snagfilms Tagged Articles at Cinematical

As a Los Angeles native and a film history buff, I am endlessly fascinated by little-known tales that continue to emerge from Hollywood's storied past. Girl 27, now available for free streaming courtesy of our friends at SnagFilms, first caught my eye when it was released on DVD a couple of years ago: A woman hired as a movie extra in the 1930s is instead raped at an MGM party. If that real-life premise sounds intriguing, or causes the hairs on the back of your head to stand up with righteous indignation, you might want to check out the movie.

Beginning on a Biblical note with a quote that "nothing hidden ... will not be disclosed," the documentary mixes black and white archival footage with recent interviews of outraged observers looking back at the events of 1937. MGM, the biggest studio in the world at the time, sponsored a convention for its sales force; dozens of young women were lured there with the promise of work as an extra or bit player. Instead, they were wined and raped. Well, at least one woman was: Patricia Douglas, a 20-year-old lady who was brave enough to press a lawsuit against the studio, only to be discredited and "disappeared" from the legal record. David Stenn was finishing a book on Jean Harlow when he learned about what happened and was compelled to write about it, spurred on by his editor, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. As narrator and director, he's somewhat self-serving (as pointed out by an irritated Carina Chocano in her Los Angeles Times review), but the doc brings a shameful, unknown story to light.

Watch Girl 27 in its entirety for free, right here at Cinematical -- after the jump!

One year ago, Beijing, China played host to the Olympic Games. Amidst a fair bit of controversy, the Games opened and closed with spectacular ceremonies directed by filmmaker Zhang Yimou. For those two weeks or so, the world's attention was focused on Beijing. But what about the years leading up to the Games? How did Beijing residents deal with the far-ranging, massive, and incredible extensive preparations?

Boomtown Beijing -- now available to stream online, for free, courtesy of our friends at SnagFilms -- peers through the eyes of Beijing residents, the millions of folks who had to deal with construction projects decimating old neighborhoods, ever-increasing traffic and congestion, and a multitude of billboards and other signs exhorting the nation's citizens to fulfill the slogan of the games: "Faster, Higher, Stronger." Filmmaker Tan Siok Siok interviews a good range of people, from a taxi driver who feels that he's realized a dream and now faces intense pressure to meet the new, high standard of service demanded, to an 11-year-old boy who happily participates in his school's reenactments of the ancient Olympic Games (his father, known as "the mad man," is behind it all) even as he not-so-secretly wishes to be the Olympic torch-bearer.

Now that some time has passed, Boomtown Beijing provides a good reminder of the challenges that the residents of Beijing -- and the whole of China itself -- faces in adapting to a changing world. More information about the film is available at its official site and at SnagFilms.

Watch Boomtown Beijing, in its entirety, after the jump!

"They're keeping us all safe, and they have cool toys!" Those are the words of a museum curator, talking about firefighters and their equipment in Trial by Fire: The New York City Fire Musuem, a documentary that is now available for free online viewing, courtesy of our friends at SnagFilms.

Running just 26 minutes, the doc nonetheless covers a lot of ground. It helps when the museum itself stirs up so many strong feelings. Located in a renovated 1904 firehouse in the SoHo district of Manhattan, the museum displays cover the history of firefighting in New York City, dating back to the mid-17th century. Evolving from "rattle men," who walked around looking for fires and then sounded an alarm by using hand-held rattles, to working class volunteers, who enjoyed the social opportunities of fighting fires, to the first paid department in 1865, when the number of firefighters dropped from 10,000 to 800. The doc also traces the development of equipment specifically designed for firefighters, like the fire helmet, introduced after a devastating inferno that destroyed much of the city in 1835.

While not a major piece of documentary filmmaking, I enjoyed watching Trial by Fire. Several retired firefighters bring historical perspective, and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani is on hand as well. It's breezy, educational, and, perhaps best of all, pays tribute to a profession that's really more of a heroic calling. Bravo to all firefighters!

Watch Trial by Fire: The New York City Fire Museum after the jump!

What does democracy mean to you? Does it mean the same thing in the US as it does in Russia? Mikhail Morozov (AKA Mikhail Fedorovich), "a Russian patriot, devout Christian and millionaire businessman ... also presides over Duravoko -- 'the village of fools' southwest of Moscow -- where people willingly come from all over Russia to free themselves from freedom." For God, Tsar and Fatherland examines a community struggling to deal with the US concept of "democracy." The documentary is available for free online viewing, courtesy of our friends at SnagFilms, and is quite timely, in view of President Obama's first trip to Russia this week.

Morozov gets a memorable, if not entirely flattering, introduction: a view from behind as the portly, balding man jumps into a swimming pool. It's almost as though journalist / filmmaker Nino Kirtadze wants to strip the man down to his essence, and then allow the film to clothe Morozov with the issues that define him. He lays down the law to a potential resident: listen and obey only me; don't ask questions. He leads the prayers for the group and ties God, Tsar, and the Fatherland (Russia) all together into a trinity. "Western-style" democracy, he says, has only led to disaster.

To be certain, the doc is dryly presented, yet it's of interest because it provides a Russian perspective, questioning why resistance to "Western-style" democracy seems to be gaining ground. More information about the film is available at the Why Democracy site and at SnagFilms.

After the jump: Watch For God, Tsar and Fatherland.

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.