From Darkness to Light (2024)

 

"From Darkness to Light" is a documentary which examines another movie, "The Day the Clown Cried," the lost Jerry Lewis movie that has now become legend because of the subject matter and because no one has seen it.

"The Day the Clown Cried" is a comedy that takes place in the holocaust - Jerry Lewis plays a clown who entertains children in a concentration camp, and at the end he leads them to a gas chamber.

I've been curious to see "The Day the Clown Cried" ever since I heard about it. This documentary is the closest I'm ever going to get to that (according to the documentary). It rightfully shows large portions of the actual movie in between interviews and narration. The documentary, astonishingly, also was able to get Jerry Lewis himself to open up and talk about it shortly before he died in 2017. It is a surprising development; when Lewis was in a press conference about when the movie would be viewable he replied "None of your goddamn business!"

And so "From Darkness to Light" is worth watching if you're interested in the subject. There are two aspects about it which I find perplexing. The movie goes through the motions of explaining that a comedy about the holocaust is a crazy concept and should never be done. They've apparently forgotten about "Jacob the Liar" (1974), "Jakob the Liar" (1999) and "Life is Beautiful" (1997). That is, until the end of the documentary when these things are revealed as a "twist" that is not a twist at all. "Life is Beautiful" won an Oscar, we remember. 

The other problem is that they imply that some people, including Harry Shearer, through access to a film vault, have seen a rough cut of the movie. So then the implication that the movie will never be seen is confusing - a copy exists out there, did something happen to it? We're just assuming a leak is impossible? Why?

Bob Dylan in We Are the World - Revisited

 Last year I jokingly posted this video.

A friend recommended "The Greatest Night in Pop," a documentary about the making of "We Are the World" and I have a theory about what's going on.

Quincy Jones was the producer for the song and when all the stars are assembled in their choir formation, he instructs them, if the song goes outside your range, don't make an attempt, don't sing a harmony, just stop singing. The idea is, there are so many voices, no one will miss any particular one so don't force it.

I don't think I can get inside Bob Dylan's head and predict what he thinks but it's possible that he thought, "There isn't a single note in this song in my range so I'm just gonna sit out."

A Rad Documentary Trailer

A trailer for "A Rad Documentary" has been released on youtube.

Thanks to Vic for the news tip.

Rad Day is Next Week

 

You may recall that last year "Rad Remastered" was released to theaters on Rad Day. Well, they're doing it again. 

"Rad" will be re-re-released shown in theaters March 20th. Last year's iteration promised "new footage" and I speculated that the extra footage might be the Rad Documentary that was never released. While the extra footage last year turned out to be a new interview with some of the cast, this year's release will be a "double feature" alongside the world premiere of the never-before-seen documentary "A Rad Documentary."

I looked everywhere for a "A Rad Documentary" trailer and found nothing except this trailer for the double feature event has about 2 seconds of documentary footage.... in fact, it maybe 1 second.

I don't know how it's possible to release a movie in 2025 without a trailer on youtube, but ok, here's a BOOTLEG of the trailer that was shown in 2021:

The really exciting thing about the documentary, to me, is that, yes, it does include Hollywood Mike Miranda.

Bear in mind that Rad Day is officially March 21st, though the Fathom theatrical event is March 20th.

JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass

 

Over the years I've flip-flopped quite a lot in my opinion of Oliver Stone's "JFK." To be more precise I always felt it was a fascinating film, extremely well constructed and haunting, but what I kept questioning was whether it told a true story.

In 2021, with the help of further research and unclassified documents, Stone returned to the same subject to re-assess his previous movie. The new information adds a great deal of clarity, as does the documentary, rather than feature film, format.

It's hard to believe I had not heard of this movie's existence until recently - "JFK" was a box-office and cultural phenomenon. Whether it is a function of Oliver Stone's decline in relevance, a decline in interest in documentaries, my own ignorance or something else, I cannot say. But upon hearing about it, I knew I was interested.

Not wishing to be political in any way, but it is worth noting that President Trump has promised to open up the JFK files when he takes office. That should be very interesting indeed and perhaps another movie will be called for.

Yacht Rock Dockumentary Trailer

The new trailer for HBO's upcoming "dockumentary" about Yacht Rock. It premieres November 29.

