Fog of Truth

In this week's episode, we discuss cults (or not) and the science of climate change, de-extinction, space exploration and more, all in a brief 50 minutes, as we review Spaceship Earth and interview directors David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg about their We Are As Gods. Joining us as guest host this time is film critic and fellow podcaster Jessica Baxter (whose "Paid in Puke" is worth a listen). Looking for some exciting times and ideas of how to save humanity? Tune in to our show!

Group Review Documentary:

SPACESHIP EARTH (Matt Wolf, 2020)

Available now on VOD, on multiple platforms, courtesy of Neon.

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

WE ARE AS GODS (David Alvarado/Jason Sussberg, 2020)

Film would have premiered at 2020 SXSW Film Festival. Distribution pending.

Other Films/Series Mentioned/Referenced:

• Bill Nye: Science Guy (David Alvarado/Jason Sussberg, 2017)
• Dosed (Tyler Chandler, 2019)
• Fantastic Fungi (Louie Schwartzberg, 2019)
• Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics (Donick Cary, 2020)
• The Immortalists (David Alvarado/Jason Sussberg, 2014)
• The Last Dance (Jason Hehir, 2020) (10-part ESPN series)
• Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project (Matt Wolf, 2019)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nail review of Spaceship Earth
• Hammer to Nail review of We Are As Gods

Timestamps:

• 00:42 – Intro
• 04:12 – Group Discussion of SPACESHIP EARTH
• 20:45 – Bart and Chris interview David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg of WE ARE AS GODS
• ­­40:35 – 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

Welcome back! We kick off Season 9 with two documentaries about famous film people, starting with a group review of the biopic Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind and then cutting to an interview with French director Gregory Monro about Kubrick by Kubrick, which would have premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, had it happened. Joining us as guest cohost is critic Danielle Solzman, of Solzy at the Movies. Get ready for a profound journey into the cinematic firmament!

Group Review Documentary:

NATALIE WOOD: WHAT REMAINS BEHIND (Laurent Bouzereau, 2020)

Is available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and on demand.

All clips from film courtesy of HBO.

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

KUBRICK BY KUBRICK (Gregory Monro, 2020)

Film would have premiered at 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. Distribution pending.

Other Films/Series Mentioned:

• The Art of Directing series (Allan Holzman, 2016-2019)
• The Art of Directing: Frank Capra (https://vimeo.com/186212170, Password = capra)
• The Art of Directing: John Huston (https://vimeo.com/238011168, Password = falcon)
• The Art of Directing: David Lean (https://vimeo.com/307867555, Password = 716)
• The Art of Directing: David Lynch (https://vimeo.com/93046694, Password = 716)
• The Art of Directing: Spielberg, Hitchcock, Truffaut (https://vimeo.com/122920103, Password = 716)
• Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick, 1975)
• Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (Paul Mazursky, 1969)
• Brainstorm (Douglas Trumbull, 1983)
• Circus of Books (Rachel Mason, 2019)
• A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971)
• Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick, 1964)
• Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick, 1999)
• Fear and Desire (Stanley Kubrick, 1953)
• Five Came Back (Laurent Bouzereau, 2017, three-part Netflix series)
• From Here to Eternity (Buzz Kulik, 1979, three-part NBC series)
• Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson, 2014)
• The Great Race (Blake Edwards, 1965)
• Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel (Seth Kramer/Daniel A. Miller/Jeremy Newberger, 2018)
• Miracle on 34th Street (George Seaton, 1947)
• Paths of Glory (Stanley Kubrick, 1957)
• Rebel Without a Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955)
• The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
• Splendor in the Grass (Elia Kazan, 1961)
• Tomorrow Is Forever (Irving Pichel, 1946)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
• West Side Story (Robert Wise, 1961)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Film Festival Today review of Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
• Hammer to Nail review of Kubrick by Kubrick

Timestamps:

• 00:42 – Intro
• 04:19 – Group Discussion of NATALIE WOOD: WHAT REMAINS BEHIND
• 24:08 – Bart and Chris interview Gregory Monro of KUBRICK BY KUBRICK
• ­­42:36 – 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

In this bonus episode, Bart and Chris review the new nine-part Netflix documentary series The Innocence Files and then interview Sarah Dowland, director of the final episode. The series is divided into three sections – ""The Evidence," "The Witness" and "The Prosecution" – each of which is comprised of three episodes, some of which are linked narratively, as well as thematically, and some of which stand alone. Dowland's film tells the story of Kenneth Wyniemko, a Michigan man who served 9 years in jail for a crime he did not commit (a short sentence compared to most of the other subjects). A profile as much of the hard-working defense attorneys at The Innocence Project (and elsewhere) as of the poor folks unjustly imprisoned, the series is both an example of fine filmmaking and a call to action to reform the criminal-justice system. Listen in to hear what Dowland has to say about guilt, innocence and … The Innocence Files.

