Production Company(ies)
Apatow Productions, Film Nation Entertainment, Story Ink
 
Distributor
Fox Searchlight
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited), Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Görlitz, Saxony, Germany
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, some sexual content and violence
 
Year of Release
2014
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Ralph Fiennes, F Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, directed by Wes Anderson, written by Wes Anderson, produced by Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, comedy, drama, box office, budget, reviewed by Adam Kempenaar, Kate Muir, Jason Bailey, Kate Erbland, Matthew Lickona, David Stratton, Calum Baker, Sean Axmaker, Dan Bayer, Therese Lacson, Sophie Charara, MPAA rating R, concierge, ski resort, murder mystery, priceless painting, sexual content, language, violence, Fox Searchlight
 

Cast & Crew

Ralph Fiennes

F. Murray Abraham

Mathieu Amalric

Adrien Brody

Willem Dafoe

M. Gustave H

Mr. Moustafa

Serge

Dmitri

Jopling

Ralph Fiennes – M. Gustave H.
F. Murray Abraham – Mr. Moustafa
Mathieu Amalric – Serge
Adrien Brody – Dmitri
Willem Dafoe – Jopling
Jeff Goldblum – Kovacs
and all Cast & Crew

 

Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson

Scott Rudin

Steven Rales

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Wes Anderson
 
Writer(s)
Wes Anderson
 
Producer(s)
Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson

 

Film Festivals
Berlin
 
Awards & Nominations
Won 4 Oscars
134 wins & 226 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Costume Design Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Makeup Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Production Design Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Set Decoration Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Original Score Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Adam Kempenaar

Kate Muir

Jason Bailey

Kate Erbland

Matthew Lickona

Filmspotting

Times (UK)

Flavorwire

Film.com

San Diego Reader

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
  All Critics (314) | Top Critics (90) | Fresh (288) | Rotten (26)
  “Times have changed.” It’s an elemental Wes Anderson lament…
 
  May 30, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
  Adam Kempenaar
  Filmspotting
  TOP CRITIC
  Discerning travellers and Wes Anderson fans will luxuriate in the glorious Mittel-European kitsch of one of the director’s funniest and most exquisitely designed movies in years.
 
  January 2, 2018
 
  Kate Muir
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  Just plain fun, full of the filmmaker’s signature flourishes and curlicues, worked out with skill and finesse.
 
  June 18, 2016
 
  Jason Bailey
  Flavorwire
  TOP CRITIC
  “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is not his grandest work yet, but it is one worth an extended stay.
 
  January 2, 2015 | Rating: 8.2/10
 
  Kate Erbland
  Film.com
  TOP CRITIC
  The mannered, madcap proceedings are often delightful, occasionally silly, and here and there, gruesome and/or heartbreaking.
 
  January 2, 2015 | Rating: 2/5
 
  Matthew Lickona
  San Diego Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  This is a visually stunning film, but above all it’s a hugely enjoyable one.
 
  January 2, 2015 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
  David Stratton
  At the Movies (Australia)
  TOP CRITIC
  Wes Anderson’s bright, meticulous style reaches its most complete expression in this painfully poignant period comedy.
 
  June 30, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Calum Baker
  Radio Times
  It’s is an adventure, a murder mystery, an old-world tale, a storybook fable, and a sinister conspiracy. But under the cake-frosting colors and period gilt is a bittersweet story about a way of life hanging on in a world modernizing and passing it by…
 
  June 25, 2022
 
  Sean Axmaker
  Stream on Demand
  Something this exciting to look at and listen to, something this light and entertaining, shouldn’t leave a viewer so unsatisfied.
 
  May 13, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
 
  Dan Bayer
  Next Best Picture
  It is a gorgeous movie; both comedic as well as emotional until the very last moment. Another great film by Anderson.
 
  October 9, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Therese Lacson
  Nerdophiles
  This is Wes at his most over-the-top and accessible – somehow simultaneously.
 
  April 28, 2021
 
  Sophie Charara
  NME
  Amongst the whole spread of frequent Anderson collaborators, it is Ralph Fiennes, in the spotlight, who makes the most of every second he has on-screen. The end result is a flurry of cotton candy feelings.
 
  March 30, 2021
 
  Kanishk Devgan
  Film Companion…

 

Plot
In the 1930s, a popular European ski resort’s concierge, Gustave H., becomes the chief suspect in the murder of one of his elderly lovers, leading to a wild adventure in Wes Anderson’s stylish and emotionally resonant comedy-drama, The Grand Budapest Hotel.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Ralph Fiennes delivers a “dead-pan comic seriousness” in his role as Gustave H. in The Grand Budapest Hotel, according to one audience review.
 

 
Wes-Anderson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Werner Herzog Filmproduktion, Hessischer Rundfunk
 
Distributor
Focus Features
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for pervasive language, some strong sexual content, nudity and drug use
 
Year of Release
2013
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Lgbtq+
 
Keyword(s)
starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Denis O’Hare, Steve Zahn, Michael O’Neill, Rachel Winter, Robbie Brenner, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, written by Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack, drama, LGBTQ+, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Eleven, Kate Muir, Candice Frederick, Melissa Anderson, Jake Wilson, Geoffrey Macnab, Ema Sasic, Ben Turner, Jason Adams, James Croot, Joanne Laurier, Richard Crouse, R rating, AIDS, alternative therapies, medical establishment, electrician, smuggles, unapproved drugs, USA, Focus Features
 

Cast & Crew

Matthew McConaughey

Jennifer Garner

Jared Leto

Denis O’Hare

Steve Zahn

Ron Woodroof

Dr. Eve Saks

Rayon

Dr. Sevard

Tucker

Matthew McConaughey – Ron Woodroof
Jennifer Garner – Dr. Eve Saks
Jared Leto – Rayon
Denis O’Hare – Dr. Sevard
Steve Zahn – Tucker
Michael O’Neill – Richard Barkley

 

Jean-Marc Vallée

Craig Borten

Rachel Winter

Robbie Brenner

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jean-Marc Vallée
 
Writer(s)
Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack
 
Producer(s)
Rachel Winter, Robbie Brenner

 

Film Festivals
Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
Won 3 Oscars
84 wins & 87 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Makeup Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Kate Muir

Candice Frederick

Melissa Anderson

Jake Wilson

Geoffrey Macnab

Eleven

Autostraddle

Times (UK)

Reel Talk Online

Artforum

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
  All Critics (265) | Top Critics (79) | Fresh (245) | Rotten (20)
  The film fails to break the pattern of transphobic narratives in cinema, perhaps because it doesn’t understand that trans people are not the same as cis gay people.
 
