Ed Helms (“The Office,” “The Hangover” trilogy, “The Daily Show with John Stewart”) is diving in with “Penguins” this spring as narrator of Disneynature’s upcoming theatrical feature. The coming-of-age story follows an Adélie penguin named Steve who joins millions of fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family. None of it comes easily for him, especially considering he’s targeted by everything from killer whales to leopard seals, who unapologetically threaten his happily ever after.
“Disney movies are filled with poignancy and real emotion, but also are extremely funny and relatable—this movie is no different,” says Helms. “It’s a true-life adventure with real footage of penguins in Antarctica, but told in a way that tugs at your heartstrings a little and also has quite a few chuckles. For me, this movie is a very cool mash-up of narration and character work. I get to voice Steve’s inner monologue as well as straight narration. It was a really fun challenge for me—a privilege getting to imagine what this penguin might be thinking—and I’m really excited about it.”
Check out a video Helms recorded to share the announcement:
As an actor, writer and comedian, Helms established himself as one of Hollywood’s most beloved performers with scene-stealing roles on both film and television including NBC’s award-winning comedy series, “The Office,” and the box office smash hit film trilogy “The Hangover.”
“Penguins,” the first-ever Disneynature film to be released in IMAX® as the label, celebrates 10 years since its first feature film hit theaters. The film continues Disneynature’s conservation tradition: for every ticket sold opening week (April 17-23, 2019), Disneynature will make a donation to the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) to help protect penguins across the southern hemisphere. Founded in 2002, WCN invests in a select network of on-the-ground conservationists, including top experts in the field of penguins like the Global Penguin Society (GPS). The worldwide leader in science-based penguin conservation, GPS champions specific programs that align with Disneynature’s conservation mission.
From the filmmaking team behind “Bears” and “Chimpanzee,” Disneynature’s “Penguins” opens in theaters in time for Earth Day.
“They Shall Not Grow Old” is a film-making marvel and a technological achievement. But much, much more than that: this movie is a tribute and a salute of honor to the many British soldiers who went off to fight in World War I. Many of these brave lads never returned, and ‘they shall not grow old’. Director Peter Jackson has taken actual movie footage from the historical era and transformed it to a documentary that explores the horrors of trench warfare. He has taken hundreds of hours of old footage, along with hundreds of hours of audio interviews – and with this raw material, he has created a fully immersive look at what the average ‘doughboy’ actually experienced at the Front. Working with The Imperial War Museum and the BBC, Jackson has taken and then digitized, colorized and did a 3-D conversion a whole lot of rough grainy badly-shot movie footage. The result is a very informative and in engaging peek into what happened over one hundred years ago.
The original movie cameras back at time produced some very poor quality footage. The film in the camera was over cranked, meaning the speed when projected back later was too fast and jerky. The film was not meant to last forever, so there are many places where it has faded and has accumulated dust particles. Even with this as a starting point, Peter Jackson has gotten some of the most talented film restoration and production people involved in restoring hours of film – frame by frame. His final result becomes a slow build up to the central part – the reconstructed view of the Front Line in World War I.
The beginning is shown in the overly fast-speed and poor quality images of London prior to WWI. When war comes, it is publicized in every way that England needs to fight to exist, and to keep Europe free. With the soundtrack repeating story after story of many under aged fellows getting into the service, it shows how they trained to be a fighting force. Soon, they are over in Belgium and France, and it is obvious that the bombing and shelling has taken a toll. At one point, the black and white image turns into a colorized version. The troops meet their new home in the trenches. They know there are German soldier only dozens of yards away. There is a deadly bog of twisted barbed wire and mines that make up a dreaded “No Man’s Land” between the two sides. Enemy snipers are always ready to take out a soldier who might peek over the side of the trench at the wrong time. There are massive bombardments of mortars and grenades, and these things make for an unpleasant place to be.
