong. This again proves these people are hypocritical and so far off on the true path of life in this world, in my opinion. I can only hope these people just keep to themselves and try not to take over the world with their outrageous views and opinions.

Waking Sleeping Beauty

2011-09-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

The documentary film Waking sleeping beauty explores the behind the scenes of the Disney animation team of the 80's. Following the Golden age of animation in the 1930's, executives began to question the future of animation as one failure lead to another and losing hundred-thousands of dollars, while the rest of the Disney empire was pulling in millions through television, live movies, and the opening of new theme parks world wide.

The documentary is non interactive and follows the struggle for power between Roy Disney, Michael D Eisner and Katzenberg. Through conflict, trials and error, and increased tension between the three, the team managed to put out hit after hit of animated movies including, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King.

Though on the surface everything looked great for the executives and animators, the stress of work and increase in tension, led many animators feeling overworked, and under appreciated.

The lines between good and bad are blurred in this film. It is not clear who to root for as everyone has faults, there are no heros. The audience is left with no real ending, but instead a profound look into how many of our childhood memories were formed and the effort that was put into them. From struggle, stress, and personal tension, magic was created

-Nicholas Souza

Waking Sleeping Beauty - Natalie Mik

2011-09-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday we watched the documentary film Waking Sleeping Beauty that told the story of how the Disney animated movies skyrocketed to popularity from the mid-1980s to 1994. The entire film featured footage from these times that was taken in Disney studios, showing the artists hard at work and the top executives hard at feuding.

I thought this documentary was very eye-opening because one would never think there would be so many problems behind the scenes of such a successful corporation! These top executives and CEOs were so cut-throat to one another and it felt like they lost sight of what Walt Disney would truly want out of his organization. There were many instances where people went behind one anothers' backs, and things such as shutting down the original animation studio was kept under wraps. The artists who made the Disney films come to life were scrutinized and working constantly. This film had many interviews and voice-overs going along with the footage as the feuds and problems unraveled before the viewers' eyes.

I thought it was amazing how they had so much footage from the past to compile into an entire documentary. They must have known at the time that this footage would be vital for the future. I also thought it was interesting how they had no new on-camera interviews in the film. I think this made it stay true to the past footage without adding any new information or facts that would have changed the course of the plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. I was shocked to learn about what it actually took for all the employees of Disney to develop the movies I grew up watching and shaped my childhood. Next time I go to Disney I'm going to have a whole new feel for the park.

Welcome to Documentary Film, Fall 2011

2011-09-16T05:57:00.000-07:00

This semester we will be exploring the world of documentary film. This blog is designed to be a resource and interactive outlet for that exploration. Feel free to comment of entries by other class members and post your reactions to what you have seen.

ENRON THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM - Aaron Poisson

2011-05-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

After screening "Inside Job" ENRON's outright deviousness ought to have been a warning sign to the 2008 Economic Meltdown.

The film did a great job during the opening with the musical score and the sequence depicting the moments just prior to Clifford Baxter's suicide. For all successful films must hook the audience early on as I learned during the Film Festival Curation & Production course when screening what would be accepted to the festival.

The format of this documentary used key interviews shot for the film and made use of trial and news coverage of the ENRON bankruptcy as well. In addition, another device I found engaging was the stock ticker that popped up through-out the film displaying ENRON's current stock price as it soared high then crashed harder much like the Simpsons' Roller coaster 'Enron's Ride of Broken Dreams.' It was linear to some extent but occasionally diverted because of the interviews.

Again Deregulation, along with greed, and Government Kick-Backs were at the core of this tail. Skilling was the nerd that became the cool-guy and the real heart&soul of ENRON as he even proclaimed: "That I am ENRON."

The truth of the matter was that ENRON was terrible at making real investments work, like with the India Power-Plant. However, they were great scam/bull-shit artists with no souls and had no problem raping the entire state of California to try to fill the void of fiscal losses in conjunction of burying them with their debt through Andrew Fastow's BS partnerships.

Even after the company was lost the key-players that were to blame came out with millions. I don't see how that is fair at all. The cut-throat corporate culture that Skilling created in his traders was deplorable and I hope that anyone with ENRON on his or her resume be able to explain to future employers what they did wrong and that they will not perform in the same manner again.

INSIDE JOB - Aaron Poisson

2011-05-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

A film I wanted to see regardless, it was great we got to screen it this semester. The quality of the production was good, especially after Sony purchased rights got Matt Damon and was able to clean it up a bit and add additional shots and music.

I am not a financial market savvy person, so the film break-down the 2008 meltdown of not only our economy but the global economy was great to have.

The crises could have been prevented time & time again if business was done differently, the largest warning was the way ENRON went down. Board of Directors didn't do their jobs along with many others in key positions that could have been a whistle blower.

Deregulation and greed is what lead to the collapse. After being exposed to dividends, I hate them because they were a major player in this whole thing. Moreover, the fact the financial institutions were provide loans that they shouldn't have then foreclose and recoup by actually betting against their ow clients is bull-shit.

The culpable parties that did agree to interviews didn't expect the questions to be as detailed from the interviewer as they were and the moment he go specific they got aggravated and displayed their guilt for the camera by acting like an asshole.

Ultimately, I think that any financial institution should be held responsible for their assets and that the billions CEOs and executives made ought to be pulled back by the Federal Government and disbursed to the people in some way.

When I go for a Home Loan eventually I will make sure to find out as much as possible about the lending institution and its policies as possible.

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS - Aaron Poisson

2011-05-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

Despite the criticisms of the film about children being in death-camps, I found the film to be excellent. Those critics need a reality check that world isn't made of all flowers and candy and that sometimes dark things need to be conveyed.

Even though the enemy are the Nazi, the film-makers did an outstanding job in humanizing them through the lens of each persons motifs for doing what they did. I'm not justifying in anyway that genocide was the correct course of action, but each Nazi soldier had their reasons that typically were unselfish in some way in this story.

The cinematography was brilliant, the color correction/grading brought forth a grayish-blue feeling while having vivid yellows.

Bruno was not a saint of a boy, he was simply a curious lad that did not fall into all the brainwashing his elder sister did of the Nazi propaganda machine.

This film shows the strong Anthropological theme of self vs other, them for they are strange or different. Moreover, it demonstrates the holocaust did happen and that if we are not careful in this world that a people may suffer the same fate on the same scale as the Jews during WWII. It has occurred in other country's under the term "ethnic cleansing," and it needs to stop globally. The only way to achieve this is through inter-cultural understanding and will take a long time to achieve, if ever.

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP - Aaron Poisson

2011-05-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

The film was informative and interesting. And also proves that Banksy is a liar, for his company is who produced the film not Mr. Brainwash's!

Thierry Guetta aka M.B.W. Mr Brainwash, was the subject for Banksy's film that's based on the converse of the two originally. Thierry is a man that becomes immersed in one obsession that lead him to another. His filming of everything that moved Thierry described his obsession with filming was just as addictive as the strongest drug ever. By happenstance, his cousin 'Space Invader' brought him into the world of Street Art or graffiti.

I love the fact that Thierry or Mr. Brainwash was able to document the Street Art movement as he did and become part of that world so much that he then capitalized on it when he felt Banksy ordered him go do some art while he edited Thierry's film.

Thierry took it to heart and wanted to impress Banksy by shifting his obsession from filming to making street art and starting a studio by pouring all of his resources into it. Ultimately he scaled the shoulders of Banksy, Shepard Fairey [OBEY], and others to profit as much so or even maybe more so then Obey or Banksy.

The film did a great job of telling a chaotic story from many hours of footage that came from multiple sources.

The big question in the end asks us the viewers to decide, what is art and what is it worth? As Banksy's former art dealer states in the movie who is the joke on, is there even a joke? I discussed the film with my sister when I got home from class that evening after watching the film. Moreover, our conclusion was that art is subjective just like everything else. What is someone willing to pay for something in society? As the name implicitly states "suggested retail price" applies to everything around us we purchase whether it's art or anything else.

SiCKO - Aaron Poisson

2011-05-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

Was an eye-opening documentary by the infamous or famous Michael Moore. As soon as Professor Marshall began describing what the film was about, I instantly knew the film to be screened was SIiCKO, for I had watched the film last summer in Movies & Movie Going in America with Professor Stevens.

I feel that this Moore film shoes he has grown in experience because he did not prove his point through rage as he did in past films, but choose an empathetic mode for the Americans who were denied medical treatment because of our current system.

SiCKO used a fairly linear narrative to tell his story, but it was very effective. The hook at the beginning of the film that I feel gets attention are the demonstration of cases with various Americans who injured themselves without insurance, and Moore narrates well this film isn't about them it's about all of you Americans who DO have medical insurance and are Living the American Dream. This all takes place as 50's style happy music kicks in briefly.

What this film did for me was educated me to look into our Healthcare system and then say wow, I think I may move to Canada or France in about 10 years! When the Canadian, I believe, was informed that an American named Rick had to choose between which finger he could afford to save after his accident, he couldn't believe something like that would happen. He lost all 5-fingers in a similar accident but was afforded the ability to have his entire hand operated on by the country's medical system for free and immedietly. This is how America should be!

For me the most frustrating, yet touching section was while in Cuba Moore and the 911 workers received treatment floored me that a country like Cuba with fare less resources than ours could better diagnose and treat it's citizens then there is something very wrong with America's healthcare system.

MAN ON WIRE - Aaron Poisson

2011-05-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

This documentary was outstanding! The film noire-style introduction with Philips' narration and Nixon really got my attention. As a viewer I was engaged by the concept of life and death, and the dramatic cinematographic techniques used like macro shots with shallow depth of field. It was not a linear narrative but broken up into chunks that were paced well in telling the exploits of Mr. Phillip Petit and company.

What I liked most about them film were 2 aspects. Firstly, that this little band of law-breakers filmed and photographed most of their escapades. Secondly, we the audience get a sense of the comradery shared amongst the group. Unfortunately, it seemed that post the Twin Trade Towers act many of them ceased to be friends. I wonder if after the making of this film if they got back in touch, for Jean-Louise seemed as if he missed a dear friend.

Overall I was entertained and informed by this film and will most definitely share it with others. In closing, I also felt like Phillip resembled Alex from Clockwork Orange so in a way he too had his little pack of Droogies!

Man on the Wire- Alexis Diaz

2011-05-17T15:05:00.001-07:00

Man on the Wire
I thought the film “Man on the wire,” was a beautiful film for various reasons. I think the uniqueness of this man who had such an incredible talent was really intriguing and drew me in to the forgotten story of his journey. Not only was Philippe Petit an incredible entertainer but people were drawn into his amazing leadership skills. This allowed people to go along with his crazy ideas and find a way for them to make sense of his madness
Through the footage, photos and interviews you get to really know the life of Philippe. Originally I thought the man was insane, but as the film went on and the story unraveled I began to question whether he was insane or if he was just a man with a dream who had to accomplish it.
What really struck home for me was the footage of the Twin Towers being made and eventually the footage of Philippe on the roof of them. When he refers to being literally on top of the world something resonated inside of me. I had flashbacks of the days after 9/11 and how up until watching this film, I never really understood how great those two towers really were. ‘”
I thought this film was really well made because of the footage in the film that followed Philippe through out all of his journeys. I think that added an affect that got viewers to really understand the extremity of what this man was doing. I also thought that musical pieces chosen for this film added a great affect to what was going on throughout the film.
However what really grabbed my attention was the relationships and storylines going on throughout the film. The people being interviewed were all old friend of Philippe’s who has helped him in accomplishing his goals. None of these people still considered Phillipe their friend anymore. They claimed that the stardom had gotten to his head and he no longer appreciated them.
This made me wonder about the truthfulness to this film and why it was never released before 9/11. I wondered who was in charge of the footage and wondered why they waited so long to make a film. Those answers will probably never be 100% answered but they stuck with me as I reflect on this film.
Overall I thought this film had a powerful edge to it and allowed the audience to really understand the drastic measures to this man madness.

