Access Atlanta > Movies > Blog > Archives > 2007 > October > 12
Friday, October 12, 2007
‘Why Did I Get Married?’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tyler Perry’s new movie, which was released Friday, wasn’t screened for reviewers. But the AJC’s movie critic Bob Longino did catch an early peek at the film (See ‘First Look’). Now that it’s on the big screen, tell us what you think. How was it? Is it a great date movie? Would you send a friend?
Athens teen’s tale among favorite documentaries
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dear Mr. Smithee,
We enjoy reading your column every week. Lately you have had several columns that list your favorite (insert type here) movies. My family went to see “Shadow of the Moon” recently and thought it well done.
What documentaries do you recommend?
ALLYCE MACON, Atlanta
Dear Fact Finder,
Over the years I’ve seen hundreds of documentaries - mostly for film festivals.
But there are dozens each year that also get theatrical releases.
One of the best I’ve seen this year is “Darius Goes West,” about an Athens teen with muscular dystrophy who travels with a group of friends to California in hopes of having his wheelchair upgraded by MTV’s “Pimp My Ride.”
“Darius” won the audience award at the Atlanta Film Festival and has picked up dozens of honors in other festivals.
Overall, I’d say these are among my favorite documentaries of the past few years:
“Capturing the Friedmans” - Explosive tale of family and abuse, much of it filmed by the family as members face child sex charges.
“The Journey” - From Atlanta filmmaker Eric Saperston, it features remarkable conversations with successful people talking about touchstones in their lives.
“Grizzly Man” - The tale of a totally bizarre man risking life and limb to hang around grizzly bears.
“4 Little Girls” - Spike Lee’s engrossing look at the 1963 Birmingham church bombing.
“The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till” - Brooklyn filmmaker Keith Beauchamp’s look into the 1955 slaying in Mississippi of the Chicago teen helped urge authorities to reopen the case.
“Southern Comfort” - A haunting love story about a female-to-male transgender and a male-to-female transgender.
“The Filth and the Fury” - Everything anyone needs to know about the Sex Pistols.
“Tarnation” - An amazing film that comes as close as anyone can to putting schizophrenia on celluloid.
“Dig” - A terrific look at the music and fights among the American bands the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre.
“The Story of the Weeping Camel” - Forget all those penguins. This is the most touching animal documentary out there.
And, by the way, here are a few other documentaries you should see as soon as possible: “Woodstock,” “Shoah,” “Nanook of the North,” “Sherman’s March,” “The Thin Blue Line,” “Hoop Dreams,” “Bowling for Columbine” and Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will” and “The Olympiad.”
ALAN
P.S. You get a baseball sleeves shirt from “The Final Season” and an “Ask Alan Smithee” T-shirt.
Dear Mr. Smithee,
I rented “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised by it.
I’m a huge Dustin Hoffman fan, and even though his was a small role in it, I thought it was a very unique film with an intriguing plotline.
I had never heard of it before and was wondering what your thoughts were on this film.
BRYANT HENDRICKS, Atlanta
Dear White Shoulders,
You probably didn’t hear about “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” because it didn’t last too long in theaters.
It was made by one of my favorite directors, Tom Tykwer, who also made “Run Lola Run” and “The Princess and the Warrior.”
“Perfume” wasn’t nearly as good as those two films, and many critics didn’t like it at all.
Hoffman, in my humble but most learned opinion, is probably the best thing about “Perfume.” He plays a perfume maker and does a splendid job of it.
While I tired of the murderer - who hunted women and condensed them, extracting their essence to create a stupendous perfume - I certainly was brought awake by that orgy scene.
Looks to me like it was one of the largest if not the most populated one ever on film.
ALAN
P.S. You get a blue wind jacket from “The Kingdom” and an “Ask Alan Smithee” T-shirt.
HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. SMITHEE?
E-mail him at alansmithee@ajc.com or go to accessAtlanta.com and click on Movies. Please include your name, city and daytime phone number. Mr. Smithee can’t reply to every request, but inquiries chosen for publication will receive movie-related prizes.
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