Category Archives: For Preview Only

Powers of Ten explores the relative size of things from the microscopic to the cosmic. The 1977 film travels from an aerial view of a man in a Chicago park to the outer limits of the universe directly above him … Continue reading →

If there exists a stereotype of the cannibal as a wild-eyed savage from a remote vastness, surely Tobias Schneebaum does not fit it. Turning 80 this month, he is a frail, soft-spoken gay Manhattanite of scholarly disposition and artistic bent. … Continue reading →

Concerned citizens seeking to learn more about the experiences of everyday Iraqis in a time when the U.S. led war with the Middle Eastern nation shows no end of slowing get an illuminating glimpse at the true damage that bombs … Continue reading →

A hotly contested political race generates a wealth of drama in this documentary from filmmaker Marshall Curry. Sharpe James is a veteran politician who has been mayor of Newark, NJ, since 1986; by the admission of his own spokespeople, James … Continue reading →

Eight youngsters vie for one of the most hotly contested academic awards in the United States in this documentary. Every spring, the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee attracts students from all over the United States, and filmmaker Jeff Blitz follows … Continue reading →

Three young men leave behind a land in chaos to find new lives in a thoroughly different culture in this documentary. As the African nation of Sudan fell into political disarray near the dawn of the 21st century, with unspeakable … Continue reading →

The personal film archives of Yoko Ono were utilized for this feature-length documentary on the life of John Lennon. Predictably, it downplays Lennon’s association with the Beatles and concentrates on his years with Ono. The film spends a lot of … Continue reading →

Part family comedy and part horrifying investigative reportage, Blue Vinyl can make one simultaneously laugh and shiver with fear in the same, deceptively low-key moments. Documentary filmmaker Judith Helfand, upset that her parents are re-siding their house with blue vinyl, … Continue reading →

In this episode of NOVA, Conrad Anker leads an expedition to climb the highest mountain peak in Antarctica: Vinson Massif. Anker was joined by author Jon Krakauer, guide Dave Hahn, glaciologist Dan Stone, extreme skier Andrew McLean, NOVA producer Liesl … Continue reading →

Outdoor and underwater filmmaker Greg MacGillivray explores the secret world of dolphins in this documentary. Dolphins offers a glimpse at many of the 40 varieties of dolphins, in waters from Patagonia to the West Indies, as MacGillivray joins a group … Continue reading →