Category: History

“Mr. Saturday Night” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I don’t think the poster or the trailer for Mr. Saturday Night are all that great, but Saturday Night Fever and that era hits a sweet spot for me.  If you’re old enough to remember how the film and soundtrack exploded you’ll understand.  Saturday Night Fever quickly began to influence everything from the way we dressed to clubs we hung out in.  I’ll tune in to Mr. Saturday Night just to get a taste of that bygone time and if the documentary is good that will be a bonus.

#MrSaturdayNightHBO, an HBO original documentary and #MusicBoxHBO film about Robert Stigwood’s gamble that turned Saturday Night Fever into a cultural touchstone, premieres December 9 on HBO Max.

Oliver Stone’s “JFK: Destiny Denied” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald killed President Kennedy, but I have an open mind and am interested in learning more about the case.  I’ve read the Warren Commission Report.  I’ve watched documentaries and read many different theories.  The “magic bullet” can be explained and really didn’t make the turns and twists some have speculated.  With all that said, I’m interested in seeing Oliver Stone’s JFK: Destiny Denied.

JFK: DESTINY BETRAYED is #OliverStone’s four-part “deep dive” into the infamous Kennedy assassination. Over a period of months, Stone spoke to a diverse array of authors, historians, witnesses, and experts in forensics, ballistics, and medicine. Subjects covered in the mini-series include the early formation of President Kennedy’s foreign policy worldview, his travels to Vietnam as a senator (where he saw first-hand the French losing their colonial war), his support of fledgling democracies in Africa, and his anti-colonial convictions which put him in opposition to the Eisenhower administration, the CIA, and the Pentagon. Viewers are also given a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the post-assassination actions and initial suspicions of Kennedy’s brother, Robert, as well as his views on the official Warren Commission investigation. Additionally, assassination forensic and ballistic evidence is explored here in great detail. #JFK #JohnFKennedy #CIA

With narration by Whoopi Goldberg and Donald Sutherland.

“Love It Was Not” – The Trailer is Here!

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Love It Was Not is proof that real life is stranger than fiction.  I look forward to see this one.

Starring: Helena Citron, Roza Citron, Franz Wunsch
Directed By: Maya Sarfaty
Synopsis: A young Jewish woman named Helena Citron is taken to Auschwitz, where she develops an unlikely romantic relationship with Franz Wunsch, a high-ranking SS officer. Thirty years later, a letter arrives from Wunsch’s wife asking Helena to testify on Wunsch’s behalf. Faced with an impossible decision, Helena must choose. Will she help the man who brutalized so many lives, but saved hers?

“Learning To Live Together: The Return of Mad Dogs & Englishmen” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I’m interested in seeing Learning To Live Together: The Return of Mad Dogs & Englishmen.  I was never a huge fan of Joe Cocker or Leon Russell so there’s a lot I don’t know about them other than I’ve enjoyed their music over the years.  Yep, deal me in.

Watch the official trailer for “Learning To Live Together: The Return of Mad Dogs & Englishmen,” an electrifying documentary and concert film spotlighting the reunion of the celebrated “Mad Dogs & Englishmen,” Joe Cocker’s short-lived tour featuring a mammoth thirty-two piece band. The original members (including the late Rock’n’Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell) and the reunion organizers (Grammy Award-winning Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi) tell the story of the original tour and the reunion, both highlighted by inspired performances.

Official selection of the Woodstock Film Festival (2021) and the Raindance Film Festival (2021)

Truman Capote’s IN COLD BLOOD Trivia!

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In Cold Blood was the book that made Truman Capote famous.  Upon publication it quickly rose to best-seller status and is still one of the all-time best-selling true crime books.  A year after the book was released an award-winning movie adaptation premiered which only added to Capote’s stardom.  

I’ve seen the film In Cold Blood.  It’s an excellent movie which gets better with each new viewing.  I’ve had the In Cold Blood novel sitting on one of my many to-be-read book shelves for years.  After reading April Snellings’  7 Chilling Facts About Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood posted at Mental Floss, I’ve decided to finally read Capote’s book.  Before you click over to Snellings’ piece, here are my three favorite facts from her piece and my thoughts on each.

