Tag: Documentary

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Movie Review

The World’s Most Dangerous Borders – Episode 2 – The Great Green Wall

The World’s Most Dangerous Borders – Episode 2 – The Great Green Wall

Story: The Great Green Wall continues Reza’s journey across Africa after a detour from Mali to Burkina Faso, another country where the outsider isn’t always welcomed, here Reza gets to learn about Voodoo in the bloody ceremony, before learning about the European impact on the locals. We continue to see the different people that Reza meets along the way, ones that will be involved in even more dangerous interactions with human traffickers.

Thoughts on The Great Green Wall

Thoughts – The Great Green Wall does continue to show the illegal operations going on, where people will do anything to have control over the people, show the extreme lengths people will go for their own freedom or ways to help their family back home. We show how the people will do anything to keep things quiet, while looking into the voodoo rituals, which can be difficult to watch. The journey does take us to the next stage, showing an increased level of danger as well as showing just how easily the human trafficking can happen. While this episode does have a slower start, it does have an intense final 15 minutes, which shows the real danger they are in.

Final Thoughts – The Great Green Wall does start slower, but does finish with an intense exchange with criminals in the world Reza is travelling through. 3/5

The World’s Most Dangerous Borders on Digital and Amazon Prime Video now



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Movie Review

The World’s Most Dangerous Borders – Episode 1 – Desertification

The World’s Most Dangerous Borders – Episode 1 – Desertification

Story: Desertification starts as Reza Pakravan looks to plan out his journey across Africa, starting in the one of the most developed countries of Senegal, with the plan to go along the Sahelian Belt, across the eight countries.

We see the delights of Senegal, before moving onto a different world in Mali, seeing the generation of people forced into gold mining for peanuts, in a modern day form of slavery, the further Reza goes into Mali towards Timbuktu, the larger the dangerous become for the explorer.

Thoughts on Desertification

Thoughts – We get the early steps for this journey, showing us the bigger picture going on to try and help fix the climate problems the continent is facing and looking to fix. We start this journey in a safe country in Senegal, showing how the festival can bring the people together. When we move onto Mali, we see the big change, a 1000mile journey, which will take Reza from a civilized country, to a country in Mali that is doing things in a very different way and is dealing with terrorist activities. Seeing the changes coming along, does show us just how difficult learning a new culture and the worries they locals are facing if they help outsiders.

Final Thoughts – Desertification is an eye-opening start to a journey through danger that will lead us to places we wouldn’t normally learn about. 4/5

The World’s Most Dangerous Borders on Digital and Amazon Prime Video now

 

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Movie Review

Flint (2020) Movie Review

Director: Anthony Baxter


Plot: A documentary based on five years of research into a Michigan auto town where tens of thousands were drinking water into which poisonous lead had leached, and how officials failed to respond.

Runtime: 1 Hour 54 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Flint starts by seeing the everyday residents of Flint, Michigan, each one will have a different horror story about what has happened to their family’s over the time when they started drinking water from the Flint River, one that was affected by being used as a dumping ground for years, creating a toxic level that shouldn’t be consumed.

We see how the scientists looked to prove the damage that has been done and the battle to find someone guilty for allowing this and how the people in the city are struggling just to make a living and the people trying to help are leading to multiply stories which only end up complicate the situation.

Thoughts on Flint

Thoughts – Flint is a documentary that shows more of the horrific story of the water situation in Flint, Michigan. We have seen films like Dark Waters, that tackled one approach to everything, while others have gone down the documentary path before, the reality it, people have been suffering from the events of changing the water supply to a city for years now and this documentary will show the last 5 years of trying to find the truth and expose the cover ups. We don’t just hear the stories of the people suffering, which are always going to be the backbone of this documentary. Looking at the different scientists or experts that are looking into the events, seeing how they are almost going against each others information, leaving the residents even more confused about the truth, not knowing who to trust is important to see. This documentary will be eye-opening to the problem in the city and how important the change will need to be for everyone.

Final Thoughts – Flint is an essential documentary that will put a new light on the troubles in one city and how the people have been left helpless in their battle for answers.