It is very odd to see images from over one hundred years ago with this level of sharpness and clarity. The extra added color in many of the scenes add to the depth of experience that you are watching recent newsreel footage. Some of the stories told by the men who served there are stark and full of vivid detail. Most of them contain terrible descriptions of the conditions and the results of the battles fought. Many people died, on both sides. The loss of life was staggering, but almost all the British soldiers did what they know how to do. They carried on. They ate and drank tea, and they would sing bawdy songs, such as “Mademoiselle from Armentières”. But mostly they fought in the “Great War”, because this was the “War to End All Wars”. Little did they know…
But just as the First World War came to an end, this movie also shows that the surviving troops returned home. They were greet as heroes, but promptly were forgotten. The world economy was in shambles, and unemployment was high. When the large influx of soldiers came back to England, there were not as many jobs there as when they left. But each of the men who served at the Front came back with a changed outlook on life. Each one knew at any time, the fragile thread of life could be snapped by the cruel hand of Death. They had seen that up close way too many times. Some retreated into a bottle to combat their own demons. Yet a majority of them stood up straight and became leaders and fathers and the backbone of British society.
Peter Jackson has dedicated this movie to Sgt. William Jackson, his grandfather who served in World War I. So it shows the depth of commitment that he had to make everything about this documentary something very special. He has accomplished this goal.
Per the press release, the producers note that this year marks the 100-year anniversary of the “Great War” coming to an end:
“With this being the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, I can’t imagine a more appropriate time to honor the courage of the soldiers who fought in WWI — what was then ‘the war to end all wars’ — many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. Peter has made history come alive through the medium of film, and we are so pleased to be a part of bringing his vision to today’s audiences.”
Hailed by critics and audiences alike as a film that should be “seen on the biggest screen possible,” FREE SOLO will return to IMAX® for a final weeklong engagement beginning Friday, Feb. 1. Directors Chai Vasarhelyi (@chaivasarhelyi) and Jimmy Chin (@jimmychin) along with film subject Alex Honnold (@alexhonnold) broke the news today via Instagram. Chin shared this video and said, “We’re excited to offer moviegoers one last opportunity to experience the film in this epic way. Seeing the film in IMAX is as close to dangling off El Capitan as you can get.”
FREE SOLO, from award-winning filmmaker Vasarhelyi and world-renowned filmmaker, cinematographer and mountaineer Chin (“MERU”), is a breathtaking portrait of the free soloist climber Honnold as he prepares for an unprecedented feat: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock … the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park … without a rope. The film opened in September to record-breaking box office in the U.S., and has expanded to global acclaim, with box office records in the U.K. (highest grossing documentary of 2018) and Australia (after opening wide this past weekend, entering the top 20 docs of all time).
HERE is my review of the film. Watching this on IMAX is the best way to see it! You don’t have long so get to the theatre 2/1! You won’t be sorry. Here is a listing of where to catch it in and around Phoenix.
One of the most celebrated documentaries of 2018, FREE SOLO has grossed over $13 million worldwide and has been honored with three Critics’ Choice awards, including Most Innovative Documentary of the Year and Best Cinematography; three Cinema Eye Honors; and multiple guild nominations, including PGA, DGA, ACE, CAS and MPSE. The film is also nominated for both an Academy Award and BAFTA in the Best Feature Documentary category. FREE SOLO premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September and has since won Audience Awards at the Toronto International Film Festival and Mill Valley Film Festival.
“Penguins” Opens in Theaters and Select IMAX® Theatres on Wednesday, April 17, 2019—
First-Ever Disneynature Film to be Released in IMAX®
As Disneynature celebrates 10 years since its first feature-film debut, its newest conservation intitiative—this one tied to the upcoming big-screen adventure “Penguins”—was revealed today. For every ticket sold opening week (April 17-23, 2019), Disneynature will make a donation to the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) to help protect penguins across the southern hemisphere.
Founded in 2002, WCN invests in a select network of on-the-ground conservationists, including top experts in the field of penguins like the Global Penguin Society (GPS). The worldwide leader in science-based penguin conservation, GPS champions specific programs that align with Disneynature’s conservation mission. “For example, one of our aims is to track different species of penguins’ movements across four continents in the southern seas,” said GPS founder and president Dr. Pablo Borboroglu. “Penguins swim thousands of kilometers to migrate and look for food. What they encounter during their journeys determines their survival, affects the viability of their species and informs science and conservation action. We are also dedicated to cleaning plastics from the beaches, breeding areas and seas impacting penguin populations. Campaigns to clean up beaches around penguin colonies along selected coastal sectors will help secure a healthy and safe habitat for penguins.”
