Fog of Truth

This week, as the conclusion to the 2020 election season looms, and everyone anxiously awaits the results, we examine the grotesque incompetence, selfishness and venality of Donald Trump and others in his administration, as evidenced by their response to the coronavirus pandemic, through the lens of Alex Gibney's latest documentary, Totally Under Control (made with co-directors Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillinger). New guest host Shilyh Warren makes her debut to help us express our outrage. Then, Chris interviews filmmakers Eli B. Despres, Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg about their profile of the ACLU, The Fight, which we previously reviewed in Episode 906. Listen in and then, please, if you have not done so, already … VOTE!

Group Review Documentary:

TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL (Alex Gibney/Ophelia Harutyunyan/Suzanne Hillinger, 2020)

Available on VOD from NEON.

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

THE FIGHT (Eli B. Despres/Josh Kriegman/Elyse Steinberg, 2020)

Available on VOD from Magnolia Pictures.

Other Films Mentioned:

• The American President (Rob Reiner, 1995)
• Billie (James Erskine, 2019)
• Chicago 10 (Brett Morgen, 2007)
• Couples Therapy Showtime series (Eli B. Despres/Josh Kriegman/Elyse Steinberg, 2019)
• Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich Netflix series (Lisa Bryant, 2020)
• The Kid Stays in the Picture (Brett Morgen/Nanette Burstein, 2002)
• Medium Cool (Haskell Wexler, 1969)
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Aaron Sorkin, 2020)
• The Vow HBO series (Karim Amer/Jehane Noujaim, 2020)
• Weiner (Josh Kriegman/Elyse Steinberg, 2016)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nail review of Totally Under Control
• Hammer to Nail review of The Fight

Timestamps:

• 00:43 – Intro
• 04:18 – Group Discussion of TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL
• 20:12 – Chris interviews Eli B. Despres, Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg of THE FIGHT
• ­­38:40 – Doc Talk
• 49:45 – Closing and End Credits

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS≥ (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Editing and shownotes by Christopher Llewellyn Reed

The internet and its many connected sites and apps is a fraught place, filled with algorithms that manipulate the user beyond what she or he comes close to realizing. Both films we discuss this week, The Social Dilemma and Feels Good Man, look at the more sinister aspects of online culture. Returning guest host Jennifer Proctor joins us a for a review of the first, and then Bart and Chris interview the director, Arthur Jones, and producer, Giorgio Angelini, of the second. Afterwards, we all share a film much on our individual minds following the recent passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the rushed confirmation hearings for her chosen successor, Amy Coney Barrett. These are troubling times, so listen in and listen up.

Group Review Documentary:

THE SOCIAL DILEMMA (Jeff Orlowski, 2020)

Available on Netflix.

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

FEELS GOOD MAN (Arthur Jones, 2020)

Available on VOD.

Other Films Mentioned:

• The Abortion Diaries (Penny Lane, 2005)
• Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* But Were Afraid to Ask (Woody Allen, 1972)
• Finding Vivian Maier (John Maloof/Charlie Siskel, 2013)
• Hal (Amy Scott, 2018)
• Seed Money: The Chuck Holmes Story (Michael Stabile, 2015)
• Trapped (Dawn Porter, 2016)
• Vessel (Diana Whitten, 2014)
• Won't You Be My Neighbor? (Morgan Neville, 2018)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Film Festival Today review of The Social Dilemma
• Hammer to Nail review of Feels Good Man

Timestamps:

• 00:42 – Intro
• 04:19 – Group Discussion of THE SOCIAL DILEMMA
• 18:47 – Bart and Chris interview Arthur Jones and Giorgio Angelini of FEELS GOOD MAN
• ­­42:19 – Doc Talk
• 50:02 – Closing and End Credits

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS≥ (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Editing and shownotes by Christopher Llewellyn Reed

Our nation's 39th president, Jimmy Carter, is on the documentary docket this week as we review Mary Wharton's Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President, joined by returning guest host Sedika Mojadidi. That film looks at Carter's love of music and how it helped shape both his insurgent 1976 campaign and his time in the White House, revealing the compassionate humanitarian in all his glory. Then, Bart and Chris interview the great Barbara Kopple about her Desert One, which analyzes what went wrong with Carter's attempted rescue of the American hostages held in Iran following its 1979 revolution. Just as much complexity, far less glory (to tragic results). It's a fascinating combination of films, and we hope you enjoy.