FLINT is available on BBC iPlayer from 1st December http://www.flintdocumentary.com



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Movie Review

Adam Sandler: Funny Guy (2020) Movie Review

Director: Danielle Winter

Plot: Adam remains a consistent favorite among fans who are comforted that they will always have a good time. Get the inside story on this fascinating actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, husband, father, and forever FUNNY GUY.

Runtime: 1 Hour

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Adam Sandler: Funny Guy starts as we learn about the early life where he got the support from his family and had a natural ability to get a laugh from his comedy. We learn about his early career, from first television role, to his early roles.

We continue to learn about his career and how Adam dealt with the criticism from the critics, while audiences seem to always get attracted to his films.

Thoughts on Adam Sandler: Funny Guy

Thoughts – Adam Sandler Funny Guy does takes use through the career of the much talked about actor, we go through clips of his film and snippets from his interviews through the years, this is all what you would expect to see in a documentary, what might disappoint more is the fact we don’t get into any stories about the man, everything is achieve footage that you would expect to see on press tours of movies, where the whole cast is going to say he is a nice guy, works hard etc. while I don’t want to just see people bash the man, more personal stories of good or bad would have given this documentary another level, to help the audience that might well be more appealing to see how down to Earth the man is, how he doesn’t care what the critics say, only going with what the fans say. This does mostly feel like a basic view into the life of Adam Sandler’s entertainment career.

Final Thoughts – Adam Sandler: Funny Man is a by the books documentary giving us a look at the basics of his career.



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Movie Review

You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020) Movie Review

Director: David Darg, Price James

Plot: Actor David Arquette attempts a rocky return to the sport that stalled his promising Hollywood career.

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: You Cannot Kill David Arquette starts as we learn how David Arguette became World Heavyweight Champion in 2000, something that shouldn’t have ever happened in the eyes of the wrestlers who worked for years for that chance, his acting career hasn’t gone the way the other actors of his generation went.

Now David still has a love for wrestling and is sick and tired of being seen as the biggest mistake in wrestling history, he wants to learn to wrestler to make a come back and earn the respect from the wrestling community.

Thoughts on You Cannot Kill David Arquette

Final Thoughts – You Cannot Kill David Arquette gives us an intermate and eye opening look at his life, a career which saw him being placed in the same lists of his early career as Oscar winners, before he shocked the wrestling world in 2000, becoming one of the most hated men in the history of wrestling. This documentary follows a year long journey where David tries to prove his love to the industry, starting with his rejection from a Legends of Wrestling event and diving into the indie scene, learning the trade, taking the bumps and putting his life on the line to prove he respects the industry. This documentary gets to show us a different side to stardom, showing us how created anger towards someone who wasn’t to blame for event can cause damaged to the celebrity mental health, with people constantly bashing them, we see how the road to recovery had already taken a toll on David, his health isn’t the best, but his desire to learn, improve and earn respect drives him on more. This is a much watch documentary for any sports fans out there, any wrestling fan, this is essential viewing and it will give the respect David Arquette deserves.

Blue Finch Film Releasing presents You Cannot Kill David Arquette on Digital Download 23 November

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Movie Review

The Ventures: Stars on Guitars (2020) Movie Review

Director: Staci Layne Wilson

Plot: Documentary film on the instrumental rock group in the world, The Ventures. The story of their rise to fame in the 1960s right up to now, as they celebrate their 60th anniversary of playing the best guitar-rock of all time.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Ventures: Stars on Guitars starts as we get to see how the members of the band Don Wilson and Bob Bogle met and started to bring their own band of music, one which will see them getting a female producer Josie Cotton, which broke the barriers, and see how the band started to gain attention within the music industry.

When the band found their sound joined by Nokie Edwards on guitar, they band became one of the biggest instrumental bands in the industry, challenging The Beatles for popularity, with a style of music transcending language.

Thoughts on The Ventures: Stars on Guitars

Thoughts – Going into this documentary, I can honestly say, I had never heard of The Ventures, seeing the news they outsold The Beatles grabbed my attention and stepping into this movie with the plans to learn about the band. We are not disappointed because we get the full history of how The Ventures managed to recreate songs to appeal to a bigger audience, using the music over the lyrics to appeal to wider audiences. We see how they competed with the biggest names in music through the 1960s, The Beatles, Elvis and still having admirers in the modern era of music that has given musicians the idea to try and recreate the songs of previous artists. We do get into a true technical talk on how the band created different sounds, which will appeal to the true musician out there, but it could go into too much details for people who are more into listening, over playing.