“Disneynature has an amazing platform,” said Charles Knowles, president and co-founder of WCN. “They’re able to reach a global audience in a way that we can hardly fathom. They are uniquely positioned to tell the real story of penguins and the challenges they face. By teaming up with Disneynature—which is so strongly aligned with our own mission—we are able to uniquely communicate about the species we care so much about.”
“Antarctica is one of the few areas in the world that most people will never have an opportunity to see firsthand,” said Roy Conli, one of the producers of “Penguins.” “It’s one of the most remote and harshest environments on Earth—but its stark beauty is breathtaking. Cultivating an understanding and appreciation of the area, the surrounding oceans and the animals who live there is essential to the future of our planet. That’s one of the reasons I love sharing the story of Steve—a penguin who’s working so hard to thrive in this world, and doing his part for the next generation.”
To capture the stunning footage for “Penguins,” a team of the best polar experts in the world traveled to four different locations over the course of three years for a total of nearly 900 camera days. Temperatures dropped below -40 degrees on several occasions and winds twice topped 150 mph while filmmakers were on location. Their efforts resulted in the extraordinary story of Steve who promises to charm audiences worldwide. “It’s so fun to watch Steve compete with all the other penguins to set up his nest and win his mate,” said Conli. “It’s hard not to relate to this guy.”
“Penguins” will be the first-ever Disneynature film released in IMAX®. The film will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of the IMAX EXPERIENCE® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-Mastering) technology.
ABOUT “PENGUINS”
Disneynature’s all-new feature film “Penguins” is a coming-of-age story about an Adélie penguin named Steve who joins millions of fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family. None of it comes easily for him, especially considering he’s targeted by everything from killer whales to leopard seals, who unapologetically threaten his happily ever after. From the filmmaking team behind “Bears” and “Chimpanzee,” Disneynature’s “Penguins” opens in theaters nationwide and select IMAX® theatres starting Wednesday, April 17, 2019.
ABOUT WILDLIFE CONSERVATION NETWORK
The Wildlife Conservation Network’s (WCN) mission is to protect endangered wildlife by supporting conservationists who ensure wildlife and people co-exist and thrive. WCN invests in a select network of on-the-ground conservationists, offering the financial resources, tools and services they need to effectively protect wildlife. WCN also creates large-scale Crisis and Recovery Funds, investing in projects that can protect a threatened species across its entire habitat. As no one organization or person can save wildlife alone, WCN emphasizes collaboration, connecting conservationists and supporters and creating a community united in a passion for wildlife. Learn more about WCN’s unique approach to saving wildlife and the work of our conservation partners atwildnet.org.
ABOUT GLOBAL PENGUIN SOCIETY
The Global Penguin Society (GPS) is dedicated to the survival and protection of the world´s penguin species, fostering integrated ocean conservation through science, management (policy making) and education. GPS is an internationally recognized leader in the conservation of penguins, and the coasts and oceans they inhabit. The Global Penguin Society endeavors to:
Develop sound science to use in the conservation of penguins and marine environments at local, regional, and global scales;
Educate communities and decision makers about the importance of penguins and their habitats, aiming at achieving lasting behavioral changes;
Identify priority areas for the conservation of penguins and their ecosystems, propose and implement guidelines for their protection; and
Influence the establishment, implementation, and efficacy of public and private conservation policies.
GPS is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Learn about penguins and how GPS helps them globally at globalpenguinsociety.org.
ABOUT DISNEYNATURE
Celebrating 10 years since its first U.S. theatrical feature, “Earth,” Disneynature brings the world’s top nature filmmakers together to share a wide variety of wildlife stories on the big screen in order to engage, inspire and educate theatrical audiences everywhere. Walt Disney was a pioneer in wildlife filmmaking, producing 13 True-Life Adventure motion pictures between 1948 and 1960, which earned eight Academy Awards®. All seven of Disneynature’s theatrical film releases—”Earth,” “Oceans,” “African Cats,” “Chimpanzee,” “Bears,” “Monkey Kingdom” and “Born in China”—rank among the top 10 highest overall grossing feature-length nature films to date, with “Chimpanzee” garnering a record-breaking opening weekend for the genre. “Penguins,” opening April 17, 2019, is the label’s 8ththeatrical release. Disneynature’s commitment to conservation is a key pillar of the label and the films empower the audience to help make a difference. Through donations tied to opening-week attendance of its films, Disneynature has contributed to a host of conservation initiatives. For more information about Disneynature, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/Disneynature and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Disneynature.
FREE SOLO CLIMBS TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH SPECIAL ONE-WEEK IMAX® RELEASE NATIONWIDE AND IN CANADA, STARTING JAN. 11
PLAYING AT DESERT RIDGE 18, ARIZONA MILLS 25
“Seeing Honnold at the peak of his skill on the biggest screen possible is an experience for everybody to savor.” – Kenny Turan, The Los Angeles Times
“One of the most arresting documentaries of the year. See the film on as big a screen as possible.” – Richard Larson, Vanity Fair
(NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES – DEC. 20, 2018) — After setting the highest per screen average for a documentary in its opening weekend and grossing $11 million at the box office to date, FREE SOLO continues its momentous theatrical run with a special one-week-only engagement in select IMAX® theaters across the U.S. and in Canada, beginning Jan. 11, 2019. The news follows this week’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announcement including FREE SOLO in the list of 15 documentaries that will advance in awards consideration.
From award-winning filmmaker E. Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned filmmaker, cinematographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin (MERU), FREE SOLO is a breathtaking portrait of the free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares for an unprecedented feat: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock … the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park … without a rope.
Hailed by The New York Times as “an extraordinary gift to everyone who believes that the limit of human achievement is far from being reached,” the film has been honored with three Critics’ Choice awards, including Most Innovative Documentary of the Year and Best Cinematography, and has also received nominations for PGA, IDA and Cinema Eye Honors.
The IMAX release of FREE SOLOwill be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theater geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.
FREE SOLO is both an edge-of-your-seat thriller and a sublime portrait of an athlete who exceeds our understanding of human physical ability and mental potential. The result is a triumph of human spirit.
“IMAX’s differentiated, immersive theatres make audiences feel as though they are there with Alex in Yosemite National Park, climbing El Capitan, and we’re really pleased to be able to bring this incredible, historic story to fans so they can now experience it in IMAX,” said Craig Dehmel, Head of Distribution at IMAX Entertainment.
“The grandeur of El Capitan and the film’s breathtaking cinematography will be spectacular in IMAX,” said Courteney Monroe, President, National Geographic Global Networks and Documentary Films. “Audiences have been filling theaters for months, uniting together to cheer for Alex’s staggering achievement. We are so grateful to IMAX for providing audiences the opportunity to experience the scale and ambition of this film in IMAX theaters.”
“When we were making this film, we could not have imagined the response we have received,” added directors Vasarhelyi and Chin. “To be able to share Alex’s story of courage in the immersive IMAX experience is something we’ve been working towards for over a year. It’s the ultimate reward forus, and offers filmgoers and a chance to now see his historic and remarkable journey on the big IMAX screen.”
FREE SOLO premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September and has since won Audience Awards at the Toronto International Film Festival and Mill Valley Film Festival.
FREE SOLO is currently playing in select theaters and will be released in select IMAX theaters beginning Jan. 11, 2019. Visit freesolofilm.com for showtimes, and find an IMAX theater near you at imax.com/theaters.
‘Moroni for President’ is about diversity and a shift in thinking as much as it is about someone throwing their hat into the ring to be considered president of the Navajo Nation. Being that I live in Arizona and have lived near a reservation I took great interest in seeing if a young man can challenge his elders and be the change that he, himself, seeks in the community. At the beginning of this gorgeously shot film, we learn some facts about the Navajo’s themselves. The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American Nation in the United States as it spans across Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. Like the U.S., they have a presidential election every four years. Because of their size, the Navajo president is the most influential and powerful tribal leader in the country.
Here we meet several candidates as well as get to know Moroni Benally, the subject of the film. In 2014, the president is Ben Shelly. When we are introduced to him, he tells us of how much complaining and bellyaching he hears. He explains that people blame him for everything, even everyday problems that he can’t control. You can see it pains him that people don’t see what he does accomplish. This may be the case but he wants to run again.
Joe Shirley Jr., who has held the position before, wants to try again, as well. If he’s successful, he would be elected into a third term, something not allowed for a U.S. president. Ben Shelly was Joe Shirley’s Vice President. Learning all of this, you can see appreciate where Moroni is coming from. It’s past time for some change. He feels leaders past and present, who walk around in jeans, wear cowboy hats and boots, are bound by the old way of thinking and of doing things. They certainly don’t like to be questioned. Moroni doesn’t dress like, as he refers to them, the ‘old guard’ and sees they aren’t always truthful. They’ve continued to try and sell the Navajo people the ‘American Dream’ when it’s not possible to achieve. Not only would he like to bring a fresh perspective on things by getting youth involved but by challenging the United States.
This being the case, something fascinating and disheartening you hear is that their tribe isn’t allowed to build buildings because the land they live on isn’t theirs. They’re only allowed to use it. Moroni wants everyone to wake up to the fact that there will be no reaching the ‘good life’ that the elders have always sold them on unless they’re allowed to control their own resources. The question now is, can they confront the United States government and arrive at a better agreement than what’s currently in place? He tells young people who’ll listen that they should at least try. Their future is in their hands. Do they want to live in shacks or something better? Can they truly be a sovereign nation? Moroni believes they can.
Not only is this about his candidacy for president but something perhaps even bigger for Moroni. He’s an ex-Mormon who struggled terribly with the fact that he’s gay. In fact, he felt it was a cancer in his body. He confesses to those of us watching this documentary that he pleaded with God to be healed. It took him until the age of twenty-seven until he came to terms with who he was and accept it. In that time, he learned how to work a crowd, in fact, many older ladies who supported his candidacy fell in love with him instantly. He jokingly ruminates on how much money he could save his community by not having a first lady.
Moroni’s an extremely likable person, which is one of the things you’ll most enjoy. This documentary unfolds in a way that reveals so much more than just a bid for a chance to lead. Sadly, Moroni isn’t elected but he does accomplish something very important. The film gives many heartbreaking, staggering statistics that I’d like to see addressed in another documentary, but this ends on a light note about what he did for the Navajo Nation as a whole. He may not be able to speak the language as well as some, he may not have been elected their president, that honor went to Russell Begaye, but Moroni sheds light on the LGBTQ community and welcomes them, giving them a safe place, to finally come out and be counted. It was wonderful to see that they, no matter who they loved, were supported… as was Moroni himself. Again, the cinematography is breathtaking. The filmmakers take full advantage of the grounds Moroni walks and shows you an exceptionally beautiful area of the country. You’re going to admire Moroni but watch this also for the glorious and breathtaking landscapes.
What a cliff-hanger! Okay… I’m sorry but I had to say it. However, that’s exactly what Alex Honnold, the subject of this documentary, is! A guy who climbs and literally hangs on cliffs. What was most frightening to watch was how he doesn’t use a rope or even hang by a thread! He’s literally free of anything but a few tools he might need along the way. Like an insect crawling up a wall, Alex scurries up the side of a mountain as if he was meant to be there. Myself, I do like to hike but prefer a nice, safe, well-traveled trail, not to take the risks Alex likes to take. One little slip, just one little mistake, and Alex is a memory. Of climbing, Alex says, ‘I don’t wanna fall off and die either but there’s a satisfaction to challenging yourself and doing something well. That feeling is heightened when you’re for sure facing death. You can’t make a mistake. If you’re seeking perfection, free soloing is as close as you can get. It does feel good to be perfect, like, for a brief moment.’ And realizing he comes across as cold when he says it, he does believe it and says it anyway, ‘If I kill myself… life goes on.’ Well, I guess we all have to die sometime, right?
This is a terrifying watch but an intensely gripping watch at the same time. In fact, there may be moments where you have to turn your head, as the cameraman shooting the documentary does several times. What Alex achieves is nothing short of spectacular and this is your chance to witness history as closely as you would if you were hanging on the side of the mountain with him.
Alex has traveled everywhere while hiking and climbing but rare are the people who let you join them in this manner if at all. It takes great skill and concentration to accomplish a climb such as this and the last thing you need is a camera crew to distract you. However, this crew is made up of climbers, as well, and they know the dangers and liabilities of not only getting in his head space but getting in his path. The crew gets to know his movements by watching him plan and practice his route and they organize themselves way ahead of time. They take every precaution they can to see that they are not a variable in what he is about to tackle.
We, learn his path the names of the routes, too. He’s ascending the mountain, El Capitan in Yosemite, CA. Never before has anyone climbed it without using the safety of a rope and this film is about Alex’s journey to be the first. Along the way, we discover his past, what and how he eats, how he prepares, how he has changed and what climbing El Capitan, Free Solo, means to him. He explains that he’s obsessed with reaching this goal and that for him it’s not any different than winning a gold medal in the Olympics is for an Olympian. Forgive me for saying but an instant freefall to your death doesn’t generally come with the territory in the Olympic games, but I understand what he means.
Outside of the final climb, what I found most intriguing was watching him with his new girlfriend, Sanni. He said a girlfriend wasn’t in the cards because she could never be as important to him as climbing. In fact, new in the relationship, he falls twice and injures himself badly. Is she the ultimate cause? How she factors into things is exciting and how he handles it, what she’s willing to go through for love and if he can give enough of himself for love is compelling to watch. This is everything you’d want out of a documentary and then some. See ‘Free Solo.’ It’s an adrenaline rush. If you don’t catch it at the theatre, watch it at home but watch it on a big screen. You’re going to enjoy this documentary no matter the platform you choose to see it but there’s no replacing the feeling you get from viewing it at the theatre.
This is a frightening but very important film to see. As impactful as it is, it’s arguably Michael Moore’s best. As hard as the issues are Moore manages, in his own unique and masterful way, to make you laugh even when you’re aghast. The man who goes all out to uncover corruption for all to see has this time gone after the highest office in all the land. He brings with him not only experience but also brings to light the anxiety of the American people. True worry about losing the rights we all have but wouldn’t think in a million years we’d have to voice our fear of losing. We’re promised their well taken care of by The Constitution, right? We have faith and certainly hope that when a president takes his oath of office, he’ll fight for those rights and oppose all enemies both foreign and domestic. This film exposes the problems with having faith and hope and the issues that stem from not paying close attention to politics. As stated, what goes on in Washington concerns us all and since our elected officials speak for us, we should keep close tabs on what’s going on. Unfortunately, far too many of us haven’t.
If you have been watching politics before and since Trump got into the White House, which is hard to avoid since every news station covers it continually, and you aren’t happy with it, you’ll pretty well know a lot about what the film covers. However, you’ll also be astonished and to put it bluntly, sickened, viewing how Moore has packaged it all together for you. No matter what side of the aisle your political views lean, he manages to reveal what both sides have done and where they need to improve if the nation is ever going to be able to come together and heal. No one wants to hear that they’re wrong but it’s time we’re open to. Watching this could help people agree to do just that. For our children’s sake, we need to meet in the middle somewhere, agree to disagree and settle our differences. Want it or not, with Trump in office, we could lose our Democracy. This is a point that Moore makes very clear by splicing what’s going on in America today in relation to what Germany went through when Hitler took power in Germany. America is headed toward an Authoritarian regime and I don’t think anyone wants that but they’re not paying attention. With voiceover and historic information about Germany at the time the Nazi party took over, Moore exposes that Trump’s, like Hitler’s, best interests lie not with the people but with himself. It’s scary to see what America fell for.
I won’t go down the list of everything Moore brought up but instead say that, whether you like Trump or not, you should give this your time. Maybe you, as many are, will see that it’s time to get involved to try and change your country so nothing like this will ever happen again. You’ll be outraged but to get mad at the man who’s exposing it all for you isn’t where to direct your frustrations. That anger needs to be turned toward the subjects of the film.
Back in 1963, “The Great Escape” was a smash hit with audiences around the world. It was a hit because of the major acting talent that director John Sturges brought together for the film. Tough manly guys like Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, David McCallum plus many others played the roles of prisoners in a German POW camp. Their only goal was to escape.
Based on true events, the movie was a dramatic reenactment of the meticulous planning that went into the escape. The movie was filmed in Germany, and many scenes were shot in small villages and towns in Bavaria. Hollywood stars and local German townsfolk, farmers and villagers would meet and become friends. Now there is a documentary that shows the lengths to which the movie production went for an accurate and scenic movie.
Christophe Espenan has put together an extensive (if short – it runs about an hour long) listing of iconic scenes from the movie. Then he revisits that same area today, over fifty years later, to show that the movie locations are still around. There are some major differences, of course. The POW camp was placed just north of a studio sound stage. There was an agreement with the German government that the production company could tear down a section of trees to construct a camp for the movie. But when they were finished, they were required to plant two trees for each single tree that they removed.