Group Review Documentary:

JIMMY CARTER: ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT (Mary Wharton, 2020)

Available on VOD from Greenwich Entertainment.

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

DESERT ONE (Barbara Kopple, 2019)

Available on VOD from Greenwich Entertainment.

Other Films Mentioned:

• Harlan County U.S.A. (Barbara Kopple, 1976)
• Italianamerican (Martin Scorsese, 1974)
• John Lewis: Good Trouble (Dawn Porter, 2020)
• Mean Streets (Martin Scorsese, 1973)
• Miracle Fishing (Miles Hargrove/Christopher Birge, 2020)
• A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (Martin Scorsese, 1995)
• The Way I See It (Dawn Porter, 2020)
• Winter Soldier (Winterfilm, Inc., 1972)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nail review of Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President
• Hammer to Nail review of Desert One

Timestamps:

• 00:42 – Intro
• 04:19 – Group Discussion of JIMMY CARTER: ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT
• 19:16 – Bart and Chris interview Barbara Kopple of DESERT ONE
• ­­40:39 – Doc Talk
• 51:51 – Closing and End Credits

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS≥ (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Editing and shownotes by Christopher Llewellyn Reed

We are back! We start Season 10 with two documentaries about the animal kingdom: Bird Island and Space Dogs. With returning guest host Leslie Combemale (owner of ArtInsights Gallery), we review the former, and then Bart and Chris interview Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter, the directors of the latter. Given the political season and the upcoming episodes that deal with all of that fraught material, we thought that we would first begin with a look at something else. But stay tuned, as more directly relevant topics to our current time are on the agenda …

Group Review Documentary:

BIRD ISLAND (Sergio Da Costa/Maya Kosa, 2019)

Available on MUBI USA until October 24. 2020.

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

SPACE DOGS (Elsa Kremser/Levin Peter, 2019)

Currently out in theaters and on VOD.

Other Films/Websites Mentioned:

• Alliance of Women Film Journalists
• Birthright: A War Story (Civia Tamarkin, 2017)
• Cinema Siren
• An Inconvenient Truth (Davis Guggenheim, 2006)
• Los Reyes (Iván Osnovikoff/Bettina Perut, 2018)
• Kanopy streaming service
• Masks by Leslie's friend Julie Chandler
• The Mole Agent (Maite Alberdi, 2019)
• Motion Pictures Association
• The Private Life of a Cat (Alexander Hammid/Maya Deren, 1947)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Film Festival Today review of Bird Island
• Hammer to Nail review of Space Dogs

Timestamps:

• 00:43 – Intro
• 07:17 – Group Discussion of BIRD ISLAND
• 17:44 – Bart and Chris interview Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter of SPACE DOGS
• ­­43:23 – Doc Talk
• 51:50 – Closing and End Credits

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS≥ (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Editing and shownotes by Christopher Llewellyn Reed

In this special bonus episode, the last before we begin our momentous Season 10 … can you believe it? … Bart and Chris revisit some favorite moments from past shows, including: all the previous clip-montage intros; excerpts from our interviews with filmmakers Chelsea Hernandez, Stanley Nelson and Morgan Neville; an excerpt from Bart's interview with Patricia Aufderheide about Fair Use; an opening chatter sequence about Sexy Beast; a Doc Talk about James Bond; and a Doc Talk where guest host Sedika Mojadidi discussed her plans for her then new job as a college professor. You'll hear our former third cohost, the incomparable Summre Garber, in many of the early moments. Enjoy! Thanks to all who submitted suggestions of their own favorite moments from past shows. We'll be back some time in October with more (i.e., Season 10)!

