Amanda Knox Documentary is an Introduction to Objectivity

“The thing I can’t wrap my mind around is – if the DNA evidence isn’t credible, how did it get to this point?”. That’s the question posed by Anderson Cooper in a brief clip from the past that’s featured in the new Netflix documentary Amanda Knox, directed and produced by both Rod Blackhurst and Brian McGinn. It’s also the question that the documentary answers in a refreshing way.

Beautifully shot and layered with exquisite string music, Amanda Knox resets the basic narrative of the events that led to Amanda Knox’s conviction and then exoneration following her trial over her alleged role in the death of Meredith Kercher. It’s an objective narrative, which is a necessary approach that’s been a long time coming due to the rephrehensibly speculative narrative that was set forth by an Italian Prosecutor, which was in turn salaciously and irresponsibly repeated by international media organizations.

I don’t mind spoiling the fact that in exonerating Knox former boyfriend Rafaela Sollecito, Italy’s Supreme Court found “stunning flaws” in the presented evidence, which was derived from a “frantic search” of an investigation. More damningly for the prosecution, the Court found a complete lack of biological traces to tie either Knox or Sollecito to the crime. I don’t mind spoiling those conclusions because they already exist in the Court record. Also because this is real life, and continuing to push an objectively factual narrative is of the utmost importance to Knox and Sollecito’s reputation, as well as the public’s understanding of justice.

The basic facts are that in November 2007, Meredith Kercher was killed, half naked and covered by a blanket. The house door was found open, a window was broken, blood was splattered, and there was evidence of lacerations, as well as male DNA inside the victim. Common sense, procedural crime dramas, and countless real world criminal cases inform us that in the vast majority of the time, such a murderous sexual assault scenario was most likely perpetrated by a singular male. Certainly, that initial hunch is not the end of the story. A thorough, objective, factual investigation must be conducted prior to forming a conclusion.

Knox’s case, however, was prosecuted by one Giuliano Mignini. Mignini is a man who, by his own account, fancies himself a Sherlock Holmes. And yet, he has all the intellectual discipline of a carnival barker. You see, Mignini immediately bypassed objective fact gathering and went straight to concocting wildly preposterous scenarios based on grossly inadequate logic. In Mignini’s mind, it is not possible that a man would cover a victim with a blanket. Ordinary milling about that doesn’t conform to Mignini’s own narrow definition of acceptable behavior is construed as evidence of guilt.

Mignini’s fantastical tale of a sex game gone wrong was concocted in his own mind, and not supported by actual evidence. His case hinged on a public that was all to eager to lap up in intriguing story. The only evidence against Knox and Sollecito was faulty information obtained by abusive interrogation tactics, as well as DNA that was collected in a grossly negligent manner that ignored even basic chain of custody and anti-contamination principles. About the rigid demands of scientific DNA evidence, one of the two independent forensic experts stated during the documentary that “You can’t interpret it to mean whatever you want”. Italy’s Supreme Court agreed.

While I admit to an intense dislike for Prosecutor Mignini’s actions, my perspective is informed by an adherence to objective truth and logic. Logic dictates that for every unsupported Mignini contention, there are alternative, usually simpler explanations. The documentary approaches this objective perspective in a much more subtle way.

Knox, Sollecito, Mignini, and Daily Mail journalist Nick Pisa are each given ample space to recount the fateful events from their perspective while the filmmakers occasionally weave in factual narrative. It’s not terribly in-depth due to the constricting nature of an hour and a half documentary. But it’s enough to tell the basic narrative.

Knox and Sollecito focus mainly on their relationship, their experience, and how it affected them. Mignini Was allowed to hang himself with his own words, in the end giving him space to to admit that he could have made a mistake. Independent forensic experts provide additional objective context. And Pisa explains the perspective of the media as it covered the trial from the initial crime scene all the way to exoneration. Combined, the documentary provides an excellent broad overview of of the Amanda Knox story, including unique perspectives that describe how we got to this point.

On the possibility that he made a mistake, Mignini mused, “Amanda and Sollecito. If they are innocent, I hope they are able to forget the suffering that they’ve endured.

