Guides to the National Film Registry
America’s Film Legacy
America’s Film Legacy 2009-2010
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Guides to the National Film Registry
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Available from Continuum, Amazon, and other outlets, these two volumes offer commentaries and full credits for each of the first 550 films selected to the National Film Registry.
Author Archives: admin
Saving the Planet through “Rewilding”
Environmental docs tend to throw out a litany of ecological horrors that leave viewers feeling helpless. Escape from Extinction: Rewilding takes a different approach. Using case studies from around the globe, the film suggests that we have the power to … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary
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Wolfs review: The Cinema of Privilege
The conmen from Oceans Eleven have aged out of the rackets, lost their girlfriends, and have been forced into real jobs to make ends meet. That’s the basic premise of Wolfs, a lazy bromance that rests on the fading charms … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Streaming
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Review: Protocol 7 says vaccines might be dangerous
Based on real-life events, Protocol 7 uses staged re-enactments to make the case that pharmaceutical giant Merck doctored test results to sell potentially dangerous mumps vaccine. Director and co-writer Andy Wakefield tackles an important story, but tells it with little … Continue reading
Posted in Drama
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Crescent City review: Murder in Little Rock
Powerful casting helps compensate for weak writing in Crescent City, a mean-spirited film noir set in Little Rock, Arkansas. Familiar faces like Terence Howard, Esai Morales, and an effective Alec Baldwin have no trouble navigating the twists and turns in … Continue reading
Posted in Action, On demand
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Sound of Hope review: Choosing to make a difference
Set in East Texas in 1999, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot shows how spiritual values helped persuade the people in a rural community to adopt 77 children languishing in the state foster system. Based on a true … Continue reading
Posted in Drama
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Tribeca documentary Made in Ethiopia: exposing capitalism
Shot over a four-year span, Made in Ethiopia uses a Chinese-backed industrial park in Ethiopia as a way to examine how economic policy operates at ground level. The film opens with a wedding ceremony between a Chinese worker and his … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary, Film Festivals
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Dancing Village: The Curse Begins—Horror from Indonesia
Unfolding like a folk tale that’s only dimly remembered, Dancing Village: The Curse Begins is a prequel to KKN Di Desa Penari, an Indonesian blockbuster released in 2022. This slow-burn thriller sends cousins and friends to a remote jungle village … Continue reading
Posted in Asian, Horror
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The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: dull WWII spy romp
Every now and then Guy Ritchie makes a film in a crisp, focused style that can be utterly beguiling. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is not one of them. Filled with snark, bombast, and empty violence, this WWII actioner is … Continue reading
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Life under a microscope: A Brief History of a Family
Classmates, one rich, one poor, are thrown together by accident. The poor one worms his way into the wealthy family, winning over the parents through deceit and subterfuge. An event changes the lives of all involved. No, it’s not Saltburn, … Continue reading
Posted in Asian, Film Festivals
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The plight of test pilots in Born to Run
Released theatrically last year, Born to Fly follows pilots undergoing rigorous training in order to test mainland China’s experimental stealth fighter jet. Deeply patriotic and extremely silly, it’s propaganda devoid of suspense, humor, and credible characterizations. The screenplay by Gui … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Asian
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