Photos
HBO Documentaries kicked off their new summer series last night with Bobby Fischer Against the World, a documentary about the notorious, world-renowned chess champion and maniac, Bobby Fischer. I haven’t finished watching it yet, because life is what happens you’re busy making other huh? But I’ve watched half of it and it’s really good! Did you know that people used to actually care about chess? It’s true! I’m currently watching the segment about Bobby Fischer playing against Boris Spassky in Iceland in 1972 for the World Championship title and it’s very riveting and compelling (who will win the chess fight?!) but it’s also just interesting to see what a cultural event it was. Late night talk shows about it! Nightly news reports! People crowding around department store television sets! It was a whole thing it turns out. Later, of course, Bobby Fischer would become an anti-Semitic lunatic who had his passport revoked and was detained by the Japanese for extradition and a whole bunch of other Classic Maniac Stuff. But the point is that it’s pretty good and there are going to be new documentaries each Monday throughout the summer and we should watch them. Here is the complete lineup:
A MATTER OF TASTE: SERVING UP PAUL LIEBRANDT (June 13) documents the career of the acclaimed chef – and the cutthroat world of haute cuisine – over eight years. The film follows Liebrandt as he matures from young renegade to one of New York City’s most celebrated chefs with the opening of his renowned Michelin two-star restaurant Corton in Tribeca. Directed by Sally Rowe in her documentary directorial debut. A selection of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.
SEX CRIMES UNIT (June 20) takes an unprecedented look inside the Manhattan District Attorney’s famed Sex Crimes Unit, the first unit dedicated to the prosecution of sexual assault to be established in the U.S. The film follows the day-to-day work of prosecutors as they deal with investigations, trials and plea bargains. Among other cases, it tracks The People v. Kevin Rios, in which a prostitute makes an accusation of rape, and follows one woman’s experience with the Cold Case Unit when her accused assailant, originally indicted on the basis of his DNA profile, is finally identified and brought to justice 16 years after the crime. Directed by Emmy® winner Lisa F. Jackson (HBO’s “The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo”).
HOT COFFEE (June 27) examines the dangers of so-called tort reform and its threat to the civil justice system. Using the now-infamous legal battle over a spilled cup of McDonald’s coffee as a springboard, the film follows four people, including McDonald’s plaintiff Stella Liebeck, whose lives have been affected by their inability to access the courts, as well as caps on punitive damages, and examines the role of corporations and a complicit media in promoting tort reform. Directed by former trial lawyer and first-time filmmaker Susan Saladoff. A selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
CITIZEN U.S.A.: A 50-STATE ROAD TRIP (July 4) follows director Alexandra Pelosi (HBO’s Emmy®-winning “Journeys with George”) as she travels across the U.S. to attend naturalization ceremonies in all 50 states and meets brand-new citizens to find out why they chose America as their home. Commemorating the Fourth of July, the documentary intersperses stories of newly naturalized citizens and interviews with notable first-generation Americans, including Madeleine Albright, Arianna Huffington, Henry Kissinger and Gene Simmons.
THE PIRATE TAPES (July 11) tells the story of Canadian-Somali college student Mohammed Asherah, who returns to Somalia under the guise of a wealthy entrepreneur, hires a pirate cell and lives undercover with it for three months. Using a hidden camera to capture the pirates’ lives, he learns the jarring truth about piracy’s causes and effects on the world, and finds himself duped by the very people he thinks he’s deceiving. Directed by first-time documentary filmmakers Mohammed Asherah, Rock Baijnauth, Andrew Moniz, Roger Singh and Matvei Zhivov.
MANN V. FORD (July 18) follows members of the Ramapo Indian tribe in Upper Ringwood, NJ in their eight-year search for justice through a major class-action lawsuit. From the middle ‘50s through the late ‘70s, the Ford Motor Company operated an assembly plant in Mahwah, NJ that produced millions of cars each year, dumping what has been described as “thousands of tons of paint sludge and other waste” into abandoned mine shafts and residential land. Working-class residents of the area have been suffering from a range of ailments, including skin problems, bleeding disorders and increased rates of cancer and miscarriage, ever since. The film charts their uphill battle to secure a healthy future for their children. Directed by Maro Chermayeff (HBO’s “The Kindness of Strangers”) and Micah Fink (“Frontline”).
THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH AUNT DIANE (July 25) revisits the mysterious tragedy of Diane Schuler, who, on July 26, 2009, drove the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway in New York for nearly two miles and then smashed into an oncoming SUV, killing herself, her daughter, her three nieces and all three people in the other car. Her autopsy revealed that Schuler had consumed the equivalent of ten shots of vodka and smoked marijuana shortly before the accident. The film investigates the circumstances behind the enduring mysteries of the incident in an effort to understand what went wrong. Directed by Liz Garbus (the Oscar®-nominated “The Farm: Angola, USA”; HBO’s “The Execution of Wanda Jean”).
KORAN BY HEART (Aug. 1) visits the world’s oldest Koran memorization contest, which takes place each year in Cairo, drawing Muslim children from as far as the Maldives and Tajikistan to perform before a panel of prominent judges. This inspirational film follows these talented youngsters from intense preparation through the rigorous rounds of the tournament, offering an engaging look at the unique experiences and aspirations of Muslim children throughout the world. Directed by Greg Barker (HBO’s “Sergio”). A selection of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.
SUPERHEROES (Aug. goes inside the world of real-life caped crusaders. From all over America, these everyday citizens don masks, homemade costumes and elaborate utility belts in an attempt to bring justice to evildoers everywhere. Directed by first-time filmmaker Michael Barnett. A 2011 Slamdance Film Festival award winner.
