Conspiracy theories capture the imagination in a way that few other things can. Whether it engages a part of the brain that otherwise lays dormant or just excites those with overactive minds, they’ve been all the rage for as long as society has existed. Largely, they’re bonkers and have no basis in fact. Just look at the assertions that Jeffrey Epstein was killed by the Clintons for proof of that. However, every so often, something comes along that lends credence to a conspiracy. This week’s Cold Case Hammarskjöld is one such example. A riveting non fiction tale about a mysterious death and the global conspiracy that spools out from it, this is one of the better documentaries of 2019 so far. The documentary follows the Danish director Mads Brügger, as well as the Swedish private investigator Göran Björkdahl, as they look into the death of former Secretary-General of the United States Dag Hammarskjöld.
- 8/13/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Life strives to grow, and flourish, amid catastrophic ruins in “Angels Are Made of Light,” James Longley’s stirring and gorgeous documentary about young students and teachers trying to maintain hope in Kabul. As with his prior “Iraq in Fragments,” the director offers a multitude of despairing perspectives on this war-torn milieu, where poverty and war are constant impediments to happiness and progress. Driven by powerful confessional narration from various sources, the film should strike a resonant chord following its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival.
While criticism of America’s military presence in Afghanistan is intermittently heard in conversation and on radio here, Longley’s approach is largely apolitical, insofar as his main focus is the day-to-day experience — and emotional and psychological state — of his pre-teen voices, all of whom attend the Daqiqi Balkhi School. Cheery Sohrab’s love of books and ambition to be at the top of...
While criticism of America’s military presence in Afghanistan is intermittently heard in conversation and on radio here, Longley’s approach is largely apolitical, insofar as his main focus is the day-to-day experience — and emotional and psychological state — of his pre-teen voices, all of whom attend the Daqiqi Balkhi School. Cheery Sohrab’s love of books and ambition to be at the top of...
- 9/5/2018
- by Nick Schager
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – The problem with defining yourself by your job, as anyone in this god-awful economy might tell you, is that you probably won’t work forever. Odd Horten, the kind yet unexcitable title character in a strange, little Norwegian comedy by Bent Hamer, has steered locomotives for 40 years, and if you were to take the trains out of this simple fellow’s life, there wouldn’t be much left.
DVD Rating: 2.5/5.0 How devoted is Odd to his occupation? Well, he shuns driving cars and traveling by plane, and he loves wearing his uniform even while off duty. Heck, the guy lives in a house where railroad tracks are literally outside his living room window.
Of course, most of Odd’s friends work on trains too, and they love their jobs as much as he does. For kicks, they’ll get together, listen to recordings of locomotives and quiz one another...
DVD Rating: 2.5/5.0 How devoted is Odd to his occupation? Well, he shuns driving cars and traveling by plane, and he loves wearing his uniform even while off duty. Heck, the guy lives in a house where railroad tracks are literally outside his living room window.
Of course, most of Odd’s friends work on trains too, and they love their jobs as much as he does. For kicks, they’ll get together, listen to recordings of locomotives and quiz one another...
- 9/28/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
DVD Playhouse—September 2009
By
Allen Gardner
The Human Condition (Criterion) Masaki Kobayashi’s epic (574 minutes) adaptation of Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel was originally made and released as three separate films (1959-61), and is rightfully regarded as a landmark of Japanese cinema. Candide-like story of naïve, good-hearted Kaiji (Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai) from labor camp supervisor, to Imperial Army solider, to Soviet Pow, and Kaiji’s struggle to maintain his humanity throughout. Unfolds with the mastery of a great novel, beautifully-shot, and a stunning example of cinematic mastery on the part of its makers. Four-disc set bonuses include: Interview with Kobayashi; Interview with Nakadai; Featurette; Trailer; Essay by critic Philip Kemp. Widescreen. Dolby 3.0 surround.
State Of Play (Universal) Russell Crowe stars as a veteran Washington D.C. political reporter investigating the murder of an aide to a rising congressional star (Ben Affleck), who also happens to be an old friend.
By
Allen Gardner
The Human Condition (Criterion) Masaki Kobayashi’s epic (574 minutes) adaptation of Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel was originally made and released as three separate films (1959-61), and is rightfully regarded as a landmark of Japanese cinema. Candide-like story of naïve, good-hearted Kaiji (Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai) from labor camp supervisor, to Imperial Army solider, to Soviet Pow, and Kaiji’s struggle to maintain his humanity throughout. Unfolds with the mastery of a great novel, beautifully-shot, and a stunning example of cinematic mastery on the part of its makers. Four-disc set bonuses include: Interview with Kobayashi; Interview with Nakadai; Featurette; Trailer; Essay by critic Philip Kemp. Widescreen. Dolby 3.0 surround.
State Of Play (Universal) Russell Crowe stars as a veteran Washington D.C. political reporter investigating the murder of an aide to a rising congressional star (Ben Affleck), who also happens to be an old friend.
- 9/26/2009
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
by Terry Keefe
Bent Hamer's O'Horten arrives on DVD today, complete with Interviews with Hamer and composer John Erik Kaada. Below is my talk with Hamer, who I had interviewed previously for his 2004 film Kitchen Stories. This article previously appeared in Venice Magazine.
(Actor Bard Owe in O'Horten, above, and director Bent Hamer, below.)
Norwegian director Bent Hamer has just come back from a walk around the beach in Venice and eagerly relates, “I just saw this house on the beach and it had a sign which said, ‘Hippies, please use kitchen entrance!’” Hamer then laughs, captivated by this little glimmer of absurdity he has discovered. The sign in question actually wouldn’t be out of place in a Bent Hamer film, which are known for mixing visual oddities of the everyday with characters and plots which keep the overall film grounded in reality, somewhat anyway. We last spoke...
Bent Hamer's O'Horten arrives on DVD today, complete with Interviews with Hamer and composer John Erik Kaada. Below is my talk with Hamer, who I had interviewed previously for his 2004 film Kitchen Stories. This article previously appeared in Venice Magazine.
(Actor Bard Owe in O'Horten, above, and director Bent Hamer, below.)
Norwegian director Bent Hamer has just come back from a walk around the beach in Venice and eagerly relates, “I just saw this house on the beach and it had a sign which said, ‘Hippies, please use kitchen entrance!’” Hamer then laughs, captivated by this little glimmer of absurdity he has discovered. The sign in question actually wouldn’t be out of place in a Bent Hamer film, which are known for mixing visual oddities of the everyday with characters and plots which keep the overall film grounded in reality, somewhat anyway. We last spoke...
- 9/22/2009
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
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