Sicko-JC Cornell

2011-05-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sicko was an extremely informative film. It really made me sick to my stomach to think how America treats it's citizens. Learning about all the different health care all over the world was very interesting. It made me want to live in Canada, France, or England. The price of medicine and hospital trips in the US is insane. In the perfect world the United States should have free health care. After all isn't the US supposed to be the land of the free? It was so terrible seeing the footage of the woman being dropped off on the side of the road in a taxi cab. Absolutely disgusting. Although I hate Michael Moore, I do think he did a great job in this film. He gained some respect in my eyes. Obama should change things and make it right.

Inside Job - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Inside Job, directed by Charles Ferguson takes a closer look at what brought about the financial meltdown. This documentary takes into Wall Street and lets us see what is happening behind those walls, behind those desks. The cinematography was good and so was the score of the film.

The people on Wall Street tend to have a selfish side to them and are stubborn, ignorant, and cocky. This film is a good eye opener because it does a great job summarizing what happened, what is happening, and what might happen. A man in the film said, "He was making millions and I thought he was smart, but found out he wasn't".

George Soros saying: “[Former CitiBank CEO] Chuck Prince famously said we have to dance until the music stops. Actually the music had stopped already when he said that.” I think this quote creates a good understanding of what went on Wall Street. They were trying to make money where it could not happen, pushing the envelope, where there is no more space.

Overall this film fits in the courses genre in taking a look at society and its actions and values. How humans can do what they do with disregard to others. It helped many people see the Financial Crisis the United States had and is slowly rebuilding. This is a great film for students in High School and College to learn from and apply themselves differently in the future. I would recommend this documentary.

Man on Wire (Jake W.)

2011-05-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

I found Man on Wire to be really interesting. I thought it was very entertaining for a documentary and it told a story that I was surprised I had never heard about before. I can't believe i never heard about a crazy french guy who walked across a wire between the Twin Towers. I thought Phillippe was a really interesting guy, but was definitely conceited. It was pretty sad to see him fulfill his life long dream, and in the process ruin his relationships with everyone close to him. In this sense he sort of reminded me of Tierry from Exit Through the Gift Shop. I thought Man on Wire had really high production value and they presented the story in an interesting way. It's cool to see a documentary use recreations like this one did, while still using original photographs. Some of the shots of Philippe walking across wires really instilled a sense of vertigo amongst viewers. I wonder if the reason this film wasn't made until 2008 was because Philippe's friends refused to allow their photography to be used. Overall, I think this documentary is really good for people of my generation to watch. Now that Philippe has been all but forgotten, along with the tragedy of the World Trade Center, this could be a good time to tell his story. Also, this is something that will never again occur, so having it documented is a miracle.

Sicko (Jake W.)

2011-05-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed Michael Moore's Sicko. It was extremely informative; however, in the end it did leave me wishing I lived in Europe or Canada. All of the horror stories from people having to pay so much money in the United States really opened my eyes to a problem I wasn't really aware of before. Obviously since my parents have always payed for my health insurance/ medical bills I haven't had too much experience in this field. I found the comparison of the two men who had their fingers cut off particulaly interesting. It's redicilous that in America a person would have to pay 80,000 dollars and still only be able to save one of their fingers, while in Canada they pay nothing and are able to have all five replaced. I was expecting Michael Moore to be very biased like he usually is, while he still sort of is you really find yourself siding with him in the end. Moore does a good job letting the people he asks questions to persuade the viewer rather than him doing it. I also found it interesting that in the United States the news is always trashing universal health care saying there are ridiculous waits for surgeries and the health care is second class. But according to all of the people in England, France, whatever those are hasty generalizations. It's interesting that in our country we allow middlemen such as HMO's to take our money and don't even question it. In fact we come out right and spread lies about the alternative way of doing things. In the end this documentary made me want to move to France.

