Nearly ten year after the Emmy Award-winning first season, “The Jinx” is remarkably back on HBO. Andrew Jarecki, Marc Smerling, and Zac Stuart-Pontier’s engrossing docuseries about the string of murders connected to Robert Durst built to a now-infamous climax, and will return with more story to tell April 21.
Before that, it’s worth revisiting the 2015 series and decades of headlines it interrogates. “The Jinx” gripped its audience with mounting evidence against Durst and a scintillating narrative structure, but also quickly came under fire for manipulating the timeline and even Durst’s hot mic recordings for dramatic effect. In 2015, IndieWire’s Matt Brennan pointed out that “The Jinx” set an impossible standard for documentary drama — one that the series itself had arguably not cleared in the first place. Jessica Kiang wrote that “This is not Jarecki’s gotcha so much as it is a self-initiated, cloudily motivated performance piece of Durst’s,...
Before that, it’s worth revisiting the 2015 series and decades of headlines it interrogates. “The Jinx” gripped its audience with mounting evidence against Durst and a scintillating narrative structure, but also quickly came under fire for manipulating the timeline and even Durst’s hot mic recordings for dramatic effect. In 2015, IndieWire’s Matt Brennan pointed out that “The Jinx” set an impossible standard for documentary drama — one that the series itself had arguably not cleared in the first place. Jessica Kiang wrote that “This is not Jarecki’s gotcha so much as it is a self-initiated, cloudily motivated performance piece of Durst’s,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
Baywatch star? Canadian icon? Animal rights activist? Playboy model? Nineties tabloid staple? Forget what you think you know about Pamela Anderson. A new Netflix documentary attempts to explore every facet of a woman who’s been in the spotlight — for better or worse – for over 30 years.
Directed by Ryan White, the as-of-yet untitled movie promises “an intimate portrait embedded in the life of Pamela Anderson as she looks back at her professional and personal path and prepares for the next steps on her journey.” White’s past credits include The Keepers, a Netflix docuseries investigating the cold case of murdered nun Catherine Cesnik in 1969.
Along with exclusive interviews with Anderson herself, viewers will have access to never-before-seen archival footage and personal journals to unpack her experience in Hollywood and beyond — in her own words this time.
Directed by Ryan White, the as-of-yet untitled movie promises “an intimate portrait embedded in the life of Pamela Anderson as she looks back at her professional and personal path and prepares for the next steps on her journey.” White’s past credits include The Keepers, a Netflix docuseries investigating the cold case of murdered nun Catherine Cesnik in 1969.
Along with exclusive interviews with Anderson herself, viewers will have access to never-before-seen archival footage and personal journals to unpack her experience in Hollywood and beyond — in her own words this time.
- 2/22/2024
- by Anne Cohen
- Tudum - Netflix
There is no dearth of true crime documentaries on Netflix. Most of these documentaries cover the ways in which the subject targeted women until the authorities finally tracked them down. Tinder Swindler, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, The Keepers, and The Ripper are some examples of true crime documentaries released by Netflix, and the streaming giant has somehow aced this form of content. Yet another addition to this genre is Liza Williams’ Can I Tell You a Secret, which chronicles the story of a man who cyberbullied countless women in his vicinity. This two-part documentary miniseries was released on February 21, 2024.
The documentary begins with Zoe, Abby, and Lia, the victims of the stalker, discussing in detail how a random stranger contacted them on their phone through Snapchat and Instagram and began to bully them. It began as a normal conversation, which turned into a nightmare for the...
The documentary begins with Zoe, Abby, and Lia, the victims of the stalker, discussing in detail how a random stranger contacted them on their phone through Snapchat and Instagram and began to bully them. It began as a normal conversation, which turned into a nightmare for the...
- 2/22/2024
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
It might seem contradictory that the rise of short video clip popularity coincided with the popularity of long form journalism, but Netflix may be the common factor. The streaming network didn’t invent true crime documentation, but it helped shape the style, and keeps a vast repository of the hottest cold cases.
Real-life crime stories are riveting, whether the watcher is concerned about avoiding such events or solving them. There is something for every taste, from feature-length documentaries to full series. Not all crimes are equal under the laws of public opinion, but these are some of the most dangerously addictive true crime offerings currently available on Netflix.
Making a Murderer (2015)
Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi’s 10-part documentary on Steven Avery catapulted Netflix to the top of the True Crime streaming game. Making a Murderer spurred the fascination with the genre more than any other series. Avery served 18 years...
Real-life crime stories are riveting, whether the watcher is concerned about avoiding such events or solving them. There is something for every taste, from feature-length documentaries to full series. Not all crimes are equal under the laws of public opinion, but these are some of the most dangerously addictive true crime offerings currently available on Netflix.
Making a Murderer (2015)
Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi’s 10-part documentary on Steven Avery catapulted Netflix to the top of the True Crime streaming game. Making a Murderer spurred the fascination with the genre more than any other series. Avery served 18 years...
- 9/8/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Before working on “Pamela, a love story,” director Ryan White admits that there was no one more skeptical about making a Pamela Anderson documentary than him. “I think that’s because, like a lot of people, I had all of these preconceived notions about who Pamela Anderson is or who she would be today and I wasn’t really interested in being a part of that story,” he tells Gold Derby during our recent Meet the Experts: TV Documentary panel (watch the exclusive video interview above). All of that changed for White when he got the chance to have a Zoom session with Anderson. “I was so fascinated with who she appeared to be in this little box in front of me and I thought, ‘Wow. If I’m this surprised right now, if we could show an audience who this woman really is, that could be the recipe for a great documentary.
- 8/15/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Five documentary filmmakers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2023 Emmy Awards nominees. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Thursday, August 10, at 6:00 p.m. Pt; 9:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Charles Bright and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
Judy Blume Forever (Amazon Prime)
Synopsis: Judy Blume and the generations of readers who have sparked to her work. It will examine her impact on pop culture and the occasional controversies over her frankness about puberty and sex.
Bio: Leah Wolchok is an Emmy nominee for “Judy Blume Forever.” Her...
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
Judy Blume Forever (Amazon Prime)
Synopsis: Judy Blume and the generations of readers who have sparked to her work. It will examine her impact on pop culture and the occasional controversies over her frankness about puberty and sex.
Bio: Leah Wolchok is an Emmy nominee for “Judy Blume Forever.” Her...
- 8/3/2023
- by Chris Beachum and Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Six TV documentarians will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2023 Emmy Awards contenders. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Tuesday, May 16, at 6:00 p.m. Pt; 9:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Denton Davidson and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Emmy contenders:
Dear Mama (FX)
Synopsis: It follows the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur and his mother, the Black Panther activist Afeni Shakur.
Bio: Allen Hughes is an Emmy nominee for “The Defiant Ones.” His career has included “Menace II Society,...
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Emmy contenders:
Dear Mama (FX)
Synopsis: It follows the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur and his mother, the Black Panther activist Afeni Shakur.
Bio: Allen Hughes is an Emmy nominee for “The Defiant Ones.” His career has included “Menace II Society,...
- 5/9/2023
- by Chris Beachum and Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
On January 31, 2023, Netflix released “Pamela, a Love Story,” a documentary telling the story of Pamela Anderson in her own words. It is described as “an intimate and humanizing portrait of one of the world’s most famous blonde bombshells. ‘Pamela, a Love Story’ follows the trajectory of Anderson’s life and career from small town girl to international sex symbol, actress, activist and doting mother.”
Early reviews are stellar for the film from Emmy-nominated director Ryan White. It currently holds a perfect 100 freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 88. Read our review roundup of “Pamela, a Love Story” below.
See Rian Johnson on planting ‘Glass Onion’ clues in plain sight and his ‘pretty cool’ Oscar nomination [Exclusive Video Interview]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praises the star, writing, “Pamela Anderson is an authentically likable screen presence in this intimate, if somehow elusive, documentary portrait from Ryan White; it is about...
