Arlene Donnelly Nelson Movies
- 2010
As the cultural tumult of the late 1960s gave way to the malaise of the early 1970s, the tone of American popular music began to change, and the rabble-rousing sound of the psychedelic era evolved into a more personal and contemplative approach. Two of the artists who defined this change were Carole King, who went from writing pop hits for The Shirelles, Little Eva and The Monkees to stepping out as a solo artist and releasing the top-selling Tapestry, and James Taylor, who after enjoying minor success with the band The Flying Machine became a superstar on the strength of songs like "Fire and Rain" and "You've Got A Friend". The documentary Troubadours examines the rise of the singer/songwriter scene in the 1970s, focusing on King and Taylor as well as artists such as Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Elton John and Kris Kristofferson, and also profiling Doug Weston, whose Los Angeles nightclub The Troubadour became a launching pad for many major artists. Troubadours was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Filmmaker Cass Warner Sperling explores the story of her grandfather Harry Warner and his three brothers Abe, Sam, and Jack, who forever changed the face of Hollywood by creating Warner Brothers Studios. It all started with a simple storefront theater, cobbled together with spare chairs from a funeral home and a sheet tacked to the wall. Few could have foreseen that the four brothers behind that endeavor would eventually go on to create one of the most powerful movie studios ever. Each endured their fair share of personal hardships along the way, but the fruits of their labors can still be tasted today thanks to the success of films like Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. The Warner Brothers believed that as filmmakers they bore a heavy social responsibility to create films that weren't just entertaining, but socially relevant as well. This is the story of four brothers who never compromised their original vision, told by the very people who knew them best. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2010
- NR
Filmmaker Harry Shearer explores the possibility that New Orleans could have been spared the devastation of Hurricane Katrina by raising the questions that few who live outside of the Gulf region have seen fit to ask. Nearly five years after the levees broke, New Orleans is still struggling to rebuild and recover. But while some still argue that it was the government's response after the disaster than was lacking, others, like Shearer, contend that the powers that be essentially set the stage for the catastrophe by failing to ensure that the levees were functioning properly in the decades leading up to Hurricane Katrina. Host John Goodman narrates as Shearer interviews everyone from Big Easy locals to prestigious Washington Post writer Michael Grunwald about the effectiveness of the Army Corps of Engineers, and the steps they could have taken to ensure that New Orleans was fully prepared to weather Mother Nature's wrath. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
In this revealing follow-up to the 2001 HBO presentation Naked States: America Undercover, the fearless cameras of "America Undercover" follow flesh photographer Spencer Tunick as he attempts to achieve his ambitious goal of photographing naked people on all seven continents. By photographing nude people both individually and in large groups across the globe, the controversial Tunick explores the role that nudity plays in various cultures and encourages discussion in the ongoing debate about nudity in legitimate art. With just one year to achieve his ambitious goal and nine countries to visit, Tunick offers a compelling look at a variety of cultures and the key role that the human form has played in art throughout the ages. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The writing and directing team who created Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show turn their satiric eye toward the world of folk music in this sly mockumentary. Irving Steinbloom was one of the great behind-the-scenes figures of the folk music boom of the late '50s and early '60s, and helped to nurture the careers of three of the best known acts of the era. The Folksmen -- Mark Shubb (Harry Shearer), Alan Barrows (Christopher Guest), and Jerry Palter (Michael McKean) -- were an earnest folk trio who sang of America's noble past and the challenges of the future; they split up in the early '70s after a failed attempt to go electric. Mitch & Mickey were a duo in both music and life, comprised of Mitch Cohen (Eugene Levy) and Mickey Devlin (Catherine O'Hara). They sang soulful songs of love until the collapse of their relationship sent Mitch into a deep and incapacitating depression. And The Main Street Singers were a nine-piece vocal group -- a "neuftet," as they prefer it -- who offered energetic good-time music, cranking out nearly 30 albums in the course of a decade; their current incarnation, The New Main Street Singers (played by Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, John Michael Higgins, David Alan Blasucci, Steve Pandis, Christopher Moynihan, Paul Dooley and Patrick Sauber) is still on the road. When it is announced that the legendary Irving Steinbloom has died (the character never appears in the film), his son Jonathan (Bob Balaban) decides that the best way to memorialize his father is through music, and with the help of Mike LaFontaine (Fred Willard) of Hi-Class Management, they set out to bring The Folksmen, Mitch & Mickey, and The New Main Street Singers back together for a special concert at New York's Town Hall. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer -- who previously teamed up for This Is Spinal Tap -- not only perform together as The Folksmen in A Mighty Wind, but composed most of the songs performed onscreen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Balaban, Christopher Guest, (more)
Rating Systems
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