In the end, it is clear that speculation can be an incredibly dangerous game. Whatever happened to Meredith Kercher that fateful day, there is simply no credible evidence to support a murder conviction; especially by the American standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt”. Again, the high court of Italy agrees. In order to accomplish substantial justice and avoid ruining the lives of the innocent, it is vitally important to maintain rigid adherence to ethic legal practice, objective fact gathering of credible evidence, and sound logic. Amanda Knox the documentary helps paint that picture in a sobering and compelling way.

If after watching the documentary you’re eager for even more details on what happened, you may also want to give Amanda Knox’s memoir Waiting to Be Heard a try. It’s worth the read, just as the documentary is well worth a viewing.

Netflix’s Upcoming “Mascots” Movie Trailer Looks Hilarious!!!

Director Christopher Guest should be one of the first names that come up when thinking about fake documentaries. Guest is responsible for “Best in Show”, “Waiting for Guffman”, and “A Mighty Wind”. His upcoming film, “Mascots”, which debuts on Netflix on October 13th, looks to channel his unique formula while also featuring many of the same acting talent that was responsible for his previous hits — Fred Willard, Parker Posey, and Jennifer Coolidge (Stifler’s mom). “Mascots” will also feature Jane Lynch, Ed Begley, Jr., and Chris O’Dowd. Check out the trailer below! I’m rooting for the ‘bad boy of mascotry’!
 

“Mascots” follows a group of men and women who are looking to compete at the 8th World Mascot Association Championships. Should they win, they are crowned the best mascot in the world. Of course, this prize is the most coveted of prizes.

The film is set to debut at the Toronto International Festival this September and rolled out on Netflix streaming on October 13th.

“Making a Murderer” Season 2 announced

If you were like most people, you were captivated by the unfathomable circumstances surrounding convicted murderer, Steven Avery, and his co-defendant/nephew, Brandon Dassey in the riveting documentary series, “Making a Murderer”. There was so much outrage that viewers were writing to the State of Wisconsin and each defendants’ legal teams.

When thinking about the ‘legal process’ that Avery and Dassey went though it’s hard to not get pretty pissed off. No matter what side you seemed to claim as ‘right’, there was simply too much ‘coincidental’ and ‘circumstantial’ evidence that were brought about to convict these two.

The same directors (Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos) from the previous season are returning to chronicle how Avery and Dassey are continuing to challenge the State’s convictions and life-long sentences. It will also capture the post-conviction process and the emotions that come along with it.

According to Variety, the episodes will offer access to Avery’s new lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, and Dassey’s legal team, led by Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin, as well as their family and those following the case.

Although a release date for the 2nd season has yet to be released, I guarantee that the immense amount of interest for the series will not waiver in the slightest. And, if you haven’t checked out the controversial series, I highly recommend it. You will find it on Netflix (because everything seems to be on Netflix!).
 

“Tony Robbins: I am Not Your Guru” – is Compelling yet Uncritical of its Subject Matter

I am not sure if Tony Robbins is more prominently known by particularly older generations or in certain, more niche circles. Needless to say, the motivational speaker means a LOT to the people that attend his seminars nationwide. And sure, like many of Netflix subscribers, I couldn’t overlook the latest edition to the streaming library. I’m fascinated by Robbins, and well, motivational speakers outright (or life coaches or what have you).

With that being said, I thought the Joe Berlinger (perhaps best known for the “Paradise Lost” documentary series that chronicled the wrongful conviction of three Arkansas boys) documentary would be critical of such a figure, especially since Berlinger attended one of his seminars earlier. I wanted to get into how Tony Robbins essentially grew his empire into one that has made him worth north of $480 million. We do not get many third party interviews that detail where people are after they’ve attended his seminars in years past. Robbins essentially hijacks Berlinger’s own documentary with his own persuasiveness. This persuasiveness can be bottled up in how Robbins’ own motivation for doing what he is doing is purely an emotional one. Robbins even mentions that him helping people is an obsession. This notion charmed Berlinger so much that he seemed to not ask the bigger questions.

Some people are motivated by different things – whether this be reinforced ideas, church, health, family, or even a significant other. Make no mistake, Robbins is probably the best at what he does. He’s a self diagnosed psychologist that he feels gets to the root of people’s underlining problems. The documentary is set around an annual event called “Date with Destiny”, a six day event (which each day lasting 12 hours) that nearly 2500 people attend. Oh, and there’s that little price tag of around $5000 to attend. Anyways, Robbins and company (around 30 people from the looks of it) design the event around particular peoples’ stories, with each day focusing on a transformational step towards a better ‘you’.

