All articles tagged with #documentary film
Stephen Colbert uses Laura Benanti’s Melania Trump impersonation on The Late Show to defend Amazon MGM’s $75 million Melania documentary, which opened to about $7 million in the U.S. amid skepticism of its box-office success; Colbert mocks empty theaters and overseas performance, while Benanti playfully touts awards and Be Best as she counters critics.
Rolling Stone details the behind‑the‑scenes saga of Amazon’s Melania: Twenty Days to History: a $40 million rights deal, three concurrent production crews, grueling schedules, and friction with director Brett Ratner. While Melania is described as engaged, crew members recount chaos, long hours, and disputes over credits. Ethics questions arise over a licensing arrangement that left the First Lady with about $28 million, fueling scrutiny that the deal could look like buying access, though Amazon denies ulterior motives. The studio plans a heavy promo push, but opening‑weekend projections remain uncertain and no major revelations about Melania are promised.
At Sundance, The History of Concrete, John Wilson's feature-length follow-up to How To with John Wilson, wittily roams from Hallmark movie seminars to New York's cracked streets as it uses concrete to explore permanence, urban life, and mortality; a meandering, funny yet emotionally resonant documentary that combines whimsy with sharp observations about architecture and time.
The Oscar-shortlisted documentary Cashing Out traces how viatical settlements—private investors buying dying AIDS patients’ life-insurance policies for cash—shaped a morbid market, told through Greg and Scott Page and activists like DeeDee Chamblee; it reveals the relief and dignity it offered some, the costs for others, and how antiretroviral therapy shifted fortunes, highlighting ongoing healthcare precarity and systemic inequality.
A new documentary on Max explores the mystery of an unidentified hiker found dead in the Florida Everglades, shedding light on the online sleuths who worked to identify him. The film, "They Called Him Mostly Harmless," delves into the man's past and the efforts of those dedicated to giving him a name. Through interviews and online forums, the documentary highlights the complexity of individuals and the importance of visibility in solving cases of missing and unidentified people. The film debuts on Max on Feb. 8.
HBO's documentary "They Called Him Mostly Harmless" explores the online detective work to identify a deceased male hiker found in Florida, known as "Mostly Harmless." The film delves into the toxic behavior of internet sleuths, the mystery surrounding the hiker's death, and the eventual revelation of his true identity as Vance Rodriguez, shedding light on the stark disparity between the romanticized perception of the hiker and the harsh realities of his life.
Philips Respironics' recall of its DreamStation breathing machines and other sleep apnea devices has left millions of patients waiting for replacements due to foam inside the machines potentially releasing carcinogenic materials. A documentary film captures the experiences of patients and doctors navigating the fallout of the recall, highlighting the difficult choices faced by patients and the impact on their lives. The film aims to humanize the individuals affected and raise awareness about the implications of the recall.
The documentary film "20 Days in Mariupol" chronicles the first three weeks of the Russian siege on the Ukrainian city, capturing the atrocities and suffering of the residents. The film's director, Mstyslav Chernov, emphasizes the importance of impartial journalism and the duty to give attention to innocent victims. He warns against the polarization of media coverage and the danger of indifference towards human tragedy. Chernov believes it is crucial to engage more people and preserve the memory of these events for future generations.