  June 14, 2021
 
  Eleven
  Autostraddle
  TOP CRITIC
  Sometimes a character punches through the screen, beyond the film containing him. Matthew McConaughey’s performance as an HIV-positive cowboy in Dallas Buyers Club is one of those moments.
 
  January 2, 2018
 
  Kate Muir
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  Though Jean-Marc Valle’s direction is sometimes indistinct, it does allow the actors to come off more inhibited in their performances and each scene is that much more authentic.
 
  September 6, 2017 | Rating: A
 
  Candice Frederick
  Reel Talk Online
  TOP CRITIC
  Despite the cadaverous appearance of its lead actor, Dallas Buyers Club wants to be pretty, too, presenting a tidy, uplifting history of the years when unconscionable inaction and prejudice toward those with AIDS were a matter of federal policy.
 
  May 22, 2014
 
  Melissa Anderson
  Artforum
  TOP CRITIC
  A powerfully moving film, and McConaughey’s extraordinary physical transformation is much more than a stunt.
 
  February 18, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Jake Wilson
  Sydney Morning Herald
  TOP CRITIC
  What makes the film so special is its sense of defiance and its scabrous humour.
 
  February 14, 2014 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Geoffrey Macnab
  Independent (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  Whatever the role, we see (Matthew McConaughey) expand his horizons and prove that he’s a chameleon that can fit in just about anywhere.
 
  June 21, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
 
  Ema Sasic
  Next Best Picture
  A very informative film about a side to the AIDS crisis that we knew very little about before.
 
  September 2, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Ben Turner
  The Pink Lens
  the disastrously misplaced cue-the-laughtrack rom-com rumblings dropped in the middle like sugar sprinkled on bed sores
 
  July 14, 2021
 
  Jason Adams
  My New Plaid Pants
  [A] truly stunning performance as electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof.
 
  March 19, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  James Croot
  Stuff.co.nz
  An interesting, well-meaning movie, Dallas Buyers Club is powered by the outstanding performances of its two leads.
 
  February 27, 2021
 
  Joanne Laurier
  World Socialist Web Site
  An emotional drama that never stoops to melodrama. Instead it’s an inspirational film about standing up for what you believe in.
 
  January 31, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
  Richard Crouse
  Richard Crouse…

 

Plot
Dallas 1985. Electrician and sometimes rodeo bull rider Ron Woodroof lives hard, which includes heavy smoking, drinking, drug use (primarily cocaine) and casual sex. He is racist and homophobic. While in the hospital on a work related injury, the doctors discover and inform him that he is HIV+, and that he will most-likely die within thirty days. Ron is initially in angry denial that he would have a disease that only “faggots” have, but upon quick reflection comes to the realization that the diagnosis is probably true. He begins to read whatever research is available about the disease, which at this time seems to be most effectively treated by the drug AZT. AZT, however, is only in the clinical trials stage within the US. Incredulous that he, as a dying man, cannot pay for any drug which may save or at least prolong his life, he goes searching for it by whatever means possible. It eventually leads him to Mexico and a “Dr.” Vass, an American physician whose license was revoked in the US because of his AIDS related work against US regulations. Dr. Vass leads Ron to a cocktail of other drugs, some vitamins, he believes are more effective in treating the symptoms, since the virus, as Ron learns, will always be in the system of those who have been exposed to it. Ron begins to smuggle these drugs not approved by the FDA into the US, not only for his own use but for sale to other HIV+ persons. In this venture, he goes into an unlikely partnership with a HIV+ transgender woman named Rayon, who he met in the hospital and who has greater contact with AIDS patients through the gay community. As they try to work both above ground to get the meds to those that need them and underground to avoid detection by especially the FDA, Ron comes up with an idea to circumvent the fact of selling the drugs – which are not considered drugs yet since they are not FDA approved – directly to the HIV+ population, which then should should not be against the law. Richard Barkley and Dr. Sevard, the FDA’s lead man on the file and one of Ron’s doctors respectively, the latter who sees clinical trials as the only way to determine the efficacy of drugs despite the fact that Ron and others would have probably died already without these drugs, try to stop Ron and Rayon at every turn. Caught in the middle is Dr. Eve Saks, another of Ron’s doctors, who understands why policies are in place, but who can sympathize with Ron, Rayon and others – all her patients, directly or indirectly – in their situation.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Jared Leto won an Academy Award for his role as a drug-addicted gay transvestite named Rayon.
 

 
Jean-Marc-Vallée.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Deblokada Produkcija Coop99 Filmproduktion, Digital Cube
 
Distributor
Tartan Films USA
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong brutal violence, disturbing images, some graphic sexuality and nudity, and language
 
Year of Release
2013
 

 
Genre(s)
Mystery & Thriller
 
Keyword(s)
starring Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung, Ji Dae-han, Oh Dal-su, Kim Byeong-ok, directed by Park Chan-wook, written by Garon Tsuchiya, Im Jun-hyeong, mystery, thriller, Korean language, box office gross, Tartan Films USA, Kim Dong-ju, reviewed by Kambole Campbell, Jami Bernard, Joe Morgenstern, J R Jones, Trevor Johnston, Philippa Hawker, Brian Eggert, Sarah Brinks, Tony Black, Mike Massie, Michael Frank, Chris Ward, R rating, abduction, revenge, violence, imprisonment, psychological thriller, mind games, shocking twists, visceral, powerful, strange, stunning, dark, intense, disturbing, brutal, violent, complex, lyrical, existential, torture scenes, spiritual isolation, physical isolation, tragedy, cunning storytelling, emotional gut punch, impressive fight scenes, devastatingly beautiful storytelling, lead performances, plot holes, likable protagonist, Korean cinema, modern revenge masterpiece
 

