Not Afraid Films

Environmental filmmaking authority blasts 'wildlife pornography' films
'The aggressive tactics used to draw animals to film sites and capture unnatural scenes, such as man-made feeding frenzies, produce what some call "wildlife pornography" — films in which animals are exploited for viewers' pleasure and funders' return on investment.'

The horror! The horror! Doc turns the lens on film [...]

Reviews of "wholly spectacular' Oscar-nominated short films
'This year’s selection of five live action short films was wholly spectacular. There isn’t a bad movie in the bunch (I wish I could say the same about the feature-length Best Picture nominees). Here are, as briefly as possible, reviews of the five live-action short films:'

Hannity denying reality again? Seen as blaming Wall Street collapse on – who else? – 60's 'hippies'
You decide: 'On his February 23 show, Sean Hannity devoted the entire hour of his show to airing and discussing Generation Zero, a film produced by conservative activists about the financial crisis. In the segment below Hannity and the [...]

HBO's 'Schmatta' spotlights once-powerful fashion business, reveals 'a world unraveled'
'New York's famed Garment District didn't factor into documentarian Marc Levin's plans as he searched for a focal point about America's troubled economy at least not until a brainstorming session with HBO documentary chief Sheila Nevins.'

Kerouac's 'Big Sur' brought to life by new doc's musicians, [...]

A six-night Monty Python documentary: 'Circus' that never ends
'The documentary, co-produced by IFC and British reality-TV giant Eagle Rock, is a straightforward retelling of the franchise’s history, from its formative years to the present day.'

Hitchcock fans can feast on rare hour-long interview (free)
'In 1973, Tom Snyder interviewed Alfred Hitchcock for the Tomorrow Show. Thought to [...]

The Independent reviews 'the true nature of activism in film'
'Recent years have blurred the role between activist, journalist, and artist, and further thinned the line between news and film—most notably in the short film model. Online outlets are brimming with social and political messages propagated through explosive short films and video—a form of call-and-response activism [...]

Five-part documentary about Newark finds hope in 'Brick City'
' “Brick City,” nimbly shot in a fly-on-the-wall style, is bound to be compared to the HBO drama “The Wire,” about the urban challenges facing Baltimore. Each has multiple, contrapuntal story lines focusing on City Hall, the police and the streets.

Susan Boyle to star in documentary about [...]

'Anvil!' called touching documentary about flailing band (strongly reminiscent of 'Spinal Tap')
'The Story of Anvil, the remarkably good documentary about a promising 1980s metal band that didn't find real success.'

'Afghan Idol' doc provides peek into war-torn country's 'American Idol' mindset
'Perhaps adopting "American Idol"-style popularity-contest puffery is a dubious byproduct of democracy, but hold that thought [...]

Long and entertaining list of movie plot twists & surprise endings
'There's nothing better than a movie with a great twist, something to give you a sense of uncanny fright that leaves you shivering and tingling with an excited bemusement.'

Taking a stab at 10 best high school movies since '87 (with photogallery)
It's also easy to forget [...]

Are documentarians 'ethically challenged'?
'The report found that documentarians, while they generally aspire to act honorably, often operate under ad hoc ethical codes. The craft tends to see itself as being bound less by the need to be accurate and fair than by a desire for social justice, to level the playing field between those who [...]