2015 [in films – documentary]
Of the 160 movies I watched in 2015, 44 of them were documentaries. That means that roughly one third (28%) of the hours of film I absorbed were factual accounts of the world around us. From finally watching 1990’s groundbreaking Paris is Burning to cramming in as many of the Oscar Documentary shortlist films, I managed to see films about religion, culture, crime, history and more. I didn’t see some of the most talked about docs of the year, including Michael Moore’s latest Where to Invade Next, Laurie Anderson’s Heart of a Dog, or Josh Oppenheimer’s follow up to The Act of Killing, The Look of Silence among them. That said, I feel…
Have Cold, Will Netflix
Following a successful apartment-hunting trip to Chicago (details soon), I managed to come down with a super fun cold a full blown sinus infection that knocked me out of commission for a few days. I tried going into the office, but I think the only thing I accomplished was getting my coworkers sick… So I stayed home instead, the wonder of VPNs keeping me connected to work and the wonder of streaming TV keeping me entertained. I end up watching A LOT of streaming TV, what with no cable and no roommates (kids, significant other, etc) to claim my attention. I put it on in the background while I clean my apartment,…
Watch This: Gilmore Girls
I lost a couple weeks in the real world recently, and I’d like to blame it on this bitch of a cold I’ve been fighting – it knocked me out from work for half a week, and two weeks after the first sneeze my ears are still blocked and I can’t kick this cough*. But if I’m being honest, what’s kept me homebound most nights and up later than I normally am wasn’t the aches and chills. No, I was in the throes of a Netflix binge, one that saw me experience every stage in its fullest glory – discovery, commitment, detachment, denial and satisfaction. You see, I was binging on…
Watch This: BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
It happened this week: Blue is the Warmest Color hit Netflix streaming. I’ve already written how moving I found this film, what a compelling performance Adele Exarchopoulos delivers. No matter. The news that the film is now streaming on Netflix merits mentioning it yet again. The film didn’t get any recognition at the Oscars. The rumor I read was that France didn’t submit it as their Best Foreign Language pick because the US distributor thought they could finagle nominations in the main categories (Picture, Actress, etc.). Which certainly isn’t unheard of (Life is Beautiful), but unfortunately didn’t pan out. In the waning days of winter, I can’t recommend hunkering down for…
Watch This: Brooklyn Castle
I am a documentary junkie. I watch documentaries like your grandma watches her soaps – often and voraciously. A well-made documentary is one of the most compelling uses of visual storytelling, and I’m always on the hunt for a new one. Enter Brooklyn Castle. From 2012, this is not your typical public-education-is-broken documentary. In fact, the filmmaker has said she wanted to turn her camera on something going well for a change. And did she ever. I.S. 318 in Brooklyn, NY is an urban middle school where more than 70% of students live below the poverty line. It’s also a school with a chess team that’s won national championships year after…
Maybe Watch This: Scandal
Last year (earlier this year on my funemployment break?), I mainlined the first seven episodes of Scandal like it was my job. The first seven episodes of Scandal are like Aaron Sorkin-lite, this perfectly approachable, appropriately sexy housewife version of intelligent, edgy TV. Which is saying quite a lot, honestly. The first seven seasons of Scandal end in a perfectly frustrating cliffhanger that meant that since watching those seven episodes in quick succession, when anyone’s even hinted at the second season and where that cliffhanger might’ve led to, I’ve changed the topic or the channel or the webpage so as not to spoil it. Netflix knows I watched (and liked)…