Early reviews are stellar for the film from Emmy-nominated director Ryan White. It currently holds a perfect 100 freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 88. Read our review roundup of “Pamela, a Love Story” below.
See Rian Johnson on planting ‘Glass Onion’ clues in plain sight and his ‘pretty cool’ Oscar nomination [Exclusive Video Interview]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praises the star, writing, “Pamela Anderson is an authentically likable screen presence in this intimate, if somehow elusive, documentary portrait from Ryan White; it is about...
- 2/1/2023
- by Vincent Mandile
- Gold Derby
In recent years, the documentary realm has been the place for cultural reappraisals of famous women torn asunder by the invisible hands of misogyny. A series of documentaries and investigative pieces surrounding Britney Spears, coupled with the fan-initiated #FreeBritney movement, led to the end of the pop superstar’s cruel conservatorship. A doc on Janet Jackson reassessed her unconscionable castigation in the wake of that Super Bowl wardrobe mishap, while a two-part docuseries at this year’s Sundance examined the nauseating child sexualization and commodification of Brooke Shields.
Netflix is...
Netflix is...
- 1/27/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
by Nathaniel R
Director Ryan White and his new film "Good Night Oppy"
In October I had the pleasure of introducing director Ryan White to a warmly receptive audience at the 10th annual Middleburg Film Festival. They'd just screened his buzzy documentary Good Night Oppy and there was lots of love in the room. That's been a through line with the film wherever it's shown. The space exploration documentary has since received glowing notices and several awards including five wins at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards. The charming doc about two sister robots on Mars, "Opportunity" and "Spirit", who wildly surpassed initial expectations, also represents a change of pace for the director. He's always had range. His previous lauded projects have included films as varied as the Oscar finalist short Coded (2021) about the gay golden age illustrator J.C. Leyendecker, the Emmy-nominated political doc The Case Against 8 (2014), the Emmy nominated...
Director Ryan White and his new film "Good Night Oppy"
In October I had the pleasure of introducing director Ryan White to a warmly receptive audience at the 10th annual Middleburg Film Festival. They'd just screened his buzzy documentary Good Night Oppy and there was lots of love in the room. That's been a through line with the film wherever it's shown. The space exploration documentary has since received glowing notices and several awards including five wins at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards. The charming doc about two sister robots on Mars, "Opportunity" and "Spirit", who wildly surpassed initial expectations, also represents a change of pace for the director. He's always had range. His previous lauded projects have included films as varied as the Oscar finalist short Coded (2021) about the gay golden age illustrator J.C. Leyendecker, the Emmy-nominated political doc The Case Against 8 (2014), the Emmy nominated...
- 12/15/2022
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The first official photos for Pamela, a love story, the upcoming Netflix documentary, have arrived to take you down memory lane. In addition to the images, Netflix’s Pamela, a love story documentary will be released on the streaming platform on January 31, 2023. Unlike Hulu’s Pam & Tommy scripted TV series, which profited off of one of the most traumatic events of Anderson’s career, Netflix’s documentary is an intimate and humanizing portrait of one of the world’s most famous blonde bombshells. Pamela, a love story follows Pamela Anderson’s life and career trajectory from small-town girl to international sex symbol, actress, activist, and doting mother.
In Netflix’s Pamela, a love story documentary, the fair-haired icon reveals her thoughts about Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, the devastating events concerning the stolen tape, marriages, and misconceptions about who she is in the grand scheme we call life. The...
In Netflix’s Pamela, a love story documentary, the fair-haired icon reveals her thoughts about Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, the devastating events concerning the stolen tape, marriages, and misconceptions about who she is in the grand scheme we call life. The...
- 12/13/2022
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Netflix’s The State of Alabama vs Brittany Smith, a taut true-crime documentary from The Keepers director Ryan White, follows the distressing story of an Alabama mother who was charged with murdering a man she said raped her.
Smith’s case became the focus of an attention-grabbing New Yorker investigation, in part because Smith invoked a “stand your ground” defence. In over 30 US states, including Alabama, state law makes it legal to use lethal force to defend oneself against threats or even perceived threats. In this case, Smith was cornered in her own home by her assailant – an old acquaintance called Todd Smith – who told Smith he’d kill her if she called the police.
But her stand your ground defence failed. In fact, as journalist Elizabeth Flock, who serves as executive producer on the Netflix series, found, women are much less likely than men to successfully invoke “stand your...
Smith’s case became the focus of an attention-grabbing New Yorker investigation, in part because Smith invoked a “stand your ground” defence. In over 30 US states, including Alabama, state law makes it legal to use lethal force to defend oneself against threats or even perceived threats. In this case, Smith was cornered in her own home by her assailant – an old acquaintance called Todd Smith – who told Smith he’d kill her if she called the police.
But her stand your ground defence failed. In fact, as journalist Elizabeth Flock, who serves as executive producer on the Netflix series, found, women are much less likely than men to successfully invoke “stand your...
- 11/10/2022
- by Amanda Whiting
- The Independent - TV
Four top film documentary filmmakers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022/2023 awards contenders. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Wednesday, November 16, at 6:00 p.m. Pt; 9:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our contributing editor Charles Bright and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Oscar and guild contenders:
Good Night Oppy (Amazon Prime)
Synopsis: The film follows Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover affectionately dubbed Oppy by her creators and scientists at NASA. Oppy was originally expected to live for only 90 days but she ultimately explored Mars for nearly 15 years.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Oscar and guild contenders:
Good Night Oppy (Amazon Prime)
Synopsis: The film follows Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover affectionately dubbed Oppy by her creators and scientists at NASA. Oppy was originally expected to live for only 90 days but she ultimately explored Mars for nearly 15 years.
- 11/9/2022
- by Chris Beachum and Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Click here to read the full article.
NASA missions and movie productions have more in common than you might think, according to Steve Squyres, a scientist who was the principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission.
“There are way, way more good ideas for movies than there are movies that actually get made,” Squyres tells The Hollywood Reporter. “And there are way, way more good ideas for space missions than there are missions that actually get selected to fly. With space missions there’s even more money on the line. The time that it takes to make the thing is comparable or maybe longer. And if you fail, you fail big.”
Squyres has a unique perspective on the similarities between the space exploration and entertainment businesses, because both his brother and daughter work as film editors. But that perspective is deepening lately thanks to a new role the scientist...
NASA missions and movie productions have more in common than you might think, according to Steve Squyres, a scientist who was the principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission.
“There are way, way more good ideas for movies than there are movies that actually get made,” Squyres tells The Hollywood Reporter. “And there are way, way more good ideas for space missions than there are missions that actually get selected to fly. With space missions there’s even more money on the line. The time that it takes to make the thing is comparable or maybe longer. And if you fail, you fail big.”
Squyres has a unique perspective on the similarities between the space exploration and entertainment businesses, because both his brother and daughter work as film editors. But that perspective is deepening lately thanks to a new role the scientist...
- 9/5/2022
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pamela Anderson is telling her story, her way, with a new documentary set at Netflix.
Anderson announced the news on social media with a handwritten note on Netflix letterhead, which reads: “My life/ A thousand imperfections/ A million misperceptions/ Wicked, wild and lost/ Nothing to live up to /I can only surprise you /Not a victim, but a survivor /And alive to tell the real story.”
Anderson’s son Brandon Thomas Lee, who serves as a producer on the project, reposted the note on his Instagram story emphasizing the phrase, “The real story,” as did her younger son Dylan Jagger Lee.
Dubbed the “definitive documentary about the pop culture icon,” the film has been in the making for several years before landing at the streamer. Directed by Ryan White, the yet-to-be-titled documentary will feature exclusive access to Anderson, as well as archival footage and her personal journals.
The film’s...