Cast & Crew

Choi Min-sik

Yoo Ji-tae

Kang Hye-jung

Ji Dae-han

Oh Dal-su

Dae-su Oh

Woo-jin Lee

Mi-do

No Joo-hwan

Park Cheol-woong

Choi Min-sik – Dae-su Oh
Yoo Ji-tae – Woo-jin Lee
Kang Hye-jung – Mi-do
Ji Dae-han – No Joo-hwan
Oh Dal-su – Park Cheol-woong
Kim Byeong-ok – Mr. Han

 

Park Chan-wook

Garon Tsuchiya

Kim Dong-ju

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Park Chan-wook
 
Writer(s)
Garon Tsuchiya, Im Jun-hyeong
 
Producer(s)
Kim Dong-ju

 

Film Festivals
Cannes
 
Awards & Nominations
4 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Kambole Campbell

Jami Bernard

Joe Morgenstern

J. R. Jones

Trevor Johnston

Little White Lies

New York Daily News

Wall Street Journal

Chicago Reader

Time Out

OLDBOY
  All Critics (151) | Top Critics (45) | Fresh (123) | Rotten (28)
  A lurid, complex, introspective beast, enacting astonishing cruelty on its protagonist like a slow-acting poison.
 
  July 29, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Kambole Campbell
  Little White Lies
  TOP CRITIC
  Both brutal and lyrical, writer-director Park Chan-wook’s existential nail-biter has torture scenes that will have you avoiding dentists, sushi bars and badly appointed hotel rooms.
 
  April 15, 2013 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Jami Bernard
  New York Daily News
  TOP CRITIC
  Shakespearean in its violence, Oldboy also calls up nightmare images of spiritual and physical isolation that are worthy of Samuel Beckett or Dostoyevsky.
 
  April 15, 2013
 
  Joe Morgenstern
  Wall Street Journal
  TOP CRITIC
  There’s a lot less here than meets the eye.
 
  April 17, 2007
 
  J. R. Jones
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  Quite an achievement then, and well worthy of its Cannes prize.
 
  January 26, 2006
 
  Trevor Johnston
  Time Out
  TOP CRITIC
  Oldboy is a delirious, confronting ride, a movie full of visceral shocks and aesthetic pleasures: it has an explosive immediacy and a persistent afterlife, a lingering impact that is hard to shake.
 
  January 17, 2006 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Philippa Hawker
  The Age (Australia)
  TOP CRITIC
  A visceral brand of storytelling, told with rich visuals, impassioned functionality, and poetic purpose.
 
  March 20, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Brian Eggert
  Deep Focus Review
  All of that being said, I did get through the film. [But] I had big issues with it as I was watching it…
 
  March 29, 2021
 
  Sarah Brinks
  Battleship Pretension
  Hailed as one of the top ten movies in the history of Asian cinema, it’s hard to suggest Oldboy should not be on that list.
 
  February 14, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Tony Black
  Cultural Conversation
  Culminates in such outlandish morbidity that it’s difficult to admire as a competent whole.
 
  November 9, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  A powerful and smart ode to tragedy, Park’s film manages to provoke you, dishearten you, and thrill you.
 
  August 13, 2020
 
  Michael Frank
  The Spool
  Oldboy still stands up as a modern revenge masterpiece, full of extreme violence and brutal shocks but with heart and a story that draws you in and keeps you invested with every twist and turn.
 
  October 13, 2019
 
  Chris Ward
  Flickering Myth…

 

Plot
An advertising executive is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his punishment, only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Choi Min-sik’s performance as Dae-su Oh is “impressive” according to one audience review.
 

 
Park-Chan-wook.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Element Pictures, A24, Film4
 
Distributor
HBO
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
TV-14
 
Year of Release
2014
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary/Lgbtq+
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, LGBTQ+, landmark Supreme Court case, California, Proposition 8, same-sex marriage, social advocacy, Ben Cotner, Ryan White, directed by, written by, produced by, Ted Olson, Christopher D Dusseault, Jeffrey J Zarrillo, Paul T Katami, Kristin M Perry, Sandra B Stier, starring, critic reviews, reviewed by, box office performance, budget, producer names, MPAA rating, legal thriller, human rights, court case, political opposites, families, consequences, audience reviews, Tomatometer, Fresh Kernels, streaming movies, TV shows, news, theaters, HBO, runtime, distributor, cast and crew, documentary journalism, legal decision, reality television, sob-story, equality, battle for equality, permanent revolution, light moments, investigation, political thrill ride, emotional kick, bigger picture, horror movies, Netflix series, MCU movies, TV premiere dates, worst horror movies, careers, newsletter, Fandango
 

Cast & Crew

Ted Olson

Christopher D. Dusseault

Jeffrey J. Zarrillo

Paul T. Katami

Kristin M. Perry

Ted Olson

Christopher D. Dusseault

Jeffrey J. Zarrillo

Paul T. Katami

Kristin M. Perry

Ted Olson – Self
Christopher D. Dusseault – Self
Jeffrey J. Zarrillo – Self
Paul T. Katami – Self
Kristin M. Perry – Self
Sandra B. Stier – Self

 

Ben Cotner

Ben Cotner

Ben Cotner

Ryan White

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ben Cotner, Ryan White
 
Writer(s)
Ben Cotner, Ryan White
 
Producer(s)
Ben Cotner, Ryan White

 

Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Fikri

Sarah Mirk

David Lewis

Tara Brady

Cormac O’Brien

Autostraddle

Bitch Media

San Francisco Chronicle

Irish Times

Little White Lies

THE CASE AGAINST 8
  All Critics (44) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (4)
  I was prepared to hate it, but I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t make a damn good story.
 
  July 13, 2021
 
  Fikri
  Autostraddle
  TOP CRITIC
  The film skillfully blends legalese with a humane portrait of the couples who are willing to fight the state for the right to wed.
 
  January 21, 2021
 
  Sarah Mirk
  Bitch Media
  TOP CRITIC
  Ben Cotner and Ryan White treat us to a riveting, satisfying journey, thanks to incredible access to the plaintiffs and lawyers from the earliest stages of the lawsuit.
 
  June 30, 2020
 
  David Lewis
  San Francisco Chronicle
  TOP CRITIC
  What’s most compelling about The Case Against 8 is that it is not a partisan procedural.
 
