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by Jason Rugaard

The Trip (2010) – Review

October 11, 2011 in Comedy, Documentary, Reviews

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2 1/2 Stars

This docu/comedy hybrid is extremely pleasing for the majority of its elongated running time. Comedians Steve Coogan and working partner Rob Brydon travel the English country side together enjoying fine food/drink while verbally sparing and comparing celebrity impersonations. After being assigned to review a number of restaurants for a magazine column, Coogan invites his pal Brydon along for the seven day journey. Neither man seems particularly happy to be spending this amount of time with each other. The level of wit and sarcasm the pair repeatedly lobby at one another is the most amusing aspect of this peculiar film.
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by Jason Rugaard

Catfish (2010) – Review

September 17, 2011 in Documentary, Reviews

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3 1/2 Stars

Catfish is one of the most compelling, disturbing and ultimately downbeat experiences I’ve had at the movies in quite sometime. This documentary (loosely termed) follows a young good looking New York Photographer as he develops a crush on a woman he met through the social networking site FaceBook. Niev is a nice guy taken aback after receiving packages of artwork based on his published photographs begin appearing in the mail. Supposedly these ‘gift’ are sent by an affectionate 8yr old painter named Abby, who’s part of a large family that includes a teenage sister named Megan.
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by Jason Rugaard

Bigger, Stronger, Faster (2008) – Review

February 16, 2011 in Documentary, Reviews

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4 Stars

An incendiary look at the lies and myths behind steroids and their users. Director Chris Bell grew up a pudgy kid during the 1980′s until he found bodybuilding, inspired by his screen idols Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Hulk Hogan all of whom were on steroids. Bell turns the camera on his own family, including two brothers both on the juice and competing in bodybuilding contests. The scenes with the Bell family are riveting, equally so are the sequences in which Harvard professionals debunk the myth that steroids are ‘bad’. Read the rest of this entry →

 

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by Jason Rugaard

Bra Boys (2007) – Review

May 11, 2010 in Documentary, Reviews

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2 1/2 Stars

This very one-sided yet entertaining documentary chronicles the notorious Australian surf gang of the same name and the Abberton brothers involvement in a messy murder case. The Bra Boys rule Maroubra beach sometimes with a thugs tendency for violence, this is a documentary about local ism over anything else. The film veers toward propaganda on a few occasions, we are meant to believe this gang is a bunch of good guys protecting their beach from the upper class suburbanites who just as much see them displaced. It’s hard to root for these guys when a brawl with off-duty cops sends 44 police officers to the hospital. Read the rest of this entry →

 

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by Jason Rugaard

Terror in Mumbai (2009) – Review

April 19, 2010 in Documentary, Reviews

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4 Stars

This gripping documentary chronicles in merciless detail the harrowing events of Nov.26th and the 24hr terrorist siege on the city of Mumbai. Director Dan Reed the man responsible for the similarly unsettling 2003 documentary ‘Terror in Moscow’, turns his attention to the streets of Mumbai and specifically the historic Taj Hotel. Terrorist entered the hotel and systematically killed every person they could find. The fascinating aspect of this doc. is the intercepted cell phone conversations between the attackers and their ‘controller’, who informs them to kill all hostages ‘in the name of god’. Read the rest of this entry →

 

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by Jason Rugaard

Reclaiming the Blade (2009) – Review

February 28, 2010 in Documentary, Reviews

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3 Stars

Daniel McNicoll’s exhaustively researched and often intriguing documentary examines the history of the sword and attempts to shed light on the overlooked world of Western Martial Arts. The film traces the lineage of the weapon through its various stages of importance to prominence on the silver screen. Stars Viggo Mortensen and Karl Urban pop up to deliver amusing and insightful anecdotes about legendary fight choreographer Bob Anderson (the guy inside the Darth Vader suit!). Read the rest of this entry →

 

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by Trevor Anderson

The English Surgeon (2007) – Review

February 26, 2010 in Documentary, Reviews

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3 1/2 Stars

Following brain surgeon Henry Marsh through his desperate attempt to help those in need in the Ukraine, The English Surgeon paints an incredible picture of life and loss. This is the type of documentary that can bring a smile to your face and tears to your eyes without being preachy. Mr. Marsh is an entertaining character throughout the film. The movie builds up to an amazing brain surgery scene, in which Marsh operates on a fully awake man under cramped and poor conditions. Read the rest of this entry →

 

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by Trevor Anderson

Beer Wars (2009) – Review

February 8, 2010 in Documentary, Reviews

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3 Stars

Anat Baron (General Manager at Mike’s Hard Lemonade and a Hollywood Producer) explores how the big three beer makers, Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors have dominated the marketplace and hurt the small micro-breweries. The documentary follows several small beer companies and effectively shows how hard it is not only to break into this business, but how hard it is to stay in it. Read the rest of this entry →

 

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by Trevor Anderson

The Way We Get By (2009) – Review

February 1, 2010 in Documentary, Reviews

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3 1/2 Stars

Current documentary filmmakers have a lot to learn from Aron Gaudet’s style. Instead of preaching and shoving a view point down its viewers’ throats, ‘The Way We Get By’ simply documents the story lines of several senior citizen troop greeters. This allows for a deep and compelling story to unfold before the audience, allowing them to get out of it what they will.

These senior citizen don’t sit around at the old folks home twiddling their thumbs. They are at the airport at all hours, whenever needed to extend an open hand or give a welcoming hug. Read the rest of this entry →

 

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