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Reviews
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011)
Review of the Paradise Lost Trilogy
This is a hard set of films to review. On one hand, the subject is very interesting and intriguing. On the other hand, these are three of the worst documentaries ever made. The filmmakers stumbled upon a goldmine and ended up making what is essentially trash. It is no surprise that as the series progressed, less and less people were willing to participate. The filmmakers accuse multiple people of the murders, while at the same time leaving out important information learned from the trials. This series is very much like "Tiger King", it is not interested in conveying information, only entertainment.
Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012)
Unintentionally Hilarious
A film and artist, both completely lacking self-awareness, attempt to tell a dramatic love story several decades in the making. Marina Abramovic is a very conceited person with an overwhelming sense of self-importance. She stages an elaborate art exhibit where celebrities and other famous people are invited to stare at her for an extended period in an effort to generate an emotional response. The true goal of the project is to reignite a romantic relationship between Marina and her former lover, Ulay.
In order to prepare for the event, Marina gets a group of young, rich weirdos to partake in a nondescript weekend retreat at her mansion. Participants are subjected to prolonged staring contests, hand sorting multi-grain rice, and functioning as unpaid interns. In an ultimate display of power, Marina forces a full crew of unpaid workers to stand around endlessly while she sits expressionless in the center of a room, feeling out the space. She also has the volunteers build her a custom toilet that is not connected to any plumbing.
Ulay is also an artist that completely lacks self-awareness and has started referring to himself as "water." Marina and Ulay had a relationship in the 1970's until she decided that breaking up would make for a nice performance art piece. The idea was that they would start on opposite ends of the Great Wall of China, walk towards each other, and break up when they met in the middle. Ulay agreed to the performance but never walked the wall, leaving Marina to walk the entire length on her own. When Ulay and Marina finally reunite during "The Artist is Present" exhibit the mood is laughably flaccid.
Marina and the filmmakers thought they were documenting the staging of her performance art exhibit, when in actuality they were documenting what happens when two generationally-rich socialites are surrounded by nothing but sycophants. Highly recommended for a good laugh.
Fursonas (2016)
A Very Well Made Documentary
Dominic Rodriguez has the makings of a great documentary film maker. This documentary does not have an have an opinion on the topic presented. It is a documentary in the truest sense, the subjects are allowed to speak for extended periods of time without any suggestive editing or quotes that could be potentially taken out of context. The film maker brings an amazing amount of candor out of the subjects. There is no narration and the appearances by the documentarian are so subtle that you might not realize he is the person making the film.
With that being said; if you are a member of the furry fandom, you will enjoy the documentary up until the introduction of Uncle Kage. If you are a furry-cynic, you will have a hard time sitting through the documentary until the introduction of Uncle Kage.
If you enjoy watching documentaries based on quality of presentation, this is a film that should be seen. If you are pro-furry or anti-furry or have an opinion on furries, you might not enjoy the film.