The Spy Factory, 2009 (Grade D)

Producer Scott Willis & James Bamford
Topic: NSA / National Security Agency

this program  claims to exposes the NSA, an "ultra-secret intelligence agency" and its role in the failure to stop the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent eavesdropping program that listens in without warrant on millions of American citizens.  The program is alarmist, wanting you to hold your breath to hear what you already know --- that is, you know it if you pay attention to the news.  Yes the NSA operates in the shadows, and it may well be doing things that are 'unconstitutional' and we ought to be aware that it exists. So if you didn't know any of this, well then, this docu-drama will tell you these things.  But what it doesn't talk about is do we need this organization..and if so, how do we have an organization that can do what it does and also not have it cross lines pertaining to civil liberties.  This documentary both criticizes the agency for not being invasive enough (stop 9/11) and for being too invasive. So which is it you want?  We could use a serious discussion about this topic--but it is not available in this documentary.

Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues: A Musical Journey Vol 7, Piano Blues Grade B

Director Clint Eastwood
Producer Martin Scorsese
Topic Piano Blues

Disc 7 -- the last in the series

Clint Eastwood takes an in-depth look at piano-blues music through rare video footage, interviews and performances by greats such as Ray Charles, Jay McShann, Pinetop Perkins, Dave Brubeck and many more -- He tends to take us into jazz and classical works--but keeps trying to tie them back to the blues. It is clear that Eastwood love the piano -- and I enjoyed this a lot.. but I really wold have preferred it if he would have stayed a little closer to the music I do so love-- the blues.

Storm That Drowned A City, 2005 (Grade B+)

Written Directed and Produced by Caroline Penry-Davey and Peter Chinn
Topic: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Geography & Politics

sez says: This is well done. It was helpful to at last get a full understanding of the exact geography of the area hit by Katrina--and to see where, how and why the levies failed. It all could be predicted--and it was predicted--so you have to realize we don't always do what we know we should do and we pay the consequence. Or, in this case the people of New Orleans paid the consequence of inadequate levies. Is anyone checking to make sure the new ones are being done right? (grade B+) 

A Walk to Beautiful, 2008 Grade A+

Producer  Mary Olive Smith
Topic: African Women with Obstetric Fistula

Awards: This film took top honors at the 2007 International Documentary Association Awards Competition, where it was named Best Feature Documentary. It also won the People's Choice Award for Best Documentary at the Starz Denver Film Festival, the Audience Award at both the San Francisco and St. Louis international film festivals, and the Best Human Rights Film Award at the International Documentary Festival of Barcelona.

sez says: this is as perfect of a documentary as I have ever seen. There is no hyped-up dialogue. It is just a straight forward telling of a story about people facing an horrendous problem and good people trying to help those people.  It is about African women who, due to malnourishment, stunted growth, early child bearing, and lack of medical facilities, develop fistula while they are in labor.  They are then outcast.  There is a small clinic they can go to the get the fistula repaired--and the operation is generally helpful--but it can only help a very few of the large number of women with the problem. This is heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Grade A for perfect job.

Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues: A Musical Journey Vol 6, Red, White & Blue- Grade A

Director Mike Figgis
Producer Martin Scorsese
Topic The Blues -- British Impact

sez says --this is the best in the series (so far) It includes people like Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Tom Jones who perform and talk about how American Blues came to England, the impact it had there and how it morphed and than returned to the USA as part of the wave of British blues music that hit the United States in the '60s. These are mostly talking head interviews--interspersed with some fine music. It gave a strong sense of time and place and personality. John Mayall, Steve Winwood. Georgie Fame, Albert Lee,  Mick Fleetwood, Humphrey Lyttleton, Lonnie Donnegan, Chris Farlowe,  and John Porter, plus some very special foot age of performances by Cream, the Mick Jagger / The Rolling Stones and more.  The point that is made, is that Black Blues Music was introduced to  American White Audiences via English performers.  Had they not 'discovered the blues' we Americans might have continued to ignore it. (Grade A)

This So Called Disaster: (Grade B)

Director: Michael Almereyda
Cast: Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Cheech Marin, Sheila Tousey, T-Bone Burnett, Sam Shepard, Woody Harrelson
Topic: Theater --producing a Sam Shepard Play

sez says: fun to watch these actor at work --it gives you a sense of what it takes to produce a play. The relationship between the writer-director and the actors is had to describe in words--but it is something you can watch and  pick up clues about. It sure entertained me... but I have to wonder what kind of mass appeal it might have.  (Grade B)

The Sucide Tourist (Grade A)

Director: John ZaritskyProducer FRONTLINE
Topic: Right to Die / Sucide

sez sys: I thought this was a perfectly crafted documentary. We follow a man with Lou Gehrig's Disease as he decides to take action and bring on own death before he has to experience extreme suffering--and then die anyway.   Dignatis, a Swiss Organization, aids him and his wife, providing the assistance they need.  It is a strong piece for anyone, both those who are pro-and those who are cob assisted suicide-- to observe and consider the issues at hand.  We all will die: Some of us will travel the hard road to making a decision about when and how.  This is a helpful perspective. (Grade A)