BuzzSugar

This Is It: A Worthy Final Farewell

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700

Making a tribute film after the death of an icon is a difficult undertaking - how do you do justice to his or her life without making it feel overblown? But the new Michael Jackson documentary, This Is It manages to strike that balance. The anticipation for its limited release has been building for more than a month now when early ticket purchases broke sales records, and most of you said you wanted to see the film as well. I was worried about how the doc would measure up to the hype, but I'm satisfied with the final product.

This Is it follows Jackson in his final days preparing for his sold-out tour. MJ emerges dressed in a button-down, shades on, and with director Kenny Ortega at his right hand, as we get a front row seat at the rehearsals. It proves to be an intimate look at the performer who, even at 50, still had a fiery passion for his craft. Most of us will enjoy witnessing it here on the big screen, while others may leave the theater feeling even more disappointed about never getting to see the live show. To see what I mean, read more.

MJ fan or not, you can't see this film without feeling awestruck by his dramatic flair as an artist. His voice is still on point, and his every movement on stage is punctuated by a flick of the wrist or a kick - it's like the music surges inside him and he has to stream it out through his fingertips. He still had the magic only weeks before his death.

While Jackson's dance skills may be a given, I was actually taken aback by how hands on he was in all facets of his tour. This is It shows him working on everything from green screen films to teaching choreography to attending band rehearsals. These sneak peeks provide surprisingly funny moments, but one of the loud-and-clear messages of the film is that Jackson did this for his fans. All of the popular favorites are included - "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," and "Thriller," of course. Jackson knew that's what the audience wanted, and he was happy to give it to us - while wearing his signature sparkly gold pants and a fedora.

The doc does have its drawbacks; some of the footage starts to feel stale midway through, and the film feels too long at nearly two hours. Still, I understand why the editors didn't cut anything in honor of Jackson's memory. Each song was important to him and he wanted listeners to hear his message. (He even speaks on his concern for environmental causes in the film). Before the closing credits, Jackson says he wants to "remind the world that love is important" - and even after his death, he manages to do so by leaving us with memories of a man who never stopped loving his fans or the music.

Obama's Mama Gets Her Own Feature-Length Documentary

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:30:44 -0700

President Obama has his own documentary coming from Edward Norton, and now Obama's mother is becoming the focus of a feature-length documentary film titled Stanley Ann Dunham: A Most Generous Spirit. The project will portray Obama's upbringing with Dunham in Indonesia and Hawaii, and will also highlight Dunham's "pioneering work in the field of Third World microfinance, which assists small entrepreneurs, mostly women, in developing countries." Executive producer Mary Aloe stated:

She gave a lot of the backbone to our current president and his compassion to the people. With these small-scale economies, she took a concept that was emerging just as women were getting their rights and got them to think outside the box. She is a fascinating woman, and she was ahead of her time.

There certainly seems to be enough fodder for a feature-length movie. Do you think you'll want to check out this documentary about Obama's mama?

Movie Preview: Art and Copy

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:30:23 -0700

While I have a few friends who work in advertising, I love getting a closer (though obviously dramatized) peek into the old days of the industry every week when I watch Mad Men. We're inundated by advertisements every day, and it's fascinating to see what goes on behind the scenes before an ad makes its way to our TVs, billboards, and favorite websites. To those uninvolved in the industry, it's an intriguing profession.

So I'm very curious to check out Art & Copy, a documentary that aims to reveal "the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time - people who've profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry." It's an oft-maligned industry but still one that requires - and has featured - some outstandingly creative minds.

Art & Copy is currently having a limited run in theaters. To check out the trailer, read more.

Movie Preview: Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:30:24 -0700

You either like him or you hate him, so chances are, if you're actually reading this post, you probably like him at least enough to be curious about his latest documentary. Having made films about General Motors, gun control, and the healthcare industry (to name a few), director Michael Moore is at it again, this time taking a look at the economy. His documentary Capitalism: A Love Story examines "the global financial crisis and the U.S. economy during the transition between the incoming Obama Administration and the outgoing Bush Administration." Moore himself says the movie's "got it all - lust, passion, romance, and 14,000 jobs being eliminated every day."

The movie opens Oct. 2. To watch the trailer, read more.

Movie Preview: Chris Rock's Documentary, Good Hair

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:30:14 -0700

Chris Rock's documentary Good Hair already made me feel a little emotional back in January when I saw the video of him talking about his project just before it screened at Sundance. In that video, Rock explains that he always believed that if he told his daughter how beautiful she is and how much he loves her all the time, he could help her avoid developing self-esteem issues. But his daughter still told her dad that she didn't like her hair - she wanted "good hair." In his movie, Rock explores this topic - the hair industry in general and the idea of "good hair."

