V.I.D.E.O.S.: Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

Very Interesting Documentary Everyone Ought to See is a series of blogs that educate the reader about documentaries that not only peak this writer's interest but will make one think about the life that they live and the lives of the rest of the world's people.

There are some movies out there that make you wonder how it was made, and then there are movies that make you wonder "Is this the same guy that directed that last masterpiece?"

Hearts of Darkness is one of the first documentaries of its kind to show the behind the scenes footage of what it was like to make Apocalypse Now, one of the most memorable, over-hyped war movies of all time.  It was hyped up as being the movie to completely define the entirety of war movies and Vietnam through the adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Hearts of Darkness by director Francis Ford Coppola.  The studio pretty much gave him the keys to the castle.

When you make a movie (so I assume) there are certain tasks and goals that need to be accomplished when you go out to direct a mega-movie such as this.  There is also the aspect of how one handles stress and manages others on the set.

Coppola was known for working with megastars like Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Deniro, and many of the other big names of the time that could carry a film.  Directing some of the best performances of a generation was Coppola's best attribute.  Studios figured that he was the guy to go to for turning a script into an Oscar masterpiece.

But then there are things that come out of nowhere when you begin to fly too close to the sun.  Coppola had to go out into the hot tropics and find ways to shoot his movie.  He had to figure out his script to follow, which he rewrote and rewrote, deal with talent that would seem difficult to deal with, and then put out the fires that would occur when the star of the movie suffered from a heart attack.

This is the making of the movie that broke Francis Ford Coppola.  It is highly entertaining, and if you've ever wondered where Tropic Thunder got some of it's comedy reference from, look no further.  This is the movie to watch and enjoy.

V.I.D.E.O.S.: Cocaine Cowboys

Very Interesting Documentary Everyone Ought to See is a series of blogs that educate the reader about documentaries that not only peak this writer's interest but will make one think about the life that they live and the lives of the rest of the world's people.

This documentary was one of the very first ones that I saw when I got into Netflix.  When I first read a summary about it, I was like "eh, this could be either really boring or might just peak my curiosity".  I wasn't expecting anything really big.

I was completely blown away.

This is THE DRUG & VIOLENCE documentary to see!  If you ever want to know why Miami is the way it is, or the history behind why it was the most violent city in America during the late 70's early 80's, or even why Scarface or Miami Vice, or any of that allure exists, watch this documentary.

One of the best things about the movie is the transitioning through the video footage, along with the interviews from the detectives, reporters, witnesses, and even the murderers within Miami during those times.  There is no narration from the director, but the stories just intertwine so perfectly.

The story is based on the real life murders, crimes, and acts of violence that was happening while Cocaine was being one of the biggest commodities in America.  We get introduced to how Cocaine came in through America without anyone noticing.  We learn how the dealers and operators made their bones.  And we also learn how one of the most powerful drug lords, Griselda Blanco(above), flooded the streets of Miami with the blood of so many men and women and ruled over the American Cocaine market.

The people being interviewed that aren't a reporter or a police officer are the actual criminals that were released from turning themselves in or making a deal with law enforcement.  The stories are fascinating and some of the details about one character, Rivi, are especially terrifying.  Here's a quick look at Rivi.

I cannot recommend this movie enough.  It's a story of rags to riches to rags.  It's a riveting documentary that will not disappoint!  Hope you get a chance to watch it sometime.

V.I.D.E.O.S.: Hot Coffee

Let's say that you go down to your local McDonald's or your local Dunkin Donuts.  You go through the Drive-Thru and order a medium hot coffee, cream and sugar.  Just like you have many times before.  But now look at the cup, and look for the saying that many companies now print on the cup.  That little saying that says "Contents Hot" or "Contents May Be Extremely Hot".  Ever wonder what made McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts print that?  The court case is the basis for this fascinating documentary.

Hot Coffee, is a documentary about the liability lawsuits, particularly, this infamous lawsuit about a woman who spilled hot coffee on herself and then sued McDonald's.  Now let me first ask you this question: If you knew a person, who spilled hot coffee on themselves and then sued McDonald's for money, what would you think about that person?  Now, remember that answer, for later and for when you end up watching this Doc.

This stunning documentary was one of the most memorable films I've seen in a while.  It's currently streaming on Netflix, if you have an account, and is probably one of the most eye-opening films about liability suits and tort reform.  I should warn you that there is a very graphic image in the documentary that is part of the lawsuit, and might make some people nauseous.

What is meant by liability suits is when the little guy can sue the big guy in the event that something goes wrong, with anything.  Medical issues, product issues, accidents, and pretty much anything under the sun.  Now, in the documentary we see more than just the one lawsuit of of Leibeck Vs. McDonald's.  We get a long and rich history about what the little guy has been able to do, and in one of the unfortunate cases, we see what has become of the little guy when they are up against the biggest businesses.

Now there are two sides to this coin.  There is the often complaint of frivolous lawsuits and the idea of everyone being able to sue anyone over anything.  In fact, I'm willing to say that an argument such as this would be something that could be brought up at a party, but won't get anyone really upset.  The discussion would be very interesting because across all different avenues, you could an argument for the little guy and for big business.  It walks that fine line.  Unless of course, you're at a party hosted by a lawyer who has strong convictions on such a thing.

But after viewing this movie, you'll definitely think more about product design, liability coverage, insurance lawsuits, and how much money is at stake when something is involved in liability coverage.  I recommend that you write down your thoughts on what you think of the person who sued McDonald's for spilling their hot coffee and then see if you're a changed person when the credits role.

V.I.D.E.O.S.: The King Of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

This week in V.I.D.E.O.S., we will talk about a truly nerd-centric documentary that really mixes adult, competition, and video games into one giant epic.

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters!


Meet Steve Weebe and Billy Mitchell.  Both are grown American men and they both love to do the same thing: play classic Arcade games.

Billy Mitchell is a businessman and a video gamer.  He looks like a Ben Stiller-bad guy with his mullet and mustache.

Told you!  No, but this is legitimately him.  His business is the Ricky's World Famous Restaurant chain of South Florida as well as the sauces of the same name.  Throughout the 1980's he was the kid in the video arcade that was standing in front of one machine for hours and hours crushing the scores on Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., BurgerTime, Pac-Man, and Centipede.  He is probably the most famous gamer in the world.  He is Nerd Elvis in the video game world.  He was awarded a plaque in by Namco for scoring a "Perfect Score" in Pac-Man (seen below).

Mitchell is famous for his gaming, has influenced many others on gaming, and is overall, a very successful person.

Enter Steve Wiebe (pronounced WEE-BEE).

Steve Wiebe is an engineer.  He graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree.  He played sports in high school, and even played drums for jazz band.  He also worked for Boeing.  In essence, he is NOT BILLY MITCHELL.  Wiebe is the challenger to Mitchell's crown of high scores in Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr.  Two men enter.  Only one will claim he is the champion.

Within the documentary we learn about the history of Twin Galaxies, Walter Day (official keeper of the scores for Twin Galaxies seen below), the history and culture of the Arcade as it pertains to Americans, AND we learn about some things about the games that you would not suspect would be involved in video games.  We also meet some other video gamers from the same era.  It's pretty fascinating to see that even before the Internet age, there was a strong network of gamers that just loved to compete.

It's a journey across several states, through several arcades, and will no doubt entertain everyone, whether you are into video games or not.  Prepare for a dramatic race to the top of the Leaderboard!

V.I.D.E.O.S.: Very Interesting Documentary Everyone Ought to See - Room 237

So I just thought of a new segment that I can repeat and it just came to me. Very Interesting Documentaries Everyone Ought to See....V.I.D.E.O.S.! It sounds cool, catchy, and I'm sure that I can get people on board since regular movies are too hit-and-miss and don't always revolve around real life.

My mind has been reeling over this one documentary.  It's a documentary about a movie.  There are many of those out there, but this one isn't about "the making" of a movie.  It's about the reaction from viewers.

The movie is called Room 237.

It's a subjective documentary about some of the hidden messages that many viewers believe are within Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, and what they are meant to represent.  There aren't any images of the people being heard interviewed in the film, but the film itself is so fascinating that it really makes someone think about what we believe we see when we watch a movie.

If you are unfamiliar with The Shining, I suggest you watch that movie.  It's almost 35 years old and can still make people jump.  It is horrifying to say the least.  After watching the documentary, you will be begin to think deeper and deeper about everything that went on in the movie.

I know I'm a little late to the party about blogging about this, but I am a Kubrick-phile.  I love all of Stanley Kubrick's work.  Everything he made is better than just about anything coming out now.  For the time his films were made, they are ever-lasting.  What's really interesting about this movie is the theories that people have structured and the robust arguments that are made.

Now from what cinephiles know about Kubrick is that he was calculated and very into the idea of every image and every frame being part of an overall theme.  But the theories and arguments made in this movie not only bring to light some of the questionable, as well as interesting theories regarding Minotaurs, The Moon Landing, The Holocaust, The American Indian, and so forth.  But the bring about what people are looking at in a movie when they are watching.  The details, the colors, the sounds, the movements are all interconnected in some way.  Kubrick loved to play with these devices to entertain.

I won't spoil any of the documentary, because I think I've told you all that you need to know.  But I highly suggest you check it out on Amazon Instant, or Apple TV or some other medium of watching films.  It is such a high-brow documentary that it really illustrates what people see, what we think we know against what was really shown, as well as things you miss the first time around when watching a movie.

Hope you enjoyed this first of many V.I.D.E.O.S segments.  I love movies and you should too!  Support art!