Sometimes Robbins will just ‘work the room’ and find someone whom he can help. He mentions that he wants to get to the deeper aspect of peoples’ problems. Just as he’s speaking with a girl that wants to have a better diet, he will ask personal questions that end up targeting her ‘root problem’ — her drug using father that never gave her the approval she needs.

These stories are heartfelt and you cannot help but be sympathetic to their situation but I continued to wonder if the $5000 seminar is really the answer these people need. Never could this be more true with one of the attendees, Dawn.

Dawn’s story was ultimately the most heartbreaking. She was raised by a religious community/cult named the Children of God, who believe that spreading your love for God meant having sex. She was having sex at the age of six years old and finally broke away around age thirteen. Obviously, she and her family are still traumatized and Dawn (who was 26 during the session) has found it impossible to be a rock for her family despite her own psychological troubles that leaves her feeling like she will never know what it mean to love. Everyone in the room was floored by Dawn’s story and rushed to give her support. She even got donors to give her $100K to help her help other women with their struggles. It was later mentioned that she had to sell her place and furniture to just attend the event!

Just as Dawn is recovering from her time with the Children of God cult, would it be fair to say she is substituting one cult for Robbins’? On the other hand, could motivational speakers be a legitimate driving force to facing and overcoming your problems? This was the mental dance going on in my head after watching the film. If it works for you and you become more successful whether that be with money, your relationships or spirituality, then why does it matter? Robbins’ movement may be deemed a lot of things but its followers do not affect non-followers.

Tony Robbins’ appearance in “Shallow Hal” (2001), which made Hal see the inner beauty in people.

Note: I should mention that Robbins’ made the news recently when a hot coal walk during a seminar called “Unleash the Power Within” left 30 people with minor burns and five people hospitalized. The Robbins camp suggests that the event has been going on for 35 years and they had trained staff on site in case anything came about. Moreover, the hot coal walk is meant to signify to its followers that if they can make the walk, they can accomplish anything. Here’s a news story from CNN.

 

Robbins’ methods may be overbearing but they do seem to help people (at least from what we see in the doc). He is a very powerful presence that will even drop emphatic F bombs to help get you to ‘wake up’ from your train of thought. He is a master of persuasion no doubt.

With that said, the director of the film should have been way more critical. In the film (which is 20 minutes overlong — beating in ‘his message’), we do not know much about Robbins’ upbringing. Everything about him is covered on the surface level whereas the whole idea about him helping people is getting to a deeper understanding within his large group of followers/attendees. With that said, a much better way to cover Tony Robbins is to have someone that doesn’t know much about him. Oh, and to not be ‘caught up’ in a message so as not to really investigate the deeper side of Tony Robbins. Maybe the only way for there to be a critical take on Robbins is himself.

The film would rather showcase the power of Tony Robbins rather than be critical of him. What we have with Tony is just his words, without anyone else offering any insight as to who he is and what ‘they’ think his drive is.

Nonetheless, the film is still interesting and is worth a watch. It is currently streaming on Netflix.

Grade: C+

Lo And Behold: Reveries of the Connected World – Official Trailer

Lo And Behold: Reveries of the Connected World is a documentary film directed by Werner Herzog (Queen of the Desert, Cave of Forgotten Dreams). The film takes a deep look into the past and future of the Internet. Werner takes the film further and delves into the impacts of a growing world of digital connection and its impact on mankind. A synopsis of the film as found on the official website is provided below.

 In LO AND BEHOLD: REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD, the Oscar-nominated Herzog chronicles the virtual world from its origins to its outermost reaches, exploring the digital landscape with the same curiosity and imagination he previously trained on earthly destinations as disparate as the Amazon, the Sahara, the South Pole and the Australian outback. Herzog leads viewers on a journey through a series of provocative conversations that reveal the ways in which the online world has transformed how virtually everything in the real world works – from business to education, space travel to healthcare, and the very heart of how we conduct our personal relationships.

Lo and Behold is set for release August 19th in theatres, On Demand,on Amazon Video, and on iTunes.

The “Superheroes” documentary left me Frustrated & Upset

Who doesn’t like superheroes? It’s hard to find anything wrong with a ‘do gooder’. Well, I thought that was the case until I saw this documentary. The 2011 film follows real life people that go around trying to fight crime. What exactly do I mean by fighting crime? Setting up bait patrols (I’ll get to that later), hanging up flyers for wanted suspects and telling drug dealers they can no longer sell drugs in Central Park. I would hardly call these people ‘superheroes’. Sure, their motivation for doing these deeds is noble but don’t think for a second that it warrants any sound logic. For example, all of these people lack training, resources, and confidence from the public.
The movie follows a peculiar set of people:

Mr. Xtreme – an out of shape California resident who resorts to living in his van to better fight crime by having more income for gadgets.

Master Legend – an aging Orlando, Florida ‘hero’ that has a thirst for alcohol.

New York Initiative – This comprises of four people that instead of catching people breaking the law, they use bait patrols to catch criminals. Every member wears a mask (except Zimmer, a gay ‘superhero’) and references their troubled childhood.

As we follow these people’s day-to day lives, you begin to notice trends and the overall problem with them wearing ridiculous costumes and attempting to fight crime. They are doing this alone, without backup, training, technology (like those used by the police), and education. What was more aggravating than these facts was that these ‘heroes’ were setting up bait patrols. More specifically, the New York Initiative group tries these bait patrols with having their female member look vulnerable and walk down dimly lit streets late at night to urge people to make a move and commit a crime. This is, in fact, entrapment and should be scrutinized and deemed illegal outright. You can go ahead and bring up the notion that cops use this same tactic with prostitution stings but the main difference here is that those criminals make contact with the prostitutes themselves. In other words, they make the first steps in committing an illegal act whereas the bait patrols used by those in Superheroes more exactly defines entrapment (there is no initial action by the criminal).

Entrapment is defined as the illegal act of tricking someone into committing a crime so that the person you have tricked can be arrested (Source: Merriam Webster).

This is what I found most upsetting about the documentary. They are essentially committing a crime to bring about another crime.

The documentary itself is very interesting and tries to get other points of view. This is where I have to give the film credit. They have an interview with an employee of the Justice Department that sounds off about how careless it is to try to become a costumed hero (she mentions entrapment with bait patrols, the sheer lack of resources/education). They even bring Stan Lee (creator of many of the famous Marvel characters) to make comments on people being superheroes on the streets to fight crime. Stan basically says without any superpowers, it would be highly dangerous and he just hopes that no one gets hurt. Furthermore, they bring in psychologists to try to get into the reasons ‘why’ these people feel compelled and most point to a troubled upbringing.

  

 Look, these costumed people are not all bad. They want to protect everyone and serve their community. I found that when they were helping homeless with amenities and food that they were the most useful. However, do they really need to be in costumes to do this? No. They can volunteer for organizations like American Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc. At this point, dressing up as a superhero is simply serving themselves (and their ego).

Another wtf moment: While working on a patrol to rid drug dealers from Central Park, the ‘superhero’, Dark Guardian, tries to convince a drug dealer to leave the area. How does he do this? He calls the cops.

Why can’t these people just try to become police officers? They could take up valuable training, have the resources to back them up when trying to combat crime and wear a uniform that instills confidence. I hate to break it to those costumed heroes but they are not living in reality. By walking around patrolling areas of your town looking to fight crime, you are just asking for trouble. One of these days, someone is going to really get hurt – an innocent victim or the hero themselves. Once this happens, the law will step in to correct the problem.

All in all, the documentary is provocative but examining the underwhelming actions of real-life superheroes is just that – underwhelming. When we think of superheroes, we think of them doing grand things (with super powers) and saving hundreds of lives. This is reality though. Leave the superheroes to exist strictly in comic books, TV shows, and movies.

We have heroes in our everyday lives. Look at the firefighters, police, and teachers that help protect us (whether that is from a burning fire or through useful education). The people in these roles have gone through rigorous training and have the resources to actually help people. Not to sound too preachy but you can see what I am getting at here.

The documentary is directed by Michael Barnett and holds a 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. The HBO documentary film can be viewed on HBO Go/Now or via streaming on Netflix.

It’s provocative but ultimately underwhelming.