  November 14, 2014 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Tara Brady
  Irish Times
  TOP CRITIC
  An accomplished and well-told piece of documentary journalism.
 
  November 13, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Cormac O’Brien
  Little White Lies
  TOP CRITIC
  The Case Against 8 is a documentary on the Californian repeal of same-sex marriage laws and has the tension of a legal thriller as well as being surprisingly moving in its final scenes.
 
  November 7, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Kate Muir
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  The Case Against 8 is surprisingly involving despite its well-known outcome.
 
  June 20, 2019
 
  C.J. Prince
  Way Too Indie
  The Case Against 8, or at least its content, is far too important to be depicted as an overly long reality television sob-story.
 
  June 11, 2019 | Rating: 2/5
 
  Christopher Preston
  One Room With A View
  The film is a powerful evocation of the permanent revolution of the battle for equality and human rights, but ultimately The Case Against 8 is stymied by the reversal of the legal decision not to allow the legal case to be filmed.
 
  April 3, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
  D.W. Mault
  CineVue
  The narrative is dense, but understandably so, and not without its light moments. A richly informative investigation, it pulls viewers along on a political and legal thrill ride that will have you cheering the central couples on scene after scene.
 
  October 25, 2016
 
  Amy Carlberg
  Bust Magazine
  While the film doesn’t get very deep into these various court cases, it does a good job of humanizing the lawyers and the four defendants in the case. It is about real people, families and consequences.
 
  December 9, 2014 | Rating: B
 
  Robert Roten
  Laramie Movie Scope
  This may be a relatively straightforward documentary about a lengthy legal case, but it carries such a powerful emotional kick that it forces the audience to see the bigger picture.
 
  November 6, 2014 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
  Rich Cline
  Contactmusic.com…

 

Plot
After the California Supreme Court ruled in May 2008 that same-sex couples could marry, a proposition was put to voters to amend the state constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. After that proposition was passed a group decided to challenge the constitutionality of the amendment. This documentary follows the efforts of the plaintiffs and lawyers over four years as the case winds its way through the courts.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of The Case Against 8 includes real-life individuals such as Ted Olson, Christopher D. Dusseault, Jeffrey J. Zarrillo, Paul T. Katami, Kristin M. Perry, and Sandra B. Stier.
 

 
Ben-Cotner.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Scott Rudin Productions,
 
Distributor
Drafthouse Films
 
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2012
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
 
Keyword(s)
starring, directed by, written by, documentary, biography, war, Indonesia, mass executions, communism, Joshua Oppenheimer, Anne Köhncke, Signe Byrge Sørensen, Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, Drafthouse Films, critic reviews, MPAA rating, box office performance, budget, producer names, horrifying, confrontational, power, haunting, testament, edifying, raw, terrifying, painful, difficult, watch, original, staggering, innovative, powerful, breathtaking, daring, candy-colored, moral, migraine, existential, nausea, astonishing, profound, cathartic, chilling, offensive, inhumane, Danish mondo film, twisted agenda, absurd, compelling, shocking, unbelievable
 

Cast & Crew

Anwar Congo

Jusuf Kalla

Joshua Oppenheimer

Werner Herzog

Errol Morris

Anwar Congo

Jusuf Kalla

Joshua Oppenheimer

Werner Herzog

Errol Morris

Anwar Congo – self
Jusuf Kalla – self
Joshua Oppenheimer – Director
Werner Herzog – Executive Producer
Errol Morris – Executive Producer
Anne Köhncke – Producer

 

Joshua Oppenheimer

NA

Anne Köhncke

Signe Byrge Sørensen

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Joshua Oppenheimer
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Anne Köhncke, Signe Byrge Sørensen

 

Film Festivals
South by Southwest, Tribeca, Telluride, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
55 wins & 46 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Scott Marks

Dave Calhoun

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

J. Hoberman

Anthony Quinn

San Diego Reader

Time Out

metro.co.uk

Tablet

Independent (UK)

THE ACT OF KILLING
  All Critics (160) | Top Critics (61) | Fresh (152) | Rotten (8)
  The Act of Killing is the only 100% original work of cinema to come out this year.
 
  February 21, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Scott Marks
  San Diego Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  If Oppenheimer’s aim is to question and investigate what life the past has in the present, he has succeeded in a staggeringly original way.
 
  January 3, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Dave Calhoun
  Time Out
  TOP CRITIC
  [An] innovative piece of filmmaking so breathtakingly daring and powerful, it replaces your oxygen with awe.
 
  September 5, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
  metro.co.uk
  TOP CRITIC
  Once you grasp just what is being enacted on the screen, The Act of Killing becomes something like a candy-colored moral migraine. An existential nausea is inevitable.
 
  December 31, 2015
 
  J. Hoberman
  Tablet
  TOP CRITIC
  The shock of the final scene must be left unspoken; suffice to say its impact exceeds even the nightmarish queasiness which this brilliant and horrible film has striven to contain.
 
  December 16, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Anthony Quinn
  Independent (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  The emotionally manipulative use of some of the material raises all kinds of questions about veracity.
 
  December 16, 2013
 
  Tony Rayns
  Sight & Sound
  TOP CRITIC
  The results are astonishing, terrifying and eventually profound, as the men start to confront their own pasts.
 
  August 23, 2021
 
  Graeme Tuckett
  Stuff.co.nz
  The bloodbath and coup in Indonesia were the outcome of the drive by US imperialism to gain control of the natural and strategic resources of the archipelago, known as the “Jewel of Asia.”
 
  February 27, 2021
 
  Joanne Laurier
  World Socialist Web Site
  The Act of Killing might be the most powerful and cathartic documentary I’ve ever seen.
 
  February 24, 2021
 
  Dustin Chang
  Floating World
  Demonstrates with chilling authenticity that nobody thinks they’re the bad guys.
 
  December 3, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  Everything that occurs in The Act of Killing is outrageous and offensive and inhumane.
 
  September 1, 2020 | Rating: 4.0/4.0
 
  Richard Propes
  TheIndependentCritic.com
  There are few films that have legitimately left a chill down my spine. The Act of Killing is one of them.
 
  July 27, 2020 | Rating: A+
 
  Allen Almachar
  The MacGuffin…

 

Plot
A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast and crew section for The Act of Killing includes executive producers Werner Herzog and Errol Morris.
 

