Big men Do cry, and they cry hard.
No matter how tough you think you are, the loss of a pet can devastate your life, leaving you a blubbering pile of tissues and heartache.
That’s what one man was going through after losing both of his beloved Bichon Frises, Nemo and Lucy. Moved by her father’s heartache, the dog dad’s daughter decided to surprise him with a new Bichon puppy.
Before introducing her dad to the baby dog, the daughter presented him with a card revealing the surprise.
Can’t get enough of cats, dogs and other furry friends?...
No matter how tough you think you are, the loss of a pet can devastate your life, leaving you a blubbering pile of tissues and heartache.
That’s what one man was going through after losing both of his beloved Bichon Frises, Nemo and Lucy. Moved by her father’s heartache, the dog dad’s daughter decided to surprise him with a new Bichon puppy.
Before introducing her dad to the baby dog, the daughter presented him with a card revealing the surprise.
Can’t get enough of cats, dogs and other furry friends?...
- 11/14/2017
- by Kelli Bender
- PEOPLE.com
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator/showrunner Aline Brosh McKenna has teamed with the CW series’ producer/recurring guest star Rene Gube for Big Men, a single-camera comedy that has been set up at CBS. CBS TV Studios, where Brosh McKenna is under an overall deal, is the studio. Written and executive produced by Brosh McKenna and Gube, Big Men centers on an Asian-American rookie pro basketball player who dreams of a baller lifestyle but standing in his way are his 13-year-old…...
- 10/17/2017
- Deadline TV
After naming Alfonso Cuarón the best-reviewed filmmaker of the 21st century and Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer the worst, Metacritic’s next list explores the 25 best movies directed by women. Unsurprisingly, Kathryn Bigelow takes both the #1 and #2 spots with “Zero Dark Thirty” and “The Hurt Locker,” respectively.
Read MoreAlfonso Cuarón Is the Best Director of the 21st Century, According to Metacritic — See the Top 25
Bigelow became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director with the latter, a painfully tense drama about the Iraq War. (Her latest, “Detroit,” just misses the list by a few points.) Ava DuVernay also shows up twice (with “Selma” and “13th”), as does Sarah Polley (“Away from Her” and “Stories We Tell”), while the likes of Sofia Coppola, Mia Hansen-Løve, and Maren Ade are represented as well. Here’s the data-driven review aggregator’s full list:
Read MoreUwe Boll Isn’t the...
Read MoreAlfonso Cuarón Is the Best Director of the 21st Century, According to Metacritic — See the Top 25
Bigelow became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director with the latter, a painfully tense drama about the Iraq War. (Her latest, “Detroit,” just misses the list by a few points.) Ava DuVernay also shows up twice (with “Selma” and “13th”), as does Sarah Polley (“Away from Her” and “Stories We Tell”), while the likes of Sofia Coppola, Mia Hansen-Løve, and Maren Ade are represented as well. Here’s the data-driven review aggregator’s full list:
Read MoreUwe Boll Isn’t the...
- 7/30/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
For one week in November, virtually the entire documentary film community will gather in New York City for the Doc NYC film festival, where this year’s most acclaimed non-fiction films will screen. With all that talent and experience gathered in one place, Doc NYC has decided to channel it toward a new eight-day conference focusing on the tools and skills needed to fund, create and distribute documentary films.
Read More: ‘Weiner,’ Yes; ‘The Eagle Huntress,’ No: The 15 Documentaries on the Doc NYC Short List
Doc NYC Pro is geared toward documentary professionals looking to advance their careers and filmmaking skills and will be comprised of talks, panels, masterclasses and pitch sessions featuring filmmakers and decision makers behind films like “Weiner,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amanda Knox” and “Cartel Land.”
Each day of Doc NYC Pro will begin with a “morning manifesto,” featuring speakers Laura Poitras (“Citizenfour”), Josh Kriegman and...
Read More: ‘Weiner,’ Yes; ‘The Eagle Huntress,’ No: The 15 Documentaries on the Doc NYC Short List
Doc NYC Pro is geared toward documentary professionals looking to advance their careers and filmmaking skills and will be comprised of talks, panels, masterclasses and pitch sessions featuring filmmakers and decision makers behind films like “Weiner,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amanda Knox” and “Cartel Land.”
Each day of Doc NYC Pro will begin with a “morning manifesto,” featuring speakers Laura Poitras (“Citizenfour”), Josh Kriegman and...
- 10/14/2016
- by Casey Coit
- Indiewire
2K Games
After a pretty strong Dlc calendar post-release, the content window for WWE 2K16 is now sadly closed with the final package – the Hall Of Fame Showcase – now available to players. It’s a good way to crown the Dlc offering – particularly as it offers a lot more than the other Dlc packs released so far – and at $9.99 it’s not the worst value either.
The biggest selling point here is variety: there’s something for everyone. The matches included are Macho Man Randy Savage vs Jake The Snake Roberts, Rikishi vs The Rock, Alundra Blayze vs Paige, Larry Zbyszko and Arn Anderson vs Ricky The Dragon Steamboat and Dusty Rhodes, Tatsumi Fujinami vs Ric Flair, The Bushwhackers vs The Natural Disasters, and The Outsiders vs Harlem Heat. That’s quite a spread, and the mash-up of iconic matches and fantasy bookings is exactly what 2K Games should be...
After a pretty strong Dlc calendar post-release, the content window for WWE 2K16 is now sadly closed with the final package – the Hall Of Fame Showcase – now available to players. It’s a good way to crown the Dlc offering – particularly as it offers a lot more than the other Dlc packs released so far – and at $9.99 it’s not the worst value either.
The biggest selling point here is variety: there’s something for everyone. The matches included are Macho Man Randy Savage vs Jake The Snake Roberts, Rikishi vs The Rock, Alundra Blayze vs Paige, Larry Zbyszko and Arn Anderson vs Ricky The Dragon Steamboat and Dusty Rhodes, Tatsumi Fujinami vs Ric Flair, The Bushwhackers vs The Natural Disasters, and The Outsiders vs Harlem Heat. That’s quite a spread, and the mash-up of iconic matches and fantasy bookings is exactly what 2K Games should be...
- 3/5/2016
- by Simon Gallagher
- Obsessed with Film
With all the year's films now out in U.S. theaters, Metacritic.com has revealed what films, games and TV shows were the best of the year based on the aggregate scores of the top critics. I've divided the lists into three sections - films, TV shows and major video games. Check out the scores below:
Best Films
This list does Not include old film re-releases. Films also have to have over a dozen reviews to be considered, which is why high scoring works like "Virunga," "Big Men," "Night Will Fall" and "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" are not included.
"Carol" - 96/100
"Anomalisa," "45 Years" - 95/100
"Inside Out" - 94/100
"Spotlight," "Sherpa" - 93/100
"Timbuktu," "The Look of Silence" - 92/100
"Jafar Panahi's Taxi" - 91/100
"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem," "Hard to Be a God" - 90/100
"Mad Max: Fury Road," "Phoenix," "Son of Saul" - 89/100
"Democrats" - 88/100
"Brooklyn," " Diary of a Teenage Girl,...
Best Films
This list does Not include old film re-releases. Films also have to have over a dozen reviews to be considered, which is why high scoring works like "Virunga," "Big Men," "Night Will Fall" and "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" are not included.
"Carol" - 96/100
"Anomalisa," "45 Years" - 95/100
"Inside Out" - 94/100
"Spotlight," "Sherpa" - 93/100
"Timbuktu," "The Look of Silence" - 92/100
"Jafar Panahi's Taxi" - 91/100
"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem," "Hard to Be a God" - 90/100
"Mad Max: Fury Road," "Phoenix," "Son of Saul" - 89/100
"Democrats" - 88/100
"Brooklyn," " Diary of a Teenage Girl,...