Revealing the True Identity of D.B. Cooper

 "Another mystery post? What is this, "Unsolved Mysteries?" Who do you think you are, Robert Stack?"

Not hardly. No, this is different and for two very important reasons:

1) Other videos I've posted on Jack the Ripper were extremely well made with painstaking production value. Whereas this one is terrible.

2) The other videos explain the mystery without a definitive resolution. This video solves the case.

In part 2, the video from 0:00 up to 36:00 is pertinent to the conclusions of part 1. It involves the discovery of a "smoking gun" and therefore highly recommended if you've watched part 1. 

Everything from 36:00 on is solely devoted from the case to examining the FBI's actions in the shooting of "D.B. Cooper."

I don't know whether you know about the story of D.B. Cooper, I assume everyone does. (Here's Rich Evans explaining.) D.B. Cooper was never found and the case remains unsolved to this day.

But as I say, this video claims to have solved the case and I am convinced. But I'm also annoyed that I have to watch 4 hours of video when the pertinent information could be edited down to 40 minutes to an hour. I don't usually use the term "Boomer" as a criticism but this is Boomered to the toppermost. There's no other way to put it. Pointless segments, slow pacing, clueless camerawork, making it unnecessarily personal, extraneous exposition, basically extraneous everything, and so on. Somewhere in the second hour we're treated to a tour of D.B.Cooper's home and I have to admit, I was not interested in learning where the TV and the couch were. Call me crazy. Somewhere in hour 3, I'm watching video of people in a van finding a place to park and shouting "could this have been edited out?!" 

"No, the people need to see the parking of the van. Tell the world." 

Ponderous, man. Ponderous.

But that's the long and short of it: good information, the chance to find out the true identity of D.B. Cooper - one of the all-time greatest mysteries - but if you get into it, go in knowing that it's going to be a slog. You decide for yourself; choose your own adventure.

The Enduring Mystery of Jack the Ripper

Today is the 135th anniversary of Jack the Ripper's first murder, and while this is not a day I particularly celebrate, it just so happens I've recently come across this excellent documentary.

One thought is below as long as you've watched the video first.

It seems to me, the elephant in this particular room is the combination of the brutality of the crime and the suddenness of the start and stop of the spree. Do serial murderers usually "get it out of their system" and hang up their hat after a certain time? The fact that they stop suddenly suggests we should look at who died around that time, who was arrested, and if there were similar crimes in other countries before or after (though the fame of this case means it's likely there weren't). I don't say this to try to crack open the case that so many people have looked into, just that I wish this was addressed in the video because I'm lazy and don't want to start searching the internet for Jack the Ripper.

When I was a kid in the 80s, there was a TV special where a group of experts were going to get together and finally "decide" or "announce" the real identity of Jack the Ripper. I remember the mentality of being so naive that I believed it was going to happen completely and was just so in awe of the entire proceeding. It was an important event! The secret was finally going to be revealed! We were finally going to know!

But that event (special) did create a lasting impression on me that I've remembered to this day. I should try to track that special down sometime but that also involves searching the internet for Jack the Ripper.

The Last Dance and The Last Waltz

A few things I've watched recently that might be of interest...

The Last Dance (2020)

If basketball was your thing in the 90s - and especially if you followed Michael Jordan and the Bulls teams of that era - "The Last Dance" is a 10 part documentary from ESPN that follows that team throughout their two three-peat runs. It's extremely well done, interviewing all the people involved now, with the benefit of hindsight and the benefit of so much time elapsing that they can speak freely about what was really going down. The main focus of the series is the last season the Bulls were all together (1997-1998) but in each episode it will flip between the "present" and the "past" so that eventually the entire era will be covered.

The split timeline is a little disorienting but I get it, it allows for more of the "cliffhanger", "let's make them binge watch it" style that keeps you wanting more.

Extremely interesting, highly recommended.

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band (2019)

Apparently there's a "new" documentary about The Band and it flew under my radar until now. This is another Martin Scorcese project and, therefore, focuses a great deal on Robbie Robertson rather than treating the group equally. You might say the documentary is about the entire band but from Robbie's perspective.

After "The Last Waltz", my knee-jerk reaction to Robbie Robertson-centrism is to wince but, after all, the book "This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band" and the documentary "Ain't in It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm" told other sides of the story so it's only fair to get Robbie's.

