America’s Film Legacy
America’s Film Legacy 2009-2010
Category Archives: Documentary
Little Richard: I Am Everything review
In Little Richard: I Am Everything, Richard Penniman says, “I’m the emancipator, the architect. I’m the one that started it all.” But director Lisa Cortés has a more ambitious agenda. For her, Little Richard is rock’s ultimate victim. A self-professed … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary, Film Festivals
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Moonage Daydream review: pieces of Bowie
How much you like David Bowie, and when you started liking him, will determine how you respond to Moonage Daydream. Written, directed, produced, and edited by Brett Morgen, the documentary provides an exhaustive account of very specific sections of Bowie’s … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary, Music, New Releases, Uncategorized
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Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: Behind making “Wildflowers”
Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free resurrects 16mm footage documenting the making of Wildflowers, the musician’s second solo outing, between 1993 and 1995. Best for Petty completists, the documentary is a shambling, shaggy-haired look at a lost world. Drinks, drugs, … Continue reading
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SXSW returns online
Last year’s SXSW festival was underway when it fell victim to the pandemic lockdown. This year’s edition took place online, a necessary but regrettable compromise that doesn’t really satisfy anyone. On the plus side, titles previously out of bounds to … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary, Film Festivals, New Releases
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76 Days review: Inside Wuhan’s ICUs
More a document than a documentary, 76 Days unfolds in the ICU units and critical care wards of hospitals in Wuhan, China, ground zero for the Covid-10 outbreak. Filmed on the fly, the film captures the hysteria and desperation of … Continue reading
Posted in Asian, Documentary, Film Festivals, Streaming
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NYFF Post Mortem: Streaming a Festival
Yes, the pandemic has changed everything about the movie industry, from production to exhibition. Unable to hold in-person screenings, theater owners have turned to the only viable alternative, streaming, in the process accelerating the decline of their livelihood. Even without … Continue reading
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Aswang review: The victims of Duterte’s drug war
In Filipino folklore, an “aswang” is a shapeshifting demon, the monster parents use to frighten their kids. For director Alyx Ayn Arumpac, the aswang is a metaphor for the current state of the Philippines. How else to explain the 30,000+ … Continue reading
Posted in Asian, Documentary, Film Festivals, Streaming
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Fighting for kids in the doc My Name Is Pedro
Opening virtually after touring festivals in 2017, My Name Is Pedro is a bare-bones, unprepossessing documentary about Bronx-born educator Pedro Santana. Making her feature documentary debut, director Lillian LaSalle takes a narrowly focused story and connects it to larger themes … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary, Streaming, Uncategorized
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Unprescribed documentary: vets need better health care
Veterans put their lives on the line to defend our country, only to be ignored when they need help. Unprescribed, a documentary by Steve Ellmore, questions the use of opioids to address a host of problems related to PTSD. Tough, … Continue reading
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Rebuilding Paradise review: After the Fire
The Camp Fire on November 8, 2018, claimed 85 victims and destroyed nearly all of Paradise, California. Rebuilding Paradise, a new documentary from director Ron Howard, follows the community through a year-long recovery period. Best known for commercial blockbusters like … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary, New Releases
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