DO NOT MISS THIS!!! BUY and WATCH and SEE one of the greatest of American Films!
Spike Lee's chronicle of Katrina's advent, arrival, and aftermath is one of the most passionate, emotional, vibrant films of the last twenty years. It will move you to anger, sorrow, happiness, love, and best of all, an understanding of the amazing fragility and transitory nature of human life when confronted with epic destruction.
When Americans cheered at Emmerich's epic disaster film, "The Day After Tomorrow," little did we suspect that a disaster very much like it would be carved into the consciousness of our society, but this time with REAL victims. Worse still, Lee's film shows, brilliantly, the total incapacity of human civilization to deal with natural catastrophe on an epic scale. It also shows, with a very human face, the inner torture and destruction of those who did not die in the disaster, but were left behind to watch hopelessness suck their life away.
Spike Lee has made many amazing, controversial, and passionate films. NONE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT THIS ONE! The scenes, images, and tales contained in this masterwork are raw, angry, painful, and so vibrantly alive that it is mindblowing. If there had been any reason for Lee to be among us as an artist in this lifetime, THIS HAS TO BE IT!
BUY THIS, SEE IT, ORGANIZE A VIEWING GROUP AND SHARE IT AND GROW!
you must see this film.
every american should see this documentary. everyone else should also see to understand the issue.
the film itself is brilliant. it's made of news footage and photos( of the horrors of katrina.) the interviews (many of them first-hand account) are from all corners of the new orleans life-- everyday people, politicians, entertainers, et cetera. the way the images, voices and faces are interchanged is just amazing. so, the film itself is visually stunning.
documentaries are supposed to be as powerful as this one. and the main reason you should not miss it is that the horrific, heart-wrenching stories of the survivors is the best thing about this documentary.
the message of the film? that we, as americans, have failed that city. from all levels of society, it was failed. but most of all at the federal government level, where it seems the city was treated as a foreign city with funds being cut and its problems repeatedly being ignored. and that, when help was needed, it took the federal government almost a week to respond to a city in mayhem.
Spike Lee's Powerful Katrina Epic--A Critical And Emotional Look At An American Tragedy
This may seem like an absolutely ridiculous thing to say--but I wanted to approach "When The Levees Broke" with a totally open mind. While the flooding of New Orleans is easily one of the greatest disasters in American history, it is also one of the most politically charged subjects of recent years. While I've never found Spike Lee to be the most balanced of directors, I was curious to see how his epic documentary about the aftermath of Katrina would fare. I'm pleased to report that a concerted effort was made to include alternating viewpoints and perceptions. That's why I attempted to leave my own preconceived ideas on the doorstep--I wanted to judge this piece on its merit as opposed to its (or my) political agenda.
Basically, "Levees" is constructed in four episodes--each roughly an hour. Part 1 details the incoming storm and its initial impact on the area. Here we see rescue efforts amid the flooding and many harrowing images of people just trying to survive. Part 2 deals with the immediate aftermath, as the evacuees are staged throughout the city awaiting assistance. Here, we start to share in the real frustration of everyone that assistance is slow and, in some cases, nonexistent. Part 3 documents a period of time where the evacuees adjust--waiting for a chance to return to their homes and/or rejoin their families. And Part 4 comes as people start to return to the city--to the horrors and reality that all is lost. The latter parts continue to focus on opportunities missed by FEMA to care for the victims, the Corps of Engineers to adequately defend the city, and the insurance companies who failed to make good on their obligations.
But most of the criticism is left for the national government and, in particular, the Bush administration. And, again, whatever your political leanings--this is definitely a topic that needs to be examined. Through news footage and interviews from major participants including Mayor Naggin and Governor Blanco, you get a real perspective on what was going on behind the scenes. It may not be the most flattering portrait one could hope for--but it is surprisingly fair. And it is necessary to view our shortcomings as a nation facing disaster--if, for no other reason, than to prevent them from happening again.
It is heartbreaking what was left in the wake of Katrina. But it's even more upsetting to think it may have been prevented--or at least, after the storm, given more import by those who might have made a difference. Many of the documentary's subjects are New Orleans residents who put a human and personal touch on the catastrophe--and Lee has, thankfully, selected a diverse group from different socioeconomic backgrounds. That's what makes "Levees" most effective--looking at a broad canvas.
Most of the interviewees are noticeably and justifiably frustrated by the situations and much political talk ensues. I think the criticisms, in most cases, are apt. However, the one thing I wished "Levees" would have done more is to acknowledge the stellar support from individuals who made a difference working within the organizations that are widely being disparaged. There were many people who worked within the system who were not villains--yet these people (many who worked for months on the streets of New Orleans or with the evacuees) are largely dismissed. This is a shame for them and a blemish on an otherwise exemplary documentary.
With the fate of our planet arguably hanging in the balance, An Inconvenient Truth may prove to be one of the most important and prescient documentaries of all time. As he jokingly refers to himself, "former President-elect" Al Gore felt an urgent personal calling to draw attention--as he had been doing throughout his political career--to the increasingly desperate crisis of global warming, and this riveting documentary is basically a filmed version (by respected TV director Davis Guggenheim) of the PowerPoint lecture that Gore has presented (by his own estimate, well over 1,000 times) to attentive audiences all over the world. Considering Gore's amiable, low-key approach to charts, graphs, statistics, and photographs that leave no room for doubt regarding the reality (not... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Davis Guggenheim DVD Release Date: Released the 21 November 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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How well you respond to Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly depends on how much you know about the life and work of celebrated science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. While it qualifies as a faithful adaptation of Dick's semiautobiographical 1977 novel about the perils of drug abuse, Big Brother-like surveillance and rampant paranoia in a very near future ("seven years from now"), this is still very much a Linklater film, and those two qualities don't always connect effectively. The creepy potency of Dick's premise remains: The drug war's been lost, citizens are kept under rigid surveillance by holographic scanning recorders, and a schizoid addict named Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is facing an identity crisis he's not even aware of: Due to his voluminous intake of the highly... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Richard Linklater DVD Release Date: 19 December 2006
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Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena star as two New York City Port Authority police officers in this magnificent film by Oliver Stone which describes one of the darkest days in the history of the United States: September 11, 2001.
Cage stars as Sgt. John McLoughlin, and Pena stars as officer Will Jimeno. These two men, along with a crew of other officers, entered into the stricken World Trade Center shortly after the brutal terrorist attacks. Their job was to go up inside the tower and assist with rescue efforts. However, shortly after entering the buildings, the collapse began. The officers immediately dove for an elevator shaft; supposedly one of the strongest places in the building. Despite their quick thinking, McLoughlin, Jimeno, and the rest of the officers are buried... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Oliver Stone DVD Release Date: Released the 12 December 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Pile together a blue-ribbon cast, a screenplay high in quirkiness, and the Sundance stamp of approval, and you've got yourself a crossover indie hit. That formula worked for Little Miss Sunshine, a frequently hilarious study of family dysfunction. Meet the Hoovers, an Albuquerque clan riddled with depression, hostility, and the tattered remnants of the American Dream; despite their flakiness, they manage to pile into a VW van for a weekend trek to L.A. in order to get moppet daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) into the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Much of the pleasure of this journey comes from watching some skillful comic actors doing their thing: Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette as the parents (he's hoping to become a self-help authority), Alan Arkin as a grandfather all too... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Valerie Faris - Jonathan Dayton DVD Release Date: 19 December 2006
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