Group Review and Interview Documentary:

THE INNOCENCE FILES (Sarah Dowland/Liz Garbus/Alex Gibney/Andy Grieve/Jed Rothstein/Roger Ross Williams, 2020)

Now playing on Netflix

Other Netflix Series Mentioned:

• How to Fix a Drug Scandal (Erin Lee Carr, 2020)
• Making a Murderer (Moira Demos/Laura Ricciardi, 2015/2018)
• Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (Rebecca Chaiklin/Eric Goode, 2020)

Link to review by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Film Festival Today review of The Innocence Files

Timestamps:

• 00:35­­ – Intro
• 02:14 – Discussion/review of The Innocence Files
• 09:33 – Interview with director Sarah Dowland
• 32:42 – 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 bonus episode, Bart and Chris chat with Melanie Addington, Executive Director, Oxford Film Festival (which was supposed to run March 18-22); Leslie Raymond, Executive Director, Ann Arbor Film Festival (running online March 24-29); and Lela Meadow-Conner, Executive Director, Film Festival Alliance. Together, we discuss the current state of film festivals in the age of COVID-19, and how the move to online screenings is mostly a net positive, at least for now, and how the future might see greater inclusion of online elements, even as we (hopefully) return to something resembling normalcy. The times may be fraught, but we push on, bringing art and films to all who want them!

Festivals, Films and Organizations Mentioned:

• Ann Arbor Film Festival
• Art House Convergence
• Ashland Independent Film Festival
• Dallas VideoFest
• Film Festival Alliance
• Freeland (Mario Furloni/Kate McLean, 2020)
• Oxford Film Festival
• Spenser Confidential (Peter Berg, 2020)
• SXSW
• Thin Line Festival

Link to review by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nail review of Freeland

Timestamps:

• 00:35 – Bart and Chris intro of show's topic
• 04:36 – Introduction of show's 3 guests and the state of their festivals
• 11:56 – Immediate and long-term future of festivals, and benefits of moving online
• 20:31 – What is missing from online (vs. live) festival experience?
• 25:19 – Closing remarks
• 27:09 – 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

Documentarian and educator Elizabeth Coffman joins Bart and Chris to review Andrew Goldberg's powerful examination of the resurgent scourge of antisemitism across the globe, the just released Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations. Bart then interviews Allen and Cynthia Mondell, directors of the 2008 documentary The Monster Among Us, which profiled antisemitism in Europe 10 years ago. Plus ça change … It may be a dispiriting topic, but we have a spirited conversation about the films and the issue, which should be of concern to everyone, everywhere.

And so concludes our 8thseason. We'll be back with a few bonus episodes over the next 6 to 8 weeks before we launch the next season. Until then, you can go back through our now significant catalog if you need your fix of the fog. As always, enjoy, and thanks for listening!

Group Review Documentary:

VIRAL: ANTISEMITISM IN FOUR MUTATIONS (Andrew Goldberg, 2020)

Now playing in theaters

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

THE MONSTER AMONG US(Allen Mondell/Cynthia Salzman Mondell, 2008)

Available for rental online

Other Films Mentioned:

• Acasă, My Home (Radu Ciorniciuc, 2020)
• Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence (Andrew Goldberg, 2007)
• Flannery (Elizabeth Coffman/Mark Bosco, 2019)
• The Great Hack (Karim Amer/Jehane Noujaim, 2019)
• The Reason I Jump (Jerry Rothwell, 2020)

Link to review by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nail review of Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations

Timestamps:

• 00:36 – Intro
• 03:59 – Group Discussion of VIRAL: ANTISEMITISM IN FOUR MUTATIONS
• 17:55 – Bart interviews Allen and Cynthia Mondell of THE MONSTER AMONG US
• ­­33:08 – 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

Joining Bart and Chris as guest host for a robust discussion of the three-part 2018 BBC documentary series They've Gotta Have Us, just recently released on Netflix, is film critic Roxana Hadadi. We discuss that program's approach to the history of African American and Black British actors and directors in Hollywood. Then, Bart interviews director Jacqueline Olive about her film Always in Season, which explores America's tortured legacy of lynching (we previously reviewed the documentary on episode 705). It's a brutal subject, but one that cannot be ignored.