- 12/28/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
WWE.com
Apollo Crews is a special type of professional wrestler. For the entirety of my life, professional wrestlers have more often than not come with Adonis-like physiques, seemingly chiselled out of marble. Unfortunately, this coincided with an almost embarrassing lack of mobility, as much like the underpants gnomes phase two hadn’t been considered. ‘Big men + ? = Profit’ may as well have been the WWF’s motto.
Fast forward to today, and you still have a landscape dominated by bodybuilders. The lumbering dinosaurs have gone however, and now we have men like Crews. He is as big, if not bigger than most that have come before him, and he comes with the athleticism of the most impressive cruiserweight. His finisher is a standing moonsault after all.
For a number of years Crews was a standout on the independent scene as Uhaa Nation, performing mostly with Dgusa and Dragon Gate, along with Pwg,...
Apollo Crews is a special type of professional wrestler. For the entirety of my life, professional wrestlers have more often than not come with Adonis-like physiques, seemingly chiselled out of marble. Unfortunately, this coincided with an almost embarrassing lack of mobility, as much like the underpants gnomes phase two hadn’t been considered. ‘Big men + ? = Profit’ may as well have been the WWF’s motto.
Fast forward to today, and you still have a landscape dominated by bodybuilders. The lumbering dinosaurs have gone however, and now we have men like Crews. He is as big, if not bigger than most that have come before him, and he comes with the athleticism of the most impressive cruiserweight. His finisher is a standing moonsault after all.
For a number of years Crews was a standout on the independent scene as Uhaa Nation, performing mostly with Dgusa and Dragon Gate, along with Pwg,...
- 11/28/2015
- by John Bills
- Obsessed with Film
Boats. Big boats. Big men on big boats. Also, prostitutes.
These are the ingredients of Exotica, Erotica, Etc., which turned out to be both less exotic and less erotic than I’d anticipated when I requested a press ticket. A poetic documentary, the film comes to us from Greek visual artist Evangelia Kranioti, who for half a decade explored life on the ocean, embedding herself aboard colossal cargo ships.
Originally a photographic project, the finished product is a woozily philosophical treatise on life lived atop the ocean waves. We explore the interiors of these massive ships; grand canyons of containers, vast interior cavities and corridors that appear to telescope off into infinity. As we learn about the ships, we also learn about the men that occupy them; their work and their play (which appears to be dancing to Abba).
Punctuating this is hypnotic ocean photography. Whether it be stormy swells...
These are the ingredients of Exotica, Erotica, Etc., which turned out to be both less exotic and less erotic than I’d anticipated when I requested a press ticket. A poetic documentary, the film comes to us from Greek visual artist Evangelia Kranioti, who for half a decade explored life on the ocean, embedding herself aboard colossal cargo ships.
Originally a photographic project, the finished product is a woozily philosophical treatise on life lived atop the ocean waves. We explore the interiors of these massive ships; grand canyons of containers, vast interior cavities and corridors that appear to telescope off into infinity. As we learn about the ships, we also learn about the men that occupy them; their work and their play (which appears to be dancing to Abba).
Punctuating this is hypnotic ocean photography. Whether it be stormy swells...
- 10/15/2015
- by David James
- We Got This Covered
Read More: The Top 8 Pitches at the Hot Docs Forum: What Worked and What Didn't The Tribeca Film Institute, in partnership with A&E IndieFilms, has just announced the projects selected for the third annual StoryLab for documentary filmmakers, which helps five filmmaking teams in various stages of production through one on one mentorship as well as master classes, industry discussions and networking opportunities. This year the workshops will be led by notable filmmakers including A&E IndieFilms Svp Molly Thompson ("The Tillman Story," "The September Issue"), film director/producer Rachel Boynton ("Big Men," "Our Brand is Crisis"), film editor/producer Kurt Engfehr ("Bowling for Columbine," "Fahrenheit 9/11"), film editor Sloane Klevin ("Taxi to The Dark Side") as well as film producer John Battsek ("Searching for Sugarman," "The Imposter") and film director Amir Bar Lev...
- 9/28/2015
- by Wil Barlow
- Indiewire
Read More: Truth or Fiction? Tribeca Directors Grapple with Reality Making a documentary can mess with your head in more ways than one -- just ask Roger Ross Williams ("God Loves Uganda"), Rachel Boynton ("Big Men") and Liz Garbus ("What Happened, Miss Simone?"). All three award-winning documentary filmmakers participated in a Tribeca Film Festival Master Class on "capturing reality" last week and shared quite a few anecdotes from their experiences making documentaries over the years. We've compiled highlights from the discussion, which you can read below: The story changes through the process of filmmaking. "You want to be really angry and you want to really hate them, [but] it was a growing process for me. As I grew, so did the story. I think that is what is surprising about it. Through the process I actually learned so much," said Williams, whose film "God Loves Uganda" examines the impact that the.
- 4/27/2015
- by Shipra Harbola Gupta
- Indiewire
View Photo Gallery
Big men, have you ever wondered how superstars Victor Cruz and LeBron James stay so dapper and stylish off the field and court, despite their athletic physiques? Well, for starters, they both work with stylist Rachel Johnson when they need to swap out their jerseys for something a little more GQ. (Not that we don’t mind watching them run around in sweaty mesh and shoulder pads.)
This fashion slayer to the sports stars got her start as a stylist back in 2005, while working with NBA star Jalen Rose. Now Rachel’s all-star clients include Cruz, James, Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, Amar’e Stoudemire, and more. And with the Super Bowl on Sunday, her focus is not so much on the game itself, but more on what her Mvp clients will be wearing for the big events and viewing parties. Needless to say, when it comes to dressing big men,...
Big men, have you ever wondered how superstars Victor Cruz and LeBron James stay so dapper and stylish off the field and court, despite their athletic physiques? Well, for starters, they both work with stylist Rachel Johnson when they need to swap out their jerseys for something a little more GQ. (Not that we don’t mind watching them run around in sweaty mesh and shoulder pads.)
This fashion slayer to the sports stars got her start as a stylist back in 2005, while working with NBA star Jalen Rose. Now Rachel’s all-star clients include Cruz, James, Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, Amar’e Stoudemire, and more. And with the Super Bowl on Sunday, her focus is not so much on the game itself, but more on what her Mvp clients will be wearing for the big events and viewing parties. Needless to say, when it comes to dressing big men,...
- 1/30/2015
- by Kameron Mack
- VH1.com
View Photo Gallery
Big men, have you ever wondered how superstars Victor Cruz and LeBron James stay so dapper and stylish off the field and court, despite their athletic physiques? Well, for starters, they both work with stylist Rachel Johnson when they need to swap out their jerseys for something a little more GQ. (Not that we don’t mind watching them run around in sweaty mesh and shoulder pads.)
This fashion slayer to the sports stars got her start as a stylist back in 2005, while working with NBA star Jalen Rose. Now Rachel’s all-star clients include Cruz, James, Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, Amar’e Stoudemire, and more. And with the Super Bowl on Sunday, her focus is not so much on the game itself, but more on what her Mvp clients will be wearing for the big events and viewing parties. Needless to say, when it comes to dressing big men,...
Big men, have you ever wondered how superstars Victor Cruz and LeBron James stay so dapper and stylish off the field and court, despite their athletic physiques? Well, for starters, they both work with stylist Rachel Johnson when they need to swap out their jerseys for something a little more GQ. (Not that we don’t mind watching them run around in sweaty mesh and shoulder pads.)