Final Thoughts – The Ventures: Stars on Guitars is a documentary that will highlight one of the most influential bands in music history.

DVD/VOD Release Date: 12/8/20



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Movie Review

Sasquatch Among Wildmen (2020) Movie Review

Director: Darcy Weir

Plot: Following the success of Darcy Weir’s explosively popular Bigfoot documentary, The Unwonted Sasquatch, he is back with a follow up feature to flesh out the history of this creature and it’s possible Relic Hominid cousins internationally.

Runtime: 1 Hour 13 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Sasquatch Among Wildmen starts as we learn the basic history of the Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Wildmen of the world, seeing how there could be a large number of different species around the world, see how in China there has been searches for different species, that came up with no results.

Thoughts on Sasquatch Among Wildmen

Final Thoughts – Sasquatch Among Wildmen is the latest in the search for the unknown through the different names that have been going through the countries for decades, Bigfoot, Skunk Ape, Yeti just to mention a few. While some of the technology might well be new in the search, which does have moments of interest, we don’t seem to get into any new true evidence either way, with many of the stories being another version of one we might well have heard before. With everything being interesting, it doesn’t seem to have the most complete feel to the information, like we would see on the documentary channels, which make us feel like we are watching information, over seeing information being presented to us on camera.



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Movie Review

The Three Kings (2020) Movie Review

Director: Jonny Owen

Plot: THE THREE KINGS is a look back at the men who made football what it is today.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Three Kings starts by showing us what Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Jock Stein achieved managing Manchester United, Liverpool and Celtic, building the legacy that puts them on top of the world, amazingly they grew up within 30 miles from each other in Scotland.

We get to see how the three men came from the same town, but had to earn respect to become the legends of the game, Matt Busby who went through the tragedy of the Munich disaster, Shankly had to work his way through the leagues in England, while Jock Stein was only ever considered a reserve coach, needing to prove himself throughout Scotland.

Thoughts on The Three Kings

Final Thoughts – The Three Kings is an excellent documentary that shows the incredible impact Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Jock Stein had on football, the helped create dynasties which will make the clubs the biggest in world football. We follow through the threes careers, from the ups and downs before they became legends, the things that hold them down and the legacy they left behind. Much like the Senna documentary, this is created from achieve clips, rather than recreating them, with narration of the people from their lives over everything. If you are a football fan and want to learn more about the three biggest legends in football management, this is an essential documentary for everyone.

In cinemas from November 1st, on DVD and digital November 16th



Categories
Movie Review

One More Orbit (2020) Movie Review

Director: Terry Virts

Plot: As a tribute to Apollo 11 which took off 50 years ago -former astronaut Col. Terry Virts and crew depart from Cape Canaveral in an attempt to break the round-the-world speed record for any aircraft flying over the North and South Poles.

Runtime: 1 Hour 12 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: One More Orbit starts as we meet former astronaut Col Terry Virts, who is looking to honour the Apollo 11 mission by putting together a team of pilots to try and break the world record for round-the-world speed flying over the North and South poles.

We get to see the plan and follow the crew on their attempt, which will see them having to face different problems along the way.

Thoughts on One More Orbit

Final Thoughts – One More Orbit is a documentary that will put focus on the vision of trying to break world records, using the memory of one of the greatest achievements of all time Apollo 11 mission as the motivation to target this mission. The plan is set out, with moments to look at each locations historical impact of the Apollo 11 mission, being part, we have the international crew, proving that working together will be the reason any of this could be achieved, not one country should get the credit for what was trying to be achieved. The biggest problem with the mission, is the fact that everything runs smoothly, it is a record that doesn’t have any major peril moments, it is just a routine attempt to break a record, which isn’t going to be the most thrilling thing we could expect to see. We can’t take away the record itself, it is an incredible achievement, that we could have all watched along during the attempt and is the movie that spends the most time in Mauritius that I have ever seen.

Head over to the website for more information on the journey and check out the movie yourself from 6th October.