HARPER LEE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN RESEARCHING IN COLD BLOOD.  (That’s right, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird traveled with Truman Capote to Holcomb, Kansas and assisted Capote in getting access to people with for background info for the book! Harper Lee was Capote’s assistant! – Craig)

A FIGHT OVER THE FILM RIGHTS TO IN COLD BLOOD GOT TRUMAN CAPOTE’S AGENT ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT. (Capote’s agent was Irving “Swifty” Lazar!  Lazar also represented Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Cary Grant, Ernest Hemmingway, Cher and Richard Nixon to name just a few.  When Otto Preminger learned that Lazar had sold the rights to someone else, they got into a heated argument.  Preminger ended up with a busted head and a trip to the hospital.  Lazar ended up with charges for felony assault!  Read Snellings’ account for full details! – Craig)

THE MEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDERS DETAILED IN IN COLD BLOOD ARE SUSPECTED OF KILLING A FLORIDA FAMILY AFTER THEY FLED KANSAS.  (I had never heard this fact before.  Sounds like there could be another book in the making! – Craig)

 

“Attica” – The Trailer is Here!

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The Attica prison riot/takeover lasted for 4 days beginning on September 9, 1971.  Over 1,000 of the 2,000 prisoners rioted and took over the prison.  When the siege ended 43 people were dead (10 correctional officers and 33 inmates).  I was 12 years old at the time and remember being shocked at how long the takeover lasted.  I’d be interested in seeing this Attica documentary.

Attica details the five-day prison rebellion that transpired in the fall of 1971 in upstate New York and still stands as the largest and deadliest the country has ever witnessed. More than a simple recounting of the five days of rebellion, ATTICA will also offer a broader understanding of the Attica tragedy in the crosscurrents of politics, race, power and punishment during the early 1970s. Through expert voices and archival images of urban and suburban life, the film explores the tensions between a young, radicalized population of mostly Black and Latino inmates, and correctional officers from a predominately white company town, where the Attica prison was the primary employer for generations of families. ATTICA examines inmates’ demands for recognition of their humanity at the culmination of a moment where racial justice activists embraced prisoner rights as an extension of their fight for civil rights. Premieres November 6 only on SHOWTIME.

Bram “Dracula” Stoker – Facts You May Not Know!

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Almost everyone knows that Bram Stoker wrote one of the pillars of horror fiction, Dracula.  Brigit Katz at Mental Floss dug deeper and came up with 11 Enlightening Facts About Bram Stoker.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites with my thoughts on each…

IT TOOK BRAM STOKER SEVEN YEARS TO WRITE DRACULA. (What’s interesting is he liked to say the story came to him in a dream after “a too-generous helping of dressed crab at supper.”  I’ll admit his version is more fun than the reality of seven years of writing, research and rewriting. – Craig)

DRACULA WAS ALMOST NAMED “COUNT WAMPYR.” (Count Wampyr!  C’mon, man, you know that sounds wimpy compared to Count Dracula.  Plus “DRACULA in Wallachian language means DEVIL.”  Thankfully Stoker changed his mind and went with Dracula! – Craig)

BRAM STOKER SENT FAN MAIL TO WALT WHITMAN. (Whitman responded and the two authors actually did meet three different times.  I love it when I learn trivia like this.  It makes both men seem more down to earth. – Craig)

“Fauci” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for Fauci are here.  The poster is about what you’d expect — a straightforward ad for the movie.  The trailer makes me want to see and learn more about the man who has advised Presidents for decades.

Crafted around unprecedented access to Dr. Fauci, National Geographic Documentary Films’ FAUCI is a revealing portrait of the nation’s top infectious disease expert and one of our most dedicated public servants. The film will debut in select theaters on September 10.

“Live at Mister Kelly’s” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like both the poster and trailer for Live at Mister Kelly’s.  Plus it has a great tag line: The World’s Biggest Stage was a Small Nightclub in Chicago.  I look forward to this documentary.  Save me a seat.

The iconic Mister Kelly’s, once called a “supernova in the local and national night life firmament,” illuminated legendary Chicago’s Rush Street, and the entire country, by launching talent like Barbra Streisand, Richard Pryor, Bob Newhart, Bette Midler and Steve Martin. Its visionary owners George and Oscar Marienthal smashed color and gender barriers to put unknown, controversial voices on stage and transform entertainment, as America knew it in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ’70s.

Now, with the club long gone, and its star talent reaching its golden years, George’s son David and director/screenwriter, Theodore Bogosian, go on a quest to collect the memories of the clubs before they are lost. Celebrity interviews now include Bob Newhart, the Smothers Brothers, Dick Gregory, Lainie Kazan, Herbie Hancock, Dick Cavett, Tim Reid, Fred Willard and Ramsey Lewis.