This fashion slayer to the sports stars got her start as a stylist back in 2005, while working with NBA star Jalen Rose. Now Rachel’s all-star clients include Cruz, James, Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, Amar’e Stoudemire, and more. And with the Super Bowl on Sunday, her focus is not so much on the game itself, but more on what her Mvp clients will be wearing for the big events and viewing parties. Needless to say, when it comes to dressing big men,...
- 1/30/2015
- by Kameron Mack
- TheFabLife - Movies
As is usually the case, 2014 held a rich vein of great nonfiction cinema … that went mostly untapped by any wide audiences. But just because documentaries are perpetually under-served by popular (and even critical) attention doesn’t mean that we should neglect these films. This is a celebration of all the best docs to come out this year.
But first, for the sake of full disclosure, here are all the notable docs of 2014 that I haven’t gotten around to seeing yet:
1989, 20,000 Days on Earth, Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case, Big Joy, Big Men, Code Black, Evolution of a Criminal, The Great Flood, The Great Invisible, The Kill Team, National Gallery, The Missing Picture, Maidentrip, Manakamana, The Naked Opera, Virunga, Watchers of the Sky, What Now? Remind Me, Whitey
Next,we have some honorable mentions — other docs of 2014 that are well worth seeking out:
A Will for the Woods, Art and Craft,...
But first, for the sake of full disclosure, here are all the notable docs of 2014 that I haven’t gotten around to seeing yet:
1989, 20,000 Days on Earth, Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case, Big Joy, Big Men, Code Black, Evolution of a Criminal, The Great Flood, The Great Invisible, The Kill Team, National Gallery, The Missing Picture, Maidentrip, Manakamana, The Naked Opera, Virunga, Watchers of the Sky, What Now? Remind Me, Whitey
Next,we have some honorable mentions — other docs of 2014 that are well worth seeking out:
A Will for the Woods, Art and Craft,...
- 12/11/2014
- by Dan Schindel
- SoundOnSight
WWE.com
There have been a lot of terrible big men wrestlers in the history of WWE. While it’s hard to remember them all because we tend to want to forget the bad moments in wrestling, sometimes we have to pay tribute to them in our own unique way.
What’s the definition of a big man? Basically we’re looking at the guys that are exceptionally tall (taller than 6’6″) or well over 350 pounds. These are the guys that we remember in a wrestling ring and also if we were walking down the street we’d really notice them too. There are a lot of big men that were really good such as The Undertaker, Vader, Bam Bam Bigelow, Kane and so on. Not all, though.
We know WWE loves their big guys, but they need to make sure those big guys actually have talent because there have been...
There have been a lot of terrible big men wrestlers in the history of WWE. While it’s hard to remember them all because we tend to want to forget the bad moments in wrestling, sometimes we have to pay tribute to them in our own unique way.
What’s the definition of a big man? Basically we’re looking at the guys that are exceptionally tall (taller than 6’6″) or well over 350 pounds. These are the guys that we remember in a wrestling ring and also if we were walking down the street we’d really notice them too. There are a lot of big men that were really good such as The Undertaker, Vader, Bam Bam Bigelow, Kane and so on. Not all, though.
We know WWE loves their big guys, but they need to make sure those big guys actually have talent because there have been...
- 9/12/2014
- by John Canton
- Obsessed with Film
As Tambay said back in March regarding the documentary film Big Men (Here), “we're talking about black gold, Aka oil, and the business of it - those who have it in abundance (and sometimes don't even realize it), and those who desire it (who also typically have the right tools to obtain it), if only for the potential rewards (usually monetary) being in control of it can generate." It’s an ancient story that’s been repeated over and over again all over the world. It is the eternal conflict of the ages between the powerful and the powerless, between the have and the have-nots. And that conflict is at the core of Rachel Boynton's documentary "Big Men," which...
- 8/14/2014
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
The 27th season of the acclaimed Pov series begins on Monday, June 23, 2014 at 10 p.m. on PBS and continues weekly through Sept. 22. The season, featuring 13 new independent nonfiction films and an encore broadcast, concludes with a special presentation in fall 2014.
In "When I Walk", a young up-and-coming filmmaker discovers he has multiple sclerosis. To cope, he decides to use the art of filmmaking to look at his new reality. In the Oscar-nominated "The Act of Killing," a group of unrepentant Indonesian mass murderers re-enact their crimes in a surreal performance that mimics the Hollywood movies they grew up with, and shocks a nation. In "The Genius of Marian," a mother's watercolors help a daughter suffering with Alzheimer's grasp family memories.
The art of politics is also on display in Koch, a history of the life and times of New York City's former mayor Ed Koch that is as rollicking and unconventional as the man himself, in "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs," about a fiery activist who urges today's movers and shakers to think in entirely new ways, and in "Getting Back to Abnormal," in which a New Orleans politician prone to putting her foot in her mouth gets an education in street smarts and the city's divergent cultures.
Pov recently announced a collaboration with The New York Times to premiere new documentaries on the organization's websites. The first film, "The Men of Atalissa" by Dan Barry and Kassie Bracken, produced by The New York Times, can be seen on www.pbs.org/pov and www.nytimes.com . In addition, Pov will renew its media partnership with New York flagship public radio station Wnyc.
"Documentaries no longer exist on the cultural margins; they have become an essential tool in how we explore and experience the world," said Pov Executive Producer Simon Kilmurry. "The work produced by these filmmakers is remarkable and important, engaging, daring and entertaining. And it's exciting to see how audiences celebrate and embrace these stories."
"Pov programs take you on a journey, whether traveling alongside a politician, a person grappling with a debilitating illness or an individual in love for the first time," said Pov Co-Executive Producer Cynthia Lopez. "As always, Pov films deliver a emotional punch with superbly crafted storytelling. This season promises to be a powerful roller coaster ride."
Pov 2014 Schedule
June 23: "When I Walk" by Jason DaSilva
Jason DaSilva was 25 years old and a rising independent filmmaker when a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis changed everything, and inspired him to make another film. When I Walk is a candid and brave chronicle of one young man's struggle to adapt to the harsh realities of M.S. while holding on to his personal and creative life. With his body growing weaker, DaSilva's spirits, and his film, get a boost from his mother's tough love and the support of Alice Cook, who becomes his wife and filmmaking partner. The result is a life-affirming documentary filled with unexpected moments of joy and humor. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. A co-production of Itvs. A co-presentation with the Center for Asian American Media (Caam).
June 30: "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs" by Grace Lee
Grace Lee Boggs, 98, is a Chinese American philosopher, writer, and activist in Detroit with a thick FBI file and a surprising vision of what an American revolution can be. Rooted for 75 years in the labor, civil rights and Black Power movements, she challenges a new generation to throw off old assumptions, think creatively and redefine revolution for our times. Winner, Audience Award, 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival. Festival. A co-presentation with Caam.
July 7: My Way to Olympia by Niko von Glasow
Who better to cover the Paralympics, the international sporting event for athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities, than Niko von Glasow, the world's best-known disabled filmmaker? Unfortunately, or fortunately for anyone seeking an insightful and funny documentary, this filmmaker frankly hates sports and thinks the games are "a stupid idea." Born with severely shortened arms, von Glasow serves as an endearing guide to London's Paralympics competition in "My Way to Olympia." As he meets a one-handed Norwegian table tennis player, the Rwandan sitting volleyball team, an American archer without arms and a Greek paraplegic boccia player, his own stereotypes about disability and sports get delightfully punctured. Official Selection of the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
July 14: Getting Back to Abnormal by Louis Alvarez, Andy Kolker, Peter Odabashian, Paul Stekler
What happens when America's most joyous, dysfunctional city rebuilds itself after a disaster? New Orleans is the setting for "Getting Back to Abnormal," a film that serves up a provocative mix of race, corruption and politics to tell the story of the re-election campaign of Stacy Head, a white woman in a city council seat traditionally held by a black representative. Supported by her irrepressible African-American aide Barbara Lacen-Keller, Head polarizes the city as her candidacy threatens to diminish the power and influence of its black citizens. Featuring a cast of characters as colorful as the city itself, the film presents a New Orleans that outsiders rarely see. Official Selection of the 2013 SXSW Film Festival.
A co-production of Itvs.
July 21: Dance for Me by Katrine Philp
Professional ballroom dancing is very big in little Denmark. Since success in this intensely competitive art depends on finding the right partner, aspiring Danish dancers often look beyond their borders to find their matches. In Dance for Me, 15-year-old Russian performer Egor leaves home and family to team up with 14-year-old Mie, one of Denmark's most promising young dancers. Strikingly different, Egor and Mie bond over their passion for Latin dance, and for winning. As they head to the championships, so much is at stake: emotional bonds, career and the future. Dance for Me is a poetic coming-of-age story, with a global twist and thrilling dance moves.
Airing with "Dance for Me" is the StoryCorps animated short A Good Man by The Rauch Brothers. Bryan Wilmoth and his seven younger siblings were raised in a strict, religious home. He talks to his brother Mike about what it was like to reconnect years after their dad kicked Bryan out for being gay. Major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Produced in association with American Documentary | Pov.
July 28: Fallen City by Qi Zhao
In today's go-go China, an old city completely destroyed by a devastating earthquake can be rebuilt, boasting new and improved civic amenities, in an astoundingly quick two years. But, as "Fallen City" reveals, the journey from the ruined old city of Beichuan to the new Beichuan nearby is long and heartbreaking for the survivors. Three families struggle with loss, most strikingly the loss of children and grandchildre, and feelings of loneliness, fear and dislocation that no amount of propaganda can disguise. First-time director Qi Zhao offers an intimate look at a country torn between tradition and modernity. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. A co-production of Itvs International.
A co-presentation with Caam.
Aug. 4: 15 to Life: Kenneth's Story by Nadine Pequeneza
Does sentencing a teenager to life without parole serve our society well? The United States is the only country in the world that routinely condemns children to die in prison. This is the story of one of those children, now a young man, seeking a second chance in Florida. At age 15, Kenneth Young received four consecutive life sentences for a series of armed robberies. Imprisoned for more than a decade, he believed he would die behind bars. Now a U.S. Supreme Court decision could set him free. "15 to Life: Kenneth's Story" follows Youn's struggle for redemption, revealing a justice system with thousands of young people serving sentences intended for society's most dangerous criminals.
Aug. 11: Encore presentation: Neurotypical by Adam Larsen
Neurotypical is an unprecedented exploration of autism from the point of view of autistic people themselves. Four-year-old Violet, teenaged Nicholas and adult Paula occupy different positions on the autism spectrum, but they are all at pivotal moments in their lives. How they and the people around them work out their perceptual and behavioral differences becomes a remarkable reflection of the "neurotypical" world, the world of the non-autistic, revealing inventive adaptations on each side and an emerging critique of both what it means to be normal and what it means to be human.
Aug. 18: A World Not Ours by Mahdi Fleifel
"A World Not Ours" is a passionate, bittersweet account of one familyâs multi-generational experience living as permanent refugees. Now a Danish resident, director Mahdi Fleifel grew up in the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, established in 1948 as a temporary refuge for exiled Palestinians. Today, the camp houses 70,000 people and is the hometown of generations of Palestinians. The filmmakerâs childhood memories are surprisingly warm and humorous, a testament to the resilience of the community. Yet his yearly visits reveal the increasing desperation of family and friends who remain trapped in psychological as well as political limbo. Official Selection of the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
Aug. 25: Big Men by Rachel Boynton
Over five years, director Rachel Boynton and her cinematographer film the quest for oil in Ghana by Dallas-based Kosmos. The company develops the country's first commercial oil field, yet its success is quickly compromised by political intrigue and accusations of corruption. As Ghanaians wait to reap the benefits of oil, the filmmakers discover violent resistance down the coast in the Niger Delta, where poor Nigerians have yet to prosper from decades-old oil fields. "Big Men," executive produced by Brad Pitt, provides an unprecedented inside look at the global deal making and dark underside of energy development, a contest for money and power that is reshaping the world. Official Selection of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.
Sept. 1: After Tiller by Martha Shane and Lana Wilson
"After Tiller" is a deeply humanizing and probing portrait of the four doctors in the United States still openly performing third-trimester abortions in the wake of the 2009 assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas, and in the face of intense protest from abortion opponents. It is also an examination of the desperate reasons women seek late abortions. Rather than offering solutions, "After Tiller" presents the complexities of these women's difficult decisions and the compassion and ethical dilemmas of the doctors and staff who fear for their own lives as they treat their patients. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
Sept. 8: The Genius of Marian by Banker White and Anna Fitch
"The Genius of Marian" is a visually rich, emotionally complex story about one family's struggle to come to terms with Alzheimer's disease. After Pam White is diagnosed at age 61 with early-onset Alzheimer's, life begins to change, slowly but irrevocably, for Pam and everyone around her. Her husband grapples with his role as it evolves from primary partner to primary caregiver. Pam's adult children find ways to show their love and support while mourning the gradual loss of their mother. Her eldest son, Banker, records their conversations, allowing Pam to share memories of childhood and of her mother, the renowned painter Marian Williams Steele, who had Alzheimer's herself and died in 2001.
Pov is preempted on Sept. 15 and returns the following week.
Sept. 22: Koch by Neil Barsky
New York City mayors have a world stage on which to strut, and they have made legendary use of it. Yet few have matched the bravado, combativeness and egocentricity that Ed Koch brought to the office during his three terms from 1978 to 1989. As Neil Barskyâs Koch recounts, Koch was more than the blunt, funny man New Yorkers either loved or hated. Elected in the 1970s during the cityâs fiscal crisis, he was a new Democrat for the dawning Reagan era, fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Koch finds the former mayor politically active to the end (he died in 2013), still winning the affection of many New Yorkers while driving others to distraction.
In fall 2014 Pov presents a special broadcast (date and time to be announced):
The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer
Nominated for an Academy Award, The Act of Killing is as dreamlike and terrifying as anything that Werner Herzog (one of the executive producers) could imagine. This film explores a horrifying era in Indonesian history and provides a window into modern Indonesia, where corruption reigns. Not only is the 1965 murder of an estimated one million people honored as a patriotic act, but the killers remain in power. In a mind-bending twist, death-squad leaders dramatize their brutal deeds in the style of the American westerns, musicals and gangster movies they love, and play both themselves and their victims. As their heroic facade crumbles, they come to question what they've done. Winner, 2014 BAFTA Film Award, Best Documentary.
In "When I Walk", a young up-and-coming filmmaker discovers he has multiple sclerosis. To cope, he decides to use the art of filmmaking to look at his new reality. In the Oscar-nominated "The Act of Killing," a group of unrepentant Indonesian mass murderers re-enact their crimes in a surreal performance that mimics the Hollywood movies they grew up with, and shocks a nation. In "The Genius of Marian," a mother's watercolors help a daughter suffering with Alzheimer's grasp family memories.
The art of politics is also on display in Koch, a history of the life and times of New York City's former mayor Ed Koch that is as rollicking and unconventional as the man himself, in "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs," about a fiery activist who urges today's movers and shakers to think in entirely new ways, and in "Getting Back to Abnormal," in which a New Orleans politician prone to putting her foot in her mouth gets an education in street smarts and the city's divergent cultures.
Pov recently announced a collaboration with The New York Times to premiere new documentaries on the organization's websites. The first film, "The Men of Atalissa" by Dan Barry and Kassie Bracken, produced by The New York Times, can be seen on www.pbs.org/pov and www.nytimes.com . In addition, Pov will renew its media partnership with New York flagship public radio station Wnyc.
"Documentaries no longer exist on the cultural margins; they have become an essential tool in how we explore and experience the world," said Pov Executive Producer Simon Kilmurry. "The work produced by these filmmakers is remarkable and important, engaging, daring and entertaining. And it's exciting to see how audiences celebrate and embrace these stories."
"Pov programs take you on a journey, whether traveling alongside a politician, a person grappling with a debilitating illness or an individual in love for the first time," said Pov Co-Executive Producer Cynthia Lopez. "As always, Pov films deliver a emotional punch with superbly crafted storytelling. This season promises to be a powerful roller coaster ride."
Pov 2014 Schedule
June 23: "When I Walk" by Jason DaSilva
Jason DaSilva was 25 years old and a rising independent filmmaker when a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis changed everything, and inspired him to make another film. When I Walk is a candid and brave chronicle of one young man's struggle to adapt to the harsh realities of M.S. while holding on to his personal and creative life. With his body growing weaker, DaSilva's spirits, and his film, get a boost from his mother's tough love and the support of Alice Cook, who becomes his wife and filmmaking partner. The result is a life-affirming documentary filled with unexpected moments of joy and humor. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. A co-production of Itvs. A co-presentation with the Center for Asian American Media (Caam).
June 30: "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs" by Grace Lee
Grace Lee Boggs, 98, is a Chinese American philosopher, writer, and activist in Detroit with a thick FBI file and a surprising vision of what an American revolution can be. Rooted for 75 years in the labor, civil rights and Black Power movements, she challenges a new generation to throw off old assumptions, think creatively and redefine revolution for our times. Winner, Audience Award, 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival. Festival. A co-presentation with Caam.
July 7: My Way to Olympia by Niko von Glasow
Who better to cover the Paralympics, the international sporting event for athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities, than Niko von Glasow, the world's best-known disabled filmmaker? Unfortunately, or fortunately for anyone seeking an insightful and funny documentary, this filmmaker frankly hates sports and thinks the games are "a stupid idea." Born with severely shortened arms, von Glasow serves as an endearing guide to London's Paralympics competition in "My Way to Olympia." As he meets a one-handed Norwegian table tennis player, the Rwandan sitting volleyball team, an American archer without arms and a Greek paraplegic boccia player, his own stereotypes about disability and sports get delightfully punctured. Official Selection of the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
July 14: Getting Back to Abnormal by Louis Alvarez, Andy Kolker, Peter Odabashian, Paul Stekler
What happens when America's most joyous, dysfunctional city rebuilds itself after a disaster? New Orleans is the setting for "Getting Back to Abnormal," a film that serves up a provocative mix of race, corruption and politics to tell the story of the re-election campaign of Stacy Head, a white woman in a city council seat traditionally held by a black representative. Supported by her irrepressible African-American aide Barbara Lacen-Keller, Head polarizes the city as her candidacy threatens to diminish the power and influence of its black citizens. Featuring a cast of characters as colorful as the city itself, the film presents a New Orleans that outsiders rarely see. Official Selection of the 2013 SXSW Film Festival.
A co-production of Itvs.
July 21: Dance for Me by Katrine Philp
Professional ballroom dancing is very big in little Denmark. Since success in this intensely competitive art depends on finding the right partner, aspiring Danish dancers often look beyond their borders to find their matches. In Dance for Me, 15-year-old Russian performer Egor leaves home and family to team up with 14-year-old Mie, one of Denmark's most promising young dancers. Strikingly different, Egor and Mie bond over their passion for Latin dance, and for winning. As they head to the championships, so much is at stake: emotional bonds, career and the future. Dance for Me is a poetic coming-of-age story, with a global twist and thrilling dance moves.
Airing with "Dance for Me" is the StoryCorps animated short A Good Man by The Rauch Brothers. Bryan Wilmoth and his seven younger siblings were raised in a strict, religious home. He talks to his brother Mike about what it was like to reconnect years after their dad kicked Bryan out for being gay. Major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Produced in association with American Documentary | Pov.
July 28: Fallen City by Qi Zhao
In today's go-go China, an old city completely destroyed by a devastating earthquake can be rebuilt, boasting new and improved civic amenities, in an astoundingly quick two years. But, as "Fallen City" reveals, the journey from the ruined old city of Beichuan to the new Beichuan nearby is long and heartbreaking for the survivors. Three families struggle with loss, most strikingly the loss of children and grandchildre, and feelings of loneliness, fear and dislocation that no amount of propaganda can disguise. First-time director Qi Zhao offers an intimate look at a country torn between tradition and modernity. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. A co-production of Itvs International.
A co-presentation with Caam.
Aug. 4: 15 to Life: Kenneth's Story by Nadine Pequeneza
Does sentencing a teenager to life without parole serve our society well? The United States is the only country in the world that routinely condemns children to die in prison. This is the story of one of those children, now a young man, seeking a second chance in Florida. At age 15, Kenneth Young received four consecutive life sentences for a series of armed robberies. Imprisoned for more than a decade, he believed he would die behind bars. Now a U.S. Supreme Court decision could set him free. "15 to Life: Kenneth's Story" follows Youn's struggle for redemption, revealing a justice system with thousands of young people serving sentences intended for society's most dangerous criminals.
Aug. 11: Encore presentation: Neurotypical by Adam Larsen
Neurotypical is an unprecedented exploration of autism from the point of view of autistic people themselves. Four-year-old Violet, teenaged Nicholas and adult Paula occupy different positions on the autism spectrum, but they are all at pivotal moments in their lives. How they and the people around them work out their perceptual and behavioral differences becomes a remarkable reflection of the "neurotypical" world, the world of the non-autistic, revealing inventive adaptations on each side and an emerging critique of both what it means to be normal and what it means to be human.
Aug. 18: A World Not Ours by Mahdi Fleifel
"A World Not Ours" is a passionate, bittersweet account of one familyâs multi-generational experience living as permanent refugees. Now a Danish resident, director Mahdi Fleifel grew up in the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, established in 1948 as a temporary refuge for exiled Palestinians. Today, the camp houses 70,000 people and is the hometown of generations of Palestinians. The filmmakerâs childhood memories are surprisingly warm and humorous, a testament to the resilience of the community. Yet his yearly visits reveal the increasing desperation of family and friends who remain trapped in psychological as well as political limbo. Official Selection of the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
Aug. 25: Big Men by Rachel Boynton
Over five years, director Rachel Boynton and her cinematographer film the quest for oil in Ghana by Dallas-based Kosmos. The company develops the country's first commercial oil field, yet its success is quickly compromised by political intrigue and accusations of corruption. As Ghanaians wait to reap the benefits of oil, the filmmakers discover violent resistance down the coast in the Niger Delta, where poor Nigerians have yet to prosper from decades-old oil fields. "Big Men," executive produced by Brad Pitt, provides an unprecedented inside look at the global deal making and dark underside of energy development, a contest for money and power that is reshaping the world. Official Selection of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.
