Stay tuned for more giveaways here at The Documentary Blog!

It’s been a while, but we’ve got another DVD giveaway thanks to the great folks over at Oscilloscope Laboratories. This time around it’s the punk-rock daddy documentary The Other F Word, which hits DVD January 31st, 2012. Here’s the synopsis:

This revealing and touching film asks what happens when a generation’s ultimate anti-authoritarians – punk rockers – become society’s ultimate authorities – dads. With a large chorus of punk rock’s leading men – Blink-182′s Mark Hoppus, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath – THE OTHER F WORD follows Jim Lindberg, a 20-year veteran of the skate punk band Pennywise, on his hysterical and moving journey from belting his band’s anthem ”F–k Authority,” to embracing his ultimately authoritarian role in mid-life: fatherhood.

As always, Oscilloscope gives their releases the royal treatment, and this one is no different. Here’s a look at the special features included on this disc:

Feature length audio commentary with Jim Lindberg (Pennywise / The Black Pacific), Art Alexakis (Everclear), director Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, and producer Cristan Reilly
Outtakes – including Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo) and Dr. Drew
Acoustic performance outtakes of “Father of Mine” (Art Alexakis) and “Swing Life Away” (Tim McIlrath)
Post-screening Q&A at SXSW Film Festival premiere
Music videos by The Black Pacific: “Living With Ghosts” and “The System”
Original theatrical trailer

If you’d like to enter for a chance to win a copy of The Other F Word on DVD, simply send me an email here with ‘F WORD’ in the subject line. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address and I will announce the winner sometime next week. Good luck!

Ever wonder what Al Bundy and the Asian guy from the Black Eyed Peas might have to say about Bruce Lee? You’ll find out in the all-new Spike TV produced (I’ve been informed this was NOT produced by Spike TV) feature documentary, ‘I Am Bruce Lee’. The trailer is cut together using only three elements: footage from Lee’s films, footage from a single Lee interview, and talking head interviews provided by celebrities/experts/athletes, some of whom occasionally perform karate moves during their interviews. I can’t say I’m the biggest Bruce Lee fan myself, so maybe I’m not the right person to judge, but this trailer felt pretty uninspired. The film looks like an attempt at mixing Senna with Not Quite Hollywood, but the scope seems fairly limited and the content fairly shallow. Let’s face it, this trailer is completely void of any sort of interesting insight or observations beyond some lifeless soundbites. Here’s one of my favourite quotes from the aforementioned Black Eyed Peas guy: “That’s the vibe that Bruce Lee taught me…is to always bring it.” Interesting. Some other great lines:

“He was like the Elvis of marshal arts.”
“The moves that he could do…when you were wondering if they would speed up the camera.”
“That’s some cool stuff right there.”

To be fair, it’s only natural for the trailer to force in as many celebrity faces saying as many uninspired, cliched things as possible. So here’s hoping the actual film isn’t as dumb or claustrophobic as this clip makes it out to be. ‘I Am Bruce Lee’ hits select theatres on February 9th and 15th only. For more information on where you can see it, visit the film’s official website.

Okay, this looks awesome. I’m sure eyebrows might raise at the thought of a Keanu Reeves produced documentary, but this subject matter is pretty irresistible to me. The film is called ‘Side by Side: The Science, Art and Impact of Digital Cinema’ (directed by Christopher Kenneally) and it looks at the war between digital and analog filmmaking. Pretty relevant stuff considering the recent announcement that the Eastman Kodak Company has just filed for bankruptcy protection. Even though the digital revolution seems inevitable, there are a handful of filmmakers who refuse to go down without a fight, insisting that we’re acting too fast by replacing a tried and true format (film) with a technology (digital) that at this point, simply doesn’t compare in terms of the quality if the image. Here’s the synopsis:

The documentary investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation. We show what artists and filmmakers have been able to accomplish with both film and digital and how their needs and innovations have helped push filmmaking in new directions. Interviews with directors, cinematographers, colorists, scientists, engineers and artists reveal their experiences and feelings about working with film and digital–where we are now, how we got here and what the future may bring.

I have to say that I absolutely love Wally Pfister. His work is amazing and he’s refreshingly honest and outspoken about his stance on digital filmmaking (and his apparent hatred of 3D). Still, I think there are interesting arguments to be made on both sides, which is what makes this film so interesting. David Lynch, James Cameron, George Lucas and Steven Sodebergh all chime in as supporters of digital filmmaking. Each side has its share of supporters. As for docs, it seems film is even less relevant as it’s truly rare to see a non-fiction film shot on 16mm nowadays. I know I’m always excited when I hear about docs shot on film, but I guess it’s just too expensive when considering the digital alternative. It’s a truly a shame.

You can find more info on Side by Side here:

facebook.com/sidebysidethemovie
sidebysidethemovie.com
twitter.com/sidebysidemovie

Oh look! Another great screening series that I’m not going to be able to attend! That’s okay. I’ll just post the dates of this winter’s DocYard programming schedule and see if I might live vicariously through those of you in the Boston area who end up checking out some of these great films. The stand out on my list would have to be Ross McElwee’s ‘Space Coast’. I’ve never seen it but it looks pretty amazing. Lots of great stuff to choose from here, so hopefully these screenings fill up quick! Check out the line up below:

Opening Night Film – January 23 SPACE COAST (1979)
Q&A with directors Ross McElwee and Michel Negroponte
SPACE COAST follows three residents of Cape Canaveral, Florida, several years after the phasing out of Apollo moon missions.

February 6 OUR SCHOOL (2011)
Q&A with director Mona Nicoara
OUR SCHOOL follows three Roma (commonly known as “Gypsy”) children in a rural Transylvanian village who are among the pioneer participants in an initiative to integrate the ethnically segregated Romanian schools.

February 20 CAMPAIGN (2007)
Q&A with director Kazuhiro Soda
CAMPAIGN provides a startling insider’s view of Japanese electoral politics in this portrait of Yama‐san, a man plucked from obscurity by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to run for a critical seat on a suburban city council.

March 5 BOMBAY BEACH (2011)
Q&A with director Alma Har’el
Winner, Best Documentary, Tribeca Film Festival
Winner, Emerging Cinematic Vision, Camden International Film Festival
BOMBAY BEACH is a dreamlike poem that sets the personal stories of distinctive yet familiar characters
to a stylized amalgam of observational documentary and choreographed dance. The film’s setting, the
Salton Sea, is a barren Californian landscape often seen as a symbol of the failure of the American
Dream.

March 19 BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN (2010)
Q&A with director Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley
BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN follows the story of reluctant activist Daniel Goldstein as he struggles to save his home and community from being demolished to make way for a professional basketball arena and the densest real estate development in U.S. history.

April 2 SCENES OF A CRIME (2011)
Q&A with director Grover Babcock
SCENES OF A CRIME explores a nearly 10‐hour interrogation that culminates in a disputed confession
and an intense, high‐profile murder trial in New York state in which detectives, prosecutors, witnesses,
jurors and the suspect himself offer conflicting accounts of exactly what happened in this mysterious
and disturbing true‐crime documentary.

Closing Night Film – April 16 MARATHON BOY (2010)
Skype Q&A with director Gemma Atwal
MARATHON BOY is the story of a four‐year‐old boy who is plucked from the slums of India by his coach
and trained to become India’s greatest runner, but what starts in hope turns into the stuff of film noir: a
tale of greed, envy and broken dreams.

For more information on the DocYard and its 2012 Winter Season, visit www.thedocyard.com.

An awesome look at the prototyping, production and testing of John Delorean’s infamous stainless steel car from the future!

Everybody’s wondering what Amy Berg’s ‘West of Memphis’ could possibly add to a conversation that was started over 15 years ago with Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinosfsky’s definitive ‘Paradise Lost’ series of films. The original HBO docs are responsible for bringing worldwide attention to the controversial ‘West Memphis Three’ case and many would argue, directly led to the release of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Miskelly. While there’s certainly still some story left to be mined, the first trailer for Berg’s take on this case seems to rehash much of what we’d previously learnt. Having said that, my curiosity is still piqued.

Produced by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh (who also helped fund the WM3 defence team), ‘West of Memphis’ promises to unveil new information and exclusive interviews that were previously unavailable in the HBO docs. What’s strange to me is the fact that the documentary is produced by Damien Echols and his wife Lorri Davis. Maybe it’s easy to assume that Echols loyalty lies with Sinofsky and Berlinger, but I he has every right to tell his own story how he sees fit. I just can’t help but feel that the whole thing seems a bit superfluous and kind of awkward. It reminds me of the debate surrounding David Fincher’s version of ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ (which I actually preferred over the original). Is this the first example of a non-fiction remake? The LONG four minute trailer doesn’t really provide any evidence that this film is necessary, but I’m open to giving it a look. ‘West of Memphis’ premieres this month at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

The benevolent Mike Sullivan, age 65, has been shooting an epic stop-motion robot sex film in his apartment for the last 10 years. Obsessed with constructing the miniature robot porn stars, his apartment now overflows with thousands of them.

