Sexy Guest Post...

...sort of. Head over HERE to My Floating Red Couch for my entry in Ruben's Sexy Sexegenarian Tournament.

I'm taking it to the streets (a.k.a: TV).

Documentary Dilemma

This guest post is a contribution from Robert over at His Eyes Were Watching Movies. Check him out if you will.

                   

Unfortunately, many of even the most avid cinephiles seem to overlook documentaries, especially if they don't get nominated for the Oscar. It is certainly understandable - we go to the movies to escape reality, not to be confronted with it! However, there are lots of documentaries from the past few years that, despite being overlooked by the Academy, are worth a look. Not only might they educate you, but they're often extremely entertaining. Here are a few recommendations, all having to do with forms of artistic expression...

       

Touch the Sound: A Sound Journey With Evelyn Glennie (2004)

Evelyn Glennie is a Scottish percussionist who, incidentally, is deaf. In "Touch the Sound", we get an intimate and fascinating portrait of Glennie that is 10% biography, 90% music video. Glennie's avant-garde percussion music is hypnotic and the brilliantly edited film melds it with surrounding sounds to create an immersive web of sound. A beautiful and enchanting film that may just get you hooked on Evelyn Glennie's music (as it did for me!).

            

Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)

This spicy documentary tells the story of the kids of several New York City elementary schools as they learn ballroom dancing and train to compete in a city-wide competition. As we learn the back stories of some of the kids, many of whom are underprivileged, we realize more and more how much this goal means to them and how dance, like all art, can change lives.

         

My Kid Could Paint That (2007)

This documentary is perfect for anyone who is interested in modern art, detective stories, scandals, hoaxes, or prodigious children. The film starts as a simple profile of Marla Olmstead, a girl famous for her monumental works of modern art. However, as the filmmaker gets more and more intimate with the family, and Marla's father is accused of making the art himself, the film takes a surprising turn that keeps you guessing. This engrossing doc is full of surprises! It's also probably the only documentary I've ever watched twice.

                

So there you have it - give these films a shot and don't be afraid of documentaries. You never know what new knowledge you may find!

                

Editor's Note: How many have I seen...zero. I know Hatter recently wrapped up covering some docs, but what was the last documentary YOU saw? Ever seen on these? What's your favourite? Sound off below?

4 Great Biopics You May Have Missed

This guest post is contributed by Pamelia Brown, who writes on the topics of associate degree . She welcomes your comments at her email Id: pamelia.brown@gmail.com.

         

Walk the Line, Ali, and The Aviator were all critically acclaimed films that were also huge blockbusters. Major movie stars that happen to be at the peak their career headline stories about entertainers and public figures who are just as dynamic, and they become films that everyone puts on their must-see list. But this list highlights four great biopics that you may have missed, or just forgotten about. They deserve to be seen, too.

      

The Spirit of St. Louis

 Jimmy Stewart famously depicted Charles Lindbergh in this 1957 film directed by Billy Wilder. In the movie, Lindbergh prepares for and flies across the Atlantic in his plane, "Spirit of St. Louis," as he struggles with technical problems and his own faith. Recent movies like Aviator and Amelia may have better cinematography for up-in-the-air shots, but this is a classic movie that Stewart takes to another level.

    

The Last Emperor 

This 1987 film deals with the story of the last emperor of China, Puyi, and it is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, who won an Academy Award for the movie. While China has a reputation for banning movies and propaganda that it believes undermine the integrity of the country, Bertolucci was granted official permission to film inside The Forbidden City. The Last Emperor earned nine total Academy Awards, an Oscar for every category in which it was entered.

       

La Vie En Rose

Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for La Vie en Rose in 2009, but the French-language film was still not a blockbuster hit in the United States. Cotillard played legendary singer Edith Piaf, who was one of the most popular entertainers in France, especially during World War II. The young and graceful Marion Cotillard transformed herself into a rough, sad and often crude woman in a film that is supremely emotional and colorful.

           

Mrs. Brown

Hollywood loves making movies about English aristocracy, and films like Elizabeth, The Queen, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Duchess have all starred famous actresses and performed well at the box office. The 1997 film directed by John Madden Mrs. Brown stars Judi Dench -- who has appeared in other English royalty films -- as Queen Victoria during her grieving widow years. As she befriends a Scottish houseman, Queen Victoria emerges from her isolation and learns how to live and rule again. The film was nominated for two Oscars, and won numerous other awards, including two BAFTAS and a Golden Globe.

             

Four excellent biopics. Have you seen any?