Sept. 1: After Tiller by Martha Shane and Lana Wilson
"After Tiller" is a deeply humanizing and probing portrait of the four doctors in the United States still openly performing third-trimester abortions in the wake of the 2009 assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas, and in the face of intense protest from abortion opponents. It is also an examination of the desperate reasons women seek late abortions. Rather than offering solutions, "After Tiller" presents the complexities of these women's difficult decisions and the compassion and ethical dilemmas of the doctors and staff who fear for their own lives as they treat their patients. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
Sept. 8: The Genius of Marian by Banker White and Anna Fitch
"The Genius of Marian" is a visually rich, emotionally complex story about one family's struggle to come to terms with Alzheimer's disease. After Pam White is diagnosed at age 61 with early-onset Alzheimer's, life begins to change, slowly but irrevocably, for Pam and everyone around her. Her husband grapples with his role as it evolves from primary partner to primary caregiver. Pam's adult children find ways to show their love and support while mourning the gradual loss of their mother. Her eldest son, Banker, records their conversations, allowing Pam to share memories of childhood and of her mother, the renowned painter Marian Williams Steele, who had Alzheimer's herself and died in 2001.
Pov is preempted on Sept. 15 and returns the following week.
Sept. 22: Koch by Neil Barsky
New York City mayors have a world stage on which to strut, and they have made legendary use of it. Yet few have matched the bravado, combativeness and egocentricity that Ed Koch brought to the office during his three terms from 1978 to 1989. As Neil Barskyâs Koch recounts, Koch was more than the blunt, funny man New Yorkers either loved or hated. Elected in the 1970s during the cityâs fiscal crisis, he was a new Democrat for the dawning Reagan era, fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Koch finds the former mayor politically active to the end (he died in 2013), still winning the affection of many New Yorkers while driving others to distraction.
In fall 2014 Pov presents a special broadcast (date and time to be announced):
The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer
Nominated for an Academy Award, The Act of Killing is as dreamlike and terrifying as anything that Werner Herzog (one of the executive producers) could imagine. This film explores a horrifying era in Indonesian history and provides a window into modern Indonesia, where corruption reigns. Not only is the 1965 murder of an estimated one million people honored as a patriotic act, but the killers remain in power. In a mind-bending twist, death-squad leaders dramatize their brutal deeds in the style of the American westerns, musicals and gangster movies they love, and play both themselves and their victims. As their heroic facade crumbles, they come to question what they've done. Winner, 2014 BAFTA Film Award, Best Documentary.
- 6/22/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Big men drive Big Trucks ... at least Tyson Chandler does -- and TMZ Sports has footage of the 7'1" NBA star hittin' the road in a tricked out "baby monster truck."The New York Knicks center was out in Calabasas this week in what appears to be a lifted 2010 Ford F350 Super Duty … a car that just Dominates on the road. Chandler says he likes the truck because at his size, he fits pretty comfortably...
- 6/13/2014
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Pov, the PBS series for “documentaries with a point of view,” kicks off its 2014 season on Monday, June 23 with Jason Silva’s powerful and inspiring When I Walk. The following weeks feature many other Filmmaker favorites, including American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, Big Men (pictured), After Tiller and the broadcast premiere of the boundary-breaking The Act of Killing. Check out the complete schedule here and the trailer above.
- 6/4/2014
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Pov, the PBS series for “documentaries with a point of view,” kicks off its 2014 season on Monday, June 23 with Jason Silva’s powerful and inspiring When I Walk. The following weeks feature many other Filmmaker favorites, including American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, Big Men (pictured), After Tiller and the broadcast premiere of the boundary-breaking The Act of Killing. Check out the complete schedule here and the trailer above.
- 6/4/2014
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Over the past 12 years, the Tribeca Film Festival has shed and tried on multiple identities. But in recent years, it seems to have found one that sticks: It's a festival where you go to see some of the most exciting documentary work around. (It shows narrative films, too, but its fiction slate is a somewhat more hit-and-miss affair.) Last year's iteration gave us such startling docs as Let the Fire Burn, Big Men, and The Kill Team. This year's lineup (which will screen from April 16 through 27) is also very promising; there are even some potentially interesting narrative films. The topics range far and wide, but some themes are already starting to emerge: Many of these films follow offbeat, sometimes even troubled, individuals struggling to find their places in culture and society — whether it's through creating a work of art, or joining a revolution, or trying to find the...
- 4/15/2014
- by Bilge Ebiri
- Vulture
After taking a weekend getaway with Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt left their hotel in La on Sunday, hopping into his Tesla and driving away. The actor's outfit was similar to the one he wore when the couple made their sweet arrival on Saturday. Later, Angelina left the hotel to get into her own car. Earlier in the weekend, the couple got close when they arrived at their getaway location, wrapping their arms around each other as they walked through lush grounds. The getaway comes after a characteristically busy couple of weeks for the parents. Brad returned to La on Wednesday after a short trip to France. The week before, the actor popped up at a special screening of Big Men, a documentary filmed in West Africa for which Brad is an executive producer. Angelina has racked up even more hours in the sky, having traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina late...
- 4/7/2014
- by Nick Maslow
- Popsugar.com
Brad Pitt returned to La on Wednesday after a quick trip to France over the weekend. The actor donned head-to-toe khaki when arriving at Lax, a look he's shown off quite a bit lately. The last time we saw this trend on Brad was at a screening of Big Men, his latest passion project. The documentary - which was primarily filmed in West Africa - follows a small group of American explorers at a Texas-based oil company as they discover and develop the first-ever oil field in Ghana. This isn't the only big news for Brad. It was recently announced that his Plan B production company has acquired the rights to David Kushner's famed 2013 Rolling Stone article "Anonymous vs. Steubenville," the story about a hacker who helped convict two rapists and was then was jailed for his actions. This will be another true story adaptation for Brad and his company,...
- 4/3/2014
- by Alyse Whitney
- Popsugar.com
Title: Big Men Director: Rachel Boynton A kind of true-life, slow-motion disaster flick for the NPR set, director Rachel Boynton’s “Big Men” is an engaging documentary that roots down into the very human and relatable effects of the discovery of a huge African oil deposit upon a disparate variety of characters, from the penthouse to the pavement. Assaying the mores and motivations of all these dreamers and schemers, the film throws a spotlight on human fallibility, and all the shades of grey that color the geopolitical world. The movie opens in 2007, when a small, Dallas-based oil exploration firm, Kosmos Energy — working in concert with local partners and an American investment [ Read More ]
The post Big Men Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Big Men Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/2/2014
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
On Wednesday night, following a Los Angeles screening of Rachel Boynton's documentary Big Men -- an edge-of-your-seat film that offers an unprecedented inside look at how American oil companies and African governments interact when oil is discovered in Africa -- The Hollywood Reporter met up with Boynton and one of the film's executive producers, Brad Pitt, to discuss how the project came together and what they hope people will take away from it. Boynton spent seven years of her life making the film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, screened theatrically last year (unfortunately rendering it
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- 3/31/2014
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brad Pitt is still one of Hollywood's sexiest men! The actor stopped by the screening of "Big Men" (which he produced) at the Sundance Sunset Cinema in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Sporting a tan blazer, a white T-shirt, khaki slacks and sneakers, the A-list actor looked both stylish and youthful for the event. Brad completed his look with tinted glasses, and also debuted a new 'do -- rocking a shorter version of a mohawk for the screening. At 50-years-old, the actor still looks just like the spitting image of his much younger self -- talk about good genes! How do you think the "12 Years A Slave" star looks? Tell toofab in the comment section below and click "Launch Gallery" above to see even more '90s hunk then and now! Read more...
