— by WILLIAM STERR — Once upon a time, when we were very young, our parents read us stories. In these stories, fairies danced in the moonlight, pirates buried wonderful treasures, cows jumped over the goodnight moon, and a handful of stuffed animals came to life and played with their lit[...]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Review: In the Shadow of Beirut
— by BEV QUESTAD — I came of intellectual age in 1970. Palestinian women, dressed in oppressively hot black, sat on sheets on the sidewalks I had to navigate on my daily walk to the American University of Beirut. My dad had always told me giving money to beggars only reinforced their beg[...]
Review: South of Sanity
— by WILLIAM STERR — At last! A movie that accurately portrays the denizens of our southern states – “South of Sanity.” Actually, no. “South of Sanity” does poke fun at the negative sterotypes of white southern folks, specifically Alabamans, but in the same sort of way that the[...]
Review: Biosphere
— by WILLIAM STERR — Ray and Billy have been friends since childhood. Really close friends. So close that Billy refers to them as “brothers from different mothers.” Ray is black. Billy is white. They even live together, although theirs is not a romantic relationship. Oh, and one more[...]
Review: Sam Now
— by BEV QUESTAD — Back in 2000, three teenage boys lost their mother, Jois. It’s usually the rebellious teen who runs away, but the tables got turned in this true-life mystery. Jois left her job and almost everyone she knew without a note. Initially, it was assumed she just went on a [...]
Review: Anonymous Sister
— by BEV QUESTAD — In the ’80s, when his girls were about 2 and 3 years old, Dad brought home a video camera. His precocious little girls with fuzzy blond hair and his beautiful wife were his subjects. They were bundles of energy, happiness and cuteness. Soon, the youngest girl, Ja[...]
Review: Citizen Stan
— by WILLIAM STERR — This is a documentary about a man who has devoted his life to the search for peace and justice here within the United States and around the world – even when that meant arguing against the powers-that-be here. Stanley K. Sheinbaum was born into a well-to-do Jewish [...]
Review: Who We Are
— by BEV QUESTAD — My best friend and I thought we knew what needed to be known. We really weren’t enthused about the title or the short blurb describing this film, but we decided to give it 10 minutes. I turned on “Who We Are” and we forgot about our timing. When Jeffery Robinson [...]
Review: Barbie Nation
— by WILLIAM STERR — This history of the Barbie Doll opens with a scene from a Barbie convention. An elaborate Barbie Doll in a custom dress is being auctioned off. It goes for $4,250 and the buyer, in her own Barbie inspired clothing, is ecstatic. From there a montage continues from Bar[...]
Review: Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire
— by BEV QUESTAD — With 413 active spring fires raging in cool springtime Canada, of all places, and cutting visibility and breathable air in a good chunk of northeastern America, something has got to be done about the growing fire epidemic. What was once thought an isolated plague in Ca[...]
Review: The Stroll
— by WILLIAM STERR — This is the story of the trans women sex workers who spent parts of their lives working the streets of New York City’s meatpacking district – an area informally know as “The Stroll.” These women, from a variety of backgrounds and of different races, each foun[...]
Review: Renfield
— by WILLIAM STERR — Nicolas Cage: Oscar winner, Golden Globe winner, SAG winner, all time Blockbuster Entertainment (yeah, the video store people) award winner, and frequent Razzie nominee. You never know who you’re going to get with a Nick Cage movie – in fact, in “The Unbearable[...]
Review: Users
— by BEV QUESTAD — I’m a documentary fan. I love learning and, as long as it is well-substantiated, I love viewing an in-depth, non-fiction perspective on something. However, there are several types of docs and, in my opinion, they are not equally entertaining or informative. So, I don[...]