The Shadow Scholars is a shocking documentary about a subject I had no idea existed. Patricia Kingori, the youngest Black woman professor at Oxford University, investigates the industry of academic ghostwriting in Kenya. Around 40,000 Kenyans are writing essays for students in the West. An estimated 37 million people have used their services. Many of these students go on to become doctors, nurses, pilots, and other professionals we trust with our lives, all while passing off someone else’s work as their own. It raises ethical questions.
The writers in Kenya are highly educated, but because the country has one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in the world, there aren’t enough good jobs available. Many of these writers earn only about $1 an hour, often working under tight deadlines to help students get their papers in on time.
I had two small issues with the film. First, while it discusses how AI, like ChatGPT could affect these Kenyan writers, it also uses AI to generate the faces of the people interviewed. It is done to protect their identity. The faces weren’t blurry, but they also weren’t entirely clear, which felt distracting. Second, I found it difficult at times to understand the Kenyan speakers because of their accents. Only one speaker was given subtitles, but I think it would have been wise if they used subtitles for all the subjects.
I also would have liked to hear more from the students who pay for these services. The film briefly includes one, but I understand the risk and why it probably wasn't possible.
Overall, The Shadow Scholars tells a troubling story. Wealthy students are able to earn degrees they didn’t truly earn, while talented Kenyan writers are unable to find legitimate good paying jobs. I'm curious to see if this winds up becoming further exposed.
Definitely worth a watch.
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Ariela Rubin on THE BEST YOU CAN (2025) Tribeca 2025
The Best You Can is the first movie in 20 years that real life couple Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedwick starred in together, and their chemistry makes it worth watching.
The story is about Cynthia, a urologist married to a man about 30 years her senior who is beginning to suffer from dementia. One night, she's awakened by a burglar in her home. A neighbor must have reported the break-in, Stan, a neighborhood security officer, arrives just in time to see the burglar running away. He climbs through the window to check on things, only to be nearly hit by Cynthia, who’s ready to defend herself. After checking out the apartment, Stan asks to use her bathroom and while Cynthia is talking his ear off, Stan has to ask her several times if she can stop talking and finally says he’s been having trouble urinating. Cynthia tells him she's a urologist and gives him her card. Thus begins their unlikely friendship.
What follows are late night texts between the two, filled with them joking around and sharing personal things about themselves. Their banter is fun and easy.
There’s also a subplot with Stan trying to connect with his 20 year-old daughter. While I liked parts of it, it didn't really feel necessary for the movie.
In the end, while I didn’t love this movie, I enjoyed it and would recommend it. It also makes you think about what are the moral obligations of connecting with a new friend and forming a flirtatious friendship while your partner is mentally declining?
The story is about Cynthia, a urologist married to a man about 30 years her senior who is beginning to suffer from dementia. One night, she's awakened by a burglar in her home. A neighbor must have reported the break-in, Stan, a neighborhood security officer, arrives just in time to see the burglar running away. He climbs through the window to check on things, only to be nearly hit by Cynthia, who’s ready to defend herself. After checking out the apartment, Stan asks to use her bathroom and while Cynthia is talking his ear off, Stan has to ask her several times if she can stop talking and finally says he’s been having trouble urinating. Cynthia tells him she's a urologist and gives him her card. Thus begins their unlikely friendship.
What follows are late night texts between the two, filled with them joking around and sharing personal things about themselves. Their banter is fun and easy.
There’s also a subplot with Stan trying to connect with his 20 year-old daughter. While I liked parts of it, it didn't really feel necessary for the movie.
In the end, while I didn’t love this movie, I enjoyed it and would recommend it. It also makes you think about what are the moral obligations of connecting with a new friend and forming a flirtatious friendship while your partner is mentally declining?
Ariela Rubin on One Spoon of Chocolate (2025) Tribeca 2025
The first ten minutes of One Spoon of Chocolate were so intense and gruesome that I almost walked out of the theater. I decided to stay, and the next day, I am still thinking about it.
