Sunday, October 17, 2010

Peering into other people's lives...

So this weekend I decided I really wasn't going to venture out of my pj's and bed for much more than food or bathroom breaks.  I'd spent all my money last week on Gage so I had no other real options.  While I was searching for sites to watch RuPaul's Drag Race I was routed onto NetFlix's site and decided, what the hell, to sign up.  It's free for 30 days so if it sucks, I'll bail.  So while I'm bummed that most of the tv shows I actually care to watch aren't offered on NetFlix, I was quite pleased with the selection of Documentaries they have available.  I've watched three so far and all three I would recommend.

1. I Think We're Alone Now
I Think We're Alone Now is a feature length documentary about two people in love with Tiffany (yup, that Tiffany from the 80's). They have been labeled stalkers by the media, but neither of them even consider themselves fans. They call themselves friends. I know I shouldn't laugh at mental illness, but man these two made it really hard to sympathize with them.  It's surreal and in itself crazy that this shit exists.

2.Confessions of a Superhero
Confessions of a Superhero is a feature length documentary that chronicles the lives of three mortal men and one woman who make their living working as superhero characters on Hollywood Boulevard.  This deeply personal look into their daily routines reveals their hardships and triumphs as they pursue and achieve their own kind of fame.  The Hulk sold his Super Nintendo for a bus ticket to LA; Wonder Woman was a mid-western homecoming queen; Batman struggles with his anger, while Superman’s psyche is consumed by the Man of Steel.  Although the Walk of Fame is right beneath their feet, their own paths to stardom prove to be long, hard climbs. (hint:  Batman steals the show)

3. Dear Zachary
"Stamping it bluntly, Dear Zachary is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen and I am not prone to such hyperbolic statements.  Kurt Kuenne has remarkably turned this into a furious lightning bolt of reminiscence and outrage that is going to reach into each viewer's chest and squeeze their heart like a tomato in a vice.  Dear Zachary unfolds like a masterful thriller that never loses respect for the wake its tragedies have left.  And still, by the end when we're exhausted and ready to collapse under the weight of our tears and anger, Kuenne has created an absolute love letter to the art of parenting...it's the best documentary of its kind.  This is Oscar-worthy material and hopefully enough people on the committees will see it and cast a vote for next year." - Erik Childress, eFilmCritic.com 
**I couldn't think of any way to describe it better.  This movie story effected every emotional fibre of my being.  I felt like my heart broke and I felt outraged and angry.  I also felt my heart swell and I can't remember crying as hard during and following a film.  Please take a moment to watch it, let this film not have been made in vain.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for these reviews, I am going to try and watch these this weekend. They all look really good.

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  2. You won't be sorry. I promise. Get the tissues out for Dear Zachary though, no joke.

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  3. Dear Zachary is heart wrenching. You need LOTS of tissues and prepare to be very angry.

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