I hope Mother's Day this past Sunday left everyone beaming; mothers because their children paid them special honor, and children because they really like being alive. While we're all basking in the afterglow, take a look at Nine Good Teeth, provided for free streaming courtesy of our friends at SnagFilms.

Alex Halpern's documentary is all about his beloved grandmother, Mary Mirabito Livornese Cavaliere (aka "Nana"). Born in Brooklyn on the eve of the 20th Century, a gypsy foretold that she would live to be 96 years of age. The film begins with the celebration of her 96th birthday, and Nana's feeling that she would be dead within the year. And then the filmmaker -- the grandson, remember -- asks her about sex and whether she's capable of having an orgasm at her age, and we're off to the races. Her daughter calls her "a pistol," but Nana's sister harbors ill wills over past sins and has no desire to see her again. Nana talks about her heritage as a Sicilian-American, and provides sweet memories of long-gone friends and relatives, as well as sad reflections of regret and remorse.

The doc played at the first Tribeca Film Festival in 2002, where Variety's review damned it with faint praise: "Never adds up to more than a warm, earnest, sentimental tribute." I don't necessarily disagree, but if you're in the mood for warm, earnest, and sentimental, as I was when I watched it, Nine Good Teeth hits all the right notes. We've embedded the film below for your viewing pleasure. More information is available at the doc's official site and at SnagFilms.

There's nothing like a little heavy metal music to rip up a beautiful spring day. For many people, though, "heavy metal" represents much more than a genre of music, it's an enjoyable way of life. But if you lived in Iraq in recent years and were a member of the country's only heavy metal band, then the consequences could be deadly.

"The mere wearing of a Metallica t-shirt, or growing their hair long, or even wearing a goatee, could mark them for harrasment, imprisonment, or death," wrote Kim Voynar in her review of Heavy Metal in Baghdad. "Filmmakers Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi follow the band from 2003-2006, capturing the band's hopes, dreams, and attempts to keep the band together amidst mortar fire, car bombs, and the ever-growing threat of persecution for embodying Western ideals through their music."

Even though I have no natural affection for heavy metal music, it's such a fascinating story that I got caught up with the band members, as well as the filmmakers who took genuine risks to capture what was happening. As Kim Voynar wrote: "What's more important about this film is the truth that is captured here; the members of Acrassicauda are, in a way, representative of many young Iraqis who just want peace and freedom. This is the face of young Muslims that America needs to see."

The documentary had its U.S. premiere at SXSW last year, and is now available for free streaming at SnagFilms. We've embedded it below for your convenience. Please note that it's NSFW due to language.

From fantasy role-play gamers to conspiracy theorists? The most recent documentary by filmmakers Luke Meyer and Andrew Neel, New World Order, examines folks who are really, really dedicated to exposing a secret worldwide conspiracy. It had its world premiere at SXSW last Friday night and screened again this morning, in advance of its debut via IFC's on demand service (available on cable and satellite systems) next month.

But there's no need to feel left out if you missed the SXSW screenings. The duo's previous, full-bore colloboration, the fabulous Darkon, is just waiting for you to stream it free at Snag Films. Darkon won the Documentary Feature Audience Award at SXSW in 2006, and it's no wonder why. It examines folks who are really, really dedicated to fantasy role-playing games, the kind where the players create alter-egos, make their own costumes, and act out elaborate scenarios. The group has been active since 1985, and their official site describes their activities thusly: "Every other Sunday, between 150 and 300 members gather in costume and armor to fight unchoreographed mock battles with padded weaponry." If that isn't the definition of "cool," I don't know my dictionary.

The action takes place in Baltimore, Maryland, and the players are portrayed sympathetically, in the sense that they are allowed to speak for themselves (and are often unintentionally hilarious) without a narrator needlessly commenting on their self-evident nerdishness awesomeness. The film packs a lot of entertainment value into its running time.

We've embedded Darkon below for your viewing pleasure (US geeks only, please). More information can be found at Snag Films.

Aspiring screenwriters took heart on Sunday night: a spec script won an Academy Award. Dustin Lance Black spent years researching the life of Harvey Milk and writing a script, all on his own dime, before crossing paths with director Gus Van Sant.