The film stars Unique, played by Shameik Moore, who I wasn't familiar with, but I thought he was excellent in the role. Unique was just released from prison and is on parole. He convinces his parole officer to let him relocate to Ohio to live with his cousin, Ramsey, his only remaining family.
He lands in a small town called Karensville (unsure if this is a real town name or was used to set the scene, I'm going to guess the second). What starts as a hopeful fresh start quickly turns into the opposite.
While playing basketball at the community center, Unique and Ramsey are confronted by a group of white men who spew racist slurs and demand they leave, as well as give up their ball and sneakers. Unique says they'll leave, but refuses the rest, and shortly after a fight breaks out. Unique wins that fight, but things only escalate from there. The group sets out on a violent, racially driven mission to destroy them, and ideally kill them. As the story unfolds, we learn the whole town is complicit, from the liquor store worker to the coroner, and worst of all, the sheriff, who is the father of the group's leader.
This film is very very disturbing. The racism and violence are extreme. There’s illegal organ trafficking. The sadness is heavy. Most of the time, it feels hopeless for the black characters when every part of the system is against them. I'm not sure I can say I liked this movie… but I didn’t hate it either. What I can say is that I felt incredibly tense the entire time, I had to cover my eyes during several scenes (which I saw others doing), and I was worried I would have nightmares (thankfully, I did not).
There are brief moments of hope, especially when Unique decides to fight back. That part of the film had the audience cheering, clapping, and even laughing. Just as you feel hopeful that the story might end well, the film ends abruptly, which is unsatisfying.
I wouldn’t call this film enjoyable. What I can say is that it made me feel tense, angry, nauseous, sad, and at times hopeful. It's also one that makes you think about racism and violence in the US. It’s a brutal film, and not one I would have ever sought out on my own.
I went to the premiere, and afterward, RZA, who directed it, asked the audience if the film made them uncomfortable. Many people said yes. It seemed like he accomplished what he wanted to.
The film stars Unique, played by Shameik Moore, who I wasn't familiar with, but I thought he was excellent in the role. Unique was just released from prison and is on parole. He convinces his parole officer to let him relocate to Ohio to live with his cousin, Ramsey, his only remaining family.
He lands in a small town called Karensville (unsure if this is a real town name or was used to set the scene, I'm going to guess the second). What starts as a hopeful fresh start quickly turns into the opposite.
While playing basketball at the community center, Unique and Ramsey are confronted by a group of white men who spew racist slurs and demand they leave, as well as give up their ball and sneakers. Unique says they'll leave, but refuses the rest, and shortly after a fight breaks out. Unique wins that fight, but things only escalate from there. The group sets out on a violent, racially driven mission to destroy them, and ideally kill them. As the story unfolds, we learn the whole town is complicit, from the liquor store worker to the coroner, and worst of all, the sheriff, who is the father of the group's leader.
This film is very very disturbing. The racism and violence are extreme. There’s illegal organ trafficking. The sadness is heavy. Most of the time, it feels hopeless for the black characters when every part of the system is against them. I'm not sure I can say I liked this movie… but I didn’t hate it either. What I can say is that I felt incredibly tense the entire time, I had to cover my eyes during several scenes (which I saw others doing), and I was worried I would have nightmares (thankfully, I did not).
There are brief moments of hope, especially when Unique decides to fight back. That part of the film had the audience cheering, clapping, and even laughing. Just as you feel hopeful that the story might end well, the film ends abruptly, which is unsatisfying.
I wouldn’t call this film enjoyable. What I can say is that it made me feel tense, angry, nauseous, sad, and at times hopeful. It's also one that makes you think about racism and violence in the US. It’s a brutal film, and not one I would have ever sought out on my own.
I went to the premiere, and afterward, RZA, who directed it, asked the audience if the film made them uncomfortable. Many people said yes. It seemed like he accomplished what he wanted to.