Anderson announced the news on social media with a handwritten note on Netflix letterhead, which reads: “My life/ A thousand imperfections/ A million misperceptions/ Wicked, wild and lost/ Nothing to live up to /I can only surprise you /Not a victim, but a survivor /And alive to tell the real story.”
Anderson’s son Brandon Thomas Lee, who serves as a producer on the project, reposted the note on his Instagram story emphasizing the phrase, “The real story,” as did her younger son Dylan Jagger Lee.
Dubbed the “definitive documentary about the pop culture icon,” the film has been in the making for several years before landing at the streamer. Directed by Ryan White, the yet-to-be-titled documentary will feature exclusive access to Anderson, as well as archival footage and her personal journals.
The film’s...
- 3/2/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
They’re after you, and your wives and children! This Corman/VeSota/Ed Nelson shocker with the excellent poster is a Robert Heinlein knockoff that can’t quite sustain the paranoid pitch of other ‘parasitic possession’ sci-fi horror epics. One of the cheapest of the drive-in cheapies, it remains a must-see title just for the audacity of its ad campaign, and a random moment or two of spooky serendipity. Don’t get your hopes up if you’re coming to see Leonard Nimoy’s performance — unless his voice is enough to satisfy.
The Brain Eaters
Blu-ray
1958 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 61 min. / Street Date January, 2022
Starring: Ed Nelson, Alan Frost, Jack Hill, Joanna Lee, Jody Fair, David Hughes, Robert Ball, Greigh Phillips, Orville Sherman, Leonard Nemoy (Nimoy),, Doug Banks, Saul Bronson, Hampton Fancher.
Cinematography: Larry Raimond
Art Director: Burt Shonberg
Film Editor: Carlo Lodato
Written by Gordon Urquhart
Uncredited Executive Producer:...
The Brain Eaters
Blu-ray
1958 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 61 min. / Street Date January, 2022
Starring: Ed Nelson, Alan Frost, Jack Hill, Joanna Lee, Jody Fair, David Hughes, Robert Ball, Greigh Phillips, Orville Sherman, Leonard Nemoy (Nimoy),, Doug Banks, Saul Bronson, Hampton Fancher.
Cinematography: Larry Raimond
Art Director: Burt Shonberg
Film Editor: Carlo Lodato
Written by Gordon Urquhart
Uncredited Executive Producer:...
- 2/5/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Nonfiction filmmaker Ryan White has explored queer American life in the past, with the HBO documentary “The Case Against 8” and the Apple TV+ docuseries “Visible: Out on Television.” He turns the clock farther back with the documentary short “Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker.” Could it be his Oscar breakthrough?
J.C. Leyendecker was an artist in the early 20th century who created illustrations for advertisements and magazine covers. He was also a gay man who snuck homoeroticism into his male imagery, and while he enjoyed great success during his life, he isn’t as well remembered now as Norman Rockwell, who came after him. White tells his story with a combination of animation, interviews, and archival materials, with Neil Patrick Harris narrating in the voice of Leyendecker.
SEEFilm documentary roundtable panel: ‘Becoming Cousteau,’ ‘A Cop Movie,’ ‘My Name is Pauli Murray,’ ‘Simple as Water,’ ‘The Velvet Underground...
J.C. Leyendecker was an artist in the early 20th century who created illustrations for advertisements and magazine covers. He was also a gay man who snuck homoeroticism into his male imagery, and while he enjoyed great success during his life, he isn’t as well remembered now as Norman Rockwell, who came after him. White tells his story with a combination of animation, interviews, and archival materials, with Neil Patrick Harris narrating in the voice of Leyendecker.
SEEFilm documentary roundtable panel: ‘Becoming Cousteau,’ ‘A Cop Movie,’ ‘My Name is Pauli Murray,’ ‘Simple as Water,’ ‘The Velvet Underground...
- 12/3/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Jewish Story Partners, the non-profit film fund that launched six months ago, announced its second round of grant recipients on Monday. The winners came after an open submissions call that saw a 226% increase in participation from the first round.
An additional $280,000 has been awarded this year, bringing Jsp’s 2021 spend to $500,000 as they identify nonfiction work telling diverse Jewish stories. International filmmakers and fiction projects will be sought in the future. The group anticipates to hand out $800,000 in 2022 and $1 million by 2023.
New funders include the Lynn and Jules Kroll Fund for Jewish Documentary Films, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Kronhill Pletka Foundation and Koret Foundation.
Monday’s grants will fund noted documentary filmmakers including: Kate Amend, Marilyn Ness, Pratibha Parmar, Dan Sturman and Ondi Timoner.
“Jewish documentary films are a window into the richness and complexity of the arc of Jewish history and Jewish lives today,” said Lynn and...
An additional $280,000 has been awarded this year, bringing Jsp’s 2021 spend to $500,000 as they identify nonfiction work telling diverse Jewish stories. International filmmakers and fiction projects will be sought in the future. The group anticipates to hand out $800,000 in 2022 and $1 million by 2023.
New funders include the Lynn and Jules Kroll Fund for Jewish Documentary Films, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Kronhill Pletka Foundation and Koret Foundation.
Monday’s grants will fund noted documentary filmmakers including: Kate Amend, Marilyn Ness, Pratibha Parmar, Dan Sturman and Ondi Timoner.
“Jewish documentary films are a window into the richness and complexity of the arc of Jewish history and Jewish lives today,” said Lynn and...
- 11/22/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
MTV Documentary Films has acquired Imagine Documentaries and Delirio Films’ documentary short “Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker.”
Directed by Ryan White, “Coded” tells the story of early 20th century gay illustrator J.C. Leyendecker, whose advertising work was often coded with LGBTQ imagery. Despite Leyendecker’s success — he had more Saturday Evening Post covers than Norman Rockwell — his legacy has largely gone unnoticed.
The film, narrated by Neil Patrick Harris, won the best documentary short award at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival.
MTV announced the acquisition on Thursday morning.
“I’m thrilled to partner with [executive producer, MTV Documentary Films] Sheila Nevins and the team at MTV Documentary Films to bring ‘Coded: The Hidden Love of J. C. Leyendecker’ to a global audience,” White said in a statement. “The personal story of J.C. Leyendecker has been in many ways lost to history, so I hope ‘Coded: The Hidden Love of J. C.
Directed by Ryan White, “Coded” tells the story of early 20th century gay illustrator J.C. Leyendecker, whose advertising work was often coded with LGBTQ imagery. Despite Leyendecker’s success — he had more Saturday Evening Post covers than Norman Rockwell — his legacy has largely gone unnoticed.
The film, narrated by Neil Patrick Harris, won the best documentary short award at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival.
MTV announced the acquisition on Thursday morning.
“I’m thrilled to partner with [executive producer, MTV Documentary Films] Sheila Nevins and the team at MTV Documentary Films to bring ‘Coded: The Hidden Love of J. C. Leyendecker’ to a global audience,” White said in a statement. “The personal story of J.C. Leyendecker has been in many ways lost to history, so I hope ‘Coded: The Hidden Love of J. C.
- 8/26/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Peter Berg’s Film 44 production company has secured a first-look deal with Netflix to produce and direct live-action films and series, they announced jointly Monday.
“For me, in this moment, Netflix is the perfect creative fit,” Berg said in a statement. “I could not be more excited to get to work!”
“Pete Berg has created iconic television. Authentic, visceral and kinetic, Berg’s style has elevated storytelling for years and we are proud to welcome him to Netflix,” Brian Wright, head of overall deals at Netflix, said.
Tendo Nagenda, vice president of Netflix Film, added, “Pete makes movies that captivate and thrill us…We’re thrilled to have him and Film 44 officially at Netflix.” Berg and Netflix film chief Scott Stuber have worked together in the past, including on the films “Patriot’s Day” and “Kingdom.”
Berg, a director, producer and actor, is the founder of Film Forties, a...
“For me, in this moment, Netflix is the perfect creative fit,” Berg said in a statement. “I could not be more excited to get to work!”
“Pete Berg has created iconic television. Authentic, visceral and kinetic, Berg’s style has elevated storytelling for years and we are proud to welcome him to Netflix,” Brian Wright, head of overall deals at Netflix, said.
Tendo Nagenda, vice president of Netflix Film, added, “Pete makes movies that captivate and thrill us…We’re thrilled to have him and Film 44 officially at Netflix.” Berg and Netflix film chief Scott Stuber have worked together in the past, including on the films “Patriot’s Day” and “Kingdom.”
Berg, a director, producer and actor, is the founder of Film Forties, a...
- 3/29/2021
- by Diane Haithman
- The Wrap
Amazon Studios, Film 45, Amblin Television and Tripod Media are co-producing the upcoming feature documentary “Good Night Oppy” from director Ryan White.
With the support of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Industrial Light & Magic, the film recounts the true story of Mars exploration rover Opportunity and the bond forged between the robot and the humans that created her. Opportunity, nicknamed “Oppy,” was originally expected to live for only 90 days, but ended up exploring the Red Planet for nearly 15 years.
“We are so thrilled to be working with these extraordinary partners to bring Oppy’s story to our global customers,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “The innovation and determination that made Oppy’s journey possible, and the spirit of discovery that drives the team at Jpl, are an inspiration. As we celebrate their achievements, we are delighted to also be working with the extremely talented filmmaker Ryan White, and...
With the support of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Industrial Light & Magic, the film recounts the true story of Mars exploration rover Opportunity and the bond forged between the robot and the humans that created her. Opportunity, nicknamed “Oppy,” was originally expected to live for only 90 days, but ended up exploring the Red Planet for nearly 15 years.
“We are so thrilled to be working with these extraordinary partners to bring Oppy’s story to our global customers,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “The innovation and determination that made Oppy’s journey possible, and the spirit of discovery that drives the team at Jpl, are an inspiration. As we celebrate their achievements, we are delighted to also be working with the extremely talented filmmaker Ryan White, and...
- 3/5/2021
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- Variety Film + TV
Shortly after NASA landed its Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on Mars, a new documentary is in the works about another little robot that first captured hearts and minds: Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover.
The film about this “real-life Wall-e” is called “Good Night Oppy” and will be directed by “Assassins” filmmaker Ryan White. The heartwarming film shows how a robot that was only expected to be active for 90 days managed to explore Mars for nearly 15 years before making its final contact in June 2018. It’s about a robot traveling a planet on her own, but also about the literal connection and bond formed between human and machine.
Amazon Studios, Film 45, Amblin Television and Tripod Media are co-producing “Good Night Oppy,” which is currently in production and has the support of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Jpl) and Industrial Light & Magic (Ilm). The documentary was even part of an intense bidding...
The film about this “real-life Wall-e” is called “Good Night Oppy” and will be directed by “Assassins” filmmaker Ryan White. The heartwarming film shows how a robot that was only expected to be active for 90 days managed to explore Mars for nearly 15 years before making its final contact in June 2018. It’s about a robot traveling a planet on her own, but also about the literal connection and bond formed between human and machine.
Amazon Studios, Film 45, Amblin Television and Tripod Media are co-producing “Good Night Oppy,” which is currently in production and has the support of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Jpl) and Industrial Light & Magic (Ilm). The documentary was even part of an intense bidding...
- 3/5/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Filmmaker Ryan White says his documentary feature “Assassins” one of the hardest documentaries he’s made. White’s credits include: “Visible: Out on Television” and “The Keepers.”
The road to “Assassins,” now streaming on virtual cinema took White down into the underbelly of Malaysia, dark alleys, taxis and a dive into the North Korean regime. Kim Jong-nam — half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un — was assassinated as he was preparing to board a flight. Doan Thi Huong and Siti Aisyah stood trial for the murder and assassination. However, they told their lawyer they believed they had been recruited for a reality TV show. On hearing that, White was interested in following the trail and trial.
As White told his story and discusses the film’s distribution, he says the release plan in the U.S. was a “bumpier road” because, “I think that feeling from corporations could be hacked in...
The road to “Assassins,” now streaming on virtual cinema took White down into the underbelly of Malaysia, dark alleys, taxis and a dive into the North Korean regime. Kim Jong-nam — half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un — was assassinated as he was preparing to board a flight. Doan Thi Huong and Siti Aisyah stood trial for the murder and assassination. However, they told their lawyer they believed they had been recruited for a reality TV show. On hearing that, White was interested in following the trail and trial.
As White told his story and discusses the film’s distribution, he says the release plan in the U.S. was a “bumpier road” because, “I think that feeling from corporations could be hacked in...
- 12/15/2020
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Were two young women responsible for the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un? That’s the question director Ryan White tries to explore in his bonkers documentary “Assassins.”
“Assassins” premiered at Sundance earlier this year and examines what pundits have called one of the wildest murder cases of the 21st Century. In 2017, Kim Jong-nam was assassinated at Malaysia’s international airport, with the entire act captured on security cameras in broad daylight. Two teenage girls could be seen grabbing Jong-nam from behind and covering his eyes with their hands.
What the movie hopes to determine is whether the girls knew that their hands were covered with Vx, a lethal nerve gas that left him dead within an hour. What at first appears to be a cut and dry case soon reveals that the girls supposedly believed they were participating in a video prank show for easy money.
“Assassins” premiered at Sundance earlier this year and examines what pundits have called one of the wildest murder cases of the 21st Century. In 2017, Kim Jong-nam was assassinated at Malaysia’s international airport, with the entire act captured on security cameras in broad daylight. Two teenage girls could be seen grabbing Jong-nam from behind and covering his eyes with their hands.
What the movie hopes to determine is whether the girls knew that their hands were covered with Vx, a lethal nerve gas that left him dead within an hour. What at first appears to be a cut and dry case soon reveals that the girls supposedly believed they were participating in a video prank show for easy money.
- 11/11/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
‘Assassins’ director Ryan White and producer Jessica Hargrave investigate a bizarre political murder
John Le Carre or the late Ian Fleming could have come up with the plot of the new Greenwich Entertainment documentary “Assassins”: Two young women are accused of the 2017 assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, the half-brother of North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-Un, in broad daylight at the Kuala Lumpur Airport by spreading Vx nerve agent on this face. Were they pawns of the ruthless Supreme Leader of North Korea, who in a Shakespearean move, wanted to cement his power or were the women working alone? Not surprisingly, North Korea denied any involvement in the murder.
Directed by Ryan White and produced by his longtime collaborator Jessica Hargrave, “Assassins” earned strong reviews at the Sundance Film Festival; it’s currently at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman called it “a terrific true-crime story, but also a documentary thriller about the new world order. We’re shown photos and videos of the young women,...
Directed by Ryan White and produced by his longtime collaborator Jessica Hargrave, “Assassins” earned strong reviews at the Sundance Film Festival; it’s currently at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman called it “a terrific true-crime story, but also a documentary thriller about the new world order. We’re shown photos and videos of the young women,...
- 11/4/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
When documentary filmmaker Ryan White made “Assassins,” he needed his adopted grandmother Dr. Ruth’s support to tell the harrowing and jaw-dropping story of the two sex workers who were on trial in Malaysia for assassinating Kim Jong-un’s half-brother. “She hated that I was doing it, worried for me the entire time,” said White, who received a 2017 Emmy nomination for his film about the death of a beloved Catholic nun in “The Keepers.” “She knew by the end I was compelled to get out the truth about these two women.”
Bryan Fogel won an 2018 Best Documentary Oscar for “Icarus,” which led the Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. For “The Dissident,” he took on the assassination of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and obtained Turkish intelligence transcripts and audio of Khashoggi’s murder that reveal mind-numbing violence. “This is a fight for freedom of speech,...
