Theatrical Releases

Every Friday we will update you all with the week's theatrical documentary releases. Now, this will not be a perfect process as our beloved genre prefers the 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 as we try to refine and hone this weekly post).

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

Collapse - (88% rating) 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. But is anyone prepared for the worst? Michael Ruppert is a former Los Angeles police officer turned independent reporter, he predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter “From the Wilderness”. 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. 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. The film also serves as a portrait of a loner. Over the years, Ruppert has stood up for what he believes in spite of fierce opposition. He candidly describes the sacrifices and motivators in his life. Clearly, he believes that a dose of bad news can do some good. (Rottentomatoes.com)

La Danse - (100% rating) - In Wiseman’s 38th film John Davey’s camera roams the vast Palais Garnier, an opulent 19th century pile of a building: from its crystal chandelier-laden corridors to its labyrinthine underground chambers, from its light-filled rehearsal studios to its luxurious theater replete with 2,200 scarlet velvet seats and Marc Chagall ceiling. La Danse devotes most of its time to watching impossibly beautiful young men and rehearsing the choreography of Mats Ek, Wayne McGregor, Rudolf Nureyev and Pina Bausch. For balletomanes and the curious alike, La Danse serves up a scrumptious meal of delectable moments, one more glorious than the next, made even more precious by their ephemeral nature. (Rottentomatoes.com)

'Visual Acoustics' trailer

Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, John Lautner and Frank Gehry, they are just some of the many great modernist architects of the 1930s. And while their works are stunning, you can make a strong case that it was the photographs of Julius Shulman that immortalized them.

And if you don't believe me, you should check out the new film Visual Acoustics. Narrated by Dustin Hoffmon, this documentary honors the life and career of Shulman. Visual Acoustics appears to be both a testament to modern architecture and a celebration of the gregarious man who chronicled it with his unforgettable images

Check out the trailer over at the film's main website.

Obama... The Movie!

So by now, if you're not of a more liberal mindset, you're probably more than sick of the U.S.' current president. You don't like his jerk-off name, you don't like his jerk-off face, you don't like his jerk-off behavior, and you don't like him (to quote from a great scene in the Big Lebowski). Unfortunately for those who feel that way, the man will still be in office for another 3+ years and, probably even worse, he now has a feature length documentary on him airing on HBO Tuesday night.

Filmmakers Alicia Sams and Amy Rice' documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama follows the then-presidential hopeful as he campaigns for office. The two were inspired by Obama's speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2004, and with the help of actor Edward Norton (and no, the randomness of his involvement doe snot go unnoticed) were able to get unprecedented access for the entire campaign.

Now obviously, I doubt few anti-Obamaites will be watching the film on Tuesday, but before you go blasting this as another example of the media love fest for the president, it's important to note that the both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush also had feature length films about their campaigns (and both were ultimately positive in their representation!).

Check out the Associated Press' website for a pretty in depth article on the film or check out the HBO site for more info (like what time it will be airing in your area).