Man on Wire

2011-05-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

I loved this film. I felt that, in using the storytelling abilities of all the people involved in the World Trade Center walk gave a broader definition of what really happened. All of those people held such strong emotions towards Philippe Petit that I couldn't help but feel a connection with him by the end of the film. the only thing that I didn't like was the re-enactment of the scenes in the twin towers. Although it was quite entertaining to see the two figures hidden beneath the tarp, I thought that it added too much of a cheesy aspect to the film. However, I found Petit's character to be extremely intriguing. Here is a man who followed his dreams. he knew what he wanted and he was willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goal. This is something to be admired. the fact that he is alone in the end does evoke some feelings of sympathy but at the same time, I feel that the only reason those people were in his life were to act as props on the Petit show. It was a great and engaging film.

Queen of the Sun - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

Queen of the Sun, directed by Taggart Siegel is an alternative look at the global bee crisis taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world. Together they reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature (IMDB).

This is our first documentary film of the semester and what I have to say is "wow". I was baffled at the fact what people do in order to have a bee colony in their backyard. From a London apartment to an Australian House to a New York City apartment, people around the world really are beekeepers. I don't understand what people see in the bees or in the process of making honey that would make me a beekeeper.

One interesting fact that I learned from this documentary was that honey can heal wounds. A lady from Australia put honey on her horses wounded leg and it healed quickly and nicely. There is no scarring or anything wrong with the horses leg.

A powerful force in this documentary was the score of the film. Without the score the emotional response to the video footage and interviews would be much less impacting. The score of the music personally kept me in with the movie. After a while the same information kept being repeated but by different people. Also there was no introduction to each of the people, so I did not know if they were a credible source. I would not recommend this film.

Triumph of the Will - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

Triumph of the Will, directed by Leni Riefenstahl is the infamous propaganda film of the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, Germany. This is the first of the World War II Holocaust films we are watching this year. But it is the only true propaganda film, where the light is shined upon the Nazi's, upon the "great" Germany. This documentary shows that everything is going great in Germany. How there is no such thing as concentration camps and jewish people dieing anywhere in sight. All of the citizens are happy with Hitler's rule and are willing to die for him without question. Versus the truth of the matter.

There is a scene in which the military are lined up and Hitler is giving a speech out. He does give a good speech from what I gathered, he really persuades the people and makes them believe him somehow! He was a good brainwasher.

This piece of propaganda art is said to be the greatest propaganda film created. I do concur with that statement because it does in fact completely censor out all negatives of the truth and keeps in the fake. There is nothing about this film that I believe in. Riefenstahl said she had no idea what was happening and just was filming another movie, but we all know that she knew what she was doing. I would recommend this film only for academic purposes like our documentary film course.

Killing in the Name - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

Killing in the Name, directed by Jed Rothstein is about a suicide bomber walked into Ashraf's wedding, killing 27 people. Now he is on a quest to confront terrorism around the globe. This film dealt with the horrors of radical muslim terrorists. What happened to Ashraf on his wedding night is one of the most tragic stories I have ever heard or seen. When you lose 27 people in one instant, life changes and you are left thinking why. For Ashraf to take his near death experience of a terrorist attack and channel it into a career of anti-terrosirm is remarkable.

This documentary showed how Ashraf went around the globe visiting both hostile and peaceful territories. An example is when Ashraf went to an institution where they were teaching young kids the way of a radial muslim. When he questions the kids on the recent attacks of Al-Queda they all say that it is justified and correct. Even when there is a video recording of a wife that lost her husband and child to a terrorist attack where one of there own colleges was the bomber. Killing in the Name, is a real eye opener to the harsh middle east world. How in fact muslims are attacking other muslims.

The documentary was overall good. It contained an interesting idea with current events implemented in it. The lighting was well done so was the cinematography. I was intrigued during the entire film because it was directed pretty solid. I would recommend this documentary.

