When the Wu-Tang Clan released their first album, Enter the 36 Chambers, in 1993 they stood out. Not only wasn’t there a group with so many members (9), but they also sounded different compared to what was out at the moment. The beats producer RZA created were very raw and the group quickly gained popularity. Back in the day I myself walked around with a Wu “W” on my backpack and listened to a lot of their music and the various solo albums the various artists released. 25 years later the group is still performing (I’ll be seeing them live on Thursday, together with Public Enemy and De La Soul). The four-part documentary series Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men looks at the group’s history, how they came together, their first album and many moments in their long career. Continue reading
Category Archives: Documentary
The Man Who Stole Banksy (2018) – Review
The number of documentaries about Banksy keeps steadily rising. After seeing Exit Through the Gift Shop, Banksy Does New York, How to Sell A Banksy and Saving Banksy I couldn’t help but wonder how much this new doc would be able to add to those. The last two titles in this list already were about securing and selling the work of this popular street artist. They shed a light on the art market when it comes to his work, the art world in general and the ethical side of removing works which are displayed in a public place. Continue reading
The Cleaners (2018) – Review
How much better would the world be without internet? Despite the extra convenience and direct access to all kinds of information and products, it has changed the world, changed people and what’s important to us. Suddenly many try to show themselves from their best side and everything is about being seen, likes and number of followers. An artificial form of popularity that has earned many people money, but despite the fact that this is supposed to be social, it is anything but. And there are also plenty of people who try to share terrible videos, photos and texts via social media. And although large platforms try to take action against this automatically, it hasn’t gotten so good that people are no longer needed to make choices about them. Companies such as Facebook and Twitter have a true “army” of unknown editors, who are presented with horrible images every day (around 25,000) and have to make a choice whether this should be removed or seen. The documentary The Cleaners tries to get those people, who are trying to make the various platforms safe for us, to tell their story. Continue reading
Leaving Neverland (2019) – Review
Music plays a big role in our lives and some artists manage to make such an impact that almost everyone knows them. That was even more the case in the pre-internet era. Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson were the superstars who you didn’t hear about for a long time and when they released a new album, it was a real event. It is an era that we have largely left behind us. Access to the life of an artist is just a few clicks away. Videos, photos and interview can be found in abundance. That was not the case at the end of the 1980s and when Michael Jackson released Bad the whole world listened. On its first day, half a million copies were sold and his video was shown non-stop on MTV.
It impressed 5-year-old Wade Robson, who lived in Australia. He studied his movements and perfected the way he imitated it. When his mother heard that there was a dance competition where you could win a meeting with Jackson, she decided that he could participate. He won and stood on stage with The King of Pop, his idol. Then he stayed in touch. Around the same time, James Safechuck was chosen as Jackson’s opponent in a Pepsi commercial. The two connected and a friendship developed. Michael Jackson regularly visited their small house and James’ parents almost saw him as an extra child. James was even allowed to go on tour (together with his mother) and was dancing on stage every night. What started as a close friendship for both these children, where they received a lot of attention and access to extravagant places, turned into a nightmare that had an impact not only on the boys themselves, but also on their families. Continue reading
The Price of Everything (2018) – Review
The only thing I truly like about art in the form of paintings / statues etcetera is that I am fascinated by the world around it. Although I sometimes visit a museum, artworks that I see there do rarely really move me. But to see how the art world works, how artists make their work and the craziness of it is often fascinating. The number of documentaries/films that I have seen about the subject is enormous (
The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned from a Mythical Man (2018) – Review
Bill Murray is an actor who, thanks to various iconic roles (eg. Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day or Lost in Translation) has succeeded in conquering a place in the hearts of many film fans. But even outside his filmography he has managed to create kind of a legend around him. How? By simply appearing suddenly at everyday moments and being himself. Thanks to the internet this is shared with the world and you can read how he suddenly appeared on the wedding photos of a wedding couple, did the dishes at a party or sang Happy Birthday for a grandmother. But why do we like to read about it? That is the question that director Tommy Avallone tries to answer. Continue reading
Three Identical Strangers (2018) – Review
I Am a Killer (2018) – Review
What is the reason that we have such an interest in crime in films and series? Is it the ‘shock value’ of what people are capable of or is the fascination deeper? Do we want to see if someone is really so different from ourselves, could we also do the same if we were in the same situation? When I saw the Netflix series I Am a Killer appear on the service, it seemed to me that it was mainly to sensationalise. A documentary series where you come face to face with the monsters the media describes them as. Yet the curiosity did dominate and I decided to watch. Continue reading
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018) – Review
Although most of us can’t live without our phones anymore and spend many hours on social media, society (on a global scale) seems to become less social in the real world. Tolerance towards others seems to continue to decline. People more and more seem to be only interested in something when it is shocking or when someone is talked down to. Maybe it is because I am getting older, but I have the feeling that people complain more easily and are able to be heard (even go viral with it). Negativity seems to dominate. When you keep that in the back of your mind when watching the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, this might be something to inspire. Continue reading
Zion (2018) – Review
When an specific event takes place that was witnessed by many people, you could ask all of them to tell them what happened and you will get different stories. Some will not only tell you the facts, but others might add extra layers explaining their feelings, the atmosphere and small details that make it come alive. Although documentaries are about real events, it is the way you tell them that can make or break a documentary. Just like any other movie it needs to be edited in the right way in order to make the viewer care about what you are seeing. A director like Werner Herzog is almost poetic in his voicovers for his documentaries and that really adds a lot. Zion, this short documentary now available on Netflix, unfortunately lacks a proper story. Continue reading