Grade: C

“Making a Murderer” is the most Sensational Documentary

I just cannot shut up about this insane ‘true crime’ documentary series. The Netflix series (which also has the 1st episode available on YouTube) debuted on December 18th and is already beginning to re-shed light on the controversial Steven Avery murder case in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Since the series aired, there have been websites and petitions, including a request for a presidential pardon for Steven Avery. There have even been reports of death threats being received by the prosector in the high profile criminal cases of Steven Avery and Brandon Dassey. It is hard not to hate the legal system when you watch the series and even more so the people that would rather convict the accused based on circumstantial evidence and dubious interview techniques from police investigators than actually get to the truth and find suspects that better fit the bill for the crime.

I stumbled across the documentary once I read the synopsis:

Filmed over 10 years, this real-life thriller follows a DNA exoneree who, while exposing police corruption, becomes a suspect in a grisly new crime. 

The documentary is shot through interviews with the Avery family and defense lawyers, local news footage and press conferences. Steven Avery was a young man that was a victim of gross police misconduct (he served 18 years for a rape crime he didn’t commit!) and when he decides to sue the State of Wisconsin, is suddenly (coincidentally) wrapped up in a murder. You are taken on a wild ride as the State and Defense build their cases, review the ‘evidence’ and examine the credibility of confessions (I’m referring to Steven’s nephew as the ‘murder accomplice’).

Throughout all 10 episodes, I couldn’t help but shake my head as the unfathomable kept happening. How particular counties handled jurisdiction, how evidence was essentially found, and how law enforcement targeted Steven Avery is just appalling. It is hard to imagine there being much bias in light of simply showcasing the ‘evidence’ that was presented to the court.

The Netflix exclusive series takes a lot of cues from the HBO series, “Jinx”, in that it caters to sensationalism and plays with your emotions. Both highlight the rigged legal system that seems to be in place. Sure, both are controversial, but I believe “Making a Murderer” might have a bigger impact once more and more people see it.

The series is a must watch.

Grade: A+

 

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films – Review

Do you remember watching all those ridiculous movies when you were a kid that included Bloodsport, Masters of the Universe and Missing in Action? Well, there’s a film company responsible for the films that you loved (but when looking back were without much coherence or reasonable plot). This is the story of how two, highly enthusiastic cousins took Hollywood by the balls and forced audiences to watch their low budgeted, star studded films that lacked and/or defied logic.

A movie about terrorists invading USA and committing all sorts of violence.

Two Israeli born filmmakers (Menahem Golan & Yoram Globus) made it big in their home country with a movie they produced called Lemon Popsicle (1978). The movie (directed by Boaz Davidson), which is about how teenage boys attempt to lose their virginity, was seen by 40% of the Israeli population. With such success, Golan and Globus wanted to make it big and compete with the big studios in Hollywood – Warner Bros., Disney, Universal, etc.  That brings us to Cannon Films.

Cannon Films actually began as a company in 1967 that focused on low budget, English language versions of Swedish soft porn films and bigger production films such as Joe, with Peter Boyle. Eventually, the company ran out of capital and in 1979 the company was sold to Golan and Globus for $500,000.

A logo you’ll likely recognize.

Globus and Golan’s business model was to buy unwanted scripts and put them into production. This started the low budgeted, action films of the 1980s that we all likely know. Their movies helped catapult Chuck Norris to stardom with Missing in Action (its sequels/prequels), Delta Force (and its sequels), and Invasion U.S.A. Let us not forget about the ninja films they would produce that included such ‘hits’ as American Ninja and Ninja 3: The Domination. They even produced Death Wish II, Death Wish III, and Death Wish IV. Their films also delved in a variety of genres including the very successful dance film, Breakin’. For a complete listing of all of Cannon’s films click here.

“Breakin'” movie screenshot. Notice Van Damme in the background.

After a while, Cannon films became known as a company that would get anything made but would make sure they kept their costs as low as possible. Even with their bigger budgeted films that they secured the rights for were still bottom barrel movies. The prime example of this would be Superman IV: Quest for Peace. In that outing, the special effects actually looked much worse than the original and with a story that no one really cared about. They even casted an ex-Chippendale’s stripper as the movie’s villain and somehow managed to get Gene Hackman as well!  I could write all day about how inept Superman IV was but this article is geared to the documentary.