Nate Hood on The Life of Chuck (2025)
In recent months I’ve noticed a stream of articles describing a new phenomenon infecting much of the content being produced by streaming giants like Netflix. I use the word “infecting” because I can think of no better way to describe its pernicious influence on media. Named “second-screen shows,” these are programs which are specifically designed to be partially ignored in the background by audiences as they putter about on their phones. The results are overly expository dialogue where characters will painfully state and restate what they’re thinking about and doing and unnecessary superficial narration. This is diet entertainment, artistic “content” stripped of all nuance and subtlety. Perhaps it was with this trend in mind that I found Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck such a breezy breath of fresh air. Based on a novella by Stephen King, the film plays like an anti-second-screen show. It demands attention, not because of the complexity of its plot or dialogue, but because so much of the film lives and dies in the corners of what is not explained, what is not made tangible. Here is a film that takes bold narrative risks with its story, assuming that its audience can follow its emotional arcs and implications without everything being spelled out or explained. It demands attention, and those willing to give it will find one of the most rewarding films so far released in 2025.
The film is told in three chapters, charting the life and premature death of accountant Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) in reverse chronological order. Surprisingly, Chuck is barely a background character in this first part as the film follows the lives of several of Chuck’s neighbors and acquaintances as the world ends, and I mean that literally. Earthquakes knock California into the sea, wildfires consume the farms of the Midwest, famine ravages Asia. One day the internet goes out. Then televisions, then phone networks, then electricity. And amidst it all, middle school teacher Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) tries to reconnect with his ex-wife Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan) as one-by-one the stars wink out of the night sky. But no matter where Marty goes, he keeps seeing signs, billboards, and advertisements that say “Charles Krantz: 30 Great Years! Thanks, Chuck!” What do these signs mean, and who is Chuck, Marty wonders. He has a vague memory of someone he might once have known, but he still can’t quite place him. Does he have something to do with the end of the world? The first segment literally ends mid-sentence as we’re spirited away nine months previously to the second act where a narrator (Nick Offerman) explains that in less than a year Chuck will be dead of a brain tumor. But for now he’s alive and attending a banking conference. In between meetings he has an unexpected encounter with a drum busker named Taylor (Taylor Gordon) where he goes into an impromptu dance with a young woman suffering from a recent breakup. Why does this mild-mannered man break into dance? What moves him? Before we can know we’re transported to the last act where Chuck, now a child, lives with his grandparents and is warned away from their house’s cupola where there reportedly live ghosts.
There is more to this film’s narrative, and I’m skipping over many crucial things and characters from each act, but the point remains that The Life of Chuck is a wonderful jigsaw puzzle of people and incidents that all point towards common emotional revelations: the purpose of living, survival through grief, wonder at the infinitude of the self among an even more infinite cosmos. I’ve repeatedly seen the film compared to Frank Capra’s reality-warping Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), and indeed both films seem concerned with the full measure of a man and the weight of the choices and circumstances that define their main characters’ lives. But whereas It’s a Wonderful Life leaves things all neat and tidy by the film’s end, The Story of Chuck leaves many of its riddles unanswered. Here is a film that rewards repeat viewings and active imagination to understand. That’s about as anti-second-screen as things get.
Friday, June 20, 2025
Ariela Rubin on Ride or Die (2025) Tribeca 2025
Ride or Die is about two women, Paula and Sloane, who go on a spontaneous road trip from Missouri to California. The two reconnect after randomly seeing each other at a thrift store. They went to high school together, but hadn't seen each other in years.
Sloane quickly clings to Paula. It starts as she first asks for a ride, then winds up at Paula's home, and then convinces Paula, who had mentioned recently graduating from film school and wanting to move to California, to go there on a whim. Sloane also gets the idea that she could star in Paula's films. Paula, who's a planner, doesn't like the idea, but Sloane convinces her. They barely know each other. What can go wrong?
Everything that can go wrong, and more does. Things spiral pretty quickly. Paula wants to go back, but Sloane, who is definitely a wild child, keeps convincing her to continue on and says they can't go back.
I haven't seen Thelma and Louise in many many years, but this movie reminded me of it. While I didn't love this movie, I did enjoy it. It's fun and chaotic.
