Joaquin Phoenix's fall is documentary film's gain?

Joaquin Phoenix was arguably one of the brightest actors of the modern era and his sudden decision to abandon the craft for a rap career was downright sad in many people's eyes. In fact, I'm fairly certain nearly every film fan wondered "what the heck is he thinking?" immediately after hearing of his decision. Adding to the confusion is his practical disappearance from the public limelight (especially after a Youtube video of him rapping and an odd encounter on Letterman).

Thankfully, the documentary gods smiled favorably on us befuddled masses and granted fellow actor Casey Affleck a front row seat to Phoenix's post-acting life. Casey, who is married to Joaquin's sister, used the opportunity to film the very same question we all were thinking and create the documentary I'm Still Here: The Lost Year Of Joaquin Phoenix.

In an interview with ABC, Casey says, "He said he didn't want to act any more, he wanted to try doing music, and that, right there, says something's going to happen... I had no idea what exactly was going to happen and all that would unfold and every day I spent with him on this journey.

"It ended up being more and more fascinating, more and more things happened that were both in the public spectacle and a very private internal implosion that I got to witness. It made for this unbelievable, one-of-a-kind movie."

Now, some still contend the whole thing is an elaborate hoax, but if it is, the dude is pulling off a prank no other celebrity has ever managed to play on society. The film is currently seeking a distributor but I doubt it will take long for some company to pick up the rights to a subject every modern movie fan wants addressed.

How do you feel? Would you want to see this documentary? Post below!

Rush wins Tribeca Film Festival

Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn's Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage took the Tribeca Film Festival by storm and won the coveted Heineken Audience Award Winner. The documentary beat out the fictional film Snowmen, the documentary Arias With A Twist: The Docufantasy, plus numerous others in what festival officials called a fierce competition.

McFadyen and Dunn have made several fan favorite rock films in the past so its no surprise they win the award here. Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage is a comprehensive look at the Canadian band Rush's entire history, from their early days in Toronto to the present day, four decades after forming.

Head on over to http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/ to learn more about the other festival awards or http://www.rushbeyondthelightedstage.com/ to get all the details on McFadyen and Dunn's latest project.

Theatrical Releases

Every Friday we update you all with the week's theatrical documentary releases. Now, this is not a perfect process as our beloved genre prefers the rolling/limited release schedule instead of a big nationwide or international-wide release. So apologies if a film isn't out in your area or if you are a filmmaker and we missed the boat on announcing your documentary's big day (if that is the case, please let us know and we'll correct the mistake).

Now, with that introduction out of the way, here's this weekend's releases with their current rating on the amazing website Rottentomatoes.com:


Dirty Hands: The Art & Crimes of David Choe - (no rating provided) Director Harry Kim spent eight tumultuous years following a young near-schizophrenic street artist, David Choe, who devises numerous criminal schemes that make it possible for him to hitchhike across the globe. Choe skirts the legal constraints of society to “freely” create his art. His nonchalant law-breaking style lands him in jail several times, leading to his eventual demise in solitary confinement in a Tokyo prison cell. He resurfaces with a radically religious agenda and returns home with hope to overcome his criminal temptations and repair his severed relationships. The filmmaker (who has been friends with Choe since they met at the Korean-American teenage summer camp in 1990) captures the complexity of David’s life though a collage work of archived childhood home videos, still photographs, intimate artwork, animation, and eight years of footage shot on the road with the artist. (Rottentomatoes.com)

ESPN 30 for 30 Refresh

All you sports fans should already be engrossed in ESPNs 30 for 30 documentary film series, but in case you have been hiding under a rock, there is still time to catch plenty of films. The series is the brain child of Bill Simmons, aka The Sports Guy, who wanted the sports network to start telling better stories.

If you are an ESPN fan, you know and love Simmons' writing and if you are a documentary fan you should be thrilled he appreciates the genre as much as anyone. Need proof? Simmons writes, "I love documentaries. The goal of a well-written piece and a well-done documentary is fundamentally the same: you pick a story that hasn’t been fully explored yet, you throw yourself into it and you make it sing."

Probably the best summary for how to make a great documentary and that's all I need to be excited for ESPN's 30 for 30 series- even before looking at the stories or directors hired. Make no mistake, ESPN went all out and recruited some of the best talent possible- not only because they are great filmmakers and storytellers, but because they are passionate about the stories they are developing.

Head over to http://30for30.espn.com/ to see which films have yet to premier as well as learn where you can buy previously aired stories. Make sure to read Simmons' article first. It'll remind you why you love documentaries.

Hot Docs Film Festival Begins Tomorrow!

The documentary film festival circuit is in full swing and Canada's Hot Docs Festival is ready to add to our beloved genre starting tomorrow. Featuring nearly 200 documentaries from April 29th to May 9th, documentary fans will surely be impressed by this year's line-up.

Whether its new releases (Babies), classics (Fog of War, American Movie), or even great films you might have missed at previous festivals, if you love documentaries, this is a great festival to investigate.

Check out the list of films over at http://www.hotdocs.ca/ then purchase your plane ticket to Toronto so you can attend this delightful 11 day event.

Trailer: 8: The Mormon Proposition

Reed Cowen's documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition has been making the film festival rounds and seems to have built up enough steam to turn out a theatrical run. There is now a trailer up over at Apple.com/trailers and it's worth checking out, especially if you are interested in the subject.

