Blog 4 - November 28th, 2011

Grass (1999)

Directed by Ron Mann, the documentary Grass covers the war on marijuana by the American Government during the 20th century.  From the El Paso Ordinance in 1914 and onward, the documentary covers the prejudice, politics, and propaganda speaking louder than voices of reason in the United States.

The documentary is done entirely with archival footage of interviews, news reels, and graphics from whatever time period currently being covered.  There is a vast amount of unique footage put together in this documentary and a lot of dug up videos of America's history.  The doc makes apparent the questionable ill effects that the substance has and the studies upon studies discredited in the pursuit of illegality. 

Personally the idea of using nothing but archival footage was a choice that makes this documentary unique.  Grass is narrated by Woody Harrelson as he explains the archival footage and drives the story forward through history.

This particular documentary's segments are divided into not only time periods, but points in history where America changes their official policy on marijuana (which is a lot).  I found the documentary interesting and informative, but partially annoying.  This wasn't because of any cinematic standpoint because it's all archival footage, but on more of a global scale.  It was the confusion I had similar to watching Inside Job.  So many things go by in life unaccounted for that the majority of people just forget are wrong.

The documentary does its job; to make you start thinking about it again.
For information on this documentary, visit here.


W5: Into Thin Air - Saturday, November 19th, 2011

W5 and their episode on November 19th, covered the disappearance of Mariam Makhniashvili (left) two years ago and the questions they have yet to answer.

Through reenactments and archival footage W5 and Sue Sgambati cover her original disappearance and interviews with detectives, police, and her mother to cover the time during the primary search.

With security camera footage, the first few clues, and onward you realize that she seemed to have completely fell off the map.  Nobody recognized her because she had recently come to Canada, which made the international search all the more harder.

W5 covers the family's background, the two year search, and what's happened recently.  Their interviews have deep settings and content that are always relevant to her case.  An example of this is the detective and her Missing Person posters in the background.  W5 always brings their A-game to their stories and this is no exception.

To watch this episode, click here.

Planet Earth - Shallow Seas
 

Shallow seas cover 8% of the planet's water, but contain the vast majority of marine life.  Planet Earth travels down with the humpback whales, across the Great Barrier Reef, and all around the world documenting life in the shallow seas.

Planet Earth and their team can never be praised enough for their shots.  They're amazingly unique to the point where you start to believe they're done digitally.  Just a few examples are the close up of humpback babies being supported to the surface, time lapses of multiple kinds of algae growing, and the 18 million sea birds that migrate to Australia.

The shots are synced together with the music and make the twisting, swaying, and time lapsing feel like a musical.  As dolphins sway through the walls of fish left and right, Shallow Seas makes it feel like a choreographed dance number underwater.  Planet Earth always delivers because they don't leave until they get their shots.  It's respectable work that deserves all the high praise it receives.

For information on Planet Earth, visit here.