Recommended, but not a must see.
Sloane quickly clings to Paula. It starts as she first asks for a ride, then winds up at Paula's home, and then convinces Paula, who had mentioned recently graduating from film school and wanting to move to California, to go there on a whim. Sloane also gets the idea that she could star in Paula's films. Paula, who's a planner, doesn't like the idea, but Sloane convinces her. They barely know each other. What can go wrong?
Everything that can go wrong, and more does. Things spiral pretty quickly. Paula wants to go back, but Sloane, who is definitely a wild child, keeps convincing her to continue on and says they can't go back.
I haven't seen Thelma and Louise in many many years, but this movie reminded me of it. While I didn't love this movie, I did enjoy it. It's fun and chaotic.
Recommended, but not a must see.
Ariela Rubin on TWINLESS (2025) Tribeca 2025
Go see Twinless without reading any reviews or anything about it. It won't be what you expect. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It’s unique, and the story turned out to be very different from what I thought it would be based on the synopsis.
I always find it impressive when one person does it all, and James Sweeney does just that, as a writer, director, producer, and lead actor! Dylan O'Brien is the other lead actor, and they both were terrific. I attended a screening with a Q&A with James Sweeney, and he shared that he originally wrote the script back in 2015, inspired by both a breakup and a fascination with twins.
Sweeney also mentioned the film is coming to theaters on September 5, so definitely keep your eyes out for it!
I always find it impressive when one person does it all, and James Sweeney does just that, as a writer, director, producer, and lead actor! Dylan O'Brien is the other lead actor, and they both were terrific. I attended a screening with a Q&A with James Sweeney, and he shared that he originally wrote the script back in 2015, inspired by both a breakup and a fascination with twins.
Sweeney also mentioned the film is coming to theaters on September 5, so definitely keep your eyes out for it!
The Gas Station Attendant (2025) Sheffield DocFest 2025
Karla Murthy's THE GAS STATION ATTENDANT is amazing. The film is Murthy's meditation of her life and a celebration of her father who never gave up on the American dream. It is a film that is full of life and humanity.
Constructed largely from home movies and the phone conversations Murthy had with her dad while he was working as a gas station attendant the film is a very open discussion of life between a father and daughter as the talk filled the quiet times at night. Her dad talks about his life and journey to America and trying to make a life for his family. Murthy then uses his words to explore her life as a first generation American of mixed cultural parents (her dad is from India, her mom from the Philippines).
You will get lost in this film. I started the film and promptly fell into it. Murthy's storytelling is masterful, there is a simplicity to it that allows the tale to fully resonate and for all the themes it is exploring to fully shine through. By the end of the film I wanted to hug both Murthy and her dad for within them I see the best of us.
A staggering achievement and an absolute must see.
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Ariela Rubin on RELAY (2025) Tribeca 2025
In Relay, Riz Ahmed specializes in negotiating payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals threatening to expose them. His latest client is played by Lily James, who had planned to reveal that a food company’s product could cause serious harm to people, and the company wasn't letting people know. However, after being harassed, all she wants now is to return the documents and be left alone.
Riz’s character, whose name we don’t learn until near the end, uses a telephone relay system, typically used for the deaf or people who are hard of hearing, to keep his identity hidden. The system involves a third-party operator who relays typed messages to the other person. None of the calls are logged, and they are bound by confidentiality. It's a smart way for him to remain anonymous while managing these high risk deals.
I think it's best to go into this movie without knowing much. I would describe it as a slow-burn thriller. It kept me curious the whole time. There are no big car chases etc, so some people might be bored? I certainly wasn't though. I really enjoyed it. There was a moment near the end that made me say, “What?!” out loud, something I didn't expect. I'm still not sure if I loved the direction the film went from there on.
Overall, I thought Relay was excellent. It’s one of my favorites of the festival so far, and I’d definitely recommend it.