Van Damme’s break out in “Bloodsport”.

Believe it or not, Cannon’s films were more popular in the UK which led them to purchase a lot of the cinema chains there. There was also a partnership that was struck with MGM at one point in time which would help Cannon distribute their undesirable movies.  There are many ridiculous stories of how Golan and Globus ‘made it’ in Hollywood (so to speak). The documentary chronicles this with interviews from some well-known stars and their experiences working with Golan and Globus.

So, the main reason the company went belly up was because they were producing so many films without regard to how they were performing. The producers even had a hard time remembering which films they actually had in production and before you knew it they were taken over by Pathe Communications, which also bailed them out at a price tag of $250 million. The restructuring actually split the cousins, with Globus staying at Cannon Films (until its end in 1994) and Golan starting his own production company – 21^st Century Film Corporation, which was responsible for that terrible Captain America movie that came out in 1990.

A likable movie yet you have to admit “Masters of the Universe” was bonkers.

This Australian documentary comes with a bunch of interesting (mostly absurd) stories to how some familiar movies came to fruition.  The film is written and directed by Mark Hartley, produced by Brett Ratner and holds a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. The documentary can now be seen on Netflix. I highly suggest this documentary if you were into (or still into) the 1980s/1990s actions movies that included Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme.

Grade: A-

Note: There was actually a competing documentary (released four months later) called The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films, that premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was met with mixed reviews and focused on how the Israeli filmmakers tried to grasp the American dream.

August 2015 Movie Releases (DvD & Blu-Ray)

August 4^th

Insurgent – The movie cousin to The Hunger Games has a sequel. Based upon the YA(young adult) novel, this sequel focuses on the war between four factions (Amity, Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless). Tris is one of the divergents (having all 4 characteristics) as she helps lead the way in a fight for peace or something like that. Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet and the god awful Jai Courtney.

Do You Believe? – A religious movie about how a pastor influences another pastor to be more pastorly. Starring: Mira Sorvino, Sean Astin (Rudy), and Cybill Shepherd.

True Story – This is that James Franco and Jonah Hill movie that was based on a true story. It focuses on the relationship between a writer, Finkel (Hill) and a murderer, Longo (Franco), taking upon Finkel’s identity. Finkel was a writer for the New York Times Magazine and was actually fired for fabricating parts of a news story in 2002.

Child 44 – Tom Hardy plays a Russian Intelligence agent (in the Joseph Stalin era) who takes on a case involving multiple murders of children. Leo Demidov’s (Hardy) case leads to high authorities in the Russian government. Based upon the first in a trilogy of novels by Tom Rob Smith, the story follows Demidov’s exploits. Starring: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace (Prometheus), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, The Professional), Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, upcoming Suicide Squad), Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Vincent Cassel (Trance), and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Golden Child).An incredible cast doesn’t always spell box office success. Still, I am likely to rent this.

A Little Chaos – A movie about competitive garden designers that are tasked to create a one of a kind water fountain on the grounds of le chateau de Versailles. I’m not making this up. Starring: Kate Winslet (The Reader), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter), Stanley Tucci(Transformers 4: Age of Extinction), and Matthias Schoenaerts (Bullhead).

Adult Beginners – A drama about a businessman (Nick Kroll) that loses it all but while staying with his sister (Rose Byrne) learns valuable life lessons. Starring: Nick Kroll (The League), Rose Byrne (X-Men: First Class), Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man), Joel McHale (Ted) and Jason Mantzoukas (The Dictator, The League).

The Salvation – Mads Mikkelsen stars as a vengeful settler in the American West circa 1870s after the murder of his family. After killing the man responsible, the leader of their gang also seeks revenge. Looks like a decent flick. Starring: Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, Hannibal), Eva Green (Casino Royale), and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen).

Barely Lethal – This movie follows a 16 year old teenager assassin after she fakes her own death and enrolls in a suburban high school. She quickly learns that school clicks and popularity come at a price. Starring: Jessica Alba (Sin City), Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), and Samuel L. Jackson (every movie). Yawn!

Madame Bovary – A drama focusing on an adulterous wife as she tries to escape her boring lifestyle. Starring: Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment, Alice in Wonderland), Ezra Miller (Trainwreck, upcoming Flash), Paul Giamatti (Sideways) and Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man).

