Information Review

I'm Still Here is a documentary – music film, set for release on September 10, 2010. The film is directed by Casey Affleck. It is a portrayal of a tumultuous year in the life of actor Joaquin Phoenix. With remarkable access, the documentary follows the Oscar-nominee as he announces his retirement from a successful film career in the fall of 2008 and sets off to reinvent himself as a hip hop musician. The film is a portrait of an artist at a crossroads and explores notions of courage and creative reinvention, as well as the ramifications of a life spent in the public eye.

Catfish is a thriller (documentary) film, set for release on September 17, 2010. The film is directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.

Movie synopsis: Nev, a 24-year-old New York-based photographer, has no idea what he's in for when Abby, an eight-year-old girl from rural Michigan, contacts him on MySpace, seeking permission to paint one of his photographs. When he receives her remarkable painting, Nev begins a friendship and correspondence with Abby's family. But things really get interesting when he develops a cyber-romance with Abby's attractive older sister, Megan, a musician and model. Prompted by some startling revelations about Megan, Nev and his buddies embark on a road trip in search of the truth.

Soundtrack for a Revolution is a documentary / musical movie written and directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, and stars The Roots, John Legend, Wyclef Jean, Joss Stone, Richie Havens, Anthony Hamilton, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Angie Stone, Mary Mary, T.V. On The Radio, Harry Belafonte, John Lewis, Lula Joe Williams, Andrew Young and Lynda Lowery.

Soundtrack For A Revolution tells the story of the American civil rights movement through its powerful music -the freedom songs protesters sang on picket lines, in mass meetings, in paddy wagons, and in jail cells as they fought for justice and equality. The film features new performances of the freedom songs by top artists, including John Legend, Joss Stone, Wyclef Jean, and The Roots; riveting archival footage; and interviews with civil rights foot soldiers and leaders, including Congressman John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Julian Bond, and Ambassador Andrew Young.

The freedom songs evolved from slave chants, from the labor movement, and especially from the black church. The music enabled blacks to sing words they could not say, and it was crucial in helping the protesters as they faced down brutal aggression with dignity and non-violence. The infectious energy of the songs swept people up and empowered them to fight for their rights.

Soundtrack For A Revolution celebrates the vitality of this music. Directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman (Nanking), and executive produced by Danny Glover, Soundtrack For A Revolution is a vibrant blend of heart-wrenching interviews, dramatic images, and thrilling contemporary performances -- a film of significance, energy, and power.

For more information, please visit the official site: http://www.soundtrackforarevolutionfilm.com/Home.html

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy is a documentary film, set to be released on May 04, 2010. The film is written by Thommy Hutson and dirtected by Daniel Farrands / Andrew Kasch, and stars: Robert Englund as Himself, Wes Craven as Himself and Heather Langenkamp as Herself.

Movie synopsis: Child murderer. Dream demon. The bastard son of a hundred maniacs. Any way you slice it, there can only be one man, one monster, who epitomizes those words:

Freddy Krueger. For decades, Freddy has slashed his way through the dreams of countless youngsters, scaring up over half a billion dollars at the box office across eight terrifying, spectacular films. What's more, it has become evident that Freddy may never rest in peace.

In this thrilling retrospective, fans will enter the world of Freddy Krueger and A Nightmare On Elm Street like never before: exploring what spurred mastermind Wes Craven to craft the first groundbreaking film; delving deep behind the scenes of the original and all of its sequels; learning how the cast and crew brought their worst nightmares to life; and finally, understanding the impact the series and its mythos have had on modern pop culture and the horror genre.

Narrated by and starring Heather Langenkamp, featuring interviews with the cast and crew spanning every film, and loaded with clips, photographs, storyboards, conceptual art, publicity materials, archival documents and behind-the-scenes footage, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy is the definitive account of what many have called the best, most frightening and imaginative horror franchise in motion picture history.

Great Directors is a documentary film, set to be released on July 02, 2010. The film is written and directed by Angela Ismailos, and stars: Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Stephen Frears, Agnes Varda, Ken Loach, Liliana Cavani, Todd Haynes, Catherine Breillat, Richard Linklater and John Sayles.

Movie synopsis: A deeply personal and intimate look at the art of cinema and the artists who create it, and features original, in-depth conversations with world-class filmmakers Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Stephen Frears, Agnes Varda, Ken Loach, Liliana Cavani, Todd Haynes, Catherine Breillat, Richard Linklater and John Sayles. These interviews more than just chronicle Ismailos’ encounters with ten remarkable men and women. Extensively illuminated by clips and historical archives from the subjects' works, they also reveal the distinctive personalities who created the timeless images that have long inspired Ismailos - and all of us.

