DJ Shadow Movies

The ways in which African-American voters have been marginalized in the electoral process are examined in this activist documentary. In the investigation of ballot counting in Florida in the much-contested 2000 presidential election, it was discovered that many of the communities where inaccurate tabulating took place were largely populate by African-Americans, who have traditionally been loyal Democratic voters. Filmmaker Ian Inaba digs into the controversy over the 2000 ballot count and the ways in which race played a hand in the legal decisions that resulted in George W. Bush's appointment as president. Ianba's research also leads him to Representative Cynthia McKinney, a congresswoman from Georgia who spearheaded an investigation of the firm that created voter lists for the State of Florida (and had ties to high-ranking Republican figures) and was also an outspoken opponent of Bush's policies regarding terrorism and the war in Iraq. In the 2002 election, McKinney had reason to believe she had fallen victim to the same corruption she sought to expose when she lost her House of Representatives seat in a hotly contested election. American Blackout received its premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this stylized shortboard documentary featuring footage show in Australia, California, Mexico, and Hawaii, environmental issues are addressed by some of the most skilled wave riders on the planet. In addition to speaking with 2002 World Champion Andy Irons and 2001 Rookie of the Year Mick Fanning, this release also offers a look at the 2002 winter season on Hawaii's North Shore where "Doggtown" rider Jay Adams and up-and-comer Jamie O'Brien take on waves and ponder the future of the planet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Novice filmmaker Marc Singer lived in the bowels of a midtown Manhattan railway station for two years to shoot this harrowing account of the day-to-day existence of the homeless. Shot in noirish black and white, Singer shows how society's discarded and disenfranchised fashion a community of sorts in the sunless labyrinth of the station's transit tunnels. Though told without narration, a dozen or so individual stories emerge. Dee (the sole woman depicted in the film) lost all her children in a house fire while she was high on crack; Ralph remains inconsolable after his five-year old's rape and mutilation during a stint in prison. In the final reel, Amtrak sends in armed police to clean out the tunnels, citing health concerns. However, the subterranean tenets happen upon a stroke of luck, as an NYC social worker discovers a cache of previously unclaimed public housing. Featuring a sparse soundtrack by DJ Shadow, Dark Days won the Grand Jury prize for cinematography, the Freedom of Expression award, and an audience award at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide