Tag: documentary

Dynasty: The Murdochs Documentary Review

Money and power, in the hands of the right person, can change the world for the better. In the wrong hands, it can be a corrupting influence.

Dynasty: The Murdochs is a new four-part Netflix documentary that follows the life and career of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his family. As Murdoch ages, the question of who will step into his professional shoes becomes even more prevalent. As the siblings vied for power, alliances are formed, and childhood bonds are severed or broken completely.

The best way to describe the narrative is akin to a car crash on the side of a highway. It is too tempting to pass by and, at the very least, take a quick look at the wreck that was a vehicle. It makes me feel sad that this clan has been torn apart, instead of putting the familial connection first. It goes to show (at least to my mind) that perhaps extraneous wealth is not what it is cracked up to be.

The smartest thing that the filmmakers did was to use a board game to illustrate the games Murdoch and his kids played to get to the top. It made the story that much more interesting.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Dynasty: The Murdochs is available for streaming on Netflix.

Throwback Thursday: Serial Killer Earth (2012)

Mother Nature can be as cruel as she can be kind.

Serial Killer Earth aired in 2012. This 10-part documentary series used archival footage and eyewitness interviews to compare more recent natural disasters with those of the past.

Watching this show is a reminder that the ground under our feet is not always solid. Once in a while, it needs to be pointed out that humanity is not in control.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Throwback Thursday: Extinct or Alive (2018-201)

Looking at Mother Nature, it is easy to wonder about the creatures that seem to only exist in myths.

Extinct or Alive aired on Animal Planet from 2018 to 2021. Host Forrest Galante traveled the globe, looking for animals that were previously believed to have long since left this Earth.

It’s an interesting program. For those of us who believe that preventing extreme climate change is necessary, it is a reminder that despite the damage we continue to inflict, the environment will always find a way to bounce back.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model Documentary Review

Many girls say they want to be models when they grow up.

The new Netflix documentary, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, was recently released. This three-part documentary introduces (or reintroduces) audiences to the early 2000s reality show, America’s Next Top Model. Among the interviewees are creator/host/mentor Tyra Banks, her fellow judges/consultants, the behind-the-scenes team, several contestants, and critics of the show.

Hindsight, it is said, is 20/20. This is the main theme of the film. Though it’s only been twenty-plus years since it hit the airwaves, certain things have changed for the better. The smartest thing that Banks (and those who worked on the program) admitted was that mistakes were made. It’s hard (specifically when they are in your face, figuratively speaking), but necessary when it comes to healing old wounds and moving on from what was.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model is available for streaming on Netflix.

Secret Mall Apartment Documentary Movie Review

There was a time in this country when the mall was more than a place to shop and get a bite to eat. It was an economic powerhouse that brought all types of people together.

Secret Mall Apartment originally premiered in 2024 and was just released on Netflix. This documentary follows a group of young artists who created a secret apartment in a mall in Rhode Island. It was their hangout space until they were caught and forced off the premises.

The story can be seen from several angles: youthful rebellion, artists creating work that is outside the box, and a cultural comment about gentrification.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Secret Mall Apartment is available for streaming on Netflix.

Flashback Friday: What Would Sophia Loren Do? (2021)

One of the benefits of getting to a certain age is wisdom.

What Would Sophia Loren Do? premiered on Netflix in 2021. This documentary followed Nancy Kulik, an Italian-American grandmother, a long-time fan of Sophia Loren.

I liked this movie. It is one of those tales that we can all relate to, regardless of our ethnicity or background.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

What Would Sophia Loren Do? is currently playing on Netflix.

Getting Lost Documentary Review

Every few years, a television show comes around that brings millions of fans together and lasts long after the final credits roll.

The documentary Getting Lost (2024) premiered exactly twenty years after Lost initially aired on ABC. Interviewing the creators, writers, production team members, actors, fans, and journalists, the film explores how this once-in-a-generation phenomenon became a pop culture moment.

Getting Lost is not for the casual viewer. It is for the person who never missed an episode, obsessed over the many questions, and is still puzzled about the finale.

The best thing about it is that it allowed for all involved (the audience included) to look back and analyze with a perspective that did not exist when Lost was on the air.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Getting Lost is available for streaming on Tubi.

Throwback Thursday: P!nk: All I Know So Far (2021)

Ask any parent about their work/life balance, and they will tell you that it is a constant juggling act. Add the spotlight/celebrity lifestyle in the mix, and it becomes a much more difficult game to play.

P!nk: All I Know So Far premiered on Freevee in 2021. This documentary followed P!nk on her 2019 Beautiful Trauma tour as she attempted to strike a balance between her career and her roles as a wife/mother/friend.

Besides the incredibly infectious music, what makes this film enjoyable is how ordinary her experience is. Despite her superstar status and the pressure that comes with fame, she is just trying to get through the day, as we all are.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Breakdown: 1975 Documentary Review

As I get older, I am convinced that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Breakdown: 1975 was recently released on Netflix. Narrated by Jodie Foster, the documentary details the social, political, and cultural events of the year.

This film is illuminating. Though it has been half a century, it feels like America has, in a sense, both evolved and remained unchanged.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Breakdown: 1975 is available for streaming on Netflix.

The American Revolution Documentary Series Review

History is more than a series of facts, names, dates, and images in a textbook. When presented interactively, it does more than educate and inspire. It allows us to understand who we are and who we come from.

The American Revolution is the new six-part documentary from Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein. Narrated by Peter Coyote, it contains interviews with experts, re-enactments, and voice-overs by actors reading from the diaries, letters, and press of the day.

Burns and Botstein have done it again. I am learning more about the revolution than I have in all my years in the classroom. The most effective narrative choice was to expand the tale beyond the boldfaced names we all know. They are ordinary soldiers and civilians, women, Native Americans, and Black Americans (free and enslaved).

The irony (that is pointed out time and again) is that while this fight is for freedom, there was a population whose freedom wasn’t even a consideration by those at the top.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

The American Revolution airs on PBS at 8PM and is available for streaming.

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