8: The Mormon Proposition focuses on California's Proposition 8 and the battle the Mormon Church waged to block gay marriage in the state. Cowen takes an antagonistic approach to their campaign and uses interviews, recorded messages and news stories to prove his point.

The documentary will release on June 18th, so head over to Apple.com to watch the trailer and learn more about the film and where it will be playing.

Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking

Leave it to the Discovery Channel to play ball with the big boys. The network's most recent series Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking allows audiences to investigate the universe through the eyes of one of the smartest people in the world. Divided into three hour long segments, it will cover aliens, time travel and, well, everything else. So unless your Stephen Hawking himself, you'll probably come away learning something new.

The series has already garnered a relative amount of attention because of some of Hawking's comments, including his belief our world should not try and contact alien lifeforms that may treat us like a conquered colony. Of course even pro-alien audiences will appreciate hearing complex theories explained in a simpler manner (and with entertaining visuals to boot!).

Into the Universe has already been airing in the United States and will be premiering over in the UK early next month. So check your local listings to learn more!

Theatrical Releases

Every Friday we update you all with the week's theatrical documentary releases. Now, this is not a perfect process as our beloved genre prefers the rolling/limited release schedule instead of a big nationwide or international-wide release. So apologies if a film isn't out in your area or if you are a filmmaker and we missed the boat on announcing your documentary's big day (if that is the case, please let us know and we'll correct the mistake).

Now, with that introduction out of the way, here's this weekend's releases with their current rating on the amazing website Rottentomatoes.com:


Oceans - (80% rating) Nearly three-quarters of the Earth’s surface is covered by water and Oceans boldly chronicles the mysteries that lie beneath. Directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud dive deep into the very waters that sustain all of mankind—exploring the harsh reality and the amazing creatures that live within. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan and featuring spectacular never-before-seen imagery captured by the latest underwater technologies, Oceans offers an unprecedented look beneath the sea in a powerful motion picture. (Rottentomatoes.com)

Behind the Burly Q - (77% rating) the behind-the-scenes stories of the men and women of burlesque as told by the performers themselves. For the first time ever, the performers from the golden age of burlesque relate their heartbreaking, triumphant stories of life on the road performing in the burly circuit. Many were ashamed of their past and had never talked about their experiences. Just as many had never been asked. Amongst those interviewed were former musicians, strippers, novelty acts, club owners, funny men and women, authors and historians assembled together for the first time ever to tell you just what really happened in a burlesque show. (Rottentomatoes.com)

Best Worst Movie - (92% rating) the acclaimed feature length documentary that takes us on an off-beat journey into the undisputed worst movie in cinematic history: Troll 2. In 1989, when an Italian filmmaker and unwitting Utah actors shot the ultra-low budget horror film, Troll 2, they had no idea that twenty years later they would be celebrated worldwide for their legendary ineptitude. Two decades later, the film’s now-grown-up child star (Michael Paul Stephenson) unravels the improbable, heartfelt story of the Alabama dentist-turned-cult movie icon and the Italian filmmaker who come to terms with this genuine, internationally revered cinematic failure. (Rottentomatoes.com)

One Peace at a Time - (No rating provided) Building on critical and audience acclaim for his film, Nobelity, Turk Pipkin is continuing his global journey of knowledge and action with the feature film, One Peace at a Time. While Nobelity deals with global problems, One Peace at a Time will focus on specific solutions. The goal is to create a virtual roadmap to a better future. One Peace at a Time is an opportunity for individuals, businesses and foundations to reach out and change the world. (Rottentomatoes.com)

Trailer: The Oath

A documentary about Osama bin Laden’s bodyguard and driver doesn't exactly sound like a film with 'market appeal' here in the United States, but a quick read of the summary for Laura Poitras' The Oath makes it sound like a fascinating investigation into a complex situation.

The trailer itself is captivating and will make you want to see this documentary. Unfortunately, it appears The Oath is currently only slated for appearances at film festivals, but hopefully that changes for all of us interested in a film that will spark debate.

Head on over to http://www.theoathmovie.com/ to see the trailer for yourself and read more about The Oath and why it's worth seeing.

Haikus Abound over Palin-Discovery Series

So if you've been keeping up with your documentary news, you're well aware Sarah Palin signed a contract with Discovery Communications to host an 8-part series on Alaska. Environmentalists and those of the more liberal persuasion immediately voiced their complaints over the decision, believing Palin to be less than ideal for promoting the beautiful Alaskan wilderness.

Fearing they would get lost amongst all the uproar, the Friends of the Earth organization decided to break away from the angry emails and protesters- asking their supporters to send in haikus expressing their outrage (Ok, technically the short poems are called senryus, but as an American I'm entitled to simplify complex cultural practices into something I already know).

The site took the top ten submissions and are now asking people to vote for their favorites before they send the entire compilation (said to be in the thousands) to the Discovery Communications headquarters.

Can all forms of protests be submitted in this way from now on?




Editors note: here at Documentary Film Online we try to avoid political tit-for-tat because we are trying to appeal to documentary film fans across the entire political spectrum. However, every once in awhile, there's a story so good it just can't be ignored. This was definitely one of those stories.