Prisoners of Paradise - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Prisoners of Paradise, directed by Malcolm Clarke and Stuart Sender is a film that tells the true story of Kurt Gerron, a German-Jewish cabaret and film actor in the 1920s and 1930s who was sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp where he was commanded to write and direct a Nazi propaganda film. This film was pretty interesting in the sense that how far was Kurt Gerron willing to go in order to survive the Holocaust. Gerron could have avoided his tragedy if he had gotten on a plane in coach and come to the U.S. but because the airlines did not have a First Class seat available he refused to board. Not a smart move on Kurt's behalf, one that he probably regretted the rest of his life.

This film showed how the Nazi's lied to the jews in the concentration camps, getting the jews to act happy in a world filled with misery. Prisoners of Paradise also showed how ethically impossible it was for Gerron to get his fellow friends to actually do what he wanted, all knowing where they are going to be real soon. The timeline of events in Kurt's life were rapid, he went from Hollywood to Nazi concentration camp inmate over night. If he had taken that coach seat, maybe we wouldn't have been denied the potential great films Gerron might have created. All in all this film was interesting, but not whole lot of curb appeal unless you know who Kurt Gerron was.

Jesus Camp - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

Jesus Camp, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady is a documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham. This film is awful to say the least. Everything shown in this film except for the radio host is my opinion considered crazy and radicals. The people shown in this film seem completely disconnected from reality from the real world. They try and say that Global Warming does not exist when science proves it does. They say evolution is not real that is also did not happen, meanwhile there are cold hard facts that validate the theories. I feel for the children being brought up into this environment where they feel like they are completely right.

The segment consisting of breaking cups with a hammer is not only dangerous but also insane. Its a mug there is no evil in the mug, all you are doing to breaking a mug into many small pieces and creating a mess for someone to clean up. It is just a bunch of brainwashing that induces seizures sometimes, like when the boy was in a "trance", ahh no your not, you are having a seizure.

This documentary made me mad, it pissed me off because the people are so ignorant that they turn away at first sight if you don't believe in their ideas and just how everything was shown. Another scene where the children hold baby models and have their mouths taped is completely uncalled for and in my opinion disgusting. Who does that! I believe that this documentary gives some awareness to what kind of people there are out there and how we should stop this movement.

A Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

A Boy in the Striped Pajamas, directed by Mark Herman is set during World War II, a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences. This film's cinematography was great along with the acting done by Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon as Bruno and Shmuel. The film does a good job in capturing the audience into the world of an innocent kid trying to have fun in this new home. I like it how the movie incorporated a propaganda film being shown in Bruno's house.

The two questions to this particular film were: What is the truth? & Who is the enemy?

With those two questions in mind, the truth of the matter is that Bruno's father is a Nazi and he is a commander of a concentration camp. He would be convicted for crimes against humanity if he survived World War II. Now for who is the enemy, well that can be easily be said as the Nazi's but more specifically the father because ultimately it is the fathers fault that Bruno dies in the gas chamber with Shmuel.

The ending was necessary in order to get the message and emotion across the board. Bruno and Shmuel needed to be martyrs for the war in order for people to understand what their actions are causing. Now Bruno's father feels how it is to lose a son in war.

Waking Sleeping Beauty - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

Waking Sleeping Beauty, directed by Don Hahn is the art of modern animation is brought to life by a perfect storm of art, business and circumstance. This film was fun to watch to say the least. As part of the audience I got a behind the scenes look at Disney's animation studio. The entire history of Disney's Animation dept. was shown and it was an action packed ride. The way the film was shot made the audience feel like they were part of the team; from the reconstruction to the new building to the cutting edge technology they use now. In the film you saw how team members were lost. The death of an individual effected the entire the dept. and company but Disney bounced back and became stronger. When Frank Wells died I felt a little sad because he was the magic of the company.

Waking Sleeping Beauty also showed young directors in the early stages of their careers, like Tim Burton, Jeffrey Katzenburg, and etc. The creation of Beauty and the Beast was my favorite part of the movie because it showed all kinds of emotions and it was the strongest point of the film I believe. There really wasn't anything I disliked about the film, it was pretty straight forward. The only thing would have to be that it made some people look worse than they really are but a quick google search and you find the truth.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, directed by Ricki Sterna and Anne Sundberg is a documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old. This documentary was only appealing to me because it involved comedy and we got so see how a comedian works. Joan Rivers is a great comedian that I will agree with but this documentary was not good at all. I was not really interested about anything that was said in the film except for the stand up that was shown throughout the film, which I believe was implemented for a person like me to keep an interest in the film.