Bryan Fogel won an 2018 Best Documentary Oscar for “Icarus,” which led the Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. For “The Dissident,” he took on the assassination of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and obtained Turkish intelligence transcripts and audio of Khashoggi’s murder that reveal mind-numbing violence. “This is a fight for freedom of speech,...
- 10/23/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
When documentary filmmaker Ryan White made “Assassins,” he needed his adopted grandmother Dr. Ruth’s support to tell the harrowing and jaw-dropping story of the two sex workers who were on trial in Malaysia for assassinating Kim Jong-un’s half-brother. “She hated that I was doing it, worried for me the entire time,” said White, who received a 2017 Emmy nomination for his film about the death of a beloved Catholic nun in “The Keepers.” “She knew by the end I was compelled to get out the truth about these two women.”
Bryan Fogel won an 2018 Best Documentary Oscar for “Icarus,” which led the Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. For “The Dissident,” he took on the assassination of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and obtained Turkish intelligence transcripts and audio of Khashoggi’s murder that reveal mind-numbing violence. “This is a fight for freedom of speech,...
Bryan Fogel won an 2018 Best Documentary Oscar for “Icarus,” which led the Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. For “The Dissident,” he took on the assassination of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and obtained Turkish intelligence transcripts and audio of Khashoggi’s murder that reveal mind-numbing violence. “This is a fight for freedom of speech,...
- 10/23/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Netflix have played a huge part in the resurgence of the true crime genre over the last few years thanks to the success of shows like Making a Murderer, The Keepers, Evil Genius, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes and even Tiger King, which was a crime story at its core. Fans can’t seem to get enough of them, and they’re regularly among the most popular titles on the platform.
The streaming service has also gotten into the Ryan Murphy business in a big way, with the prolific American Horror Story creator signing a huge first-look deal that’s already brought TV shows The Politician, Hollywood and Ratched, documentary A Secret Love and feature film The Boys in the Band since last year alone. Put the two together and success is virtually guaranteed, and that’s exactly what looks to be happening again following the announcement...
The streaming service has also gotten into the Ryan Murphy business in a big way, with the prolific American Horror Story creator signing a huge first-look deal that’s already brought TV shows The Politician, Hollywood and Ratched, documentary A Secret Love and feature film The Boys in the Band since last year alone. Put the two together and success is virtually guaranteed, and that’s exactly what looks to be happening again following the announcement...
- 10/3/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
Greenwich Entertainment has picked up Assassins, the Ryan White-directed documentary exposé about the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother. The doc had its premiere earlier this year at Sundance Film Festival and will be released in theaters on December 4.
In 2017, Kim Jong-nam was assassinated in broad daylight at a crowded Malaysian airport. The brazen murder was caught entirely by security cameras with footage showing two young women approaching Jong-nam from behind and covering his eyes with their hands. He stumbled away and was dead within an hour. The two women, who had never met and claimed they had been hired for a video prank show and had no idea what they were actually doing, were arrested and charged with murder. Imprisoned in a foreign land and facing execution, the young women begged for authorities to believe their outlandish tale.
Assassins made waves at Sundance...
In 2017, Kim Jong-nam was assassinated in broad daylight at a crowded Malaysian airport. The brazen murder was caught entirely by security cameras with footage showing two young women approaching Jong-nam from behind and covering his eyes with their hands. He stumbled away and was dead within an hour. The two women, who had never met and claimed they had been hired for a video prank show and had no idea what they were actually doing, were arrested and charged with murder. Imprisoned in a foreign land and facing execution, the young women begged for authorities to believe their outlandish tale.
Assassins made waves at Sundance...
- 9/9/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Greenwich Entertainment has picked up North American rights to director Ryan White’s Sundance documentary “Assassins.”
The film is a jaw-dropping exposé of the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Given unprecedented access to the key players and previously undisclosed evidence, the film questions every angle of this murder, from human trafficking to high-level political espionage to the inner dynamics of the North Korean royal family.
“Assassins” made its world premiere to rave reviews during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Greenwich Entertainment plans to release the film in theaters on December 4.
“Like most people, we had seen the headlines of this brazen political murder. But in making ‘Assassins,’ we were repeatedly shocked to find how bizarre, deep and twisted the truth really is,” White said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to partner with Greenwich in bringing this unbelievable story to audiences.”
In 2017, Kim Jong-nam...
The film is a jaw-dropping exposé of the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Given unprecedented access to the key players and previously undisclosed evidence, the film questions every angle of this murder, from human trafficking to high-level political espionage to the inner dynamics of the North Korean royal family.
“Assassins” made its world premiere to rave reviews during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Greenwich Entertainment plans to release the film in theaters on December 4.
“Like most people, we had seen the headlines of this brazen political murder. But in making ‘Assassins,’ we were repeatedly shocked to find how bizarre, deep and twisted the truth really is,” White said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to partner with Greenwich in bringing this unbelievable story to audiences.”
In 2017, Kim Jong-nam...
- 9/9/2020
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
Josh Braun, producer of some of the best documentaries in the world, joins Josh and Joe to discuss the movies that have influenced him throughout his life.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Man On Wire (2008)
The Cove (2009)
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
Encounters At The End of the World (2007)
Winnebago Man (2009)
Spellbound (2002)
Supersize Me (2004)
Tell Me Who I Am (2019)
Apollo 11 (2019)
The Edge of Democracy (2019)
Finding Vivian Maier (2013)
Searching For Sugarman (2012)
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Frat House (1998)
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘N’ Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003)
The Exorcist (1973)
Go West (1940)
A Night In Casablanca (1946)
Hello Down There (1974)
What’s Up Doc? (1972)
El Topo (1970)
Pink Flamingos (1972)
Female Trouble (1974)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969)
Gimme Shelter (1970)
Monterey Pop (1968)
Grey Gardens (1975)
Grey Gardens (2009)
Titicut Follies (1967)
To Have And Have Not (1944)
All About Eve...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Man On Wire (2008)
The Cove (2009)
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
Encounters At The End of the World (2007)
Winnebago Man (2009)
Spellbound (2002)
Supersize Me (2004)
Tell Me Who I Am (2019)
Apollo 11 (2019)
The Edge of Democracy (2019)
Finding Vivian Maier (2013)
Searching For Sugarman (2012)
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Frat House (1998)
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘N’ Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003)
The Exorcist (1973)
Go West (1940)
A Night In Casablanca (1946)
Hello Down There (1974)
What’s Up Doc? (1972)
El Topo (1970)
Pink Flamingos (1972)
Female Trouble (1974)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969)
Gimme Shelter (1970)
Monterey Pop (1968)
Grey Gardens (1975)
Grey Gardens (2009)
Titicut Follies (1967)
To Have And Have Not (1944)
All About Eve...
- 7/21/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Ryan White had a daunting task when he joined Apple TV+’s “Visible: Out on Television.” The five-part documentary series chronicles the complicated evolution of LGBTQ+ representation on TV, spanning 80 years, and had already been in the works for a decade before producers David Permut and David Bender recruited White to direct.
“They finally talked to Apple before Apple TV+ had even launched and Apple loved the idea and bought the idea from them, and they brought myself on board to direct the project,” White told Gold Derby during our Meet the Experts: Documentary panel (watch above). “It was covering 80-plus years of television history that luckily Apple gave us a complete open real estate and said, ‘We don’t have a mandate on how short or long it needs to be. Just deliver us a project that you think is the appropriate time,’ so it ended up being a five-hour series.
“They finally talked to Apple before Apple TV+ had even launched and Apple loved the idea and bought the idea from them, and they brought myself on board to direct the project,” White told Gold Derby during our Meet the Experts: Documentary panel (watch above). “It was covering 80-plus years of television history that luckily Apple gave us a complete open real estate and said, ‘We don’t have a mandate on how short or long it needs to be. Just deliver us a project that you think is the appropriate time,’ so it ended up being a five-hour series.