 
Joshua-Oppenheimer.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Radius TWC
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic elements, some violence, language and smoking images.
 
Year of Release
2015
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
inequality for all, documentary, robert reich, directed by jacob kornbluth, written by jacob kornbluth, produced by jennifer chaiken, produced by sebastian dungan, starring candice bergen, starring mary tyler moore, starring dolly parton, starring jon stewart, starring lily tomlin, starring conan o’brien, genre: documentary, box office performance: $1.2M, budget: unknown, reviewed by simon houpt, reviewed by peter howell, reviewed by marjorie baumgarten, reviewed by tom long, reviewed by michael sragow, reviewed by keith phipps, reviewed by debbie lynn elias, reviewed by tracy moore, reviewed by dan schindel, reviewed by kam williams, reviewed by jay stone, reviewed by philip martin, mpaa rating: pg, release date (theaters): sep 27, 2013 limited, release date (streaming): jan 7, 2014, distributor: radius twc
 

Cast & Crew

Candice Bergen

Mary Tyler Moore

Dolly Parton

Jon Stewart

Lily Tomlin

Murphy Brown

Mary Richards

Doralee Rhodes

Self

Violet Newstead

Candice Bergen – Murphy Brown
Mary Tyler Moore – Mary Richards
Dolly Parton – Doralee Rhodes
Jon Stewart – Self
Lily Tomlin – Violet Newstead
Conan O’Brien – Self

 

Jacob Kornbluth

NA

Jennifer Chaiken

Sebastian Dungan

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jacob Kornbluth
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Jennifer Chaiken, Sebastian Dungan

 

Film Festivals
Sundance
 
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 5 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Simon Houpt

Peter Howell

Marjorie Baumgarten

Tom Long

Michael Sragow

Globe and Mail

Toronto Star

Austin Chronicle

Detroit News

Orange County Register

INEQUALITY FOR ALL
  All Critics (62) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (6)
  Reich is a natural teacher of complex concepts: The film doesn’t feel like homework.
 
  November 1, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
  Simon Houpt
  Globe and Mail
  TOP CRITIC
  Inequality for All is intelligent, persuasive and accessible, a gentle but urgent clarion call to action.
 
  October 31, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Peter Howell
  Toronto Star
  TOP CRITIC
  [Robert Reich] headlines this documentary in which he explains his views about the United States’ current economic woes. It’s something he manages to do engagingly and with great clarity.
 
  October 4, 2013 | Rating: 3/5
 
  Marjorie Baumgarten
  Austin Chronicle
  TOP CRITIC
  Overall, this film is enlightening, entertaining and seriously alarming.
 
  October 4, 2013 | Rating: B+
 
  Tom Long
  Detroit News
  TOP CRITIC
  This documentary would be a rousing David and Goliath story even if its hero weren’t the diminutive Robert B. Reich.
 
  October 3, 2013 | Rating: A
 
  Michael Sragow
  Orange County Register
  TOP CRITIC
  An advocacy doc constructed to make a clear political point first and function as a film a distant second.
 
  September 30, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
  Keith Phipps
  The Dissolve
  TOP CRITIC
  A subject that affects each of us on a daily basis, if you see only one documentary this year, make it Inequality For All.
 
  January 7, 2020
 
  Debbie Lynn Elias
  Behind The Lens
  Engaging economics docu encourages equality, activism.
 
  July 30, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Tracy Moore
  Common Sense Media
  A levelheaded, easily understandable primer on the aspects and causes of the problem. However, it does not do much to distinguish itself from similar documentaries.
 
  May 30, 2014 | Rating: 3/5
 
  Dan Schindel
  Nonfics
  Former Clinton Cabinet member Robert Reich makes his case for a kindler, gentler capitalism.
 
  January 19, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Kam Williams
  Baret News
  Documentaries about the economy being what they are, you might not expect much from Inequality For All, but as directed by Jacob Kornbluth, it is the Indianapolis 500 of wealth analyses.
 
  December 12, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
  Jay Stone
  Canada.com
  America is a country without any “self-admitted proletarians,” where even the poorest see themselves as “temporarily embarrassed” millionaires.
 
  December 5, 2013 | Rating: 87/100
 
  Philip Martin
  Arkansas Democrat-Gazette…

 

Plot
A documentary that follows former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich as he looks to raise awareness of the country’s widening economic gap.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich narrates the documentary Inequality for All and is described as a “natural teacher of complex concepts” by critics.
 

 
Jacob-Kornbluth.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Sputnik Yleisradio Pandora Filmproduktion,
 
Distributor
Landau Releasing Organization (LRO)
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
30 Royal Avenue, Chelsea, London, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
 
Year of Release
1964
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Dirk Bogarde, James Fox, Sarah Miles, Wendy Craig, Catherine Lacy, Patrick Magee, reviewed by Kevin Maher, TIME Staff, John Russell Taylor, Zachary Wigon, David Denby, Danny Leigh, Neely Swanson, Steph Green, Amber Wilkinson, directed by Joseph Losey, written by Harold Pinter, drama, box office gross $20.7K, Landau Releasing Organization (LRO), MPAA rating, class divisions, corruption, power dynamics, social stratification, homoeroticism, sex, sadistic power games, cinematography, mind games, collaboration, BAFTA winning performance, top horror movies, MCU movies ranked by Tomatometer, renewed & cancelled TV shows 2022, best Netflix series & shows
 

Cast & Crew

Dirk Bogarde

Hugo Barrett

James Fox

Tony

Sarah Miles

Hugo Barrett

Tony

Vera

Susan

Lady Mounset

Dirk Bogarde – Hugo Barrett
James Fox – Tony
Sarah Miles – Vera
Wendy Craig – Susan
Catherine Lacy – Lady Mounset
Patrick Magee – Bishop

 

Joseph Losey

Harold Pinter

NA

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Joseph Losey
 
Writer(s)
Harold Pinter
 
Producer(s)
NA

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 10 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Kevin Maher

TIME Staff

John Russell Taylor

Zachary Wigon

David Denby

Times

TIME Magazine

Sight & Sound

Village Voice

New Yorker

THE SERVANT
  All Critics (47) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (5)
  The drama is masterfully done and exquisitely played…
 
  September 10, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Kevin Maher
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  The film on its most meaningful level is acid splashed into the wound of class distinction. But it is best enjoyed simply as a slick, spooky, frequently spellbinding study of corruption.
 