Films Mentioned:

• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Marielle Heller, 2019)
• Becoming Bond (Josh Greenbaum, 2017)
• Best of Enemies: Buckley vs. Vidal (Robert Gordon/Morgan Neville, 2015)
• The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (Stanley Nelson, 2015)
• The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords (Stanley Nelson, 1999)
• Building the American Dream (Chelsea Hernandez, 2019)
• Casino Royale (Val Guest/Ken Hughes/John Huston/Joseph McGrath/Robert Parrish/Richard Talmadge, 1967)
• Facing the Dragon (Sedika Mojadidi, 2018)
• Freedom Riders (Stanley Nelson, 2009)
• Grey Gardens (Ellen Hovde/Albert Maysles/David Maysles/Muffie Meyer, 1975)
• Grey Gardens (Michael Sucsy, 2009)
• Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (Stanley Nelson, 2006)
• Little Dieter Needs to Fly (Werner Herzog, 1997)
• Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (Stanley Nelson, 2019)
• On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Peter R. Hunt, 1969)
• The Other Side of the Wind (Orson Welles, 2018)
• A Place of Our Own (Stanley Nelson, 2004)
• Rescue Dawn (Werner Herzog, 2006)
• Sexy Beast (Jonathan Glazer, 2000)
• Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities (Stanley Nelson, 2017)
• They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (Morgan Neville, 2018)
• 20 Feet from Stardom (Morgan Neville, 2013)
• Two Dollars and a Dream (Stanley Nelson, 1989)
• Won't You Be My Neighbor? (Morgan Neville, 2018)

Timestamps:

• 00:41 – Bart and Chris intro of show's topic
• 02:03 – Clip-montage intro from Seasons 1 and 2
• 03:49 – Opening chatter about Sexy Beast (Episode 203)
• 06:30 – Doc Talk about James Bond (Episode 203)
• 11:27 – Clip-montage intro from Seasons 3 and 4
• 12:56 – Excerpt from Stanley Nelson interview (5/8/19 Bonus Episode)
• 21:09 – Excerpt from Chelsea Hernandez interview (Episode 602)
• 25:25 – Clip-montage intro from Seasons 5 and 6
• 27:01 – Excerpt from Patricia Aufderheide interview (8/28/19 Bonus Episode)
• 32:38 – Doc Talk with Sedika Mojadidi about teaching (Episode 701)
• 36:56 – Clip-montage intro from Seasons 7 and 8
• 38:12 – Excerpt from Morgan Neville interview (1/14/20 Bonus Episode)
• 41:07 – Conclusion
• 43:01 – End credits

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moored

Editing and shownotes by Christopher Llewellyn Reed

In this bonus episode, Bart and Chris interview filmmaker Laurens Grant, first briefly reviewing two of her documentaries, the 2016 Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement and the brand-new Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier, before launching into an in-depth examination of her career. Both a director and a producer, Grant has a lot to say about the art, craft and business of documentary cinema, as well as about the challenges of being a black woman in this industry. She offers wonderful insights that are especially relevant to the world of today, so listen in!

In addition, we ask our loyal listeners, old and new, to help us out for the next bonus episode, which will drop at the end of August. Please email us at [email protected] to let us know some of your favorite moments – reviews, interviews, Doc Talk, banter and more – from past episodes, and we will put together a compilation of those excerpts for that episode. What a great way to lead us in to our 10th season!

Films Mentioned/Song Featured:

• Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier (Laurens, Grant, 2020)
• Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement (Laurens, Grant, 2016)
• "Gray Area," by Greenspan, feat Josh Lay, Obias, Ashley Alexander (excerpted from Stay Woke)

Timestamps:

• 00:41 – Bart and Chris intro of show's topic
• 04:33 – Reviews of Stay Woke and Black in Space
• 14:40 – Conversation with Laurens Grant
• 41:52 – Closing Remarks and End credits

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moored

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Editing and shownotes by Christopher Llewellyn Reed

In this final episode of our 9th season, film critic Hannah Buchdahl (of chickflix.net) joins us to review the upcoming documentary on the many battles fought on our behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union in the age of Donald Trump, The Fight. Then, Bart and Chris interview Ramona Diaz about her (also upcoming) A Thousand Cuts, which profiles the challenges faced by journalist Maria Ressa, CEO of the Philippine news site Rappler, under the rule of strongman Rodrigo Duterte. Both films premiered at Sundance 2020, have also just played at AFI DOCS, and together form a bracing call to action to resist authoritarianism at all costs. Care about your freedoms? Then care about these films.

