Directed by Bill Morrison Dawson City: Frozen Time covers the Gold Rush, the history of film and the quick rise and decline of a small town in Western Canada, all instigated by the 1978 discovery of old silent films believed to have been lost forever. Outside of the opening and closing handful of minutes there … Continue reading Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016)
documentary
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018)
Directed by Marina Zenovich Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind tries to do a little of everything. It's a look at the life and career, from start to finish, of comedian Robin Williams. It's an interesting look at the comedian turned celebrity's career, but it's hard to differentiate this from any number of celebrity documentaries … Continue reading Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018)
Rich Hill (2014)
Directed by Andrew Droz Palermo, Tracy Droz Tragos Rich Hill is a tiny town in Missouri, with a population barely over a thousand people. Rich Hill the documentary chronicles a short amount of time in the lives of three young boys and the people who surround them. Living in poverty, they are all pushing against certain … Continue reading Rich Hill (2014)
Burden of Dreams (1982)
Directed by Les Blank "If I abandon this project I would be a man without dreams, and I don't want to live like that." - Werner Herzog Burden of Dreams documents the making of Werner Herzog’s Fitzarraldo (1982), an epic shot in the Peruvian jungle. Like with Apocalypse Now this was a long, troubled production … Continue reading Burden of Dreams (1982)
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
Directed by Morgan Neville I have a running list of movies that make me cry, and you can add Won't You Be My Neighbor to that list. It's not an outright tearjerker, but there are moments clearly meant to tug on your heart strings, and they certainly do. That shouldn't surprise you. This documentary about the very … Continue reading Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
Andre the Giant (2018)
Directed by Jason Hehir Andre the Giant charts the career and life of André René Roussimoff, a 7'4" wrestler from France who bridged the gap between the early, regional days of WWE and the national, cable-driven heights of the performative sport. Through the lens of his life the film discusses celebrity, myth, fame and the toll … Continue reading Andre the Giant (2018)
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Directed by Steve James Hoop Dreams was meant to be a 30 minute PBS documentary on Chicago street culture through the eyes of kids playing playground basketball. It ended up as a near 3 hour feature documentary with over 300 hours of footage. When it was released, 8 years after shooting began, the film would … Continue reading Hoop Dreams (1994)
I’m Carolyn Parker (2011)
Directed by Jonathan Demme Jonathan Demme met Carolyn Parker in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans in August of 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina. She had moved back into her home before anyone else on her block, living inside under conditions not many people would put up with. Damaged walls outlining the house … Continue reading I’m Carolyn Parker (2011)
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Directed by Errol Morris The Thin Blue Line is a documentary about the murder of a Dallas police officer and the wrongful conviction of Randall Adams for that murder. Like Errol Morris' previous two documentaries (which I adore), there is no narration, even though this is one of those true crime stories that have become … Continue reading The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Gates of Heaven (1978)
Directed by Errol Morris Gates of Heaven, Errol Morris' first documentary, was destined for obscurity until Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel chose to champion the film, with Ebert putting it as one of his top ten films of all time. Like his follow up, Vernon, Florida, this documentary is composed of a series of interviews with recurring … Continue reading Gates of Heaven (1978)
idrawonmywall.com 