Documentary Review Three Minutes a Lengthening

Three Minutes A Lengthening (2022)

Directed by Bianca Stinter

Featuring Gary Kurtz, Maurice Chapman

Release Date August 26th, 2022 

Open your imagination for a moment. Picture in your mind a small boy, close cropped buzz cut, ratty clothing. The boy sticks out his tongue and nods his head up and down excitedly. It’s a very silly, childish bit of acting out. It’s not particularly notable in any way out of context. So, let’s give it context. The boy we are talking about is Jewish and he lived in Nasielsk, Poland in 1938. That year, nearly the entire Jewish population of Nasielsk were violently torn from their homes in Nasielsk and within the next 2 years, most would be dead in concentration camps.

An image that would be innocuous, charming, or innocent in any other context takes on an immensely poignant and deeply sad quality when you give it a context. This thought occurred to me while I watched the extraordinary documentary Three Minutes: A Lengthening. The documentary directed by Bianca Stigter takes three minutes of film footage of Polish Jews from Nasielsk that was found in a closet in Florida several years ago and spins out the lives of people who could be recognized and remembered from this 84 year old piece of film.

Find my full length review at Swamp.Media, linked here. 

Movie Review Corpse Bride

Corpse Bride (2005) 

Directed by Mike Johnson, Tim Burton

Written by John August, Caroline Thompson, Pamela Pettler

Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Albert Finney, Joanna Lumley, Christopher Lee

Release Date September 23rd, 2005

Corpse Bride is, for my my money, Tim Burton's best movie. I know I should say Batman and I do love his Batman, but that should only communicate the esteem in which I hold Corpse Bride. I enjoy this dark yet playful animated feature even more than I enjoyed Michael Keaton as Batman. That speaks volumes of the quality of the work that is Corpse Bride, part of Tim Burton's rather exceptional forays into stop motion animation. 

The story of Corpse Bride is a highly unconventional love story. Johnny Depp provides the nervous, shy voice of Victor Van Dort who is set to marry Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), the daughter of an old money family that has fallen on hard times. Victoria's parents, Finis and Maudeline Everglot (Albert Finney and Joanna Lumley), only reluctantly agreed to the marriage of Victor and Victoria because they are broke and Victor's parents are new immigrants with new money. They are voiced brilliantly by the wonderful Tracy Ullman and Paul Whitehouse.

Find my full length review at Geeks.Media, linked here. 

Movie Review Clerks 3

Clerks 3 

Directed by Kevin Smith 

Written by Kevin Smith

Starring Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith 

Release Date September 13th to the 18th, 2022 in theaters

Kevin Smith Clerks 3 Convenience Tour 2022 September 4th through November 14th, 2022

I cannot be objective regarding the work of Kevin Smith. I am an unabashed Smith fan. I’ve loved everything Kevin has done. Clerks was a moment in my life, the first time I really identified with characters who reminded me of slightly more witty versions of myself and my friends. The film’s foul sensibilities, outrageous dialogue, and those wonderful characters spoke to me like no movie characters’ had before. 

Subsequently, Mallrats came out and I loved it to pieces. Then came Chasing Amy and it spoke to me about romance and sex in a way I didn’t think movies were capable of. I was 19 years old and only beginning to experience the possibilities of how movies can communicate with the audience. Dogma hits differently when you are first exploring the idea of faith and the absence of God in your life. It seemed as if Kevin Smith was speaking directly to me, like he was speaking with a friend.

Find my full length review at Geeks.Media, linked here.