LeKnott

Buying The War - An Amazing Documentary

This is a must-see documentary in 5 easy-to-stream video chapters.  I strongly suggest taking a few minutes to check it out.  If you are so inclined, please take the time to share it too.

The power of this documentary is it's expert analysis of the role of media in the events surrounding the 9-11 attacks, the run up to the War, and the 'War on Terror'. This is a sophisticated study of the swirl of rhetoric and strategic manipulation of thought and conversation around this critical time in our history.

View the video "Buying the War?" here.

Heavy Metal - An Outstanding Documentary

If you are interested in the history of modern music, and in particular rock and roll, I highly recommend this great music documentary.  It is the story and the music of the Heavy Metal era from its beginnings in the 70s to the present day and includes interviews with members of the top bands, live performances and rare film footage.

From the movie's website here:

This documentary is a considered look at the continuing story of Metal, in the words of the people that make it, live it, breathe it and keep it vital.    

The Bands. The Fans, The Producers, The Industry and The Journalists.

What makes it tick, why nothing else can touch it for power, emotion and longevity, why it’s misunderstood, why it doesn’t care, how it continues to upset the establishment, how it manipulates the media, the positivity, and the way it has forced it’s iconography and ethos deep into an unsuspecting and unwilling mainstream.

Check out the website, and check out this great music documentary.

The U.S. vs John Lennon

Artist. Humanitarian. National Threat.

A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist. An incredibly timely documentary weaving together recent history and present day issues around art, the peace movement, war, sociology and politics.

Go to the site at http://www.theusversusjohnlennon.com/site/.

Paradise Now

Hany Abu-Assad's disturbing yet moving tale finds two men at a critical juncture in their lives. They've been drafted as suicide bombers in an upcoming assignment in Tel Aviv. Granted a night to spend with their families, they go home but are unable to say goodbye for fear of tipping their hand. But perhaps it isn't time for farewells yet as the two become separated during the mission and must decide on their own whether to continue or bail out.

Check it out on NetFlix at http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?trkid=73&movieid=70038943

New York Doll

"...an examination of the New York Doll's Bass Player Arthur "Killer" Kane, and his transformation from rock-bottom alcoholic depressive to born-again Mormon. The film then goes into standard Rock Doc territory showing the history of the band and interviews from surviving band members and historians and similar artists and prodigy's.

But it goes beyond that as it examines his new zest for life, and his longing to reconnect with the remaining members of the dolls to play and reconcile. Just like it is read by his ex-wife in a passage from his book of Mormon, if you pray and ask for something in faith the lord willing will grant it. And shocking enough he gets that miraculous chance to unite at a festival in London."

Check out the film here http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=70029617&mqso=60178549

Top 100 Movie Quotes of All Time

The American Film Institute recently released a list of the top 100 movie quote of all time, and it's a fairly entertaining read. To the list below, I'd add a few favorites:

* "A frog and a bear, seeing America." The Muppet Movie, 1979.

*You just gotta keep on livin. L-I-V-I-N." Dazed and Confused, 1993

* Grace comes by art, and art does not come easy. "A River Runs Through It, 1992.

City of God

City of God  or Cidade de Deus, is a film adapted from the romance City of God of Paulo Lins. It depicts the growth of the organized crime in this Rio de Janeiro's suburb, between the end of the 60's and the beginning of the 80's. The story is based on real facts. The adaptation was made by the writer Braulio Mantovani.

VJ V2 -- Video Scratch Artist

"A pioneer in the emerging art of manipulating visuals the way disc jockeys shape sound, Vello Virkhaus performs on club and concert stages worldwide. “Sometimes it’s really nerve-racking,” admits Virkhaus. “When you’re in front of 50,000 people and you’re about to push this one button, there’s that initial rush in case it doesn’t work. But it works. And after that, it’s the most fun you could have."

Read the Full Story at apple.com

Waking Life

A friend turned us on to Waking Life, written and directed by Richard Linklater (Slacker, Dazed and Confused).  It is a visionary animated film of deep play that is stylistically innovative and spiritually rich in content (spritualityhealth.com).  (view trailer)

This is definitely worth checking out if only to see an amazing genre of film production but there is also a very interesting approach to laying out a quest for understanding universal truths.

Linklater shot the film on video then animated it with software and hardware called the Wacom Tablet.  When you visit the film's site check out "roboscoping" under 'About' to learn more about some of the production techniques used in this truly innovative film.

Grateful Dawg

The deeply rooted musical friendship between Jerry Garcia and David Grisman is exquisitely detailed in the 80-minute musical documentary Grateful Dawg... (more) (view trailer)