Riz’s character, whose name we don’t learn until near the end, uses a telephone relay system, typically used for the deaf or people who are hard of hearing, to keep his identity hidden. The system involves a third-party operator who relays typed messages to the other person. None of the calls are logged, and they are bound by confidentiality. It's a smart way for him to remain anonymous while managing these high risk deals.
I think it's best to go into this movie without knowing much. I would describe it as a slow-burn thriller. It kept me curious the whole time. There are no big car chases etc, so some people might be bored? I certainly wasn't though. I really enjoyed it. There was a moment near the end that made me say, “What?!” out loud, something I didn't expect. I'm still not sure if I loved the direction the film went from there on.
Overall, I thought Relay was excellent. It’s one of my favorites of the festival so far, and I’d definitely recommend it.
Ariela Rubin on Everything's Going to Be Great (2025)
Everything's Going to Be Great is about Buddy and Macy (played by Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney) who work in the theater business, while also raising two very different sons, Lester and Derrick. Lester is very quirky, he struggles to fit in in school and he dreams of being onstage. Derrick dreams of being on the football team. The family is struggling to make ends meet, and constantly on the move as the theater business is unpredictable.
This is in a way your typical dysfunctional family movie, which I always have a soft spot for. There were many lines that had me laughing out loud, especially with some of Macy's very dry lines. There were many touching and sad moments as well.
I liked it, but I didn't love it. Recommended, but not a must see.
Tribeca 2025: The walk-outs - why I didn't make it to the end
One day during Tribeca I tweeted that I walked out on three films that didn't work for me. I was asked as to why. Here is my explanations:
REFLECTION IN THE DEAD DIAMOND is a beautifully made spy film about an old spy remembering the old days. It's a stunning technical achievement that is like watching a 1960's spy film done in the style of the James Bond openings. There are a ton of references to Euro-spy films. After half an hour I had no idea what I was watching, who was who or when anything was. I cut my losses and left- there were several other films to try.
12 MOONS moody black and white character study is form over content. This film looks great. Its about a 40ish woman struggling to deal with life but after a half an hour I had no idea what was happening or why.
FIOR DI LATTE- Words of death "experimental comedy" which is how this film was described in the promotional material. Actually between the description and the inclusion of Tim Heidecker as the star made this the only film in this years slate where I scribbled "Avoid" on the film list...unfortunately I didn't put it on my schedule so I wandered in. As the audience roared and I sat their stone faced I decided that this wasn't going to work for me (never mind the use of a miscarriage as part of a running the joke about a puppet show).
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Ariela Rubin on Happy Birthday (2025) Tribeca 2025
Oof. That's the first thought that comes to mind after finishing Happy Birthday. This film really weighed on me emotionally. It was quite the depressing film.
The movie starts off with two 7 year old girls, Toha and Nelly, playing together. What we soon learn is that while the two girls are friendly, Toha is actually a maid who is employed by Nelly's family. This was very shocking and disturbing to me.
On Nelly's birthday, Toha wants to help make sure Nelly has the perfect birthday. Toha accompanies the mother as she goes shopping for the party, getting clothes, a cake and food. Once back at the apartment, Toha's sister comes to pick her up. She goes back to her home and we soon see the difference in their lives. Her family survives by catching and selling fish. What makes the movie even sadder is that when Toha asks her mom when her own birthday is, her mother has no idea. She has no idea of the month or date and you can see the indifference she has about it. Toha says she wants a birthday party, and her mother laughs.
Toha makes it her mission to get back in time for Nelly's birthday party. She is innocent and excited to make it back in time, not realizing that the family had called her sister to pick her up, because they didn't want her there.
After watching this film, I was curious and did some googling. I learned that according to a survey in 2021, 1.3 million children in Egypt, nearly 5%, were involved in child labor. That was very upsetting to find out. I highly recommend the film, but it’s truly heartbreaking. It really pulled at my heart. It shows the cruelty of inequality, especially experienced by young children.
The movie starts off with two 7 year old girls, Toha and Nelly, playing together. What we soon learn is that while the two girls are friendly, Toha is actually a maid who is employed by Nelly's family. This was very shocking and disturbing to me.