We'll be back in a month or so with the first of two bonus episodes to drop before the start of season 10. Until then, stay safe and healthy. Do not, however, stay out of trouble.

Group Review Documentary:

THE FIGHT (Eli B. Despres/Josh Kriegman/Elyse Steinberg, 2020)

Available in theaters (if possible) and on demand from Magnolia Pictures on July 31.

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

A THOUSAND CUTS (Ramona Diaz, 2020)

Acquired by Frontline (PBS) for a Summer 2020 theatrical release (if possible) and/or Fall 2020 broadcast.

Other Films/Series Mentioned:

• Boys State (Amanda McBaine/Jesse Moss, 2020)
• Charm City (Marilyn Ness, 2018)
• Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (Lisa Bryan, 2020) (4-part Netflix series)
• The Innocence Files(Sarah Dowland/Liz Garbus/Alex Gibney/Andy Grieve/Jed Rothstein/Roger Ross Williams, 2020)
• Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President (Mary Wharton, 2020)
• LA 92 (Dan Lindsay, TJ Martin, 2017)
• Motherland (Ramona Diaz, 2017)
• Rebuilding Paradise (Ron Howard, 2020)
• Weiner (Josh Kriegman/Elyse Steinberg, 2016)
• Women in Blue (Deirdre Fishel, 2020)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nail review of The Fight
• Hammer to Nail review of A Thousand Cuts

Timestamps:

• 00:42 – Intro
• 04:53 – Group discussion of THE FIGHT
• 21:54 – Bart and Chris interview director Ramona Diaz about A THOUSAND CUTS
• ­­43:28 – Doc Talk

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Editing and shownotes by Christopher Llewellyn Reed

Money makes the world go round, does it not? Let the capital flow, so its profits may trickle down in a wellspring of bounty for all … except that the greater the flow, the faster it trickles up, away from the masses and into the hands of a rarefied, entitled elite that never seems to stop wanting more. In this week's episode, Women Make Movies' Executive Director Debra Zimmerman joins us for a discussion of the new Netflix series Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, which follows the rapacious, billionaire pedophile's life and career while giving voice to the women he abused. Then, Bart and Chris interview director Justin Pemberton about his recent Capital in the Twenty-First Century, a rousing, enraging examination of how the world is rapidly heading away from the equalizing tendencies of the 20th century's middle period. Sad, but true. Now what are you going to do about it?

Group Review Documentary:

JEFFREY EPSTEIN: FILTHY RICH (Lisa Bryant, 2020) (4-part Netflix series)

Available now on Netflix.

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

CAPITAL IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY (Justin Pemberton, 2020)

Available now in virtual theatrical screenings via Kino Lorber's Kino Marquee initiative.

Other Book/Films/Series/Songs Mentioned:

• Capital in the Twenty-First Century (book), by Thomas Piketty (Belknap Press, 2014)
• Citizenfour (Laura Poitras, 2014)
• Conscience Point (Treva Wurmfeld, 2019)
• Elysium (Neill Blomkamp, 2013)
• Family Guy (Seth MacFarlane/David Zuckerman, 2019 - ) (Fox TV series)
• #FemalePleasure (Barbara Miller, 2018)
• Free Solo (Jimmy Chin/Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, 2018)
• The Grapes of Wrath (John Ford, 1940)
• The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (Andrew Jarecki, 2015) (6-part HBO series)
• Kids in America (song), by Kim Wilde (1981)
• Making Unorthodox
• 9 to 5 (Colin Higgins, 1980)
• 9 to 5 (song), by Dolly Parton (1980)
• Paulette (Heather Rae, 2019)
• Pride & Prejudice (Joe Wright, 2005)
• Rewind (Sasha Joseph Neulinger, 2019)
• The Simpsons (James L. Brooks/Matt Groening/Sam Simon, 1989 - ) (Fox TV series)
• Sisters Rising (Brad Heck/Willow O'Feral, 2020)
• Unorthodox (Anna Winger, 2020) (4-part Netflix series)
• Waging Change (Abby Ginzberg, 2019)
• Wall Street (Oliver Stone, 1987)
• Yours in Sisterhood (Irene Lusztig, 2018)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Film Festival Today review of Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich
• Film Festival Today review of Capital in the Twenty-First Century