- 7/1/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Four of TV’s top documentary filmmakers will reveal the details behind their gritty and true life programs when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2020 Emmy contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to be published soon: one-on-one with our senior editor Joyce Eng and a group chat with Joyce and all of the directors together.
SEEalmost 300 interviews with 2020 Emmy contenders
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2020 Emmy contenders:
Nanette Burstein represents Hulu for “Hillary”
Burstein received an Oscar nomination and Directors Guild win for “On the Ropes.” Other projects have included “The Creators,” “Going the Distance” and “The Kid Stays in the Picture.”
James Hernandez represents HBO for “McMillion$”
Hernandez has also directed “Stick Together,” “Phantom,” “Four Chaplains,” “Unnatural Selection,” “Happenstance” and “The Sixth Minute.”
Reginald Hudlin represents Netflix for “The Black Godfather”
Hudlin received...
SEEalmost 300 interviews with 2020 Emmy contenders
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2020 Emmy contenders:
Nanette Burstein represents Hulu for “Hillary”
Burstein received an Oscar nomination and Directors Guild win for “On the Ropes.” Other projects have included “The Creators,” “Going the Distance” and “The Kid Stays in the Picture.”
James Hernandez represents HBO for “McMillion$”
Hernandez has also directed “Stick Together,” “Phantom,” “Four Chaplains,” “Unnatural Selection,” “Happenstance” and “The Sixth Minute.”
Reginald Hudlin represents Netflix for “The Black Godfather”
Hudlin received...
- 6/18/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
This The Innocence Files review contains no spoilers.
The Innocence Files opens with attorney Peter Neufeld explaining how The Innocence Project gets thousands of letters pleading for an attempt at new pleas. The “court of last resort” has exonerated nearly 200 wrongfully convicted prisoners since it was founded in 1992. The Innocence Project uses DNA to free the wrongfully-convicted and pushes for stronger science in the criminal justice system.
The goal of the project sets this apart from Netflix’s other justice projects, like Making a Murderer, The Keepers and Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist. While the project is integral to the telling, it is the soul of the story, the documentary focuses on the cases. The episodes present the cases in three phases. After the crime itself is established, they sift through The Evidence, The Witness and The Prosecution. Then they tear apart what is fundamentally wrong in each phase.
The Innocence Files opens with attorney Peter Neufeld explaining how The Innocence Project gets thousands of letters pleading for an attempt at new pleas. The “court of last resort” has exonerated nearly 200 wrongfully convicted prisoners since it was founded in 1992. The Innocence Project uses DNA to free the wrongfully-convicted and pushes for stronger science in the criminal justice system.
The goal of the project sets this apart from Netflix’s other justice projects, like Making a Murderer, The Keepers and Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist. While the project is integral to the telling, it is the soul of the story, the documentary focuses on the cases. The episodes present the cases in three phases. After the crime itself is established, they sift through The Evidence, The Witness and The Prosecution. Then they tear apart what is fundamentally wrong in each phase.
- 4/15/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
There are a lot of true-crime documentaries on Hulu, Netflix and HBO right now. Click through the gallery to find your next binge-worthy doc.
“The Keepers” (Netflix)
Ryan White’s documentary series debuted in 2017, and explores murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik, who disappeared in November 1969 and whose body was discovered in January of 1970. The documentary investigates whether Father Joseph Maskell had Sister Cathy killed because she was about to expose him and others for sexual abusing teenage students at Archbishop Keough High School.
“Abducted in Plain Sight” (Netflix)
In maybe one of the craziest stories ever, Jane Broberg is kidnapped by her neighbor, a family friend, on two separate occasions, and how he was able to infiltrate a family.
“The Staircase” (Netflix)
“The Staircase” follows the trial of Michael Peterson in the case after he reported in December 2001 that his wife had fallen down the stairs and died. However, there...
“The Keepers” (Netflix)
Ryan White’s documentary series debuted in 2017, and explores murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik, who disappeared in November 1969 and whose body was discovered in January of 1970. The documentary investigates whether Father Joseph Maskell had Sister Cathy killed because she was about to expose him and others for sexual abusing teenage students at Archbishop Keough High School.
“Abducted in Plain Sight” (Netflix)
In maybe one of the craziest stories ever, Jane Broberg is kidnapped by her neighbor, a family friend, on two separate occasions, and how he was able to infiltrate a family.
“The Staircase” (Netflix)
“The Staircase” follows the trial of Michael Peterson in the case after he reported in December 2001 that his wife had fallen down the stairs and died. However, there...
- 3/18/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
After working together on the Netflix docuseries “The Keepers,” editors Kate Amend, Rejh Cabrera and Mark Harrison established a creative shorthand that came in handy when collaborating again on another docuseries: Apple TV Plus’ “Visible: Out on Television.”
“We had constant conversations as a team to make sure whatever we were working on tied in with the bigger themes,” Harrison explains.
The five-part series traces Lgbtq representation on television over the past 80 years. Rachel Maddow, Lena Waithe, Raven Symone, Oprah Winfrey, Anderson Cooper and Billy Porter are just a few of the celebrities who share their personal stories and experiences in the series.
Amend explains that most of the interviews were already done by the time they came on board. “They were so powerful because people were so honest,” Amend says, crediting director Ryan White. “You get this glimpse into a person’s very personal life story because Ryan creates...
“We had constant conversations as a team to make sure whatever we were working on tied in with the bigger themes,” Harrison explains.
The five-part series traces Lgbtq representation on television over the past 80 years. Rachel Maddow, Lena Waithe, Raven Symone, Oprah Winfrey, Anderson Cooper and Billy Porter are just a few of the celebrities who share their personal stories and experiences in the series.
Amend explains that most of the interviews were already done by the time they came on board. “They were so powerful because people were so honest,” Amend says, crediting director Ryan White. “You get this glimpse into a person’s very personal life story because Ryan creates...
- 3/9/2020
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has ordered a docuseries titled “The Innocence Files,” Variety has learned exclusively.
The hour-long episodes detail the personal stories behind eight cases of wrongful conviction that the Innocence Project and organizations within the Innocence Network have worked to highlight and overturn. The series is broken down into three parts — The Evidence, The Witness, and The Prosecution. The subjects of the series will be Chester Hollman III, Kenneth Wyniemko, Alfred Dewayne Brown, Thomas Haynesworth, Franky Carrillo, Levon Brooks, Kennedy Brewer, and Keith Harward.
The entire nine-episode season will debut on Netflix on April 15.
“We are thrilled to be part of the groundbreaking Netflix series, ‘The Innocence Files,'” said Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, Innocence Project co-founders and special counsel of the Innocence Project. “This is truly important television. Each episode reveals–step by step–how the American criminal justice system gets it wrong. These stories feature people whose freedom...
The hour-long episodes detail the personal stories behind eight cases of wrongful conviction that the Innocence Project and organizations within the Innocence Network have worked to highlight and overturn. The series is broken down into three parts — The Evidence, The Witness, and The Prosecution. The subjects of the series will be Chester Hollman III, Kenneth Wyniemko, Alfred Dewayne Brown, Thomas Haynesworth, Franky Carrillo, Levon Brooks, Kennedy Brewer, and Keith Harward.
The entire nine-episode season will debut on Netflix on April 15.
“We are thrilled to be part of the groundbreaking Netflix series, ‘The Innocence Files,'” said Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, Innocence Project co-founders and special counsel of the Innocence Project. “This is truly important television. Each episode reveals–step by step–how the American criminal justice system gets it wrong. These stories feature people whose freedom...