On Nelly's birthday, Toha wants to help make sure Nelly has the perfect birthday. Toha accompanies the mother as she goes shopping for the party, getting clothes, a cake and food. Once back at the apartment, Toha's sister comes to pick her up. She goes back to her home and we soon see the difference in their lives. Her family survives by catching and selling fish. What makes the movie even sadder is that when Toha asks her mom when her own birthday is, her mother has no idea. She has no idea of the month or date and you can see the indifference she has about it. Toha says she wants a birthday party, and her mother laughs.
Toha makes it her mission to get back in time for Nelly's birthday party. She is innocent and excited to make it back in time, not realizing that the family had called her sister to pick her up, because they didn't want her there.
After watching this film, I was curious and did some googling. I learned that according to a survey in 2021, 1.3 million children in Egypt, nearly 5%, were involved in child labor. That was very upsetting to find out. I highly recommend the film, but it’s truly heartbreaking. It really pulled at my heart. It shows the cruelty of inequality, especially experienced by young children.
Ariela Rubin on Charliebird (2025) Tribeca 2025
Charliebird tells the story of Al, a music therapist working at a children's hospital. Her newest patient is Charlie, a 17 year old who upon meeting her, wants nothing to do with her. After spending the last three years living in hospitals, Charlie has given up hope and is convinced she’s going to die. Al approaches her with kindness, a sense of humor, and patience, promising never to force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do. Slowly, Charlie begins to let her in, and the two form a touching friendship.
Throughout the film, we see flashes of Al’s past, something that was clearly traumatic by her reactions to the memories, but the film never reveals what happened. (Unless I missed it, which I don’t think I did.) I would’ve liked to learn more about her backstory, as it seemed to weigh heavily on her.
Nonetheless, I really liked this movie. It’s a heavy one, which I felt in my heart, but I highly recommend it. I loved the chemistry between the two leads, and both actresses did a fantastic job.
Throughout the film, we see flashes of Al’s past, something that was clearly traumatic by her reactions to the memories, but the film never reveals what happened. (Unless I missed it, which I don’t think I did.) I would’ve liked to learn more about her backstory, as it seemed to weigh heavily on her.
Nonetheless, I really liked this movie. It’s a heavy one, which I felt in my heart, but I highly recommend it. I loved the chemistry between the two leads, and both actresses did a fantastic job.
Don't Tell Larry (2023) releases June 20
Dark office farcical comedy about two friends scheming to get ahead at their company who say something to the off center Larry and suddenly find themselves sliding down a dark path as events spiral away from them and Larry gets more sinister.
I was not planning on covering this film because I was too swamped with an upcoming festival, but the right person leaned in and whispered into my ear that this was going to be the perfect palette cleanse for all of the documentaries that I was watching. I didn’t think they were right and I didn’t think I would be able to make time, but both things somehow happened.
While I like a good comedy I can be mixed in farce. When Farce is done right it brings belly laughs, when it’s done wrong the over the top nature can make the jokes cringey. Fortunately with LARRY the filmmakers get the tone exactly right and as a result the laughs keep rolling through the whole film. What impressed me was that even as the tension goes up because the stakes become dire the film remains very funny. We are laughing as we are sitting on the edge of our seat because it’s just so funny.
I went from not wanting to see this film, to telling a bunch of my friends who cover films that they want to include the film in their upcoming coverage.
In an age when comedies can be crap shoot DON’T TELL LARRY is a winner.
Worth a look wherever you can see it.
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Tribeca 2025 Short Takes: A TREE FELL IN THE WOODS, WHAT MARIELLE KNOWS and SUN RA: DO THE IMPOSSIBLE
A TREE FELL IN THE WOODS
Four friends go away for New Years and secrets are revealed.
A great cast lifts up a run of the mill script to make an okay film about yuppie types having a revelations.
WHAT MARIELLE KNOWS
A couple discovers that their daughter has psychic ability and knows what they say and do.
