Movie Junction

2009 has been a mixed year for documentaries. After having seen a couple of documentaries this year, I can’t think of one that stood out from the rest, or at least left a lasting impression on me. That changed when I received a copy of Megumi Sasaki’s “Herb & Dorothy” (2009), a documentary that did not receive any critical attention. In a year where environmental and politically charged documentaries (Iraq and Afghanistan wars) outnumbered documentaries in any other category, “Herb & Dorothy” was a pleasant surprise. At its core, “Herb & Dorothy” tells a simple tale of Herb and Dorothy Vogel, who managed to amass a huge art collection on meager incomes. Herb Vogel worked as a USPS postal worker and Dorothy worked as a librarian in New York City. They set aside Herb’s income to buy art and used Dorothy’s income for living expenses. Between the two, Dorothy was the spokesperson in dealing with the media and artists. Surprisingly enough, none of the Vogels’ co-workers were a...

The impact of deep-sea fishing on marine life has been a subject of intense controversy and countless debates over the last few years. Environmental activists argue that deep-sea fishing not only endangers various species, but it also renders certain species to a point of extinction. This fact is supported by the evidence that as a result of commercial fishing, certain species of fish like orange roughy, hake, eel, and skate, and mammals such as whales and dolphins are at a brink of extinction. On the contrary, lobbyists of the fishing industry claim that this evidence is skewed and that nature is taking its normal course. As a result, they continue to fish and explore in deep oceanic waters with questionable practices. The director of 2009’s “The Cove,” Louie Psihoyos, along with his friend, Jim Clark, formed the Ocean Preservation Society (OPS) in 2005. Both of them have been professional deep-sea divers for almost thirty years now. According to Psihoyos, the degradation of ocea...

“The Rolling Stones” are one of the most influential rock bands in the history of Rock N’ Roll. They have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, and their concerts have amassed record receipts, with “Steel Wheels” tour as one of the highest-grossing tours of all time. Ever since they formed back in the early 1960s, “The Rolling Stones” have been an undisputed force in the world of rock n’ roll. They came right at the point when “The Beatles,” “Pink Floyd,” and “Led Zeppelin” were leading the British music invasion around the world. Not only did their songs talk about sex, drugs, and relationships, they also succinctly represented the tumultuous cultural times of the ‘60s and ‘70s. So, what exactly is “Gimme Shelter” (1970)? Is it a concert film or a documentary or a mix of both? Amy Taubin in her essay (included with the disc) rightly points out that “Gimme Shelter,” in fact, is a film within a film and rightly so. “Gimme Shelter” is a film on “The Rolling Stones” that is di...