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The Kid Stays in the Picture

2009-11-20T00:49:44-05:00

Robert Evans' rise from second-string actor (who really was discovered while lounging by the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel) to head of one of Hollywood's biggest movie studios is told from the viewpoint of Evans himself in this documentary, adapted from his autobiography (and featuring Evans' own narration). In 1957, Evans had already achieved success in the garment business when actress Norma Shearer spotting him at poolside and suggested he should play her late husband, legendary producer Irving Thalberg, in the movie Man of a Thousand Faces. While Evans knew he wasn't cut out to be an actor, he discovered he liked the movie business, and after becoming a film industry executive, Evans was named head of production at Paramount in the late '60s. Under Evans' leadership, Paramount produced such classics as Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, and The Godfather. He also married actress Ali McGraw; however, McGraw left Evans for Steve McQueen after they starred together in The Getaway. After leaving Paramount to become a producer (and racking up hits like Chinatown and Marathon Man), Evans' golden touch began to elude him; an arrest for drugs seemed to put an end to his career, until he made a comeback as a freelance producer in the 1990s on such films as Sliver and The Saint. Part of the narration for The Kid Stays in the Picture was drawn from the book-on-tape version of Robert Evans' autobiography of the same name, which featured Evans reading his own work; the audio book has developed a cult following of its own, and legend has it Dustin Hoffman based his performance in Wag the Dog on Evans' reading style on the tape. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

National Geographic Beyond the Movie The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King

2009-11-19T14:40:14-05:00

While J.R.R. Tolkien's -Lord of the Rings trilogy has stood the test of time to become one of the best-loved works in the canon of fantasy literature, like much fantasy writing, its story also has a basis in fact. National Geographic: Beyond the Movie -- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a documentary which examines the production of Peter Jackson's epic film version of the final book in Tolkien's trilogy, but also explores the historical and geographical parallels between the fictional world of Middle Earth and real-world places and events. The documentary features interviews with Jackson and his crew as well as noted historians, and includes exciting clips from the picture. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

National Geographic Egypt Eternal The Quest for Lost Tombs

2009-11-19T14:40:14-05:00

Part of the National Geographic series, Egypt Eternal - The Quest for Lost Tombs offers footage of archaeologists making discoveries about Tutankhamun and Ramses II. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Troy The True Story

2009-11-19T00:57:43-05:00

Troy, a documentary about the Trojan War, came to home video around the same time as the big-budget action spectacle of the same name featuring Brad Pitt. The film details how the war began with Paris' abduction of Helen and shows how the fallout from the war had an impact on world history. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

The Kid Stays in the Picture

2009-11-18T20:12:32-05:00

Breaking the Da Vinci Code Solves the 2000 Year Old Mystery

2009-11-18T00:23:04-05:00

Dan Brown's best-selling novel -The Da Vinci Code is a murder mystery which along the way poses some intriguing questions about history, Christianity, and the hidden meanings of biblical texts and Renaissance artwork. To no one's surprise, the book has proven to be controversial, and this documentary examines the history and facts behind Brown's novel. Breaking the Da Vinci Code not only explores the popular novel, but three nonfiction books which offer their own perspectives on Brown's theories and research -- -Breaking the Da Vinci Code by Darrell L. Block, -The Da Vinci Deception by Erwin W. Lutzer, and -Cracking Da Vinci's Code by James Garlow. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Ghosts of the Abyss

2009-11-17T18:15:22-05:00

Filmmaker James Cameron has long been fascinated with the ill-fated maiden voyage of the great ship the Titanic, and he used the story as the backdrop for his most famous and successful movie. In the summer of 2001, Cameron and his good friend Bill Paxton (who appeared in Titanic) joined a group of scientists, maritime historians, archaeologists, and deep sea explorers for a daring experiment -- to find and document the Titanic's final resting place at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Cameron brought along a film crew equipped with state-of-the-art 3-D cameras to document the voyage, and Ghosts of the Abyss offers a detailed look at their search for the Titanic, as well as imagining what the final hours for the crew and passengers must have been like. The initial release of Ghosts of the Abyss was limited to big-screen IMAX theaters and movie houses specially equipped to show 3-D features. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

National Geographic Beyond the Movie The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King

2009-11-17T17:55:37-05:00

Ghost Stories Vol 2

2009-11-17T17:44:17-05:00

This is the second in a series of documentaries on ghosts and their encounters with the living. In this episode, six different cases of buildings haunted by ghosts are examined in detail. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Troy Myth or Reality

2009-11-16T16:11:25-05:00

Troy: Myth or Reality examines the various legends that have developed regarding the famous city. The subjects discussed include the famous Trojan Horse, the Trojan wars, and one of Troy's most infamous residents, Helen. The film attempts to differentiate between known facts from the popular tales. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Seabiscuit

2009-11-16T15:55:34-05:00

While America was mired in the Great Depression, the race horse Seabiscuit attracted the nation's attention in a way few other steeds ever have. At a time when the nation's future seemed bleak, along came a horse considered over the hill by racing standards, trained by a seemingly washed-up veteran and ridden by a jockey with failing eyesight, who together proved victories could be won by the most unlikely characters. Seabiscuit: America's Legendary Racehorse is a documentary about the remarkable horse's life on the track, featuring extensive footage of the great horse in action, including Seabiscuit's fabled match race against War Admiral. Also included is newsreel film of jockey Red Pollard in action, and interviews with author Laura Hillenbrand (who wrote the book -Seabiscuit: An American Legend) and Bob Baffert, a Kentucky Derby-winning horse trainer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Remembering Pearl Harbor

2009-11-15T21:31:06-05:00

Space Station

2009-11-15T14:41:37-05:00

Most people will never know what it's like to be floating 220 miles above the Earth and moving at speeds up to 17,500 mph, but now you too can experience the wonder and amazement of space as you join a crew of skilled astronauts traveling to the International Space Station. Hosted by Tom Cruise, this video takes viewers to the futuristic laboratory where future technologies are perfected and existing problems solved by a combination of dedication, bravery, and innovation. So get suited up and prepare for a journey you'll never forget as you blast off into a world where man is free from gravity's constraints and the vastness of space is an open sea of possibilities in this exhilarating and unforgettable adventure. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The Agronomist

2009-11-14T20:09:53-05:00

The fifth in a series of documentaries revolving around Haiti's struggle for democracy, this piece from director Jonathan Demme revolves around the life of Jean Dominique, a Haitian radio personality who spent his life campaigning for reform within the notoriously oppressed nation. The Agronomist begins just after the 1991 overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, when Dominique and his wife, while at the radio station, came under fire from rebels involved with the coup. Referred to as an agronomist due to his background in agriculture -- which, consequently, brought him into contact with the feudalistic nature of Haiti's farming system -- Dominique's passion for reform landed him in exile. Rather than give up after his release, Dominique initiated a career as a radio communicator, and he allowed Demme access to the station and his personal life during key periods of unrest and political fluctuation. Sadly, the documentary ends with an account of Dominique's assassination in April of 2000. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

National Geographic Beyond the Movie The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King

2009-11-13T12:11:09-05:00