German mannered comedy is a little too well put together at times and you can feel how the film is constructed and striving to be clever. It is also so low key and dry as I wasn't sure if this was a comedy.
It's not bad, but we've seen this sort of thing before and it doesn't do much new.
SUN RA: DO THE IMPOSSIBLE
An American Masters portrait of the Jazz legend. and Afro futurist.
This will tell you eveything you wanted to know about Sun Ra but were afraid to ask. It is also full of great music. I learned a lot and had a great time.
Recommended.
The Final Round (2025) is on VOD today
This is a look at boxing official Robert Lee, who was arrested by the FBI as part of a case against promoter Don King. The FBI really didn't have a case and they told Lee thd at they wanted him to flip of King. The trouble is that Lee didn't have the information the FBI wanted, so they told him to make it up.
This is an interesting little story. I completely understand why this film runs only about 70 minutes. Its a side tale to the circus that was Don King's life. That isn't to sell this film or the story short, rather I say this tale takes on a greater importance if you look at it connected to that story. Its a story that colors the King tale.
I liked this film a great deal. For me it was an unexpected joy. I say that because I was offered the film in the middle of Tribeca coverage and I greed to take it on as sort of palete cleanse. I didn't expect to put it on and find my full attention taken from the first couple of minutes.
This is a film that's worth your time, especially if you remember the show man that was the man they wanted Lee to lie about.
Underland (2025) Tribeca 2025
This is a look at the world beneath our feet, a mine turned into a research facility, a cave complex and some man-made constructions.
The people doing PR for this film did everything they could to make sure the press saw this on the big screen. They insisted that the images needed to be seen big. And they were right. There are some truly spectacular images in this film.
The problem is that the film is more essay and mediation than a straight documentary, so the film is put together so as to be somewhat hypnotic. We drift off on the images and the music and the result is that despite the film being beautiful to look at we begin to drift off. It's all so low key as to put us to sleep. I fought keeping my else open. Yes, I was enjoying what I was seeing, but at the same time it's not exciting... even if the discovery of human handprints deep deep into a cave complex blows out mind (How did they get that deep with just torches?)
This is great to look at, but it may put you to sleep.
Boy George and Culture Club (2025) Tribeca 2025
The life and times of Culture Club as told by the boys in the band.
This film is a great deal of fun. This is a loving tribute to the band, by the band that leaves a great deal out but is so full of great music and wonderful stories you won't care.
The truth of the matter is this film is only about the band and their time together. Yes things are mentioned, like Boy George being, very briefly Bow Wow Wow, but the truth is this is just about the band. It's not a bad thing, unless you want to know everything about the band and the people in it. This is not going to tell you eveything.
On the other hand it is going to entertain you. I smiled from start to finish. Yea, I was kind of disappointed that this wasn't a deep dive, but I then I realized that had that been the case of the fun would have been lost and desire to watch it again.
I had a blast.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to hear great show biz stories.
Harley Flanagan: Wired For Chaos (2024) opens Friday
With the film getting release to theaters, here is a repost of my review from DOC NYC
One of the unexpected great films of DOC NYC and 2024, HARLEY FLANAGAN: WIRED FOR CHAOS is a look at Flanagan, the lead singer of the Cro-Mags who is still chugging along.
The film tells Harley’s story from being raised by a single mom on to the present day. It’s a story of a hard life where the young Harley had to try to beat off a trucker who was trying to rape his mom, to his angry early days in music where he tried to stab people to his much calmer days he is spending with his family.
This film floored me. This is nominally a music doc but it transcends the genre to become a shining portrait of humanity. It’s a glorious portrait of the human spirit and of a person’s ability to change for the better. I can not tell you how good this film is. When I saw it I had put something like 60 films for the fDOC NYC behind me and then I saw this and all the others were pushed back a step or so.
I don’t care if you like Harley’s music or not, you need to see this because it’s a great story compellingly told. Finding films like this is why I try and watch as many films from DOC NYC as I can.
Highly recommended
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