Chana Gazit Movies
- 2006
- Add American Experience: Test Tube Babies to QueueAdd American Experience: Test Tube Babies to top of Queue
This reflective documentary from the Public Broadcasting Company explores the history and consequences of the innovations in reproductive technology that have enabled the conception of "Testtube Babies" - children conceived outside the womb. Tracing the history of the topic's research from its roots in the 1940's, through to the first successful baby born from lab conception in 1978, the film examines a practice that's served as a God-send for childless couples, and a controversial topic for others. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Always his own best audience, celebrated author, social critic, and self-described political "nag" Gore Vidal also proves the ideal master of ceremonies (via film clips from an extended interview) for this biographical documentary. From the vantage point of his villa in Ravello, Italy, Vidal recalls his own tempestuous life and career, all the while dispensing caustic barbs aimed at the country of his birth, "The United States of Amnesia." The author's most famous literary works are touched upon, notably his Broadway plays Visit to a Small Planet and The Best Man; his iconoclastic historical novels Burr and Lincoln; and, of course, his once-scandalous best-seller Myra Breckenridge. Also given ample airspace are Vidal's many plunges into the political arena (a natural outgrowth of his heritage, coming as he did from a long line of Tennessee public servants), including his unsuccessful run for office; his ceaseless verbal assaults on the nation's Founding Fathers ("hucksters who were posing for history"); his shocking comments on the Kennedy clan during a 1973 telecast of The Dick Cavett Show; and his notorious 1968 TV confrontation with William F. Buckley, which degenerated into a vicious name-calling session, a lawsuit, and a public apology from Buckley. Several of Vidal's friends, associates, and admirers appear on camera, notably actors Eli Wallach, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon, all of whom read passages from his novels. All in all, this is a fascinating glimpse into the psyche of a man described by one associate as a "nasty, witty, shrewd, contemptible fellow," and by other acquaintances as a warm, personable, caring gentleman. Previewed at the Sundance Film Festival January 20, 2003, The Education of Gore Vidal made its TV debut six months later as part of PBS' American Masters anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gore Vidal, Anne Jackson, (more)
- 2003
This entry in the PBS documentary series American Experience traces the history of the birth control pill, from the moment of FDA approval in 1960 to the present day. The Pill also generously provides the backstory to its subject matter, detailing older and less reliable forms of contraception, the occasional criminalization of and ongoing religious resistance to birth control, and the tireless efforts of such pioneers as Margaret Sanger, Katherine McCormick, biological researcher Gregory Pincus and Catholic gynecologist John Rock to develop a safe and universally acceptable method of reigning in the so-called "population explosion." The more controversial aspects of the subject are also fully chronicled, including the dangerous side effects attending early testing of the pill in Puerto Rico. Using archival footage, still pictures, and interviews with women whose lives were forever altered by being allowed to have "power over their ovaries" (to quote one observer), The Pill is narrated by actress Blair Brown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Blair Brown
- 1999
Just days after Hollywood released The China Syndrome, a film about the possible meltdown of a nuclear power plant, life closely imitated art and a reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power facility near Harrisburg, PA, suddenly overheated. Tension, panic, and fear embroiled the area for a week as scientists scrambled to prevent a nuclear meltdown. It was the worst nuclear accident in American history. More than 100,000 residents fled the area. Narrated by Liev Schreiber, American Experience: Meltdown at Three Mile Island carefully re-examines step-by-step this national disaster which still haunts many Americans, and which dealt a crippling blow to the nation's nuclear power industry. ~ Brooke Hodess, All Movie Guide
- 1998
The American Experience presents Surviving the Dust Bowl, a one-hour account of the farmers of the Southern Plains who endured extraordinary conditions during the 1930s. This video traces the families as they traveled to the Plains in search of the good life. Finding rich topsoil, they felt they had hit gold and began plowing the land to sow their seeds of success. But unpredictable weather patterns and abusive farming techniques took them by surprise. Following a short-lived spell of bountiful crops, drought replaced the rains. Viewers learn about the unrelenting heat that turned the soil into dust because of overplowing. Then high winds whipped the dust into blinding storms so thick that people were coughing up dirt. Viewers experience the disillusionment that sent some packing for California, while others died of disease. But the majority of survivors stayed, their drive still thriving. Surviving the Dust Bowl explains the practical and drastic measures that kept these livelihoods and spirits afloat. ~ Brooke Hodess, All Movie Guide
- 1991
This film profiles the life and political career of the powerful United States senator from Texas Lyndon Baines Johnson, who became president of the United States when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The documentary considers this tragic figure in American history, whose social legislation, including the 1964 Civil Rights Act, has transformed American culture. LBJ may be remembered for the disastrous American involvement in the Vietnam War and the civil unrest it created in this country. Film clips, photographs, interviews, and personal recollections by friends and colleagues, as well as speeches and commentary by historians, tell the story of LBJ. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
Under an agreement determined in 1892, the Seneca Indians rented out the land upon which the town of Salamanca was built. The amount to be paid to the tribe was one dollar per year for 99 years. When the lease expired in 1991, the Indians demanded an increase, or else they would reclaim their property. The irate townspeople disagreed, and thus began a fight that would last five years, with the Indians insisting on their rights. Honorable Nations: Seneca's Land Rights is an account of the arguments of both sides, enhanced with archival film and photographs. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide
