Last couple of weeks I've watched some movies about movies... The Cutting Edge - The Magic of Movie Editing (2004) Making Waves - The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) and rewatched Side by Side (2012) [coincidentally ^^ ] and on Mubi some Agnès Varda documentaries: Along The Coast (1958) Daguerréotypes (1976) The Gleaners And I (2000) The Beaches Of Agnès (2008)
The Sparks Brothers, the documentary about the longstanding, much-lauded LA band who never quite made it on their home turf. It arrived on Netflix yesterday and I watched it straight away. And it's a very entertaining doc that held my attention for all of its rather-long-for-a-rockumentary two hours plus, even if it didn't ultimately make me a Sparks fan (I've been aware of them for about 40 years but until the doc hadn't heard more than a half dozen or so of their songs). Heck, I might watch it again over the weekend.
I really enjoyed the doc more than the band's music. I had a couple of their albums but haven't been into the music for years, but I do appreciate the band for it's work ethic and independence.
The Rescue On Disney+, about the kids' soccer team that got stuck in a cave. Very highly recommended!
Beanie Mania on HBO Max was enjoyable. I missed seeing some QVC footage. They had a big part in it and often seemed to be in some kind of spiritual ecstasy. It's nice to know they are still around and people enjoy them. Apple is making a movie.
On Rotten Tomatoes: Three critical reviews, two positive one negative. Audience gave it a 38%. Typical TV docu-drama. Read the book!
Ken Burns — The 10th Inning (2010) Just about 1 hour into this 4 hour follow-up to Burn’s much longer, and better known Baseball documentary (The 10th Inning picks up in 1994). Just something we DVR’ed several months ago off PBS.
Records Twenty-five years ago, filmmaker Alan Zweig launched his documentary career with Vinyl - a portrait of compulsive record collectors, including himself, and his own mixed feelings about collecting. Zweig argued with collectors who said they collected "for the music." In Records, he does it again but there's no ambivalence this time. It's a celebration of records and music, however it comes to you.
Just watched this last night, Mourning Son. It is the story of Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction and RHCP, how his mother was murdered by a jealous lover when he was a teenager and the lasting emotional damage he endured as a result. Some stuff in there that is definitely not for the weak of heart or stomach. Really explains a lot about the guy and his struggles over the years.
I just watched Tiny Tim: King for a Day, which is excellent and fascinating - but very sad, as it turns out.
Wow - A documentary about Michael Des Barres. Will wonders never cease? I always thought he spent more time playing a rock star on bad episodic television shows than actually being one. I may need to watch this. I recently binge watched the entire Tiger King saga on Netflix. It's fascinating but I can't help getting that same vibe I used to get from those Discovery channel 'reality' shows like the one about the Amish Mafia, etc. You really don't know how much is real and how much is made up.
They were the Attenborough ones on 4k bluray. The PQ is breath-taking. The series are also top notch. If only those that own and run the world(thats not Joe Doakes) then this world would not be in the mess its in.