A lot of time is spent on the relationship between Robertson and Levon Helm - how they were closer than brothers back in the day but then grew apart, eventually turning into something approaching enemies. This is, again Robbie, telling his side, justifying himself. The problem with Robbie's perspective, though - and this documentary - is that he's struggling to grasp Levon's point of view and then and then arguing against his own vague theories. This makes his arguments seem disingenuous, at best.

Why would you not read Levon's book, or watch his documentary, or read the articles where you can get specific quotes, the thoughts stated by Levon himself and respond to those? We live in the age of the printed word and have lived there for hundreds of years. Let's get Robertson's side, sure, but how much more valuable would the documentary be if it provided an exchange of ideas between Robbie and Levon that neither got in their lifetimes?

As it is, the film leaves the conflict to everyone's imagination. "Oh, there are two sides to history and who can say who is right and who is wrong?, etc." And it will probably stay that way forever. There may be a hint though in the fact that, as long as we're forced into the realm of imagination, we have to wonder why it appears one side is dodging the issue.

In the end, I don't know who's right or wrong or even where the gray area stops. My head tends to think Robertson may be right but my heart is still with Levon and the rest of the band. Overall, a well-made documentary worth watching if you're interested. The music and video footage are amazing.

The Doomed Cleveland Balloonfest of '86

"The Doomed Cleveland Balloonfest of '86" is, to me, one of the greatest clickbaity titles for a video that I can imagine.

And although it doesn't quite live up to the mystery of the title, as 6 minute documentaries go, it's still pretty interesting.

Too Funny To Fail Trailer

If you're a reader of this blog you already know of the insane singularity that was "The Dana Carvey Show".

Now it looks like Hulu is creating a documentary about it. You can see the trailer below.





Is there any worse phrase than "only on Hulu"? But yet I must see it.

"Too Funny to Fail" will be released October 21st. Oh yeah, that happened already.

Continue? - The Ken Burns Tetralogy

One of my favorite recurring bits on Continue? is when they spoof Ken Burns documentaries. Below are all four times they've done it. All of which were edited by Josh Henderson.

First is one of my favorite episodes all-time, "Sammy Sosa Softball Slam" which parodies "Baseball". Also the ending (which I won't spoil) is so great.



In "Super Conflict" they tackle "The Civil War" (though there might be some "The Great War" in there) and it's another excellent ending.



This is probably the weakest episode, "Rising Zan". Also probably "The Civil War" though the music is from "Baseball".



"Guerilla War" doesn't reference any specific Ken Burns documentary, it's more of an amalgam. But Ken Burns does have a documentary called "Vietnam" due to be aired next year. This episode is notable for the fact that it's the first appearance of any other character other than Granola Daniel.

Can't Stop, Won't Stop, EhEh EhEh

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011)

In Conan mythology the most important period is the murky, uncertain confusion after "The Tonight Show" ended and "Conan" began. Like European history between WWI and WWII it overlaps the aftermath of one cataclysmic event with the build up towards another. It's also the period of which we know least about, as Conan was legally prohibited from appearing on television. It came as quite a shock, then, to learn that despite the TV ban, cameras were rolling the whole time.

"Conan Can't Stop" is a new "fly on the wall" documentary that shows us exactly this sliver of time. As it begins, Conan is still reeling from losing "The Tonight Show" whilst preparing to go on a 2 month, 30 city tour of live venues. We get to go inside his life, inside his home and inside his mind. "I AM angry", Conan says, contradicting most of what he's said publicly, "I'm REALLY angry at times. I'm trying not to be but I'm really, really angry about - and I just have to be honest - I'm really angry about the way I was treated..." A few minutes later we get to witness Conan as he discovers the power of social media. Conan is shown sending a single tweet about his tour and within minutes he's informed that many cities have already sold out.

This first half hour is documentary gold. It's everything you want, and more - a real insight into the man and the events. It's also very funny. It's often been said (ok, by me) that the funniest parts of Conan's talk show(s) are not the monologue, the guests, the written bits, etc. The funniest thing Conan can do is film a remote where he goes some place and reacts spontaneously with real people. In this sense, the documentary is kind of a marathon-length film chunk of just that. It's high-octane Conan improv. Early on Conan realizes his lunch order is incorrect:

C: "I'm going to have to [fire you] over this."