The film will portray through interviews, live footage, photos, music, and song, the most beloved and famous talent of our time at the decisive moments when they showed up, dug deep, and broke in. How do you change the world with a laugh and a song? Find out in a film that documents the rise and fall of one of American entertainment’s great proving grounds.

“Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan” – The Trailer is Here!

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I’ll say it again, Netflix comes up with interesting documentaries.  I hope that Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan is as good as the trailer below.  Deal me in.

Have you ever seen someone change personalities right in front of your eyes? Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan is only on Netflix September 22.

“Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Netflix comes up with interesting documentaries and Blood Brothers looks to be another good one.  Deal me in.

Blood Brothers tells the extraordinary and ultimately tragic story of the friendship between two of the most iconic figures of the 20th century: Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time, and Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam’s – and black America’s – most incendiary and charismatic leader.

This was the unlikeliest of friendships – the brash Olympic Champion who spoke in verse to the amusement of the white press and the ex-con intellectual-turned-revolutionary who railed against the evils of white oppression and dismissed sports as a triviality. But their bond was deep, their friendship real.

“Untold” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster for Untold is okay, but the trailer makes me want to learn the rest of the stories.  Deal me in.

From the creators of WILD WILD COUNTRY, comes a five-part sports docuseries event that brings fresh eyes to some of the greatest stories in sports. From tennis to boxing to basketball, these stories aren’t the ones you’ve heard before, even if you think you have.

J. Edgar Hoover – Some Surprising Facts You May Not Know!

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J. Edgar Hoover is an interesting character.  The fact that he was the head of the FBI and able to stay in office for decades, that even President’s feared him, and that he had “the goods” on anyone who was anyone has always intrigued me.  He wasn’t a good guy and there are many rumors that surround his personal life. 

Scott Beggs touches on many of these things and more in 20 Surprising Facts About J. Edgar Hoover.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites and my thoughts on each…

.J. EDGAR HOOVER DIDN’T HAVE A BIRTH CERTIFICATE UNTIL HE WAS 43.  (This was the same year his mother died and there is speculation “that Hoover, who persecuted Black civil rights leaders, had a secret African-American heritage.” Wouldn’t that be something?  I wonder if the rumors are true. – Craig)

RICHARD NIXON WAS AFRAID OF J. EDGAR HOOVER.  (Hoover apparently had “dirt” on every President and they were afraid to fire him.  It is especially telling that “Richard Nixon, thought Hoover might ‘bring down the temple’ if he were sacked.”  We have learned over the years the indiscretions of many of our Presidents but Hoover had the goods at the time. – Craig)

J. EDGAR HOOVER HAD WHAT WAS POSSIBLY THE WORLD’S LARGEST COLLECTION OF PORNOGRAPHY. (Reportedly it contained photos of celebrities and politicians. The craziest rumor about it: That it contained nude pictures of Eleanor Roosevelt given to him by W.C. Fields!?  Really??  Also, why would he keep the collection — perhaps for his own enjoyment or more likely to have something on these folks should he ever need to it. – Craig)

“9/11: One Day in America” – The Trailer is Here!

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Below we have the trailer for 9/11: One Day in America.  I plan to watch the mini-series.

9/11.  If you’re old enough you know exactly where you were when you learned about the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.  Seeing images brings back memories of that terrible day.  Yet in the days that followed I never felt our country come together more.  It is sad that it sometimes takes a tragedy to bring us together.  

Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the six-part limited series 9/11: One Day in America will premiere August 29 at 9/8c National Geographic

“The One and Only Dick Gregory” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like both the poster and trailer to The One and Only Dick Gregory.  I don’t have Showtime, but am interested in seeing this documentary at some point.  I know very little about Dick Gregory, other than he was an activist.  The clips of his standup comedy were funny and he appears to have been for the betterment of all.  We need more of that..

In writer-director Andre Gaines’ THE ONE AND ONLY DICK GREGORY, extraordinary archival footage and new interviews put a spotlight on this icon’s journey from influential comedian to on-the-ground activist — which is discussed by modern legends including Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, and Wanda Sykes, along with commentary from Harry Belafonte, W. Kamau Bell, Lawrence O’Donnell, Gregory’s wife Lillian Gregory, Medgar Evers’ wife Dr. Myrlie Evers-Williams, and others. Most essential is Dick Gregory himself, whose insights before he died in 2017 provide a crucial through line to what Gregory gave voice to during the Civil Rights era — and which continue to be vital today. Watch the premiere on Sunday, July 4 at 9/8c on SHOWTIME.