Timestamps:

• 00:42 – Intro
• 04:35 – Group Discussion of JEFFREY EPSTEIN: FILTHY RICH
• 21:04 – Bart and Chris interview Justin Pemberton of CAPITAL IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
• ­­41:49 – Doc Talk

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Editing and shownotes by Christopher Llewellyn Reed

This week, we briefly step away from our problems at home (while never forgetting or minimizing them) to celebrate the culinary traditions of our neighbors to the south. Guest host Sandie Angulo Chen (of Common Sense Media) joins us as we review Elizabeth Carroll's Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy, which profiles the titular nonagenarian, British-born specialist of Mexican cuisine. Then, Chris interviews director Nick Kovacic about his 2018 documentary Agave: The Spirit of a Nation, which brings the viewer on a journey to Jalisco, Oaxaca, and other locations in Mexico to explore agave's place in the economy and culture. Eat and drink your fill!

Group Review Documentary:

DIANA KENNEDY: NOTHING FANCY (Elizabeth Carroll, 2019)

Available now on VOD from Greenwich Entertainment.

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

AGAVE: THE SPIRIT OF A NATION (Nick Kovacic/Matthew Riggieri, 2018)

Available on VOD on Amazon or on SVOD from Kanopy.

Other Films/Series Mentioned:

• The Biggest Little Farm (John Chester, 2018)
• Brewmore Baltimore (Nick Kovacic, 2015)
• (Nick Kovacic, 2016)
• Homecoming: The Journey of Cardboard (Anna Thorson Mayer/Yuko Shiomaki, 2020)
• Ingrid (Morrisa Maltz, 2018)
• King Corn (Aaron Woolf, 2017)
• The Last Dance (Jason Hehir, 2020) (10-part ESPN series)
• 20 Feet from Stardom (Morgan Neville, 2013)
• Won't You Be My Neighbor? (Morgan Neville, 2018)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nail review of Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy
• Hammer to Nail review of Agave: Spirit of a Nation

Timestamps:

• 00:42 – Intro
• 04:37 – Group Discussion of DIANA KENNEDY: NOTHING FANCY
• 19:51 – Chris interviews Nick Kovacic of AGAVE: SPIRIT OF A NATION
• ­­36:03 – Doc Talk

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Editing and shownotes by Christopher Llewellyn Reed

Our nation is burning, and the fire has deep roots in our past. The police violence against communities and people of color is nothing new, emerging from the legacy of slavery that taints our history. In this week's episode, with guest host Lisa Sanchelo (of the podcast I Love That Movie!), we review Becoming, the recent documentary about Michelle Obama and her eponymous memoir. Then, Bart and Chris interview director Dawn Porter about her upcoming film John Lewis: Good Trouble, coming out on July 3. Given Congressman Lewis' participation in the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s, the film is especially appropriate to discuss at this time. So listen in and learn about two great movies to check now and in the near future.

Group Review Documentary:

BECOMING (Nadia Hallgren, 2020)

Available now on Netflix.

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE (Dawn Porter, 2020)

In theaters (where possible) and on demand July 3, 2020. CNN will broadcast in September.

Other Films/Podcasts/Series Mentioned:

• Bobby Kennedy for President (Dawn Porter, 2018) (4-part Netflix series)
• Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (Robert Drew, 1963)
• Dolores (Peter Bratt, 2017)
• Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (Laurent Bouzereau, 2020)
• Over My Dead Body (podcast)
• RBG (Julie Cohen/Betsy West, 2018)
• Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (Rebecca Chaiklin/Eric Goode, 2020)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Film Festival Today review of Becoming
• Hammer to Nail review of John Lewis: Good Trouble

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Pre-intro, on how current events provide context for content of episode
• 01:47 – Intro
• 05:50 – Group Discussion of BECOMING
• 21:54 – Bart and Chris interview Dawn Porter of JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE
• ­­44:18 – Doc Talk

Website/Email:

www.fogoftruth.com

[email protected]

Credits:

Artwork by Hilary Campbell

Intro music by Jeremiah Moore

Transitional music by BELLS (thanks to Christopher Ernst)

Editing and shownotes by Christopher Llewellyn Reed