Group Review Documentary:

THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE US (Simon Frederick, 2018)

Now playing on Netflix

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

ALWAYS IN SEASON (Jacqueline Olive, 2019)

In theaters and film festivals now

Other Films/Shows Mentioned/Referenced:

• The Alpinist (Peter Mortimer/Nick Rosen, 2020)
• Amistad (Steven Spielberg, 1997)
• Chavela (Catherine Gund/Daresha Kyi, 2017)
• Color Adjustment (Marlon Riggs, 1992)
• Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash, 1991)
• The Dawn Wall (Josh Lowell/Peter Mortimer, 2017)
• The Edge of Democracy (Petra Costa, 2019)
• Ethnic Notions (Marlon Riggs, 1986)
• Flannery (Elizabeth Coffman/Mark Bosco, 2019)
• Free Solo (Jimmy Chin/Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, 2018)
• Get Out (Jordan Peele, 2017)
• Gone Too Far (Destiny Ekaragha, 2013)
• Hollywood Shuffle (Robert Townsend, 1987)
• The Kingmaker (Lauren Greenfield, 2019)
• Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2016)
• Once Upon a Time in Venezuela (Anabel Rodríguez Ríos, 2020)
• RBG (Julie Cohen/Betsy West, 2018)
• Selma (Ava DuVernay, 2014)
• She's Gotta Have It (Spike Lee, 1986)
• She's Gotta Have It (Spike Lee, 2017-2019 Netflix series)
• Wormwood (Errol Morris, 2017 Netflix series)

Link to review by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Film Festival Today review of Always in Season

Timestamps:

• 00:37 – Intro
• 04:01 – Group Discussion of THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE US
• 22:28 – Bart interviews Jacqueline Olive of ALWAYS IN SEASON
• ­­43:02 – 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

How high above soar the stars, enchanting us with their blazing glory! Or perhaps we only project such power onto them, and they are merely ordinary beings, elevated by our own desires. In today's episode, guest host Leslie Combemale (the Cinema Siren, herself) joins us as we review the new Taylor Swift biopic Miss Americana, which just premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and is now available on Netflix. In addition, Chris interviews director Martha Shane about her documentary Narrowsburg, a tragicomic tale of grifters bedazzling a small town with promises of Hollywood glory. Join us for a look at the pros and cons of fame and fortune.

Group Review Documentary:

MISS AMERICANA (Lana Wilson, 2020)

Now playing on Netflix

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

NARROWSBURG(Martha Shane, 2019)

Now playing in festivals

Other Films Mentioned:

• After Tiller (Martha Shane/Lana Wilson, 2013)
• American Factory (Steven Bognar/Julia Reichert, 2019)
• Analyze This (Harold Ramis, 1999)
• Beauty and the Beast (Gary Trousdale/Kirk Wise, 1999)
• Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
• Crip Camp (James Lebrecht/Nicole Newnham, 2020)
• The Departure (Lana Wilson, 2017)
• T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982)
• Four Deadly Reasons (Paul Borghese, 2002)
• Gaga: Five Foot Two (Chris Moukarbel, 2017)
• Guest of Cindy Sherman (Tom Donahue/Paul Hasegawa-Overacker, 2008)
• Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (Alexandre O. Philippe, 2019)
• The Lion King (Roger Allers/Rob Minkoff, 1994)
• Lost in La Mancha (Keith Fulton/Louis Pepe, 2002)
• Memory: The Origins of Alien (Alexandre O. Philippe, 2019)
• 78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene (Alexandre O. Philippe, 2017)
• Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974)

Links to reviews and interviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nail review of Miss Americana
• Hammer to Nail review of Narrowsburg
• Hammer to Nail interview with director Martha Shane of Narrowsburg

Timestamps:

• 00:37 – Intro
• 04:38 – Group Discussion of MISS AMERICANA
• 21:53 – Chris interviews Martha Shane of NARROWSBURG
• ­­40:46 – 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

Well, the 2020 Academy Awards may have come and gone, but that's no reason to stop watching the nominated films, even the ones that did not win. In this week's episode, returning guest host Patricia Aufderheide joins Bart and Chris to discuss all 5 of the Oscar-nominated short documentaries, after which Chris interviews co-directors Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts (along with al-Kateab's husband, Hamza) about their collaboration on the (also Oscar-nominated) documentary feature For Sama.

Group Review Short Documentaries:

IN THE ABSENCE (Yi Seung-Jun, South Korea, 28 min.)

Available in select theaters or at www.fieldofvision.org

*LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU'RE A GIRL) (Carol Dysinger, UK, 39 min.)

Available in select theaters or through shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/

*This year's Oscar winner

LIFE OVERTAKES ME (John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson, Sweden/USA, 39 min.)

Available in select theaters or on Netflix

LOUIS SUPERMAN (Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, USA, 28 min.)

Available in select theaters or through shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/

WALK RUN CHA-CHA (Laura Nix, USA, 21 min.)