Many places and streets in and around the small Bavarian town of Füssen are compared to the original movie. Many scenes match up today, even after a generation has passed. They find the place where a majority of the actors stayed during the six weeks of filming. They interview many local people, or sons and daughters of local people who remembered the making of “The Great Escape”. The plot of the movie is that all the prisoners will break out of the POW camp and escape into the nearby town. That takes the action right here, into the countryside.
Back when the main stars were the biggest names in Hollywood, this movie became known as ‘The Greatest Guy Movie Ever’. Getting Steve McQueen to ride a motorcycle and jump a barbwire fence was very exciting. Perhaps his stunt double Bud Ekins should be famous for performing the jump. But McQueen did a huge amount of riding on the bike, and he even dressed up as a German soldier so he could ride again and chase himself!
Lawrence Montaigne narrates the documentary, and he actually had a part in the move, so many years ago. Even though his role was not a major part in the movie, he still says that just being part of that movie had opened up many doors for him.
“The Great Escape” was a film based on a true event. It also did not gloss over the fact that after the men escaped from the POW camp, almost all of them were recaptured. All but a few of the men were soon killed, for trying to escape. Only three men made it out to freedom. But since this documentary is only about an hour log, it does not attempt to get into any depth as to what the film actually accomplished.
From filmmaker and film historian Chris Espenan comes The Coolest Guy Movie Ever — a fascinating forensic documentary about the making of the classic World War II adventure film The Great Escape — to DVD and digital HD from Virgil Films on August 21, 2018, after a special screening earlier this year at Marché du film in Cannes.
“Far from the Tree” is a documentary based on a widely praised book by Andrew Solomon. His book, and now this movie, documents several families where there have been difficult circumstances – specifically when a child is not entirely like the parents. That is, when the apple falls ‘far from the tree’. In these cases, it shows that patience, acceptance and love will bring all the members back into the fold.
Solomon first explains that his own childhood was unique and he felt different. He realized that the ‘normal; life of his parents would not work for him, because he was gay. This devastated his mother and his father was not at all impressed. But the story from Andrew Solomon is nothing compared to the other families that are investigated.
Jason Kingsley is a Down’s syndrome child, who was even featured on early episodes of Sesame Street when he was a kid. He never lacked the love and support from his mother, and now in his early 40’s Jason lives a full life. He lives with two other roommates (who share his condition). He has a job and he loves his friends and his family. But he has difficulty knowing that Disney’s “Frozen” is really just a movie. He has a major crush on Elsa, and he cannot ‘Let It Go’…
Another person we meet is Jack, who was a normal little boy – until he wasn’t. About age 2 years old he stopped communicating, and he seems to be in his own world. He had a severe case of autism, and his parents tried again and again to get some help. One thing they tried finally had some success. Jack was soon able to use a device to select letters, and then he created full sentences. With a voice-box, he was able ask and answer questions. He is now able to live as a functioning high-school student.
Then the journey takes you to the Little People of America conference. These folks who have dwarfism can lead quite normal lives. They just do it a little closer to ground level. A couple named Leah and Joe are married and are planning on having a child. Joe’s parents are ‘normal-sized’ people, and all of them think is nothing unusual to have a family with various sizes. Joe is not worried or depressed about his condition, so he takes it all in stride. Again, there is that theme of acceptance and love. It is really the cement that holds these stories together.
The one other family situation that gets reviewed is the story of Trevor. He was a nice kid, with wonderful parents, and had a trouble-free childhood. But, when Trevor was 13, he killed an eight-year old child in the neighborhood. There was no warning and no foreshadowing. He still says that he does not know why he did it. Obviously, this has taken his family, parents and a bother and sister, and given them a brutal situation to deal with. They have no easy way to explain anything to anyone. The parents still love their son, but they know that he will never be a free man.
Overall, “Far from the Tree” takes a look at some unusual family circumstances and shows that it does not need to be the end of the family. All of the different ways that some people might consider ‘disabled’, these people and these families prove that they can be-able, just in a unique way. It is done in a consistent manner, and moves along with great ease.
Some family situations are more intense than others. But they all show that it does not matter if you are near to the tree, or far from the tree. It only matters that the tree has some really deep roots…
In Phoenix, playing exclusively at Harkins Shea in Scottsdale