- 3/9/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Pete Berg and Matt Tyrnauer will use the inner workings of a lingerie empire as the fabric for a limited documentary series. Tyrnauer, who helmed the 2009 documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor, will direct The Rise and Fall of Victoria’s Secret, with Film 45’s Berg, Matthew Goldberg, Brandon Carroll, and Elizabeth Rogers exec producing with Tyrnauer and his Altimeter partner Corey Reeser. The three part limited series will be a co-production between Film 45 and Altimeter.
The docu-series will shed light on the inner workings of a once-powerful sector of the world of fashion, adding context to both the positive and negative aspects of a rapidly transforming industry with global impact, and exploring the extensive connection between fashion and culture and what happens when a brand hits the cultural zeitgeist.
Victoria’s Secret rose from a small mail order brand to a global juggernaut featuring retail stores, commercials with gorgeous supermodels donning the product,...
The docu-series will shed light on the inner workings of a once-powerful sector of the world of fashion, adding context to both the positive and negative aspects of a rapidly transforming industry with global impact, and exploring the extensive connection between fashion and culture and what happens when a brand hits the cultural zeitgeist.
Victoria’s Secret rose from a small mail order brand to a global juggernaut featuring retail stores, commercials with gorgeous supermodels donning the product,...
- 3/6/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix and Un Women have launched the “Because She Watched” collection of series, documentaries, and films created for the upcoming International Women’s Day.
The collection, which will be available all year, is curated by female creators from behind and in front of the camera, including Sophia Loren, Salma Hayek, Yalitza Aparicio, Millie Bobby Brown, Laurie Nunn, Lana Condor, Petra Costa and Ava DuVernay. It includes “Orange Is the New Black,” “Marriage Story,” “Bird Box,” “Silence of the Lambs,” “House of Cards,” “Queer Eye,” “The Crown,” “Gravity,” “Roma” and “Paris Is Burning.”
“This collaboration is about taking on the challenge of telling women’s stories and showing women in all their diversity. It’s about making visible the invisible, and proving that only by fully representing and including women on screen, behind-the-camera and in our narratives overall, society will truly flourish,” said Anita Bhatia, Un Women Deputy Executive Director.
International...
The collection, which will be available all year, is curated by female creators from behind and in front of the camera, including Sophia Loren, Salma Hayek, Yalitza Aparicio, Millie Bobby Brown, Laurie Nunn, Lana Condor, Petra Costa and Ava DuVernay. It includes “Orange Is the New Black,” “Marriage Story,” “Bird Box,” “Silence of the Lambs,” “House of Cards,” “Queer Eye,” “The Crown,” “Gravity,” “Roma” and “Paris Is Burning.”
“This collaboration is about taking on the challenge of telling women’s stories and showing women in all their diversity. It’s about making visible the invisible, and proving that only by fully representing and including women on screen, behind-the-camera and in our narratives overall, society will truly flourish,” said Anita Bhatia, Un Women Deputy Executive Director.
International...
- 3/4/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Apple has added the new docuseries Visible: Out On Television to its growing slate of original series on Apple TV+. The five-part television event puts a spotlight on how the Lgbtq movement shaped television and comes from Emmy-nominated filmmakers Ryan White and Jessica Hargrave. It will be executive produced by Wanda Sykes and Wilson Cruz and is set to debut February 14, 2020, exclusively on Apple TV+
Visible: Out on Television investigates the importance of TV as a medium that has shaped the American conscience, and how the Lgbtq movement influenced what we watch on TV. Each hour-long episode will explore themes such as invisibility, homophobia, the evolution of the Lgbtq character, and coming out in the television industry. The docuseries includes archival footage as well as interviews with key players from the movement and the screen. Visible will feature Janet Mock, Margaret Cho,...
Visible: Out on Television investigates the importance of TV as a medium that has shaped the American conscience, and how the Lgbtq movement influenced what we watch on TV. Each hour-long episode will explore themes such as invisibility, homophobia, the evolution of the Lgbtq character, and coming out in the television industry. The docuseries includes archival footage as well as interviews with key players from the movement and the screen. Visible will feature Janet Mock, Margaret Cho,...
- 12/17/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Apple is adding a new docuseries to the originals slate at its direct-to-consumer streaming platform. “Visible: Out on Television,” created by filmmakers Ryan White and Jessica Hargrave and executive produced by Wanda Sykes and Wilson Cruz, will premiere on Feb. 14 on Apple TV Plus.
Narrated by Janet Mock, Margaret Cho, Asia Kate Dillon, Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Waithe, the five-part series “investigates the importance of TV as an intimate medium that has shaped the American conscience, and how the Lgbtq movement has shaped television,” according to the streamer, and combines archival footage with interviews with key players from the movement.
White, whose credits include “Ask Dr. Ruth,” “The Case Against 8” and “The Keepers,” directed and exec produced the docuseries. Hargrave also serves as an executive producer.
Each hour-long episode explores themes that span invisibility, homophobia, the evolution of Lgbtq characters and coming out in the TV industry, and features interviews with Ellen DeGeneres,...
Narrated by Janet Mock, Margaret Cho, Asia Kate Dillon, Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Waithe, the five-part series “investigates the importance of TV as an intimate medium that has shaped the American conscience, and how the Lgbtq movement has shaped television,” according to the streamer, and combines archival footage with interviews with key players from the movement.
White, whose credits include “Ask Dr. Ruth,” “The Case Against 8” and “The Keepers,” directed and exec produced the docuseries. Hargrave also serves as an executive producer.
Each hour-long episode explores themes that span invisibility, homophobia, the evolution of Lgbtq characters and coming out in the TV industry, and features interviews with Ellen DeGeneres,...
- 12/17/2019
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
It is the best of times and, arguably, the trickiest of times when it comes to the documentary industry. There’s no doubt that 2018 was a banner year for documentaries at the box office with Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s Academy Award-winning “Free Solo” garnering $29 million; Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” grossing $22.8 million; and Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s “Rbg” taking in $14.4 million. This year has not proven as stellar at the B.O. but Neon’s “Apollo 11” has had a healthy run. The film grossed $12 million worldwide and was the big winner at the fourth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, grabbing the documentary feature, editing and score prizes.
Non-fiction films have also gotten a big boost from streamers, undoubtedly raising the profiles of docs in recent years.
“The real impact of streamers is that they have brought documentaries to an audience that wouldn’t typically watch documentaries,...
Non-fiction films have also gotten a big boost from streamers, undoubtedly raising the profiles of docs in recent years.
“The real impact of streamers is that they have brought documentaries to an audience that wouldn’t typically watch documentaries,...
- 12/4/2019
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Actress worked with Georges Franju, Luis Buñuel, Andrzej Zulawski, Jacques Rivette, Leo Carax, Olivier Assayas and Mia Hansen-Løve.
Tributes have been paid to French actress Edith Scob, who has died in Paris at the age of 81.
Scob made her big screen breakthrough in Georges Franju’s 1960 cult horror classic Eyes Without A Face and then worked in later years with the likes of Leo Carax and Olivier Assayas.
France’s Minister of Culture Franck Riester said Scob had a “magnetic presence that flooded every one of her films.”
French cinema promotional and export body Unifrance added on Twitter: “81 years...
Tributes have been paid to French actress Edith Scob, who has died in Paris at the age of 81.
Scob made her big screen breakthrough in Georges Franju’s 1960 cult horror classic Eyes Without A Face and then worked in later years with the likes of Leo Carax and Olivier Assayas.
France’s Minister of Culture Franck Riester said Scob had a “magnetic presence that flooded every one of her films.”
French cinema promotional and export body Unifrance added on Twitter: “81 years...
- 6/27/2019
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
In Netflix's new Summer movie Murder Mystery, Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler star as Audrey and Nick, a couple who have lost their spark. While there's been no announcement of a sequel yet, we're certainly hoping to get one. After all, Netflix is a treasure trove (or seedy underworld?) for true crime - and this fits right in, right? Truly for the most part, the streaming service hasn't ventured that far into whodunit movies, especially ones with goofy slants, like Murder Mystery. This makes it a refreshing foray into the genre. The easy breezy flick might just be what you had in mind when you think of a fun Netflix movie. So it certainly wouldn't hurt to see more of it.