Upon such triumphs do thousands of would-be Hollywood scenarists base their dreams. The odds are heavily stacked against them. Daniel Snyder once worked alongside Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary at a video store, so he knows a little bit about impossible dreams. For his documentary Dreams on Spec, Snyder followed three aspiring screenwriters for a full year: David, who works at a talent agency; Joe, who day trades in the morning and writes the night away; and Deborah, a laid-off development executive struggling to get her project off the ground. Snyder also interviewed a host of successful writers, including superstars like James L. Brooks, Nora Ephron, and Carrie Fisher.

Dreams on Spec is very much an "inside Hollywood" story, a low-key tribute to cinematic dreamers. David seems to have achieved his dream by selling his first script (fans of Leslie Vernon: Behind the Mask, take note), but then has to deal with the reality of not being in control of the project. Joe spends years trying to fine-tune his script. Deborah faces the prospect of having to get a "real job" if she can't get financing for the script she wants to direct.

You can watch Dreams on Spec, which is embedded below for your convenience, absolutely free, courtesy of SnagFilms. (Sorry, pesky legal rights restrict this to US viewers only.) After all, aspiring screenwriters need to count their pennies until they get nominated and need to rent a tuxedo on Oscar night.

Looking for something to watch this weekend that's not called High School Musical 3 or Saw 5? Then our friends at Cinetic and SnagFilms have a pair of very topical political documentaries you might enjoy...

The first one is called 18 in 08, which is "a nonpartisan documentary film made by 19 year old director, David D. Burstein. It is targeted at today's 17-24 year olds, many of whom will be voting for the first time in a presidential election in 2008. 18 in '08 features interviews with many of the most influential politicians of today, as well as popular culture figures, political activists, media commentators, and student leaders." You can see this film right here.

The second is A Call to Action, which "depicts how voter registration organization HeadCount, and other non-profits, have turned the live music community into a politically influential force. Join Bob Weir, Trey Anastasio, Marc Brownstein, Al Schnier, Bela Fleck and many other HeadCount supporters as they reflect upon the history of the organization, its mission and the live music scene's increased mobilization around causes." This one is viewable right here.

I've got a pretty busy weekend planned (Go Phillies!), but we'd love to hear some reactions if you sit down with either film.

Seven years ago today, our world was forever changed with the hijacking of four airplanes. Two of those airplanes were crashed into each tower of New York's World Trade Center, eventually causing both to collapse completely, while another plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D,C. and the last -- thanks to the courageous people onboard who fought back against their captors -- crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. We all know where we were and what we were doing the morning these planes crashed, and remember how beautiful it was to see the country and the world come together to mourn the lives lost.

On this seventh anniversary of 9/11, Snag Films is spotlighting the documentary 7 Days in September, which chronicles the events of 9/11 and the way in which we coped with the destruction. From the synopsis: "With material from almost 30 filmmakers, director Steven Rosenbaum turns the tragic events of September 11, 2001-the memories of which are forever jarred in our psyches-into a moving portrait of emotion, loss and even kindness. Although the film uses footage of the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center and the resulting catastrophic loss, it also hones in on New York City's tremendous ability to rebuild, through will and compassion."

Definitely snag the movie above and watch it for free, and you can also make a donation to the National September 11th Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center over on the film's official Snag Films page.

In just a few hours from now, my Superbowl champion New York Giants will take the field against the Washington Redskins and officially kick off another fantastic year of football! (Non-football fans sigh, and quickly go back to whatever it was they were doing.) While I have a whole bunch of friends and family members who partake in a little something called fantasy football, I've never taken to it. Not that I think it's stupid or a waste of time (I actually feel it makes the game more exciting and worthwhile for lots), it's just that like a lot of stuff, I'm too lazy to get involved in the learning of rules, of player names, of positions, etc ... I'd much rather spend that time learning more about film so I can better serve you fine folks. Hmmm .... but who says we can't combine the two?