The new trailer for his film is great - entertaining and funny, but also thought-provoking. The movie will have a limited release starting Oct. 9. To check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Movie Preview: John Hughes Documentary, Don't You Forget About Me

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:30:22 -0700

In this little work-of-heart documentary film Don't You Forget About Me, a group of fans travels around on a quest to find and interview beloved director John Hughes. They manage to interview various Hollywood types - mostly actors from Hughes' movies who reflect back on their old director, though others, like Kevin Smith, also add in their two cents. Interestingly, Molly Ringwald apparently refused to participate in the project.

Very soon after Hughes' sudden death last week, a distributor snatched up world rights to the documentary, which Variety describes as "a 75-minute, Roger and Me-like road trip in which Austin-Sadowski and his producers Kari Hollend, Mike Facciolo and Lenny Panzer head to suburban Illinois in their van to try to find the reclusive Hughes. It was made without public funding, something extremely rare in Canadian cinema." So hopefully it will be in theaters before too long.

"No one in my estimation has come close to what John achieved," a voice states toward the end of the trailer. These words ring more poignant now than ever before. To check out the trailer for Don't You Forget About Me, read more.

TV Tonight: Prom Night in Mississippi

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:30:20 -0700

Ever since I read a New York Times story about the enduring tradition of segregated proms at some Southern high schools, I've been curious to see the documentary Prom Night in Mississippi. The film, which premieres on HBO tonight, tells the story of Charleston, Mississippi, which held its first integrated prom in 2008 with the urging (and funding) of Morgan Freeman.

Sounds uplifting . . . but there's more to the story. Though the prom is embraced by both the school administration and the students themselves, some parents organize a separate "whites only" prom and ban their children from attending the integrated dance. The filmmakers' cameras were forbidden from the "whites only" dance, too - so those parts of the story are told through graphic novel-style segments based on the memories of students who did attend.

But despite the conflict, says HBO, "When prom night arrives, the event is a huge success, with live soul and rap music, a packed dance floor and a pre-recorded appearance on a big screen by Freeman, who cannot attend in person due to a prior acting commitment. There is a sense that history is being made, and that the students have somehow grown from being a part of the process." Did that happen? A follow-up, Prom Night in Mississippi: One Year Later, is available OnDemand and revisits the school this Spring, telling the story of the second integrated prom - held alongside another "whites only" dance.

To check out a preview for this film, just read more.

Source

Movie Preview: The Way We Get By

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:30:06 -0700

Warning: If you're something of a sap, as I am, the trailer for this documentary The Way We Get By will make you cry a little. Or a lot. I've already mentioned (a few times) that I get misty at pretty much anything having to do with older folks - especially documentaries, and especially when there are poignant scenes of these older folks welcoming home soldiers returning from the Iraq War. The movie's website describes the movie like this:

Beginning as a seemingly idiosyncratic story about troop greeters (a group of senior citizens who gather daily at a small airport to thank American soldiers departing and returning from Iraq) the film quickly turns into a moving, unsettling and compassionate story about aging, loneliness, war and mortality.

So, you know, the light stuff. Critics seem to love this movie, and from the trailer I think I can see why. There appears to be a New York premiere, but I'm not sure where else the film will open theatrically. Surely it will be on DVD before too long. To check out the trailer, read more.

Movie Preview: An Arrested Development Documentary

BuzzSugar — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:30:04 -0700

Until that oft-discussed Arrested Development movie starts to move forward for real, there is at least another fun AD-related movie in the works. A couple of self-proclaimed "Arrested Development superfans" came up with the idea to put together an "Arrested Development Documentary Project" (working title) as a way "to take our passion for the show and couple it with the countrywide fan base to educate others and make them aware of this TV gem." Here's more:

The overall goal of the documentary is to provide awareness and education of this brilliant, witty and original comedy. We are looking to interview viewers, cast, crew and any other industry figures that are fans or critics of the show.

At first I assumed this was just a cute little fan project that might not look all that professional, but after watching a video from it (which I've posted after the jump), I find that I'm completely wrong. This is one movie that will be required watching for anyone who considers himself/herself an AD fan. I can't wait to see it! You can check out the video if you read more.

Many more videos from the project are available here.

Source: IMDB

Movie Preview: It Might Get Loud

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:30:58 -0700

One of the things I like best about the documentary Comedian is getting to hear the perspectives of comedians from several different generations, and the new documentary It Might Get Loud looks like it does something similar with a few musicians. It Might Get Loud is "a documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians: the Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White." White clearly has great admiration for those who have rocked before him, and it's cool to watch these guys talk shop.

The documentary will get a limited release starting Aug. 14. To check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics