Documentary Archives - Page 17 of 63

“Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” another winner from Alex Gibney

March 27, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

You may have been somewhat familiar with the religion of Scientology if you are a fan of two of its most famous adherents, Tom Cruise and John Travolta, but Alex Gibney’s striking documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, making its debut March 29 on HBO, goes way beyond the external facade to reveal an — at best, weird; at worst, frightening, abusive and borderline fascistic — organization. Cruise and Travolta are, of course, featured in prominent portions of the documentary (although both declined to participate in the film, archival footage is offered, including a segment with Cruise speaking […]

ID airing updated “Vanity Fair Confidential” episode about Robert Durst

March 17, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

In the wake of the recent re-arrest of alleged murderer and real estate heir Robert Durst — and Durst’s shocking, apparent confession on Sunday’s final episode of the HBO docuseries The Jinx — Investigation Discovery (ID) will air a special presentation of its Vanity Fair Confidential series. Called “The Robert Durst Story,” this episode is based on a February 2002 article by Ned Zeman that appeared in Vanity Fair. It touches upon rarely discussed or reported information about the relationship between Durst and Morris Black, the Gavleston, Texas, victim whom Durst was tried for killing. Durst was acquitted, even though the trial revealed that he did […]

Nat Geo Wild’s “Secret Garden” a timely spring special

March 17, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

Here where I live, in southern Wisconsin, we suddenly started experiencing the first taste of spring over the past week. Temperatures in the 50s and 60s rapidly melted off about a foot of snow that had held firm on the ground for the previous six weeks, getting us ready for the official first day of spring this Friday. Amid the first stirrings of spring, it was timely that I was able to screen Nat Geo Wild’s new special Secret Garden, a lovely little program that similarly chronicles nature awakening to new seasons, and also timed in its airing near the first […]

30 for 30: I Hate Christian Laettner debuts Sunday on ESPN

March 15, 2015 Ryan Berenz

ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series returns Sunday, March 15, at 9pm ET, with I Hate Christian Laettner, directed by Rory Karpf. Featuring interviews with former teammates, rivals and Laettner himself, the film examines one of the most polarizing figures in college basketball and why the former Duke star has been — and still is — so disliked by many. Laettner made one of the most dramatic shots in the history of the NCAA basketball tournament, started in four Final Fours and helped Duke win two national championships. But his squeaky-clean image and perceived sense of entitlement turned off many […]

Intriguing “Dolphins: Spy in the Pod” embeds hidden cameras with dolphins

March 7, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

If you saw the impressive documentary Penguins: Waddle All the Way, in which hidden cameras delightfully captured the lives of the aquatic birds, you’ll be happy to know that same production team is back, and this time using their filmmaking techniques to follow dolphins. Dolphins: Spy in the Pod premieres March 7 on Discovery Channel, and takes an hour-long journey into the waters of Mozambique, Costa Rica, the Florida Keys, the Pacific Ocean and Shark Bay, Australia, to discover the relationships and habits of bottlenose and spinner dolphins. From Discovery: “Using a new generation of cutting-edge, animatronic spy cameras disguised as sea creatures, DOLPHINS: […]

Oscar winning documentary feature Citizenfour premieres on HBO tonight

February 23, 2015 Lori Acken

On the heels of its Oscar win for best documentary feature at last night’s Academy Awards, filmmaker Laura Poitras’ searing documentary Citizenfour makes its HBO debut tonight at 9/8CT. Steven Soderbergh co-executive produces the real-life thriller. In January 2013, Poitras — who was already at work on a film about monitoring programs in the U.S. — received an encrypted email from a stranger calling himself Citizen Four, who offered her inside information about illegal wiretapping practices of the National Security Agency (NSA) and other intelligence agencies. That June, Poitras traveled to Hong Kong with her camera and investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald to […]

CNN acquires ‘Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me’

February 23, 2015 Lori Acken

CNN announced on Sunday that it has acquired domestic broadcast rights to the critically acclaimed documentary Glen Campbell … I’ll Be Me. The theatrical release follows beloved country music legend Glen Campbell and his family as he embarks on a farewell tour after he is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The network plans to broadcast the film in June and again in November. Featuring Campbell singing the Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” — memorably performed by Tim McGraw at last night’s Oscars ceremony — the tender, funny and inspiring film “follows the long goodbye that is Alzheimer’s disease as Campbell, and […]

Shania: Still the One Live from Vegas special airs Feb. 28 on ABC

February 20, 2015 Lori Acken

Shania Twain fans, if you never did make it to Las Vegas to see her live Shania: Still the One shows at the The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, here’s some good news. On Saturday, Feb. 28, ABC will present the exclusive concert event “Shania: Still the One Live from Vegas.” The special, executive produced by Twain, features the full stage show, plus more than an hour of behind-the scenes footage spotlighting what it took to bring the flashy musical spectacular to the stage — including a 13-piece band, dancers, trained horses and a flying motorcycle. And of course Twain’s signature spin on country […]

Fascinating PBS series explores history of “The Italian Americans”

February 17, 2015 Jeff Pfeiffer

Thanks to a society largely dominated by pop culture, the view of Italian-Americans among most of their fellow citizens might fall within the realm of The Sopranos or The Godfather, or even Jersey Shore. While elements from each of these can be found in Italian-American society, there are, as with every other group, things that are perhaps less recognized and celebrated. The new two-night PBS series The Italian Americans, following in the footsteps of the network’s similarly themed Latino Americans and The African Americans, looks to give the full history of Italians in America. Each hourlong episode in the four-part […]

‘Kobe Bryant’s Muse’ — The NBA star gets personal in Showtime documentary

February 12, 2015 Lori Acken

Despite a recent pair of major injuries, 36-year-old NBA legend Kobe Bryant is still among the league’s top scorers this season — but he knows his storied time on the court is limited. And he knows he has plenty of people to thank for his good fortune. Brainstorming a new Nike ad campaign with his wife Vanessa during the 2013 NBA season, the pair happened upon the idea of muses — spotlighting the people and experiences that shaped and championed Bryant’s will to succeed, both on and off the court. Realizing that he had much to say on the topic […]