- 3/27/2014
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are on different continents, again. The longtime loves are all too familiar with being miles apart and these latest sightings of Brangelina are no exception. The 50-year-old actor attended a special screening for the film Big Men on Wednesday at the Sundance Theater in Los Angeles. A slightly scruffy Pitt opted for a tan jacket with khaki pants, a white T-shirt and a pair of tinted glasses for the event. Per the documentary's website, Big Men tells the story of a small group of American explorers at a Dallas-based oil company called Kosmos Energy. The movie's two-person crew was given unprecedented access and filmed inside the oil company between 2007 and 2011,...
- 3/27/2014
- E! Online
Always one to make a scene with his arrivals, Brad Pitt attended the Los Angeles screening of the documentary, "Big Men" on Wednesday (March 26).
Looking cool in a summer suit, the "World War Z" stud sported a tan jacket and pants, going casual with a white tee underneath.
"Big Men" is directed and produced by Rachel Boynton, and its official synopsis reads, "The film's central story follows a small group of American explorers at Dallas-based oil company Kosmos Energy. Between 2007 and 2011, with unprecedented, independent access, Big Men's two-person crew filmed inside the oil company as Kosmos and its partners discovered and developed the first commercial oil field in Ghana's history."
Continuing, the sum-up states, "Simultaneously the crew filmed in the swamps of Nigeria's Niger Delta, following the exploits of a militant gang to reveal another side of the economy of oil: people trying to profit in any way possible,...
Looking cool in a summer suit, the "World War Z" stud sported a tan jacket and pants, going casual with a white tee underneath.
"Big Men" is directed and produced by Rachel Boynton, and its official synopsis reads, "The film's central story follows a small group of American explorers at Dallas-based oil company Kosmos Energy. Between 2007 and 2011, with unprecedented, independent access, Big Men's two-person crew filmed inside the oil company as Kosmos and its partners discovered and developed the first commercial oil field in Ghana's history."
Continuing, the sum-up states, "Simultaneously the crew filmed in the swamps of Nigeria's Niger Delta, following the exploits of a militant gang to reveal another side of the economy of oil: people trying to profit in any way possible,...
- 3/27/2014
- GossipCenter
Brad Pitt made a special appearance at an afterparty for the screening of Big Men in La on Wednesday. The documentary was primarily filmed in West Africa and follows a small group of American explorers at a Texas-based oil company as they discover and develop the first-ever oil field in Ghana. As an executive producer of the film, Brad showed up to support director and producer Rachel Boynton during the event and looked as handsome as ever with an upswept haircut and a bit of facial scruff. His fiancée, Angelina Jolie, was also busy promoting a project close to her heart this week. She took the stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to speak on behalf of her film, Unbroken, during the Universal Studios presentation. The last time we saw Brad and Angelina together was earlier this month as they hit the red carpet, ate pizza, and posed for a now-infamous selfie at the Oscars.
- 3/27/2014
- by Brittney Stephens
- Popsugar.com
New Release
Finding Vivian Maier
Not Rated, 1 Hr., 23 Mins.
More connect-the-dots detective thriller than traditional doc, John Maloof and Charlie Siskel’s revelatory riddle of a film unmasks a brilliant photographer who hid in plain sight for decades working as an eccentric French nanny. Her name was Vivian Maier, and judging from her haunting, humorous, and long-unseen street portraits, she was like Mary Poppins living a double life as Diane Arbus. (Also available on VOD) A- —Chris Nashawaty
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil le Clercq
Not Rated, 1 Hr., 31 Mins.
A spooky, heartbreaking documentary about Tanny le Clercq, the solemnly intoxicating...
Finding Vivian Maier
Not Rated, 1 Hr., 23 Mins.
More connect-the-dots detective thriller than traditional doc, John Maloof and Charlie Siskel’s revelatory riddle of a film unmasks a brilliant photographer who hid in plain sight for decades working as an eccentric French nanny. Her name was Vivian Maier, and judging from her haunting, humorous, and long-unseen street portraits, she was like Mary Poppins living a double life as Diane Arbus. (Also available on VOD) A- —Chris Nashawaty
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil le Clercq
Not Rated, 1 Hr., 31 Mins.
A spooky, heartbreaking documentary about Tanny le Clercq, the solemnly intoxicating...
- 3/26/2014
- by EW staff
- EW - Inside Movies
WWE.com
Nobody will ever deny that Andre the Giant is the archetype of the Big Man in professional wrestling and one of the greatest in-ring personalities to ever grace the squared circle. Among other things he was able to prove that Big Men deserved a spot in the top card of professional wrestling and, indeed, a spot in the main event.
Over a storied career, the man not only accumulated an unduplicated winning streak, and a World Championship, but managed to make an indelible impact on the nature and presence of the sport by in and out of the industry. In addition to the ringside accolades that Andre garnered over his career, there is nary a tale of the man afflicted with gigantism and acromegaly that fails to share his gentleness, his kindness, and his humanity.
Perhaps it is more the latter than the former that has earned him...
Nobody will ever deny that Andre the Giant is the archetype of the Big Man in professional wrestling and one of the greatest in-ring personalities to ever grace the squared circle. Among other things he was able to prove that Big Men deserved a spot in the top card of professional wrestling and, indeed, a spot in the main event.
Over a storied career, the man not only accumulated an unduplicated winning streak, and a World Championship, but managed to make an indelible impact on the nature and presence of the sport by in and out of the industry. In addition to the ringside accolades that Andre garnered over his career, there is nary a tale of the man afflicted with gigantism and acromegaly that fails to share his gentleness, his kindness, and his humanity.
Perhaps it is more the latter than the former that has earned him...
- 3/22/2014
- by Brandon Melendez
- Obsessed with Film
"Big Men" should have been one of the year's biggest documentaries. Directed by Rachel Boynton (whose "Our Brand is Crisis" was a 2005 nonfiction highlight), executive produced by Brad Pitt, and bolstered by strong reviews (Variety called it "a real-life 'Chinatown'"), the film is both an epic and intimate investigation into the fickle and mercenary ways of global capitalism, six years in the making and spanning of two continents and multiple characters. But as ambitious and well-crafted as the film may be, "Big Men" has been cut down to size by a shifting marketplace. Though more documentaries are being acquired and released by a multitude of new companies, "Big Men" is not the kind of pop-culture-pegged, straightforwardly marketable documentary that's a hot commodity these days. Its complexity is, of course, what makes the film so strong, but ironically, it's the film’s ambiguities that may have made the doc undesirable for buyers.
- 3/18/2014
- by Anthony Kaufman
- Indiewire
While "Big Men" opens with quotes about greed from economist Milton Friedman and the film "Treasure Of The Sierra Madre," it's a line of dialogue from another movie struck me watching Rachel Boynton's documentary: "There's a whole ocean of oil under our feet! No one can get at it except for me!" Those are Daniel Plainview's words from Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood," and they seem to be the unspoken sentiment that energizes many of the interested parties in "Big Men," a look at how big business, international politics and oil trading has come to bear in Africa, specifically in Nigeria and Ghana. And while that may sound like the kind of premise easily given to a David vs. Goliath approach, Boynton's film is refreshingly complex, with a look at the issue as it goes from the boardrooms of private equity firms all the way down...
- 3/17/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
In a world of simplified, cable-news talking points, documentary filmmaker Rachel Boynton makes layered, complicated films exploring the nexus of politics and personality. With Our Brand is Crisis, Boynton — one of Filmmaker‘s 2005 25 New Faces — traveled to Bolivia to cover the 2002 election, embedding herself both within the campaigns of local candidates as well as the war room of hired-gun U.S. consultants Jim Carville and his Gcs Associates team. Big Men, opening today, is her second feature, and it has similarly required an immersive, years-long process. She began the process of considering the film before its so-called […]...