In the age of reboots and sequels, a second installation of Murder Mystery really isn't necessary. The movie ends with a few fun, open-ended questions, but leaves nothing terribly consequential unanswered.
In the age of reboots and sequels, a second installation of Murder Mystery really isn't necessary. The movie ends with a few fun, open-ended questions, but leaves nothing terribly consequential unanswered.
- 6/16/2019
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
Matricide and Munchausen syndrome by proxy may not sound like natural Emmy bait, but in 2019 anything is possible.
That seems to be the takeaway as not one but three projects – Hulu’s limited series “The Act,” Lifetime’s movie “Love You to Death,” and Investigation Discovery’s documentary “Gypsy’s Revenge” – are eligible for the upcoming Emmy season, and all three were inspired by the true-crime tragedy of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother, Dee Dee.
The Blanchards’ story has been, by turns, horrifying and fascinating people since the supposedly gravely-ill Gypsy Rose was discovered missing and Dee Dee was found murdered in her Missouri home in 2015. In the weeks and months after, it was revealed that Dee Dee had suffered from Munchausen by proxy, keeping Gypsy Rose highly – unnecessarily – medicated, until the young woman had her mother murdered by her Internet boyfriend. Suffice it to say, that’s the...
That seems to be the takeaway as not one but three projects – Hulu’s limited series “The Act,” Lifetime’s movie “Love You to Death,” and Investigation Discovery’s documentary “Gypsy’s Revenge” – are eligible for the upcoming Emmy season, and all three were inspired by the true-crime tragedy of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother, Dee Dee.
The Blanchards’ story has been, by turns, horrifying and fascinating people since the supposedly gravely-ill Gypsy Rose was discovered missing and Dee Dee was found murdered in her Missouri home in 2015. In the weeks and months after, it was revealed that Dee Dee had suffered from Munchausen by proxy, keeping Gypsy Rose highly – unnecessarily – medicated, until the young woman had her mother murdered by her Internet boyfriend. Suffice it to say, that’s the...
- 5/10/2019
- by Libby Hill
- Indiewire
Last Year’s Winner: “Wild Wild Country”
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: Since Netflix earned its first nomination (and win) in the category, only Netflix original series — or series that have benefitted from streaming on its platform — have won the category. “Making a Murderer” broke through for the digital giant in 2016, earning the initial nod and win, while “Wild Wild Country” took home the title again in 2018. In between, “Planet Earth II” won for BBC America (while “Chef’s Table” and “The Keepers” were nominated as Netflix originals). The initial “Planet Earth” and its sequel both stream on Netflix (and have for some time).
Fun Fact: In the 21 years this category has been active (it was called Outstanding Nonfiction Series before this and Outstanding Informational Series before that), PBS has won in 14 of those years and has 15 trophies, thanks to two of its programs tying in 1999. There has never been...
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: Since Netflix earned its first nomination (and win) in the category, only Netflix original series — or series that have benefitted from streaming on its platform — have won the category. “Making a Murderer” broke through for the digital giant in 2016, earning the initial nod and win, while “Wild Wild Country” took home the title again in 2018. In between, “Planet Earth II” won for BBC America (while “Chef’s Table” and “The Keepers” were nominated as Netflix originals). The initial “Planet Earth” and its sequel both stream on Netflix (and have for some time).
Fun Fact: In the 21 years this category has been active (it was called Outstanding Nonfiction Series before this and Outstanding Informational Series before that), PBS has won in 14 of those years and has 15 trophies, thanks to two of its programs tying in 1999. There has never been...
- 4/9/2019
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
If the success of “Rbg” and “Won’t You be My Neighbor?” taught documentary distributors anything, it’s that audiences love hagiographies about beloved American public figures — the older the better. Like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Fred Rogers, Dr. Ruth Westheimer effected radical change in the most unassuming of packages. Perhaps less known to contemporary viewers, but no less influential, Westheimer is getting the biopic treatment with “Ask Dr. Ruth,” a new documentary about the popular sex therapist coming to Hulu in May.
Of course, Dr. Ruth is no stranger to television; she hosted at least five television shows for Lifetime throughout the late ’80s and early ’90s, following the success of her radio show, “Sexually Speaking.” For audiences who recall hearing her German-accented sex advice on the radio or TV, Westheimer’s return to the screen will be laden with nostalgia. But the film also includes her lesser-known history,...
Of course, Dr. Ruth is no stranger to television; she hosted at least five television shows for Lifetime throughout the late ’80s and early ’90s, following the success of her radio show, “Sexually Speaking.” For audiences who recall hearing her German-accented sex advice on the radio or TV, Westheimer’s return to the screen will be laden with nostalgia. But the film also includes her lesser-known history,...
- 2/11/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Dr. Ruth Westheimer stopped by the Variety Studio at Sundance presented by At&T to discuss “Ask Dr. Ruth,” the upcoming documentary about her life and work, and revealed that she’s writing a new edition of her 1995 handbook “Sex for Dummies.”
Westheimer explained that the new edition, her fourth, will be focused on millennials.
“I will talk about those questions that you just asked me,” she said, referring to questions that she gets asked the most. “I will talk about loneliness, I will talk about the issue of the art of conversation, the issue of sexually transmitted diseases, all of those issues. And then they can open it, they don’t have to read the whole page, just read that paragraph that I’m writing about.”
Westheimer added that the book is scheduled to come out in 2019.
During the interview, Westheimer said that one of her most important pieces of...
Westheimer explained that the new edition, her fourth, will be focused on millennials.
“I will talk about those questions that you just asked me,” she said, referring to questions that she gets asked the most. “I will talk about loneliness, I will talk about the issue of the art of conversation, the issue of sexually transmitted diseases, all of those issues. And then they can open it, they don’t have to read the whole page, just read that paragraph that I’m writing about.”
Westheimer added that the book is scheduled to come out in 2019.
During the interview, Westheimer said that one of her most important pieces of...
- 1/26/2019
- by Erin Nyren
- Variety Film + TV
The title “Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes,” Netflix’s new four-part documentary series launching Jan. 24, is slightly misleading. Not about its subject, Bundy, the infamous serial killer who finally confessed to some 30 murders before his 1989 death in the electric chair. The misnomer is “Conversations.” While we hear Bundy’s voice on tape, it’s narrating a looping mélange of hypothetical reality and fact, pseudo-philosophy and angry denial. His conversation partners can hardly get through to a man so lost inside his own mind. That fundamental fact — the degree to which Bundy is at best an unpleasant companion through four long episodes, and at worst repellent — makes “Conversations With a Killer” a must only for true-crime completists.
There’s an achievement here, if a dubious one: The series surfaces tapes not previously heard by the public, a sample of some 100 hours of interviews conducted by two journalists working together on a book.
There’s an achievement here, if a dubious one: The series surfaces tapes not previously heard by the public, a sample of some 100 hours of interviews conducted by two journalists working together on a book.
- 1/18/2019
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
It's no secret Netflix has gone all the way in on the true-crime trend; with big shows on its roster like the gripping Making a Murderer, the unsettling mystery of The Keepers, and even the brand-new docuseries The Innocent Man, the streaming platform is practically running the gamut on our culture's strange, murderous obsession. And there's no sign of slowing down; this week, details emerged surrounding its latest impending release, a docuseries about the crimes and trial of Ted Bundy. If you're finding that you're morbidly curious about the project, we've assembled the key details for you. From the sound of it, this one's going to be pretty dark.
Related: Zac Efron Reveals His Ted Bundy Transformation For Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile...
Related: Zac Efron Reveals His Ted Bundy Transformation For Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile...
- 12/17/2018
- by Ryan Roschke
- Popsugar.com
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