Yes please. I would like to watch this now. Meaning of Robots is an official selection at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. This film looks to be a perfect cinematic soulmate with Jessica Yu’s fantastic 2004 doc ‘In the Realms of the Unreal’. Thanks to Kurt Halfyard for the heads up on this trailer. I really need to get to Sundance again sometime soon.

Via Pacific Standard Time.

Holy shit, the year is almost over! That means it’s time once again to look back at all of the great films of the past 12 months (or longer, depending on whether or not you caught a 2011 release at a festival in 2010) and rank them. It seems every year, right around summer time, people start complaining that it’s been a “bad year for film”. While it was starting to look like that might be the case, we’re now well beyond the uninspired rut of R rated comedies and comic book movies that made up the blockbuster season (it was definitely a bad year for good blockbusters) and things look much brighter. I think it’s been a great year for film.

I had trouble putting together a top 10 list of docs, so I decided to expand mine to 20 (the top ten films are accompanied by brief notes on why I enjoyed those films). I should note that there are a few releases that’ve been popping up on best of the year lists (particularly Tabloid and Cave of Forgotten Dreams) that aren’t on mine. These films were included on my 2010 list as I’d seen them that year at TIFF. I also have a few releases on my list that technically premiere last year, but didn’t receive a wide theatrical release (or other form of distribution) until this year. So be it. And of course, there are a ton of films I didn’t get to see and couldn’t consider. Finally, I’m happy that our good friend Charlotte Cook has taken some time to put together her list of favourite films as well, which you will find at the bottom of the post.

I generally find it pretty tough ordering films on these lists, so there are many spots that are probably interchangeable. Having said that, I think I’m pretty satisfied with what I’ve got here and I’m definitely looking forward to what 2012 has to offer. Please feel free to ream me out in the comments for missing that great underlooked film or for my list being too North American-centric. Seasons greetings and happy new year to you all!

20. Fake It So Real
Directed by Robert Greene

19. The Harvest
Directed by Gabriel Deloach

18. Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
Directed by Michael Rapaport

17. Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
Directed by Matthew Bate

16. The Real Rocky
Directed by Jeff Feuerzeig

15. Position Among the Stars
Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich

14. Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop
Directed by Rodman Flender

13. Into the Abyss
Directed by Werner Herzog

12. Bill Cunningham New York
Directed by Richard Press

11. Bombay Beach
Directed by Alma Har’el

10. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Directed by Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

The only thing working against Paradise Lost 3 is the fact that the first third of the film has to take the time to recap the previous 2. For fans, this might feel strained, but ultimately seeing this film in theatres and getting back into the details of this case was exhilarating and infuriating all over again. It’s a great cap on an important series of documentary films. I’m excited to see the full version with the additional footage in January.

9. Undefeated
Directed by Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin

Undefeated isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, but it does a great job at playing in the sports drama universe and making good use of all of the tropes connected to these types of films. I’m not a sports guy, but I LOVE sports films and this one certainly delivered. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house during the final scene of this film.

8. Life in a Day
Directed by Kevin MacDonald

Life in a Day seemed like it could be a disaster but I was pretty blown away by the results of this simple concept. While most of the footage might not be mind blowing on its own, it’s weaved together in such a way that there’s a basic loose narrative that features a some humour, drama, horror, and every other possible result of a one day on earth around the world. The resulting footage is evidence of a universal language of cinema.

7. Convento
Directed by Jarred Alterman

Convento celebrates creativity and imagination both in its subject matter and the way in which director Jarred Alterman handles the material. It’s beautifully shot and a truly unusual viewing experience that showcases the creepy and fantastic artwork of its main character. Convento is a real life fantasy film that’s unlike any documentary film I’ve seen this year.

6. The Interrupters
Directed by Steve James

Steve James’ The Interrupters might be an issue film at heart, but it’s an awareness of the importance of great characters and dramatic storytelling that elevates it beyond your typical news magazine piece. It’s an epic drama that many have compared to HBO’s The Wire, which I think is a pretty fair assessment. It’s a powerful film that succeeds in large part due to some extremely skilled editing and James’ ability to gain incredible access to his subjects.

5. Abendland
Directed by Nikolaus Geyrhalter

Nikolaus Geyrhalter returns with his brand of austere observational filmmaking that seems to be inspired more by Stanley Kubrick than any of the cinema verite masters. In Abendland, he captures Europe at night, exploring both the familiar and the alien as he captures various aspects of Western life. I don’t think the film is for everyone, but the rapid changing settings (and the intentional structure of sequences) was a lot of fun to watch and beautifully realized on screen.

4. Buck
Directed by Cindy Meehl

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Buck and I sort of had my guard up assuming it might be a sappy, manipulative tear jerker. While it definitely is a tear jerker, it’s a truly wonderful film featuring a great character who’s complexity runs much deeper than ‘the real Horse Whisperer’. It looks pretty beautiful as well.