Jackie & Ryan – Katherine Heigl still manages to headline movies, although this one looks straight to video. The story involves two musicians as they find themselves in love. Starring Katherine Heigl, Ben Barnes and Clea DuVall.

 

August 11^th

Hot Pursuit – All of the previews for this mess looked like a rip off of The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. This is a ‘female buddy’ film that has a conservative cop (Reese Witherspoon) and the wife of a drug dealer (Sofia Vergara) that must team up against a drug cartel. If Sofia’s blabbering accent on Modern Family isn’t enough for you, then check this out!

Unfriended – A high school girl that killed herself due to a cruel prank now communicates via Skype in video group chats! Okay, it sounds lame but at least it’s a different way for the genre of horror to reach another generation of kids.

Robot Overlords – Humans are slaves to a race of robots that conquered the world. People are confined to their homes and must wear implants. I’m not sure how this escaped me as it stars Ben Kingsley (Ghandi, Tut) and Gillian Anderson (X-Files). I may watch if the SyFy Channel picks it up.

 

August 18^th

Little Boy – A seven year old boy ventures off to bring his father back home from the World War II. The boy’s innocence incites those embedded in the war. Starring Emily Watson, Kevin James (you read that right), Michael Rapaport, Tom Wilkinson and Ali Landry (that hot Dorito’s commercial girl).

Lambert & Stamp – This documentary chronicles the journey of aspiring filmmakers, Christopher Stamp and Kit Lambert, as they try to produce a movie during the 1960’s underground music scene. The doc also features footage with famous people related to The Who, Richard Barnes, Roger Daltry, and Pete Townshend.

5 to 7 – This is a romantic comedy that follows a woman who writes about falling in love. Things get crazy when the person she is in love with is the French diplomat’s wife! Gasp! Caged Heat sounds better.

Strangerland – A family moves to the Australian outback when a dust storm results in the loss of their children. A search party forms to find the missing children amidst rumors and suspicion. Spooky! Starring: Nicole Kidman (Fur), Joseph Fiennes (Voldemort’s brother) and Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, Lord of the Rings).

The Riot Club – In this thriller, two freshman join an infamous club at Oxford. One day, all of the spoiled, rich students get in over their heads. Based upon the play, Posh.  The movie,Skulls, is probably much better than this but that ain’t saying much!

Vendetta – Remember Dean Cain? Well, if you haven’t went out of your way to research where he’s been, you’d still only remember him for playing Superman in the TV series, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Mr. Cain has been playing in direct to video movies for quite some time. In this movie, he plays a cop who must get revenge after his wife is murdered by The Big Show (Paul Wight or WWE fame). This looks like hung-over viewing.

 

August 25^th

Aloha – An all-star cast surrounds this box office disappointment. Brian Gilcrest is a US weapons consultant that becomes disgraced, then later talks to a robot and then eventually heads to Hawaii to oversee the launch of a spy satellite. He must also get permission for the launch from the Hawaiian council as part of his assignment. Directed by fan-favorite Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) and starring: Bradley Cooper, Emma, Stone, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin, and Bill Murray.

Citizenfour – This riveting looking documentary showcases how filmmaker, Laura Poitras (who focuses on gov’t surveillance of private citizens post 9/11) receives an encrypted email by “citizenfour” who claims to have inside knowledge of covert surveillance by intelligence agencies. “Citizenfour” ends up being Edward Snowden. The documentary focuses on key interviews with Snowden and Julian Assange. Looks very interesting.

Where Hope Grows – Holy 1980s! This movie stars Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) and William Zabka (bad guy from The Karate Kid). The story focuses on a former professional baseball player who retires because of panic attacks. He eventually develops a relationship with a store clerk who has Downs Syndrome. His perspective on life changes and hope is learned…blah…blah…blah….I’ll pass.

Two Days, One Night – Marion Cotillard (Inception, La Vie en Rose) stars in this drama about how working class people who may have been disenfranchised from society. Sandra (Cotillard) tries to return to her job after an episode of depression only to find that her employer no longer needs her. She learns her fate is to be decided by her fellow employees in a vote.

Big Game – A teenager finds the President of the United States in a pod while hunting. Together they must make it through the woods alive as terrorists close in. Starring: Samuel L. Jackson (every movie) and Onni Tommila.