The film was shot pretty well in sense of cinematography. The only problem I find in this movie is the content, you need to be a Joan Rivers fan to truly enjoy this movie because it is a documentary on her. As for a view on how a documentary was done on a celebrity I would have to say this is pretty descent, maybe good, but not great. Joan rivers just has too much plastic surgery for a woman of her age, its hard to look at on a screen for 84min.

I did like the fact that she is still in business and how she never gives up.

Exit Through the Gift Shop - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by Banksy is the story of how an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner (Sundance Film Festival). The main character in this film is Thierry Guetta otherwise known as Mr. Brainwash. This was by far my favorite documentary of the semester because of all its contents. Street art, graffiti, heights, risky situations and more. The art that Banksy has done across the world is phenomenal. The film I believe focused on how street art affected one individual and caused him to become obsessed with it and create his own work. The Banksy directed this made it look like he had created a monster and he regrets it entirely.

Original film shot by Thierry was used in the film which I thought was very cool. It gave a good inside look on what actually happened instead of the usual reenactment. Also I have never seen a film about graffiti nor street art let alone one containing Banksy, one of the best.

The way in which this film was shot, made Thierry seem like an awful parent but passionate artist. He pursued his goal to befriend Banksy for several years before actually meeting him. His wife took care of the business and children back home. The film made him look selfish and manipulative. But at least in the end he made his money and went back to his family to regain some lost time spent on his hobby turned career.

Sicko - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

Sicko, directed by Michael Moore is a documentary comparing American health care to other nations and HMO stories. I would have to say that this film was interesting to say the least. As part of the audience I got to see how each nation's healthcare system is different and which is the best. After watching this film I could easily say that France has the best health care system in the world. They have government workers come to your house and do your laundry! The United States was ranked 37 on healthcare systems worldwide, which I am not surprised about, I am surprised about the Cuban healthcare. The buildings may not be cutting edge but the medicine and practices are all up to date and once again its all free!

The only part of the film that I think was a little over the top was when Moore brought does 9/11 rescue workers to Guantanamo Bay. It truly was unnecessary and stupid I think. The way the film was shot was pretty cool through interviews and events. The whole bit about the 24/7 on-call doctor was funny. I could not believe that an on-call doctor exists. Michael Moore once again did a great job getting his message across the board, that the U.S. Healthcare system is broken and needs to be repaired.

Man on Wire - Michael Perez

2011-05-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

Man on Wire, Directed by James Marsh is a Crime Documentary film. The film was shot pretty good, with old and new styles editing. The director wanted the audience to embrace Phillipe's world, but that did not go over to well. Phillipe did everything in his power to get to his goal, the way the film was shot it made Phillipe look like a selfish artist. The moment Phillipe reached his goal his life had been completed in a sense. The way all of his partners in crime spoke was that this was a once in a lifetime event and its only a memory now. Like they knew going into it that it was destined to end that they had to move on.

Phillipe shares similar traits with Mr. Brainwash from Exit Through the Gift Shop. Both being French Artists and manipulative. Both films also share similar traits in cinematography to directing to producing. I got the same feelings after watching Man on Wire that I got with Exit Through the Gift Shop. I would say the film was successful in that it sustained interest throughout the film. The story was interesting to say the least from a feat. standing point of view. I would recommend this documentary to anyone that is interested in documentaries.