3. The Arbor
Directed by Clio Barnard

Not only is the family drama on display in The Arbor completely enthralling, the presentation is truly exciting and pushes the boundaries of non-fiction filmmaking. Using audio interviews with the real subjects lip synched by actors, director Clio Barnard manages to play with recreations and other storytelling techniques in a way that was completely new to me and truly inspiring.

2. Senna
Directed by Asif Kapadia

I went in to Senna knowing nothing about the man or the story, so it was a completely fresh experience for me. This was definitely a bonus as they story is rich in drama and even though the climax is telegraphed, it was a thrilling and suspenseful experience. Director Asif Kapadia masterfully constructs this story through stock footage to create an experience that feels immediate and visceral.

1. Project Nim
Directed by James Marsh

James Marsh has perfected his brand of retrospective documentary filmmaking, telling stories of the past in a way which makes them feel as though they’re unfolding in real time on-screen. He indulges in cinematic conventions, using reenactments to create an entertaining and emotional experience that celebrates both non-fiction storytelling and the craft of filmmaking. Project Nim (along with many other films on this list) defies the label ‘documentary film’ and succeeds on its own merits as pure cinema.

Honourable Mentions:

Liberia ’77, Fightville, Corman’s World, Rebirth, Page One: Inside the New York Times, Urbanized, Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Files, Whore’s Glory, Dragonslayer

Charlotte’s List:

“As per every year I have to be difficult and this list is in no order, I don’t like to put one film above or below the other. There are a huge amount I know I’m missing, but these are the films that really stuck with me. I would like to note that there are a lot of films towards the end of the year, those that played at TIFF especially, that I haven’t had a chance to see as I’ve been busy screening next year’s films. Nevertheless all of these films I adore, and would highly recommend checking out if you haven’t seen them yet.”

Convento
The Interrupters
Justin Bieber Never Say Never
Beats Rhymes and Life
This Is Not A Film
Hell and Back Again
Senna
Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
Bombay Beach
We Were Here

Honourable Mentions: Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Files, Life in a Day, Becoming Chaz, Give Up Tomorrow, You’ve Been Trumped, Page One: Inside the New York Times, Sound It Out, Price of Sex, Bobby Fischer Against the World.

Others I consider last year, but would love to mention: Nostalgia for the Light, The Arbor.

For those of you still waiting for Godfrey Reggio‘s ‘Qatsi Trilogy’ to hit blu ray, you might want to take some time to check out footage from his next film The Holy See (via Christopher Campbell at The Documentary Channel Blog) Details are scarce but it looks like the film is set to find a release in 2012 and is currently in post-production. They’re also looking for some potential backers. From their Vimeo page:

The film “holy see” is preparing to enter postproduction seeking the final funding needed. Financing can be in the form of participation, charitable contribution or distribution rights. For more information please contact info@holyseefilm.com.

Filmed entirely on the Red Camera, it looks to be another ‘tone poem’ which follows the aesthetic tradition established in Reggio’s previous work. He’s also teaming up with Philip Glass once again to create another unique, cinematic experience. Check out the two clips and keep an eye out for The Holy See, which should be available sometime next year.

With so many hybrid docs challenging the sensibilities of fans and filmmakers and blurring the lines of fiction/non-fiction storytelling, there’s an exciting sense of growth in the language of this particular brand cinema. I’m really enjoying all of the experimentation going on and look forward those films that have fun breaking the rules and indulge in the tropes of genre filmmaking. ‘Dreams of a Life’ looks to be another interesting fusion of fiction filmmaking techniques and non-fiction storytelling. Director Carol Morley mixes talking head interviews with re-enactments based on the diary entries of the main character. Here’s they synopsis:

Would anyone miss you? Nobody noticed when Joyce Vincent died in her bedsit above a shopping mall in North London in 2003. Her body wasn’t discovered for three years, surrounded by Christmas presents she had been wrapping, and with the TV still on. Newspaper reports offered few details of her life– not even a photograph.

Interweaving interviews with imagined scenes from Joyce’s life, Dreams of a Life is an imaginative, powerful, multilayered quest, and is not only a portrait of Joyce but a portrait of London in the eighties—the City, music, and race. It is a film about urban lives, contemporary life, and how, like Joyce, we are all different things to different people. It is about how little we may ever know each other, but nevertheless, how much we can love.

Apparently the film comes out today! Unfortunately, it’s only screening in the UK. I guess I’ll have to wait to hear about this one from my UK friends! Check out the film’s official website for screening dates and more info on the film. Very excited to see this.