Skin Trade – Dolph Lundgren stars as a detective out for revenge after his family was slain by the mob. The mob is eventually connected to a human trafficking ring and Dolph must work with Tony Jaa (Ong Bak, The Defender), a Thai detective, to destroy them once and for all. Hung-over viewing.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters – Set in an alternate universe, DC’s trinity (Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman) find themselves framed for a bombing. DC’s main guns all have different origin stories and must decide whether they want to save the world or conquer it. Voice actors: Benjamin Bratt, Michael C. Hall, Tamara Taylor, Jason Isaacs and C. Thomas Howell. It’s a comic book animated movie! Count me in.

Lila & Eve – A drama/thriller surrounding a mother, Lila, who loses her son in a drive by shooting.  Lila eventually meets Eve, another mother who lost her daughter the same night. Together they go after the criminals responsible. Starring: Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez. Lifetime should starting making theatrical releases.

October Gale – This follows a doctor who tries to assist an injured man on an island from a man that is hunting him. Starring Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman, and Tim Roth.

The Runner – Nicolas Cage is back again as a once idealistic politician that must re-examine his life after a sex scandal destroys his career. Not to be confused with a good movie, this stars Nicolas Cage, Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave), Peter Fonda (Easy Rider) and Connie Nielsen (Gladiator). Will Nic Cage ever make a comeback from box office obscurity?

An Honest Liar – The Amazing Randi

For some reason, the exploits and feats of this incredible magician has escaped me and many alike. Most all immediately think of Harry Houdini (master escape artist) and more recently Criss Angel (pretentious goth magic), David Blaine (the DB of magic) or Penn and Teller (comedic magicians) when thinking of the best in the business. No one really knows the Amazing Randi (James Randi) or better yet his crusade against charlatans and those willing to take advantage of others through the use of deception. The crazy thing is, we should all know Randi. Anything you can think of and Randi has done it – card tricks, levitation, escape artistry, and psychic readings. That is why the recently released documentary about the Amazing Randi is so important.

Guinness World Records:

• Randi was encased in ice for 55 minutes
• Randi was trapped in a coffin at bottom of pool for an hour and 44 minutes (he broke Houdini’s record) (NY Times)

At age 60, Randi retired from performing magic and devoted his expertise to investigating the supposed paranormal and debunking fakes through science. He became known as a debunker and exploited a lot of famous people like Uri Geller (he claims to use supernatural forces to bend objects and is also a psychic), Peter Popoff (a faith healer) and those claiming to be ‘mediums’ or possessed by ancient spirits. I should note that Randi does not see the importance of magic by itself but the lengths that some people go in order to prey on others (for their lack of investigation and/or sentimentality) are what he has a problem with.

Those “can easily just fuzz the edges of my rationality and dull the edges of my reasoning powers, and I want to be as aware as I possibly can. That may mean giving up a lot of fantasies that might be comforting in some ways, but I’m willing to give that up in order to live in an actually real world” – Randi on having not smoked, taken drugs or having become inebriated (NY Times)

In the documentary, An Honest Liar, we are taken on the journey of his exploits (this is a LOT of fun to watch) and the lengths he goes to enlighten people who are being taken advantage of.  More importantly, it is Randi’s realization, through the use of magic, that people can easily be swindled. For example, he pretended to be a psychic and people were so convinced that they began asking him questions about their own futures and communicating with deceased loved ones. The people essentially gave him too much power and he was frightened by this.

In trying to convince an ever trusting public, he began to stage his own hoaxes in order to prove his points! He also frequented The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson where he helped expose frauds. What makes Randi’s story even more interesting is his personal life (his relationship with Jose Alvarez) and how this contrasts with his public persona.

The Canadian born citizen has and continues to live an extraordinary life (he’s 86). Randi is the author of ten books, including a biographical history of magicians called Conjuring (1992) and An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural (1995). He is also featured on many podcasts including The Skeptic Society’s – Skepticality and The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe.

An Honest Liar was directed by Measom and Justin Weinstein and won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the AFI Docs Festival. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 97% approval rating. The movie channels the remarkable life of Randi, a magician and skeptic that we should all know and embrace into our collective consciousness.

Grade: A

An Honest Liar is available now and currently on Netflix Instant.  Be sure to check it out!