By: Addison Wylie Everyone, it’s safe to shake away your hesitations! Burt’s Buzz does not fall in a quirky vein akin to Duck Dynasty. Comparing the backwoods clan who struck rich with their duck calling instruments and Burt Shavitz’s unintentional success with his line of all-natural creams and lip balms is bound to occur – based on physical appearance alone. Jody Shapiro’s doc on Shavitz is as innocuous as a folksy reality show, but Burt’s…
By: Addison Wylie Brothers Hypnotic seems like it does everything right. It’s a good looking doc and an even better sounding one. Filmmaker Reuban Atlas knows how to show how music can explode with vibrance as various crowds bob their heads happily. All the songs that are featured and played by Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are great examples of the band’s range and how their chemistry expands their performance etiquette. The boys in the ensemble all…
By: Addison Wylie For a documentary that presents itself as poorly planned, imagine my elation when Scott P. Harris’ Being Ginger began winning me over with his accidental autobiographical doc. Harris had me beaming and declaring love towards his personal mission. The filmmaker – who’s a red head himself – sets out across Edinburgh, Scotland to figure out why there’s so much of a disliking towards “gingers”, as well as why it’s so hard for…
I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives of Wakefield Poole (DIR. Jim Tushinski) By: Addison Wylie Jim Tushinski’s doc is exactly like his subject when Wakefield Poole is dancing. The film is nimble, lovely, and tells a story. We’re always willing to go for the ride. When it comes to the arts, Poole has nearly done it all. He’s a dancer, a choreographer, a teacher, and has been described as a wonderful cook. His most famous forte,…
By: Addison Wylie World of Warcraft and those who play the video game have become a punchline in pop culture. Whether we’re overhearing teens and their strategies or watching the boys from South Park take digs at obsessive gamers, we’ve all been exposed to it one way or another. The youngsters dedicating their lifestyle to it, however, are the ones who are overexposed to the digital battles. They get sucked in and refuse to give…
Masculinity/Femininity (DIR. Russell Sheaffer) By: Addison Wylie It’s so limited, but it interrupts the whole filmmaking process. It’s not a steady stream of consciousness as much as some of the performers would like it to be. It kind of breaks it up. That’s a quote from someone describing super 8 film in Masculinity/Femininity. A format of film so cumbersome, it would take an ambitious individual to want to shoot on it to make a modern movie….
By: Addison Wylie Doug Block started shooting wedding videos because it was a good opportunity to earn some extra dough. But as his filmography grew, so did his fascination with different couples and the dynamics he caught on camera. The question that’s been rattling around in his head is: what happens years after the wedding and the honeymoon? Can these giddy newlyweds keep up their love once reality settles in and kids enter the picture?…
The Special Need (DIR. Carlo Zoratti) By: Parker Mott The Special Need is a playful pun on that little itch a late-bloomer might get when he or she starts to become interested in the prospect of love and sexual intimacy. This ticklish desire is possible as well in those with mental or physical disabilities; the problem is our educational and even judicial systems do not teach citizens about or condone this issue. It’s merely swept under the…
An Honest Liar (DIR. Justin Weinstein & Tyler Measom) By: Addison Wylie An Honest Liar is a chip off of James “The Amazing” Randi’s block. Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom’s doc is as entertaining and clever as any of Randi’s illusionary deceptions. Residing in Toronto, Ontario before joining the circus and becoming one of the most successful magicians of all time, Randi set out to disprove charlatans and phonies claiming to have mystical powers when really they…
By: Addison Wylie As I state in the interview, part of the reason I love Hot Docs is that I usually have the chance to sit down with people I wouldn’t have expected to talk to. Miss Cleo is someone who I grew up watching on TV during commercial breaks. The infomercial psychic movement she created with her catch phrase and bright on-screen personality is something that couldn’t be ignored. She became a nostalgic icon to…