  April 8, 2020
 
  TIME Staff
  TIME Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  Even at his worst Losey is never dull, and here he is pretty consistently at his best.
 
  April 8, 2020
 
  John Russell Taylor
  Sight & Sound
  TOP CRITIC
  The viewer is left with not only a portrait of the haves and the have-nots, but a glimpse of what such social stratification provokes — an all-consuming madness as powerful as it is hidden.
 
  April 8, 2020
 
  Zachary Wigon
  Village Voice
  TOP CRITIC
  Losey does masterly work in confined spaces, and Bogarde’s performance as the scheming servant sets the standard for sly corruption.
 
  April 8, 2020
 
  David Denby
  New Yorker
  TOP CRITIC
  With Losey exiled from America by the Hollywood blacklist, and Pinter the bristling voice of young London, the film has the glee of outsiders mid-gatecrash.
 
  April 8, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Danny Leigh
  Financial Times
  TOP CRITIC
  “The Servant” is a remarkable feat of storytelling, a shot over the bow of class structure, all the more remarkable because there are no sympathetic characters.
 
  April 12, 2022
 
  Neely Swanson
  Easy Reader (California)
  A rarified experience in masterful manipulation and thrilling commentary on the waning power of the social elite in the Swinging Sixties.
 
  February 10, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Steph Green
  WeLoveCinema
  Probably one of the sexiest, sourest and most beautifully photographed British films of all time, The Servant is a masterclass in sadistic power games, thrumming with poisonous erotic energy.
 
  November 12, 2021
 
  Catherine Bray
  Film of the Week
  A superb performance from Bogarde, this icy but complex character maintains the homoeroticism of its origins, even if it doesn’t play them out literally.
 
  September 16, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Ben Turner
  The Pink Lens
  Bogarde, proving not for the first time that he was a whole lot more than just a pretty face, brings a real subtlety and edge to Barratt, letting just enough of the Machiavellian glint through to let us know there’s more to this than first appears.
 
  September 13, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
  Amber Wilkinson
  Eye for Film
  The Servant is a masterpiece. A brilliantly acted and beautifully shot drama which tackles class and power dynamics, all to a backdrop of bristling sexual tensions.
 
  September 8, 2021
 
  Rob Aldam
  Backseat Mafia…

 

Plot
The aristocratic Tony (James Fox) moves to London and hires the servant Hugo Barrett (Sir Dirk Bogarde) for all services at home. Barrett seems to be a loyal and competent employee, but Tony’s girlfriend Susan (Wendy Craig) does not like him, and asks Tony to send him away. When Barrett brings his sister Vera (Sarah Miles) to work and live in the house, Tony has a brief hidden affair with her. After travelling with Susan and spending a couple of days in a friend’s house outside London, the couple unexpectedly returns and finds Barrett and Vera, who are actually lovers, in Tony’s room. They are fired and Susan breaks with Tony. Later, Tony meets Barrett alone in a pub and hires him back, and Barrett imposes his real dark intentions in the house, turning the table and switching position with his master.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Dirk Bogarde’s performance as the scheming servant sets the standard for sly corruption.
 

 
Joseph-Losey.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Dreamworks Pictures, Pacific Data Images Dream Works Animation,
 
Distributor
Radius TWC
 
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some strong language and sexual material
 
Year of Release
2013
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
starring, directed by, written by, documentary, PG-13, box office, budget, reviewed by, produced by, Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen, Caitrin Rogers, Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, David Bowie, Ray Charles, Sheryl Crow, Lou Adler, Patti Austin, Chris Botti, music industry, backup singers, talent, hard work, passion, hit-making, tribute, insight, heartbreaking, disconnection, Mick Jagger, soundtrack, pensiveness, point of view, illuminating, entertaining, joyous, uplifting, failed solo careers, manipulation, record executives, appreciation, talent and stardom, music creation, Grammy, animal sounds, Waters family, Skiffle band, background singers, famous artists, inspirational, linear story, feel-good, motivation, Oscars, horror movies, MCU, Netflix series, TV shows, streaming movies, box office performance, audience score, critic consensus, distributor, release date
 

Cast & Crew

David Bowie

Ray Charles

Sheryl Crow

Lou Adler

Patti Austin

David Bowie

Ray Charles

Sheryl Crow

Lou Adler

Patti Austin

David Bowie – Self
Ray Charles – Self
Sheryl Crow – Self
Lou Adler – Self
Patti Austin – Self
Chris Botti – Self

 

Morgan Neville

NA

Gil Friesen

Caitrin Rogers

Morgan Neville

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Morgan Neville
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Gil Friesen, Caitrin Rogers, Morgan Neville

 

Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
21 wins & 27 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Documentary Feature Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Amy Taubin

Kate Muir

Candice Frederick

Dwight Brown

Mark Kermode

Film Comment Magazine

Times (UK)

Reel Talk Online

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Observer (UK)

20 FEET FROM STARDOM
  All Critics (128) | Top Critics (51) | Fresh (127) | Rotten (1)
  The movie pays a long-overdue tribute to their glorious pipes, but also engages with the disconnection between talent and stardom, and while it isn’t exactly an exposé of the music industry, infuriating details emerge.
 
  August 28, 2019
 
  Amy Taubin
  Film Comment Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  Artists including Mick Jagger talk about their backing singers — and the soundtrack is, of course, heavenly.
 
  January 1, 2018
 
  Kate Muir
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  While there are moments in the film awkwardly placed to achieve moments of pensiveness from the talent, what it does well is offers a point of view where there wasn’t before.
 
  September 5, 2017 | Rating: B+
 
  Candice Frederick
  Reel Talk Online
  TOP CRITIC
  As illuminating as it is thoroughly entertaining.
 
  March 7, 2017
 
  Dwight Brown
  National Newspaper Publishers Association
  TOP CRITIC
  Joyous and uplifting …
 
  March 30, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Mark Kermode
  Observer (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  It celebrates these women’s… genuine, selfless love and devotion to the music itself. And to hear that in an era of get-fame-quick shows such as The Voice, where ‘tuning’ stars’ voices is standard practice, gives you a genuine glow.
 
