documentary – cinemescope

100 Word Review – Hot Girls Wanted (2015)

February 16, 2016February 15, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., F-RatedTagged documentary, Jill Bauer, Netflix, Rona Gradus, SundanceLeave a comment

A note worthy and thoroughly terrifying documentary that follows a group of young women who have been drawn into the sex trade in Los Angeles, studying in startling detail how easy it is for web savvy young millennials to fall into the porn industry.

Directors Jill Bauer and Rona Gradus, both of whom worked on the documentary Sexy Baby back in 2012, were nominated for a Primetime Emmy as well as the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance for this remarkable film.

Insightful, detailed and at times truly brutal, this is not for the easily disgusted. It contains some extremely visceral scenes.

100 Word Review – Red Army (2014)

November 11, 2015November 10, 2015Posted in 100 Words...Tagged 1970s, 1980s, BFF2015, documentary, Gabe Polsky, hockey, politics, Russian, sports, USSRLeave a comment

The power of sports in politics.

This brilliantly constructed documentary tells the story of the Red Army hockey team which was the pride of the Soviet Union. Told through the eyes of the players it offers unparalleled insight into the role the team played in the Russian propaganda machine.

Directed by Gabe Polsky, it has already picked up awards at AFI Fest, Chicago and Zurich. It is full of archive footage as well as interviews with the people involved. It’s a truly compelling piece of history, complete with spies and scandals, that will keep even the least sports-orientated viewer captivated.

100 Word Review – Blackfish (2013)

August 16, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, F-RatedTagged Dawn Brancheau, documentary, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, orca, SeaWorld, TilikumLeave a comment

In 2010, Dawn Brancheau, a senior trainer at SeaWorld, died in an orca tank.

Her body was recovered drowned, scalped and dismembered.

This is the first documentary written and directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, and examines the true cost of orca captivity. Focusing on the actions of SeaWorld, much of the narrative is built around Tilikum, SeaWorld’s infamous bull orca who is known to be responsible for two trainer deaths.

Complete with interviews with previous trainers at SeaWorld, as well as experts in natural orca behaviour and eye-witnesses, archive footage and courtroom transcripts, they construct an argument almost impossible to argue with.