Available in select theaters or at www.nytimes.com/video/op-docs

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

FOR SAMA (Waad al-Kateab/Edward Watts, 2019)

Still playing in select theaters and on PBS

Other Films/Shows Mentioned:

• BoJack Horseman (Raphael Bob-Waksberg, 2014-2020 Netflix series)
• Cheer (Greg Whiteley, 2020 Netflix series)
• Collective (Alexander Nanau, 2019)
• The Kingmaker (Lauren Greenfield, 2019)
• Les Misérables (Ladj Ly, 2019)
• Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak (Doug Shultz, 2020 Netflix series)
• Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul (Orlando von Einsiedel, 2011)
• A Thousand Cuts (Ramona Diaz, 2020)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nail reviews of all 2020 Oscar-nominated short films
• Film Festival Today review of For Sama
• Film Festival Today interview with Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts and Hamza al-Kateab of For Sama

Timestamps:

• 00:37 – Intro
• 03:27 – Group discussion of the Oscar-nominated documentary shorts
• 25:55 – Chris interviews Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts and Hamza al-Kateab of FOR SAMA
• ­­41:07 – 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

Democracy is under worldwide threat, from dictators, would-be dictators and those followers who seek power at the expense of liberty. In this week's episode, we discuss two recent documentaries about this very trend. First, with guest host Mirella Martinelli – a Brazilian filmmaker living in Florida – we review Petra Costa's Oscar-nominated The Edge of Democracy, which tells the disturbing tale of Brazil's takeover by right-wing forces. After that, Bart and Chris interview prolific documentarian Alex Gibney on his latest movie, Citizen K, about formerly imprisoned, and now exiled, Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. These are scary times. Be afraid, be very afraid!*

Group Review Documentary:

THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY (Petra Costa, 2019)

Now playing on Netflix

Film Featured in Interview Portion:

CITIZEN K(Alex Gibney, 2019)

Now playing in theaters

Other Films Mentioned:

• American Look (Jam Handy Organization, 1958)
• The Armstrong Lie (Alex Gibney, 2013)
• Catching Hell (Alex Gibney, 2011)
• Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (Alex Gibney, 2005)
• The Fly (David Cronenberg, 1986)
• Frenemies (Mirella Martinelli, 2020)
• George Harrison: Living in the Material World (Martin Scorsese, 2011)
• The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (Alex Gibney, 2019)
• The Kingmaker (Lauren Greenfield, 2019)
• Mea Maxima Culpa:Silence in the House of God (Alex Gibney, 2012)
• No Stone Unturned (Alex Gibney, 2017)
• Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (Alex Gibney, 2015)
• Taxi to the Dark Side (Alex Gibney, 2007)
• Three Colors: Blue (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1993)

Links to reviews by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nail review of The Edge of Democracy
• Film Festival Todayreview of Citizen K

Timestamps:

• 00:38 – Intro
• 03:37 – Group Discussion of THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY
• 16:11 – Bart and Chris interview Alex Gibney of CITIZEN K
• 40:43­­ – 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

*A quote from the ad campaign for David Cronenberg's 1986 The Fly, which we reference within the episode.

Welcome to Season 8! In this episode, we invite back our old friend and cohost Summre Garber to talk about the documentary slate at the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival, where she is co-captain of the documentary-features program. We learn what she is up to now and hear about her favorites at this year's fest. In addition, Bart and Chris interview the directors of two of those movies, Film About a Father Who (Lynne Sachs) and Jasper Mall (Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb). Enjoy!

Group Review Documentaries:

• BASTARDS' ROAD (Brian Morrison, 2020)
• BIG FUR (Dan Wayne, 2019)
• FILM ABOUT A FATHER WHO (Lynne Sachs, 2020)
• JASPER MALL (Bradford Thomason/Brett Whitcomb, 2020)
• LOVEMOBIL (Elke Margarete Lehrenkrauss, 2019)

Films Featured in Interview Portions:

• FILM ABOUT A FATHER WHO (Lynne Sachs, 2020)
• JASPER MALL (Bradford Thomason/Brett Whitcomb, 2020)

Other Films Mentioned:

• Almost Sunrise (Michael Collins, 2016)
• GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (Brett Whitcomb/Bradford Thomason, 2012)
• The World Before Your Feet (Jeremy Workman, 2018)

Link to review by Christopher Llewellyn Reed:

• Hammer to Nailreview of Film About a Father Who

Timestamps:

• 00:37 – Intro
• 02:55 – Group Discussion of Slamdance 2020 documentaries, Part 1: Bastards' Road, Big Fur and Jasper Mall
• 10:44 – Bart and Chris interview directors Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb of Jasper Mall
• 26:16 – Group Discussion of Slamdance 2020 documentaries, Part 2: Lovemobil and Film About a Father Who
• 30:35 – Bart and Chris interview director Lynne Sachs of Film About a Father Who
• 44:42 – Outro 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