  March 28, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
  metro.co.uk
  TOP CRITIC
  I’ve found myself wholly involved, enthralled by these incredible singers and moved by their stories of unappreciated talent.
 
  November 12, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
  Jordan M. Smith
  IONCINEMA.com
  If you’re a fan of any songs from 1950s onwards, you’re going to want to watch this.
 
  November 6, 2020
 
  Charlotte Harrison
  Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies
  There is also the reality that many face of failed solo careers, manipulation by record executives and even a lack of appreciation from the same artists whose music they help create.
 
  October 11, 2020
 
  Stephanie Chapman
  Pop Culture Leftovers
  It is a bit ironic that the film we could have seen is somewhere to the side of this one, probably no more than 20 feet away.
 
  August 27, 2019 | Rating: C+
 
  Ryan Syrek
  The Reader (Omaha, NE)
  Both a sight for sore eyes, and a clearing of blocked ears.
 
  July 3, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
  Leigh Paatsch
  Herald Sun (Australia)
  No murders or revolutions necessary in this well-constructed and moving exploration of great talents who deserve their dues.
 
  June 17, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Calum Baker
  One Room With A View…

 

Plot
The backup singer exists in a strange place in the pop music world; they are always in the shadow of the feature artists even when they are in front of them in concert while they provide a vital foundation for the music. Through interviews with veterans and concert footage, the history of these predominately African-American singers is explored through the rock era. Furthermore, special focus is given to special stand outs who endeavored to make a living in the art burdened with a low profile and more personal career frustrations, especially those who faced the very different challenge of singing in the spotlight themselves.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features interviews with famous artists such as David Bowie, Ray Charles, and Sheryl Crow.
 

 
Morgan-Neville.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Razor Film Produktion GmbH, Highlook Communications, Group Rotana Film Production
 
Distributor
Drafthouse Films
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2013
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, biography, music, Hackney brothers, demo tape, rock group, family ties, perseverance, Mark Christopher Covino, Jeff Howlett, directed by, Mark Christopher Covino, Jerry Ferrara, Jeff Howlett, Kevin Mann, Scott Mosier, Matthew Perniciaro, produced by, Alice Cooper, Kid Rock, Henry Rollins, Elijah Wood, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Vernon Reid, starring, critic reviews, reviewed by, Fresh Kernels, Tomatometer, audience score, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, Drafthouse Films, English, limited release, streaming, runtime, cast and crew, filmmaker, producer, distributor, genre, documentary, music, biography, original language, release date, theaters, streaming, runtime, distributor, critic consensus, fresh, rotten, featured audience reviews, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV shows, renewed, cancelled, horror movies, TV premiere dates, worst horror movies, verified purchase, Fresh Kernels logo, search movies, TV, actors, more, trending on RT, Thor: Love and Thunder, Marvel Movies in Order, Minions: The Rise of Gru, The Sea Beast, Black Bird, in theaters, streaming movies, TV shows, most popular, Neptune Frost, 18 1/2, H.P Lovecraft’s Witch House, 11th Hour Cleaning, Sh*t Saves the World, Stay Prayed Up, Final Caller, Girl in the Picture, Hello, Goodbye, Everything in Between, Confessions from the Hart, The Prey: Legend of Karnoctus, Moon, 66 Questions, Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel, The Road to Galena, Incantation, Dangerous Liaisons, Jewel, Warriors on the Field, Fair Play
 

Cast & Crew

Alice Cooper

Kid Rock

Henry Rollins

Elijah Wood

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson

Alice Cooper

Kid Rock

Henry Rollins

Elijah Wood

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson

Alice Cooper – Self
Kid Rock – Self
Henry Rollins – Self
Elijah Wood – Self
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – Self
Vernon Reid – Self
Mark Christopher Covino – Director, Producer
Jeff Howlett – Director, Producer
Jerry Ferrara – Producer
Kevin Mann – Producer
Scott Mosier – Producer
Matthew Perniciaro – Producer

 

Mark Christopher Covino

NA

Mark Christopher Covino

Jerry Ferrara

Jeff Howlett

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Mark Christopher Covino, Jeff Howlett
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Mark Christopher Covino, Jerry Ferrara, Jeff Howlett, Kevin Mann, Scott Mosier, Matthew Perniciaro

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 3 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Geoff Pevere

Peter Keough

J. R. Jones

Cary Darling

Sheila O’Malley

Globe and Mail

Boston Globe

Chicago Reader

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

RogerEbert.com

A BAND CALLED DEATH
  All Critics (53) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (3)
  An especially pointed variation on one of music’s most oft-told tales: A band formed ahead of its time sits in muffled obscurity while others reap the harvest of what it first planted.
 
  August 16, 2013
 
  Geoff Pevere
  Globe and Mail
  TOP CRITIC
  Fortunately, Bobby and Dannis, the surviving brothers, prove genial company.
 
  July 12, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
  Peter Keough
  Boston Globe
  TOP CRITIC
  If the brothers seem a little drunk on their own myth, they’re also genuinely humbled by the band’s rediscovery and warmed by the fact that their kids have carried on the family tradition.
 
  July 3, 2013
 
  J. R. Jones
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  A Band Called Death shines the light on a previously unexplored corner of musical history and does it in an accessible, straightforward manner.
 
  July 3, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Cary Darling
  Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
  TOP CRITIC
  Death never got very far, and their story is a fascinating one, told beautifully by Jeff Howlett and Mark Christopher Covino.
 
  July 1, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Sheila O’Malley
  RogerEbert.com
  TOP CRITIC
  Their story can feel almost too ready-made for the telling, but it’s well worth a listen.
 
  June 28, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
  Nicolas Rapold
  New York Times
  TOP CRITIC
  This is a great doco for anyone who cares about rock and punk, and a brilliant primer on just how conservative, biased and cautious even the most seemingly rebellious of cultural movements can be.
 
  May 24, 2021
 
  Graeme Tuckett
  Stuff.co.nz
  There are laughs, tears, and most of all, a success story so unique and interesting that if you tried to pitch it as fiction, no one would believe you.
 