Intercutting among the filmmakers in a freely associative way, Ismailos explores each director's artistic evolution; the role of politics and history on their work; their feelings about the other great directors who inspired them (with Bertolucci paying homage to Pasolini, Breillat to Bergman, and Haynes to Fassbinder, etc.); and the agony and ecstasy of being an artist in a medium that is, paradoxically, also an industry.

An Inconvenient Tax is a documentary film set to be released on April 15, 2010 (USA). The film is directed by Christopher Marshall and written by Vincent Vittorio, and stars Noam Chomsky, Steve Forbes, Joseph Thorndike, Mike Huckabee, Charles Rossotti, David M. Walker and Neal Boortz.

Movie Synopsis: Albert Einstein once wrote, “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” The product of 95 years worth of additions, subtractions, deductions, and exclusions, it has become such a headache that many are calling for it to be drastically simplified or even removed all together. With a looming fiscal crisis on the horizon, April 15th seems more like a scene from a B—Horror horror movie than a day to contribute to the common good of the nation. Political favoritism, ineffective social programs, and economic manipulations all reveal the need for tax reform. But how can Americans decide the best way to change the income tax when few people even understand the code or the vast extent to which it truly affects the country? “An Inconvenient Tax” explores the history of the income tax and brings to light the causes of its many complexities.

An Inconvenient Tax movie trailer

The film follows the tax through wars, economic booms, and some of the most significant presidencies in U.S. history. To help crack the code, the film employs the country’s top economic experts, commentators, and political voices. Noam Chomsky, Steve Forbes, Joseph Thorndike, Mike Huckabee, Charles Rossotti, Dave M. Walker, Neal Boortz, Michael Graetz, Daniel Shaviro, Leonard Burman, and others discuss not only the problems America faces in the tax code, but also give valuable insights on how to move forward. Finally, the film gives a voice to the creators of several tax reform solutions who claim to have found a better way. In a time when many Americans are concerned about the future of the economy, rising deficits, and unfair tax treatment, “An Inconvenient Tax” provides a crucial, honest look at the income tax. For the first time ever, Americans can engage in the tax debate with confidence and perhaps discover a new way to tax.

Prodigal Sons is a documentary film directed by Kimberly Reed and starring Kimberly Reed, Marc McKerrow and Oja Kodar. Prodigal Sons is set to be released on February 26, 2010. In the film, Returning home to a small town in Montana for her high school reunion, filmmaker Kimberly Reed hopes for reconciliation with her long-estranged adopted brother, Marc. But along the way she uncovers stunning revelations, including his blood relationship with Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth, intense sibling rivalries and unforeseeable twists of plot and gender that forces them to face challenges no one could imagine. Winner of Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival’s FIPRESCI prize, Best of the Fest Audience Award at the 2008 Palm Springs International Film Festival and Special Jury Prizes for Bravery in Filmmaking at the Florida and Nashville Film Festivals, Prodigal Sons is a raw and provocative examination of one family’s struggle to come to terms with its past and present.

Blood Into Wine is a documentary film directed by Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenke, and starring: Maynard James Keenan, Eric Glomski, Milla Jovovich, Patton Oswalt, Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim and Tim Alexander. Blood Into Wine is set to be released on February 19, 2010. Maynard James Keenan is known as the front man for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. In the mid-1990’s, on a whim, the reclusive rock star left Los Angeles and moved to an Arizona ghost town (population 300). A wine enthusiast, Keenan began to envision a world class wine region on the Verde Valley’s craggy slopes and with wine mentor Eric Glomski (former David Bruce winemaker and current owner of the award-winning Page Springs Cellars), Keenan began the long road to bringing credibility and notoriety to Caduceus and Arizona Stronghold Vineyards amidst wine industry prejudice and the harsh Arizona terrain. Take a look inside the life of one of rock music’s most mysterious figures.

The Art of the Steal is a documentary film directed by Don Argott. The Art of the Steal is set to be released on Feb 26, 2010. The Art of the Steal chronicles the long and dramatic struggle for control of the Barnes Foundation, a private collection of art valued at more than $25 billion. A riveting look at the divisive politics of powerful institutions, the film is an un-missable investigation of the one of the art world’s most fascinating controversies. In 1922, Dr. Albert C. Barnes formed a remarkable educational institution around his priceless collection of Post-Impressionist and early Modern art, located just five miles outside of Philadelphia. At its inception, the city’s cultural elite had scorned the collection as “horrible, debased art”, but soon times and tastes changed.