- 3/14/2014
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
In a world of simplified, cable-news talking points, documentary filmmaker Rachel Boynton makes layered, complicated films exploring the nexus of politics and personality. With Our Brand is Crisis, Boynton — one of Filmmaker‘s 2005 25 New Faces — traveled to Bolivia to cover the 2002 election, embedding herself both within the campaigns of local candidates as well as the war room of hired-gun U.S. consultants Jim Carville and his Gcs Associates team. Big Men, opening today, is her second feature, and it has similarly required an immersive, years-long process. She began the process of considering the film before its so-called […]...
- 3/14/2014
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Here's the rare current-affairs documentary that doesn't just show us something gone wrong in some part of our world. Rachel Boynton's first-rate Big Men instead peels the skin off the world itself, revealing the gears as they grind away, casting familiar doc scenarios in shades of illuminating gray: The heroes and villains in global business aren't always easy to suss out, but it's never hard to spot the victims.
Her topic is one that you might think you already have the gist of: the effects of international oil companies on the African countries whose resources they suck. But Big Men is no simple screed against tick-like profiteers growing fat on malnourished hosts, which is fine — you either know that story already or you've chosen to live in denial of i...
Her topic is one that you might think you already have the gist of: the effects of international oil companies on the African countries whose resources they suck. But Big Men is no simple screed against tick-like profiteers growing fat on malnourished hosts, which is fine — you either know that story already or you've chosen to live in denial of i...
- 3/12/2014
- Village Voice
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Conor_O%27Brian_2013_A.jpg
Well, we’re into February and the promised rumour we heard last year is coming to fruition. It was heard that the WWE will be going back to the big men, the giants, after what they will consider the failed ‘independent’ experiment. Was it a failure? To most of us, no, it wasn’t.
This column isn’t about that though, this is about which of the big men will really begin to propel the company forward in the coming years. There’s a big list but the past four weeks have begun to show some direction here. Also, does ‘big’ necessarily mean ‘height’? No, but obviously, the physical stature of some of the wrestlers mentioned here are their main selling points.
It should be noted that in the next few months/years, we will begin to see...
Well, we’re into February and the promised rumour we heard last year is coming to fruition. It was heard that the WWE will be going back to the big men, the giants, after what they will consider the failed ‘independent’ experiment. Was it a failure? To most of us, no, it wasn’t.
This column isn’t about that though, this is about which of the big men will really begin to propel the company forward in the coming years. There’s a big list but the past four weeks have begun to show some direction here. Also, does ‘big’ necessarily mean ‘height’? No, but obviously, the physical stature of some of the wrestlers mentioned here are their main selling points.
It should be noted that in the next few months/years, we will begin to see...
- 2/3/2014
- by Hugh Firth
- Obsessed with Film
Millions know him as part of C4's It Crowd or as the charming cop in Hollywood hit Bridesmaids. Now the versatile Irish actor is making his mark on the stage in Of Mice and Men
On the Cannes Croisette, in the foyer of the postmodern Jw Marriott hotel, a bundle of brightly polished people from the film industry are standing together in a roped-off area, enjoying a free drink and the illusion of celebrity. Slinking by unnoticed, trundling a small case towards the lifts, is a tall man in a hoodie, with messy hair and stubble.
Is he a TV cameraman or a seedy showbiz journalist? No, it is Chris O'Dowd, one of the most bankable stars to attend the film festival that year, 2012.
No matter how famous the Irish actor gets, following lead roles in Bridesmaids and The Sapphires (along with a disturbing television cameo in the acclaimed HBO series Girls), his ambling,...
On the Cannes Croisette, in the foyer of the postmodern Jw Marriott hotel, a bundle of brightly polished people from the film industry are standing together in a roped-off area, enjoying a free drink and the illusion of celebrity. Slinking by unnoticed, trundling a small case towards the lifts, is a tall man in a hoodie, with messy hair and stubble.
Is he a TV cameraman or a seedy showbiz journalist? No, it is Chris O'Dowd, one of the most bankable stars to attend the film festival that year, 2012.
No matter how famous the Irish actor gets, following lead roles in Bridesmaids and The Sapphires (along with a disturbing television cameo in the acclaimed HBO series Girls), his ambling,...
- 1/19/2014
- by Vanessa Thorpe
- The Guardian - Film News
Line-up includes two programmes curated by Ai Weiwei and The Yes Men.
Copenhagen documentary festival Cph:dox has unveiled the programme for its 11th edition, which runs Nov 7-17.
More than 200 films will be screened including 57 world and international premieres; a new prize for journalistic documentaries called F:act Award; and curated programmes from artist Ai Weiwei and activist duo The Yes Men.
For the first time, the festival is introducing an overall theme: Everything is Under Control.
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has selected 10 films for this year’s festival with the theme in mind, reflecting “artists’ role and responsibility towards the acts of the establishment”.
The festival will also screen the world premiere of Weiwei’s new film Stay Home!, about a 10-year old girl who is not allowed to receive medical care for her HIV-infection, as she is the second child in the family.
Us activist duo The Yes Men aim to bring the power of the...
Copenhagen documentary festival Cph:dox has unveiled the programme for its 11th edition, which runs Nov 7-17.
More than 200 films will be screened including 57 world and international premieres; a new prize for journalistic documentaries called F:act Award; and curated programmes from artist Ai Weiwei and activist duo The Yes Men.
For the first time, the festival is introducing an overall theme: Everything is Under Control.
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has selected 10 films for this year’s festival with the theme in mind, reflecting “artists’ role and responsibility towards the acts of the establishment”.
The festival will also screen the world premiere of Weiwei’s new film Stay Home!, about a 10-year old girl who is not allowed to receive medical care for her HIV-infection, as she is the second child in the family.
Us activist duo The Yes Men aim to bring the power of the...
- 10/14/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
At other festivals when we started to ask people what film school they went to (if any), we noticed that a lot of those who didn't go to film school wanted to talk about who their mentors were. When we asked Tribeca filmmakers who their inspirations and mentors were, they were eager to respond, whether they went to film school or not. Here are their answers: Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek ("In God We Trust"): Making our mockumentary comedy, "Cook Off," was a crash course in film making and we came out the other side with a practical hands on education in film. Since we started making films in 2006, we have been lucky enough to work with a diverse group of incredible people like Gore Vidal, Wendi McClendon Covey, Christian Bale and Susanne Rostock and so many others. Each one of them in their own way have contributed to us as filmmakers.
- 5/29/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Oil. We can’t live with it. We can’t live without it. For some, this is the major environmental predicament of our times. For a few countries in Africa, it’s an unexpected windfall, the consequences of which are still not entirely known. While researching what was to become her second feature Big Men, Rachel Boynton traveled to Nigeria to find out what exactly was going on in the oil fields there, only to discover that the story was much bigger than just one country or even one continent. It was a story that would take her to nearby Ghana all the …...
- 4/18/2013
- by Mary Anderson Casavant
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
It took Rachel Boynton six years to make her film "Big Men," a movie she is proud to say draws parallels between radically different places and people. "It shows you what the Texan oil executive has in common with the Nigerian militant struggling to make a dollar. And in doing that, it’s saying something about what we all have in common." The film focuses on the 20% of oil that is imported from Africa and how that connects us and makes up dependent on one another. What it's about: A real-life Treasure of the Sierra Madre with oil companies, African governments, Wall Street financiers and gun-toting militants. What else should audiences know?: "Big Men" is a fast-paced tour through the high-powered world of African oil deals with crazy access to everyone. It gives you a ticket to places you’ll never get to otherwise, taking you into the room...
- 4/13/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
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