Assistant: "I think the restaurant just messed up because she--"

C: "Well, either way you're losing your job over this."

Assistant: "I really, really do not want to lose my job."

C: "That's what people who lose their job say."

But as the tour gets under way and continues week after week, the film quickly devolves into the same tour documentary that we've all seen too many times. The tour is emotionally draining, the travel is exhausing, every gig runs into the next, every city is the same, he misses his family, he needs a day off but can't get one, and so on and so forth. This is the kind of material that's been retread endlessly and not with entertaining results. In fact it's shocking how closely it resembles a rockumentary. When highlights from the various performances are shown, they are too often musical performances. And not even comedic songs or parody songs, they're old rock standards. I don't really have a problem watching Conan and his band cover "Rock This Town", as such (and it's quite nice to see Conan play "The Weight"), but after the excellence of the first half hour you're very aware that the film is fully capable of so much more. It drags a bit.

To say that the documentary depicts Conan "warts and all" would be very cliched and also very true. The main element of Conan's humor off-camera, biting sarcasm, is also almost entirely absent on his show. Fans who haven't seen the "off-air" side of him may misunderstand but it's explained in the film as a safe way to release negative emotions. That's all well and good and in fact, as in the conversation above, it provides many of the funnier moments. But as Conan dances on the fine line between a sharp jab and geniuine nastiness, he's shown crossing it as well. Scenes where the TV Conan meets and greets fans, signing autographs and humbly thanking them for their support are followed by scenes of Conan (out of the public eye) pettily whining that he shouldn't have to do it. Later, one of the backup singers who is touring with him, wants him to meet her family. He happily and graciously meets them and as soon as they're gone he's outraged that his time is being wasted. I recognize that when cameras follow anyone around for a lengthy amount of time, they're going to find something bad and I don't expect him to be anything but human but it is an unpleasant glimpse - it shows him as disingenuous and self-centered.

Overall, the first half hour and the final few minutes are excellent and are enough to compensate for a weak hour in the middle. But regardless of the general quality of the film, if you're a Conan fan, it's absolutely required viewing. While there is much here which we've seen before, there is also an unequaled, unrivaled glimpse into events of which we know little. In these latter moments, we get to examine Conan O'brien, the man, up-close, uncensored and in real life. The only hitch is that sometimes, up close, you don't like everything you see.

6/10.

Catfish

Catfish (2010)

When one thinks of all the great movies within the "psychological thriller documentary" genre, not many movies come to mind. In fact no movies come to mind. This is one of those things that perhaps in a few days it'll suddenly come to me that I forgot one but at the moment there are no movies in this category. Except for the new documentary "Catfish".

We all know that the internet is a place where fiction and reality can be hard to discern. It's a hard and fast rule for instance that the attractive lady you're chatting to in chat rooms is really an overweight 40-year-old man who works as a part-time accountant. But can you be sure either way? And wouldn't you like to find out the stark naked truth (NOT LITERALLY)? This is "Catfish".

"Catfish" is a low-budget indie documentary that only recently came out on DVD and (I assume) if anyone is to find out about it, it will only be via word of mouth. In it a 24-year-old photographer from New York strikes up a friendship with a family in the Midwest over facebook. Through social networking, email, pictures, texts, videos and phone conversations he starts a relationship with the 19-year-old oldest sister and things progress steadily from there. As the relationship starts to get more serious, a series of strange clues cause him to begin to question whether he's actually interacting with a real person. And if he wasn't talking to a real person, what is the alternative possibility? Hoping to finally uncover the truth he decides on an impromptu visit and finds that the reality of the situation is beyond strange.

Obviously, getting at the truth is exactly the point of the movie and I won't spoil anything here. I only suggest that the building mystery is as fascinating as any mystery/fictional movie you're bound to see and the slow descent into the fictional (real) world is absolutely creepy. In fact the creepiness combined with the low-budget one-camera style at one point brought up memories of "The Blair Witch Project". Except this documentary is real (I think) and truth is stranger than fiction. Definitely recommended.

Oh yeah, and don't read or watch anything about the movie beforehand because, like "The Sixth Sense", a large part of the interest of the movie is finding out how it ends. That is, don't read anything about it starting now.