Now, more than 50 years after Barnes’ death, a powerful group of moneyed interests have gone to court for control of the art, and intend bring it to a new museum in Philadelphia. Standing in their way is a vocal group of Barnes’ former students, and Barnes’ will, which contained strict instructions stating the Foundation shall always be an educational institution, and the paintings may never be removed. Will they succeed, or will a man’s will be broken and one of America’s greatest cultural monuments be destroyed?

The Most Dangerous Man In America is a documentary film directed by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith. Cast: Daniel Ellsberg, Patricia Ellsberg, Tony Russo, Howard Zinn, Hedrick Smith and John Dean. The Most Dangerous Man In America is set to be releaed on January 29, 2010. In the movie, Daniel Ellsberg, a high-level Pentagon official and Vietnam War strategist, who in 1971 concluded that the war is based on decades of lies and leaks 7,000 pages of top secret documents to The New York Times, making headlines around the world. A riveting story of how this one man’s profound change of heart created a landmark struggle involving America’s newspapers, its president and Supreme Court. With Daniel Ellsberg, Patricia Ellsberg, Tony Russo, Howard Zinn, Hedrick Smith, John Dean, and, from the secret White House tapes, Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, who called Ellsberg “the most dangerous man in America.”

Hubble 3D is a documentary film directed by Toni Myers. The movie is set to be released on March 19, 2010. Through the power of IMAX 3D, Hubble 3D will enable movie-goers to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings, and accompany space-walking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASA’s history. The film will offer an inspiring and unique look into the Hubble Space Telescope’s legacy and highlight its profound impact on the way we view the universe and ourselves. Hubble 3D is an IMAX and Warner Bros. Pictures production, in cooperation with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The film reunites the Space Station 3D filmmaking team, led by Producer/Director Toni Myers. Hubble 3D will blast off exclusively to IMAX and IMAX 3D theatres on March 19th, 2010.

Babies is a documentary film, directed by Thomas Balmes. Cast: Ponijao, Bayar, Maria Bello, Hattie. Babies is set to be released on May 7th, 2010 by Focus Features. The movie follows four babies around the world - from first breath to first steps. From Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo, BABIES joyfully captures on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all.

Waiting For Armageddon is a documentary film directed by Kate Davis, Franco Sacchi and David Heilbroner. Waiting For Armageddon is set to be released on January 08, 2010. America’s 50-million strong Evangelical community is convinced that the world’s future is foretold in Biblical prophecy - from the Rapture to the Battle of Armageddon. This astonishing documentary explores their world - in their homes, at conferences, and on a wide-ranging tour of Israel. By interweaving Christian, Zionist, Jewish and critical perspectives along with telling archival materials, the filmmakers probe the politically powerful - and potentially explosive - alliance between Evangelical Christians and Israel…an alliance that may set the stage for what one prominent Evangelical leader calls “World War III.”

Oceans is a documentary film from Disneynature, the studio that presented the record-breaking movie 'Earth", brings Oceans to the big screen on Earth Day, 2010 (April 22, 2010). Nearly three-quarters of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans. French co-directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud have set out to capture the full expanse of these waters that have played such a crucial and constant role in the history and sustenance of man. The deep and abundant oceans are places of great mysteries and dangers that this film will dare to explore.

Love the Beast is a documentary film directed by Eric Bana, cast: Eric Bana, Jay Leno, Jeremy Clarkson and Dr. Phil. Love the Beast is set to be released on November 20, 2009(USA). In the film, Eric Bana casts himself in his perfect role: exploring the meaning of a 25-year-long relationship with his first car, “The Beast”, and ultimately the importance of the bonds that form through a common passion. Filmed over 2 years, we follow Eric on an - unexpectedly - emotional journey from inside the race car to the surreal world of the red carpet as Eric considers the importance of family, friends and what it means to keep your dreams alive. LOVE THE BEAST is as full of heart and the defining moments in life as it is about driving fast….really fast.

American Casino is a documentary film about the American subprime mortgage crisis. It is directed and produced by Leslie Cockburn with Andrew Cockburn as co-producer. American Casino release dates: Washington DC (AFI Silver) - Oct. 30 – Nov. 5 / Cambridge, MA November 4-6, 2009 and November 8-10, 2009(The Brattle Theatre) / Columbus, OH November 5-7, 2008 (Wexner Center for the Arts) / Dallas, TX November 5-8, 2009 (Dallas Video Festival) / Baltimore, MD November 12- November 19, 2009 (The Senator) / Albany, NY November 25, 2009 (The Linda WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio) / Tuscon, AZ November 25, 2009 (Loft Cinema) / Cleveland, Ohio December 18 & 20, 2009 (Cleveland Cinematheque). Plot: “I don’t think most people really understood that they were in a casino” says award-winning financial reporter Mark Pittman. “When you’re in the Street’s casino, you’ve got to play by their rules.”

