The Wrecking Crew

First Hit:  This is an amazing well told story about the people behind the music of the early 60’s.

Just about everyone in the theater seemed to be old enough to be around during the early 1960s. Therefore the elongated applause at the end of the film was understood and well founded.

Most of the audience, including myself, grew up with the music this eclectic group of musicians created. Some of these musicians became famous on their own (Glen Campbell and Leon Russell) but mostly, this group is only famous to the marquee musicians that harnessed their talent.

The musicians this group backed and made music for included: The Beach Boys, The Righteous Brothers, Herb Alpert, The Association, Sonny and Cher, The Monkeys, Sam Cooke, Dean Martin, The Ronettes, The Platters, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, and Nancy Sinatra. This is only a partial listing, but anyone familiar with the music of this era will know the powerful and amazing extent this group made on music.

One of the better things about this film is that it is obviously made out of love, the love Denny Tedesco had for his father Tommy, one of "The Wrecking Crew".

Denny Tedesco did an amazing job of stringing together interviews, past and present, along with the glimpses of the actual music sessions. The music was extraordinary.

Overall:  This was a very beautiful satisfying film about the music of the early 1960s.

Ballet 422

First Hit:  Outstanding and revealing film of how a young man and corps dancer, choreographs a new ballet (the 422nd) premiered by the New York City Ballet.

The opening sequence is a Jerome Robbins ballet which sets the film's tone because he is an amazing choreographer. Then we see Justin Peck a corps dancer since 2007 practicing.

The voice over announces that his wish to become a choreographer is coming to fruition again. He's getting the opportunity to choreograph his third ballet for his employer:  Number 422 to be premiered by the NYCB. We watch him in a practice room creating alone. Then we see him work with a couple of principle dancers and an assistant.

We watch him work with the lighting director and the music conductor. We see the development of costumes and the makeup. All of the work he does appears to be collaborative – but his voice is strong and continues to shine through.

While watching this film, it becomes almost oddly haunting that this is the only thing in his life. Each night he takes the train home - alone. The scenes in is apartment are of him only working. We never get to see the whole ballet as a single dance. What we see are parts; some on stage, some in the rehearsal room, some with costumes and some without lighting. However, one gets the power of his creation as we watch it develop.

The part I loved most was him on stage taking a bow, leaving the stage, changing into costume and getting ready to be a corps dancer again in the 3rd ballet of the evening.

Jody Lee Lipes directed this film with amazing deftness.

Overall:  If you like dance and especially if you wonder how a performance becomes a reality – watch this film.

Red Army

First Hit:  Very strong film about the Soviet’s system for developing their famed “Red Army” national hockey team.

Elegance and dance like are words to describe the way the Soviet national hockey team played hockey. Watching them skate in a hockey game was beautiful. Their weaving pattern was amazing.

This was very different than the smash brutish game as played in the USA and Canada. This film focuses on Slava Fetisov a defensemen for this team. He discusses how they were coached and developed to be the world’s premier hockey team.

The filmmaker mixes political discussion, old stills, old film and current interviews with the famed team members. The mirroring of their teams progression and the changing of the political climate when the country changed from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic – USSR to Russia under Gorbachev.

The regimentation of their practicing and isolation created a level of brainwashing which rears its head as Fetisov speaks. The unfortunate circumstances by which they kept him in Russia was typical. He eventually (along with his teammates) comes to the west, make some money and then after his hockey career is over, becomes the Minister of Sports under Putin.

Fetisov was interesting to watch as he suppressed emotions and feelings when certain subjects were broached. Seeing him watch footage of the USA college team beat his team (Miracle on Ice) at the Olympics in their heyday was difficult. Gabe Polsky wrote and directed this amazing documentary.

Overall:  This film directly reflected the times and the USSR during the 60s – 80s.

Citizenfour

First Hit:  I think all US Citizens need to see this film and I’m wondering why congress and the President have done nothing to stop this.

Our government is spying on each and every one of us. Do they look at my online behavior or are they listening to my phone calls? Probably not, but they can if they want to.

I love the beginning when one of the speakers states, “if you have a metro card (NYC) and it is replenished by a link to your bank account, they (our government) knows your personal information and behavior patterns.” If it is something they think suspicious (using algorithms), you will be tracked and monitored.

Yes there was an upheaval when Edward Snowden leaked NSA collected data and with good reason, our government is lying to us under the guise of “protecting us from terrorists”. Our government is behaving badly and we’re letting them. Why?

Edward Snowden is compelling as to the reasons why he released the data and his commitment to sharing the truth about our government’s spying on us all. Glenn Greenwald the Guardian (UK) reporter who set the stories free in the press is a real brave patriot to his work and country. William Binney, a former NSA government employee who foresaw our spying errors is a hero. Our entire US Government is lying to us and you. Laura Poitras directed this elegant portrayal of how our government is not only breaking its own laws but have abused our trust.

Overall:  Although I’m not shocked, I supremely saddened by our untrustworthy government and especially the people who continue to perpetuate this illegal spying. I’ve met the enemy and it is us because we let our leaders get away with this.

Last Days of Vietnam

First Hit:  A very interesting film about how this war ended.

I was in Vietnam from 1969 – 1971 and I can still recall our soldiers, my experience, and the people. After arriving there I quickly realized that we, our country, was wrong to be there. In our being there we created fear based thought around what the South Vietnamese could expect if the North Vietnamese took over.

When I returned there after 30 years I discovered a country that seemed at peace with itself and, except for a few people, I was welcomed with there with their open hearts. Watching the fear based thought we instilled in many of the South Vietnamese of what would happen to them if the North took over Saigon (now called Ho Chi Minh City) is what this film shows.

This documentary shows how people did everything they could do to get out of Saigon and get on board US ships sitting off the coast of their country. With hopes of finding freedom in the United States they came anyway they could.

The most dramatic scenes were the ones where people jumped off helicopters and then they pushed them off the ship into the ocean. Billions of dollars were sunk.

This film covered our policies and the stubbornness of our Ambassador to Vietnam. I think getting some of the background to the very graphic and public images of the time was fascinating.

Mark Bailey and Keven McAlester wrote a great logical and descriptive script. Rory Kennedy did a great job of splicing together actual footage of the time.

Overall:  This was an amazing film and piece of history.