GLORIA: IN HER OWN WORDS (Aug. 15) recounts how Gloria Steinem became one of the driving forces of feminism. Beginning as a reporter writing an exposé on the working conditions of Playboy Bunnies, she was transformed by learning about women’s horrifying experiences while covering a New York abortion hearing in 1969. The film includes archival footage and interviews showcasing Steinem’s sharp sense of humor, love of life and compassion for humankind. Today, she remains a feminist icon, ever-present on the frontlines of social and political activism. Filmmakers, Peter Kunhardt and Dyllan McGee (HBO’s Emmy®-winning “Teddy: In His Own Words”).
Right? They sound good. You know I’m right. Just tell your jock friends that you’re watching Christina Aguilera’s The Voice.
 |
 |
You Might Also Like
 Operation Watch This: Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! | High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell | New York States Of Minds |  Christopher Abbott Leaves Girls, But What About Marnie?! |
Leave a Reply
Sign inSign in with FacebookYou must be logged in to post, reply to, or rate a comment.
‘Hot Coffee’, ‘The Pirate Tapes’, ‘Mann v. Ford’, ‘There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane’ and ‘Koran by Heart’ are the ones that jump out at me from that list. Too bad I don’t have HBO.
‘It’s not TV because you don’t have a TV.’ / ‘Forget it Jake, it’s you don’t have HBO.’
Also, all great porn titles. There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane INDEED!
Bobby Fischer’s favorite show as a child? The Smurfs
we should have known!
This makes me wish I owned a TV.
Ah, JP up there has made me realize my mistake.
This makes me wish I owned an HBO.
http://www.theonion.com/articles/area-man-constantly-mentioning-he-doesnt-own-a-tel,429/
Also:
REAL SEX #79: Hey 13-year-old boy who snuck downstairs to see if he could see some boobs after his parents when to sleep, we are going to show you boobs, but also ruin your childhood and warp your mind with segments about pony-boys and overweight Florida swingers.
HBO AUTOPSY: Part of HBO’s America Undercover documentary series. Viewers will follow Dr. Michael Baden, a real-life forensic pathologist, in reviewing some of his more arresting cases. Viewers will also question whether eating beef stew while watching was a good choice.
TAXICAB CONFESSIONS: These “conversations” are completely “real” and “not made up.” Also, the amount of “sex” had in the back of these “cabs” is exactly proportional to the amount of sex had in cabs everywhere.
VEGAS: AMERICAS PLAYGROUND: This documentary follows three men who were drugged during a bachelor party and need to find their best friend.. Oh wait, this is just the 8,000 showing of The Hangover.
How did the AUTOPSY description fail to mention that seductive-voiced lady narrator? She’s been making cadavers sound cool since 1994.
I watched an HBO Real Sex on OnDemand last month and it was the quaintest postcard from the late 90′s/early 2000′s you could imagine!
Don’t forget Adult Babies!!!!!
wait wait… they advertise the woman who balanced a hot beverage on her knees while driving and then getting a settlement after she burned herself as having difficulty accessing the courts? And the point is that tort reform is bad? no thank you.
I’m guessing, and this is just a guess, that maybe the point of the documentary is that there is more to the story than that.
I refuse to believe that! I have stated my opinion and will stick with it until death!
well, I’ve done some research (yes on Wikipedia, shut it) and apparently the 2M she was awarded by a jury was reduced to less than 1M by a judge before she settled for an undisclosed amount. I just think it’s a bad precedent when courts hold businesses responsible for people’s stupidity. Do we really need warning lables that our iron will get hot when plugged in? Apparently yes, or else someone will get burned and will sue.
A sample size of four is always sufficiently large enough to allow for broad generalizations about complex topics, such as the law and torts.
Is it weird that I love the word “tort” so much? Tort, tort, torts, torts.
#TortRetorts #Comedy
I thought Torts were tight Jorts.
especially since it states it’s goal right up front as challenging the idea of current tort reform. I feel like a ‘documentary’ should try to be a little more down the middle #fairandbalanced and all
I’m all for Jort Reform!
I hate to be all lawyergum, but I think the vast majority of frivolous lawsuits get thrown out pretty early in the process. Everyone’s for tort reform until they actually need to sue somebody.
In other news: don’t these docs look great, guys?
Dear HBO, Please make an online-only subscription because my cheapass roommates refuse to split the extra $20 a month for a subscription
Yay HBO documentaries! It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (for nerds)
Will there be some sort of forum to discuss these documentaries? Like an open thread every Tuesday? Or a review of each? Should we buy snacks that are complementary to the theme of each movie to munch on while we watch? Will Birdie also be watching? (I really enjoy his opinions on things). Basically, I need to know the entire summer plan before I can commit.
Yes, snacks, good idea. For those that like snacks, I recommend:
http://soundcloud.com/matescast
Sexy Crimes Unit? Don’t mind if I do… The sexier the crimes the better, I always say.
I swear I saw a preview for an HBO movie about two adults with special needs that got married. The movie seemed to focus on their families letting go and letting them live their lives independently.
Did anyone else see this preview or know the title?
I watched it with my mom and my sister. It was called ‘Monica & David’ and it was very sweet. My mom works with special ed kids so she particularly enjoyed it.
Thank you!
I liked when Bobby Fischer said, “You just don’t get it, do you? Ke1 Bb4+ 38. Kd1 Bb3+ 39. Kc1 Ne2+ 40. Kb1 Nc3+ 41. Kc1 Rc2# 0-1.”
Oh man. I am such a nerd for documentaries. No HBO though.
as one of those crazy feminists type people, i am interested in the gloria steinem one but it seems like it’s going to be one-sided view and while she’s done great things and all, she also sucks at including both non-white women feminists and the younger generations into any discussions/thoughts/etc.
on a positive note, my coworker saw the bobby fisher one and has been raving about it all day.