Man on Wire

2011-05-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

“Man on Wire” was a documentary feature that followed the Frenchman Phillippe Petit and his friends on a their journey to tightrope across the twin towers. Despite, the good reviews that it received I found “Man on Wire” very hard to appreciate. David Faraci, a critic for chud.com stated that it was “not only a fun heist movie but also a moving tale of spiritual uplift and beauty.” On the contrary, I did not find the movie to be uplifting at all because after the tightrope walk across the towers was completed Petit cheated on his girlfriend and lost all of his friends. It is not surprising that, Gerald Peary, a critic of the Boston Phoenix, stated, “Petit is a whale of a story teller and recalls with relish the chilling details of that amazing day.” I found Petit to be completely self-absorbed and crazy. His friends may have been drawn to him because of his artistic prowess and dramatic personality but after Petit completed his goal of walking across the twin towers he completely abandoned his friends who helped him achieve his goal.

Amy Blancol, a top critic of the Houston Chronicle stated, “though we know how it ends, it unfolds with suspense, and although it lacks any discussion of the towers’ destruction it succeeds as a tribute to their birth.” I agree with Blancol that the movie succeeded as a tribute to the building of the twin towers, the pictures of the towers in the movie brought back memories of their largess and their striking image in the New York City skyline. However, I disagree with Blancol that the movie unfolded with suspense because the movie depicted the effort and hard work behind one distinct event it seemed to drag-on, making time seem still. Similar to Blancol’s review, Allan Hunter, of Screen International stated it was a “highly entertaining and extremely accessible film.” I think that in the viewing and appreciation of art, your mood has a great impact. Since I am about to graduate college and everything is moving at a rapid pace, I was unable to appreciate the slow-moving film. Although, it was hard for me to appreciate the depth of the movie now, I plan to watch the movie again when I am at a different stage in my life and see if I find it more intriguing and less boring.

All reviews cited in the above blog entry came from: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/man_on_wire/

Accessed: May 15, 2011

sicko - tony Verrochi

2011-05-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

I loved this film. I am so happy that you showed this in class. Although you say it depresses us, I like these films because its a little reality that people should know about it. My entire life my parents have paid for everything that I have needed. After watching this film it has really hit me how much money that I need to make in order to pay for everything in my life. Paying for insurance is really expensive, I had no idea how much it really costs plus all the other bills I will need to pay.

I was shocked that USA was number 37 in the rankings for best health care systems, that was only two spots away from Cuba. That is pretty embarrassing. I dont get why the politicians of America wanted to fight Hilary Clinton's proposal. Dont they pay for health insurance too? Dont they know how much money it costs, and why wouldn't they want it to be free if they could. Doesn't money mean the same to everyone? Free is free.

I always though France was just a joke of a country and it had nothing going for it. They sure as hell have their head on straight though. TRhey get all of those sick days and have 5 weeks of vacation time. That is rediculous, its sick almost. Same thing with Canada, I always thought that they couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag but they have a good health care system. I just dont understand why the people of America did not want a universal health care system. Its probably because the politicians in America say all these different thing on television and the people of America believe it because it was shown on television. Everything on tv people seem to believe.

I like the interviews that michael moore put together. They were very credible sources from different countries and ones also from the United States. Im glad he did this film the way that he did it gives you real insight on what actually happened without all the political bullshit.

Man on wire - Tony Verrochi

2011-05-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

I had mixed feelings about this movie. I liked the idea of the film that was created. Walking on a tight rope from one world trade center building to the other is extremely difficult. I have to give the guy and his team credit. I would never walk on a tight rope nevermind be up hundreds of stories. I also have to give them credit because it took a lot of courage to sneak their way to the top of the buildings multiple times. They had to get by security and stay hidden for hours before they could plan what they needed to. That takes dedication and some bravery.

I didnt like the movie only because of the character who walked the rope. He was a little too wierd and dedicated to tight rope walking for me. I felt bad for the women in the film she was so dedicated to her man and then he just screweed her over in the end. She stayed with him for so long and then when he gets famous for one day he just cheats on her. Hes not famous enough to pull a stunt like that.

I like the way that the movie was put together. It jumped back and forth from present time to the past. It kept me involved becasue I wanted to see what was going to happen next in the present but we were stuck in the past. The main character really pissed me off though becasue hes just hanging on to this for too long. It happened way to long ago for the size of the ego he represents.