This film finally explains how and why over $12 trillion of our money vanished into the American Casino. For chips, the casino used real people, like the ones we meet in Baltimore. These are not the heedless spendthrifts of Wall Street legend, but a high school teacher, a therapist, a minister of the church. They were sold on the American Dream as a safe investment. Too late, they discovered the truth. Cruelly, as African – Americans, they and other minorities were the prime targets for the subprime loans that powered the casino. According to the Federal Reserve, African-Americans were four times more likely than whites to be sold subprime loans. We meet the players. A banker explains that the complex securities he designed were “fourth dimensional” and sold to “idiots.” A senior Wall Street ratings agency executive describes being ordered to “guess” the worth of billion dollar securities. A mortgage loan salesman explains how borrowers’ incomes were inflated to justify a loan. A billionaire describes how he made a massive bet that people would lose their homes and has won $500 million, so far. Finally, as the global financial system crumbles and outraged but impotent lawmakers fume at Wall Street titans, we see the casino’s endgame: Riverside, California a foreclosure wasteland given over to colonies of rats and methamphetamine labs, where disease-bearing mosquitoes breed in their millions on the stagnant swimming pools of yesterday’s dreams. Filmed over twelve months in 2008, American Casino takes you inside a game that our grandchildren never wanted to play.

Until the Light Takes Us is a documentary film directed by Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell. Until the Light Takes Us release date: December 04, 2009. Takes Us tells the story of black metal. Part music scene and part cultural uprising, black metal rose to worldwide notoriety in the mid-nineties when a rash of suicides, murders, and church burnings accompanied the explosive artistic growth and output of a music scene that would forever redefine what heavy metal is and what it stands for to other musicians, artists, and music fans world-wide. Directors Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell moved to Norway and lived the musicians for several years, building relationships that allowed them to create a surprisingly intimate portrait of this violent, but ultimately misunderstood, movement.

The result is a poignant, moving story that’s as much about the idea that reality is composed of whatever the most people believe as it is about a music scene that blazed a path of murder and arson across the northern sky.

Collapse is a documentary horror movie directed by Chris Smith, cast: Michael Ruppert. Collapse release date: November 06, 2009. Plot: Americans generally like to hear good news. They like to believe that a new President will right old wrongs, that clean energy will replace dirty oil, and that fresh thinking will set the economy straight. American pundits tend to restrain their pessimism and to hope for the best. But is anyone prepared for the worst? Michael Ruppert is a different kind of American. A former Los Angeles police officer turned independent reporter, he predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter “From the Wilderness” at a time when most Wall Street and Washington analysts were still in denial.

Smith has always had a feeling for outsiders in films like “American Movie” and “American Job.” In “Collapse,” Smith stylistically departs from his past films by interviewing Ruppert in a format that recalls the work of Errol Morris and Spalding Gray. Sitting in a room that looks like a bunker, Ruppert recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out the crises he sees ahead. He draws upon the same news reports and data available to any Internet user, but he applies a unique interpretation. He is especially passionate over the issue of “peak oil,” the concern raised by scientists since the 1970s that the world will eventually run out of fossil fuel. While other experts debate this issue in measured tones, Ruppert doesn’t hold back at sounding an alarm. He portrays a future that resembles apocalyptic science fiction. Listening to his rapid flow of opinions, the viewer is likely to question some of the rhetoric as paranoid or deluded; and to sway back and forth on what to make of the extremism. Smith lets viewers form their own judgments.

Disturbing the Universe is a documentary film about the late civil rights attorney William Kunstler written by Sarah Kunstler and directed by Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler. Disturbing the Universe release date: November 13, 2009 by Arthouse Films. In the movie, filmmakers Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler explore the life of their father, the late radical civil rights lawyer. In the 1960s and 70s, William Kunstler fought for civil rights with Martin Luther King Jr. and represented the famed “Chicago 8” activists who protested the Vietnam War. When the inmates took over Attica prison, or when the American Indian Movement stood up to the federal government at Wounded Knee, they asked Kunstler to be their lawyer.

Things don’t quite go according to plan, as a tragically comical chain of mishaps leads Tracy to take a more active role in his life by mentoring a young thug while fending off his obnoxious mother (Academy Award Nominee Kathleen Quinlan) and indifferent sister (Mary Lynn Rajskub, Julie & Julia, FOX’s “24”), all the while awkwardly attempting to conquer the elusive driver’s exam and trying to lose “about ten pounds.” A different kind of everyman, Tracy Orbison reminds us that the caution light flashes even while chasing our dreams.