  July 9, 2020 | Rating: A
 
  Brent McKnight
  The Last Thing I See
  This is one of the best rockumentary documentaries you will ever see.
 
  November 26, 2019
 
  Debbie Lynn Elias
  Behind The Lens
  More than a rock-doc, though it sure does rock.
 
  April 12, 2019 | Rating: 8/10
 
  Bernard Boo
  Way Too Indie
  A great untold story.
 
  August 14, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
  Mae Abdulbaki
  Punch Drunk Critics
  Death lives!
 
  February 4, 2014
 
  Jonathan Kiefer
  SF Weekly…

 

Plot
A Band Called Death is a documentary about the Hackney brothers and their pioneering rock group, Death, and how the discovery of their long-lost demo tape led to their newfound popularity.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast includes Alice Cooper, Kid Rock, Henry Rollins, Elijah Wood, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, and Vernon Reid.
 

 
Mark-Christopher-Covino.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Film Nation Entertainment, Nostromo Pictures, Temple Hill Entertainment,
 
Distributor
IFC Films
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
New York City, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2014
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, wrongful conviction, rape, New York City, Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon, directed by Ken Burns, directed by Sarah Burns, produced by Sarah Burns, produced by David McMahon, written by Ken Burns, written by Sarah Burns, written by David McMahon, Ed Koch, Craig Steven Wilder, Dr Calvin O Butts III, David Dinkins, genre, box office, budget, reviewed by Dwight Brown, reviewed by Chris Chang, reviewed by David Hiltbrand, reviewed by Brian Tallerico, reviewed by Linda Barnard, reviewed by Lisa Kennedy, reviewed by Joanne Laurier, reviewed by Jordan M Smith, reviewed by Allen Almachar, reviewed by David Harris, reviewed by Thrillist Entertainment Staff, MPAA rating, IFC Films, 92% Tomatometer, 86% audience score, 2012, 1h 59m, streaming, DVD, Blu-ray, true crime, social justice, racial prejudice, serial rapist, exoneration, prison, injustice, police coercion, confessions, media bias, Central Park Five, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Kharey Wise, Yusef Salaam
 

Cast & Crew

Ed Koch

Craig Steven Wilder

Dr. Calvin O. Butts III

David Dinkins

Ken Burns

Ed Koch

Craig Steven Wilder

Dr. Calvin O. Butts III

David Dinkins

Ken Burns

Ed Koch – self
Craig Steven Wilder – self
Dr. Calvin O. Butts III – self
David Dinkins – self
Ken Burns – Director
Sarah Burns – Director
Sarah Burns – Producer
David McMahon – Producer
Ken Burns – Writer
Sarah Burns – Writer
David McMahon – Writer

 

Ken Burns

Ken Burns

Sarah Burns

David McMahon

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon
 
Writer(s)
Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon
 
Producer(s)
Sarah Burns, David McMahon

 

Film Festivals
Sundance, Cannes, Telluride, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
10 wins & 18 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Dwight Brown

Chris Chang

David Hiltbrand

Brian Tallerico

Linda Barnard

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Film Comment Magazine

Philadelphia Inquirer

HollywoodChicago.com

Toronto Star

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE
  All Critics (77) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (71) | Rotten (6)
  A searing, purposeful documentary — a 21st century cautionary tale.
 
  November 9, 2016 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Dwight Brown
  National Newspaper Publishers Association
  TOP CRITIC
  The film, in some ways a primer on the perennial intractability of racial prejudice, clearly intends to be some sort of vindication of its five central figures. It succeeds in the first respect but falls wide of the mark in the second.
 
  June 17, 2013
 
  Chris Chang
  Film Comment Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s a vivid and gripping documentary (although, at two hours, somewhat longer than it needs to be), a grave indictment of a city and a system at the breaking point.
 
  April 17, 2013
 
  David Hiltbrand
  Philadelphia Inquirer
  TOP CRITIC
  The Central Park Five,” the second best documentary of 2013, examines the case, placing in perfect context of what was happening in 1989 in NYC and how it led to evil both in Central Park and in the offices of the people trying to keep us safe.
 
  April 16, 2013 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Brian Tallerico
  HollywoodChicago.com
  TOP CRITIC
  Expect your blood pressure to rise during The Central Park Five.
 
  December 24, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Linda Barnard
  Toronto Star
  TOP CRITIC
  The doc is rife with smart or wrenching or shameful moments. The fresh interviews with the accused, now men, are invaluable.
 
  December 21, 2012
 
  Lisa Kennedy
  Denver Post
  TOP CRITIC
  The Central Park Five chronicles the case, focusing on interviews with the now-adult men who suffered appallingly at the hands of a vindictive and unjust legal structure and media.
 
  February 28, 2021
 
  Joanne Laurier
  World Socialist Web Site
  As we see our societal systems breaking down at the most basic levels, The Central Park Five elegantly marks a point in U.S. history we hope to avoid repeating.
 
  November 16, 2020
 
  Jordan M. Smith
  IONCINEMA.com
  This is an affecting documentary that stirs the emotions, because it takes a mirror and places it directly in front of us as a people.
 
  July 29, 2020 | Rating: A
 
  Allen Almachar
  The MacGuffin
  If The Central Park Five didn’t use most of its runtime on historians, reporters and people peripheral to the case, it could have gone from run-of-the-mill procedural to gut-punch of injustice.
 
  November 14, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
  David Harris
  Spectrum Culture
  The Central Park Five dissects the political and social tension that turned an already shocking series of events into one of the most racially charged moments in New York City history.
 
  November 28, 2018
 
  Thrillist Entertainment Staff
  Thrillist
  The Central Park Five is a vivid, involving documentary. The story it tells is a wrenching one, but it never succumbs to hyperbole or sensationalism.
 
  May 14, 2018
 
  David Bianculli
  NPR’s Fresh Air…

 

Plot
Filmmakers Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon examine the wrongful conviction of five teenagers for the rape of a woman in Central Park in 1989, and the eventual confession of the true perpetrator.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast and crew of The Central Park Five includes directors Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, as well as notable figures such as former New York City Mayor Ed Koch and activist Dr. Calvin O. Butts III.
 

 
Ken-Burns.jpg