Yup, our good pals over at Snag Films (ya know, that groovy site that lets you watch tons of documentaries for free) are currently featuring the film 10 Yards: Fantasy Football (snag it above). A doc about fantasy football? One exists? Sure ... just check out the synopsis below.

From Award-Winning Filmmakers, Hunter Weeks and Josh Caldwell (10 MPH, 2007) comes the hilarious, offbeat, and all-encompassing portrayal of fantasy football. 10 YARDS captures the phenomenon of fantasy football in our society with specific focus on wacked-out j.fred's INTERGALACTIC CHAMPIONSHIP League, where the top prize is a box of Twinkies®. As the season progresses, filmmakers Hunter & Josh (both members of j.fred's league) travel the country interviewing a variety of diverse fantasy football leagues, NFL players, commentators, and the guys who started it all in 1963. From all women's tackle football to Mexican mariachi bands, get ready for some of the best camaraderie ever in this 90-minute fantasyland.

Good luck football fans -- enjoy your season!

Now that SnagFilms has officially launched (see our announcement post), Cinematical will be featuring a different documentary every week from here on out. All docs are available to watch for free on SnagFilms.com, where you can also snag them and embed them on your own site (as seen above). This week, in honor of The Dark Knight being awesome, we'll be looking at ...

Confessions of a Superhero

Confessions follows several people who choose to spend their days dressed up in costume as characters on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard. The film was directed by Matthew Ogens, and it first premiered back at the 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival where our own James Rocchi said the following: "... if you're looking for a solid look at the entry-level jobs in the dirty business of dreams -- where aspiring hopefuls cloak themselves in borrowed fame to eke out a few bucks -- Confessions of a Superhero never loses sight of pop culture or personal struggle, and sticks with you thanks to a careful mix of big images and small moments."

Feel free to watch Confessions of a Superhero by clicking on the box above, or in larger form over on the SnagFilms site. Watch it. Snag it. Spread it. And let us know what you think ...

Earlier today, Peter wrote up a piece on movie mogul Harvey Weinstein explaining how The Weinstein Company created their division Third Rail as a dumping ground for movies they feel have only "ancillary value." Harvey and his younger brother and business partner, Bob, have been under a bit of an attack since ditching Disney/Miramax for their own shingle back in 2005, with a lot of sharks swimming the waters surrounding them, just waiting for enough money to bleed through the Weinstein's fingers.

An article over at the Sunday Telegraph by Tom Teodorczuk goes into some fairly good detail about the troubles facing the beleagured brothers. You can read the full piece yourself to see his analysis; suffice it to say that the Weinsteins have yet to bring that old Miramax magic to their independent shingle, probably for a variety of reasons, not the least of which include the troubles facing the indie film world generally. As Hollywood Elsewhere's Jeff Wells, quoted in the piece, notes, "The Weinsteins have suffered from the same pressures affecting the indie film sector that everyone else faces. There is a glut of product owing to hedge fund firms now investing in films."

With the popularity of those new Netlix-playing Roku devices and this week's news that Xbox will also work with the Netflix Watch Instantly service and yesterday's launch of the documentary site SnagFilms and the fact that everyone including your grandma has a site that streams movies, it's no surprise that Amazon has finally also launched a stream service called Amazon Video on Demand. And it's got its own special Roku-type device to be manufactured by Sony, only it's much more expensive at $300 (compared to $99 for the Roku). And it seems you also need a Sony-made hi-def television to use it. The good news: eventually Sony's Bravia TVs will cut out the middle man (aka that $300 device) and Amazon may be able to work out future deals with other TV manufacturers.

Because it comes a little too late in the game, and because iTunes will likely forever keep its rival from offering Disney and ABC titles, I don't see Amazon Video on Demand being hugely successful. But the service at least sounds better than Amazon Unbox, which sold movie downloads. Because everyone and your grandmother subscribes to Netflix, if anyone wants to stream a movie they're going to just go with Watch Instantly and Roku. And because the main downside to that service is that it doesn't transfer to portable devices nor does it allow offline viewing, movie consumers are better off with iTunes for their non-Netflix needs. Hey, at least Amazon is still the preferred place to buy books, whether in paper or digital format.

[via Cinema Tech]