Drink up! “Beer Wars”

There’s nothing like enjoying a beer while watching a documentary about…beer.

As much as us college kids love our cheap and simple beer, there’s something to be said about the underdog in every industry.

I’ve always been a fan of smaller breweries and microbrews, but I never understood the struggle that their owners and employees were forced to go through just to make a dime. My favorite part of this movie is that it was produced by Anat Baron, who has been in the brewing industry her whole life. Mike’s Hard Lemonade, anyone? Yeah – she’s a pretty big deal, and when she flipped sides to make this movie and expose the people she worked with, she definitely ruffled some feathers. I’d love to have a beer with Ms. Baron, but following her on twitter is good enough for now!

There are a few success stories in this movie, like Dogfish Head ( http://www.dogfish.com/ ) and their new brewing building which is massive…yet hilariously tiny compared to the Miller Headquarters only 20 blocks West of where I’m writing this from my apartment in Milwaukee.  There are also some stories of struggle – which bothered me so much that I contacted Rhonda Kallmann of Moonshot Beer ( http://www.moonshotbeer.com/ ). I did so because I hated seeing her struggle and literally have her product shoved aside on the shelves for some cheap knock-off from Anheuser-Busch. Thankfully, her product (and a few more) are finally getting some recognition – but the FDA and state laws are putting a damper on her distribution model because she just isn’t allowed to ship the caffeinated beer Moonshot to many places. I’d kill for some in WI and the Midwest, it sounds great!

Whether you drink beer or not, it’s still a great lesson in economics and marketplace beer warfare. Check this  piece out at http://beerwarsmovie.com/and enjoy a (locally brewed) cold one.

Overnight…

When I was in Las Vegas about a month ago, a friend told me about the movie “Overnight”. This documentary follows the unknown Troy Duffy as he rockets to stardom when his script for “Boondock Saints” is picked up by Hollywood Heavyweights. His rise (and downfall) from a bartender and member of an unheard band in Boston to a Film Director and Signed Musical Artist is an absolutely incredible thing to witness.

To start this off, I’ve never seen someone THIS egotistical and in love with themselves. Most of the dialogue that comes from Duffy is abrasive, offensive, and just plain rude. He’s snotty and sarcastic to some of the highest paid people in Hollywood, something that common-sense would tell everyone else not to do.

In short, Troy was being kept afloat from nights of partying, large amounts of money from studio execs, and he reveled in cameras being shoved in his face. I read on Wikipedia that he only asked not to be filmed THREE times – and this is over a period of several years. How about that. This documentary was shot my his friends during the entire period of Boondock Saints’ pre and post production.

In the end, Troy is left with almost nothing. If you want to feel good about yourself on a rainy day – definitely watch this documentary.

Available on Netflix DVD and streaming, as well as other outlets.

Straight up Snuff.

Seriously. I couldn’t make this up if I tried. I watched a documentary a few weeks ago called “Snuff”. It’s exactly what you think it is. Not really the kind of thing that’s taught at Marquette…thanks for that, Netflix. Y’all are nice to cater to those of us not afraid to delve into the darkest depths of society.

Per the Netflix description, this documentary is about:

Is the snuff film, a movie in which somebody is actually killed on camera, just another urban legend or is it a true — and truly horrifying — phenomenon? Filmmaker Paul Von Stoetzel searches for answers in this fascinating, unsettling documentary. Through interviews with academics, former FBI profilers and film historians, Von Stoetzel also examines the snuff film’s connections with war films, cult movies, serial killers and pornography.

Well…it was good, I must admit. The documentary served its purpose in keeping the viewer entertained, intrigued, and teaching.  The detail and depictions and scenes chosen to show us as viewers were pretty damn disturbing. I’m not a queasy dude, mind you. I don’t mind seeing body parts and some messed up stuff – we all die in the end, usually, right? But…this stuff was literally f**cked up. Murders on camera? Who even thought this actually happened? Going into this I knew there were rumors and it’s obvious that people have filmed killings…but for FUN? Hell, nah. Just wait…

I’m not sure how to recommend this one. If you don’t mind being exposed to what might be one of the most odd and non-satisfying genres of movies available, then check this film out. If you don’t like seeing blood or even any of the scenes in Fight Club – don’t watch this or even think about watching it.

Viewers beware, and enjoy (if you can)…

Blast-off: “Welcome to Macintosh”

Well, I guess it makes sense to start off with something about computers, right?

Within the Marquette University College of Communication, Macs rule the world. Within our 2nd floor Television facilities, we just replaced our HP PC Workstations running Avid to a bunch of shiny new Mac Pros with Avid and Final Cut Pro. Accidents don’t happen.

This documentary went by pretty quickly and didn’t bore me one bit – and that’s important with these things. I’ve watched enough documentaries now to learn when one is going to put me to sleep.

Hopefully you’re assuming that this documentary is all about the evolution of Apple and Macintosh products and software. You’re totally right. Through the birth of Apple to the departure and return of Steve Jobs, this movie runs the gamut from garage workshops to the giant facilities in Cupertino, CA.

Absolutely recommend this one to anyone interested in the history of the computer industry and one of the most innovative companies to date.

Available on Netflix DVD and Streaming, and at Amazon here.

Why Documentaries?

I might as well start this one out with some reasoning.

I’ve always been a big reader, and really enjoy immersing myself in other worlds. There’s so much to learn from the other 6 billion or so folks on this planet. What we can’t picture in our heads is often times innumerable, and documentaries are something I can take in while doing something else like researching or doing some work.

Thanks to Netflix, I’ve been able to watch these virtually anywhere. My friend/co-worker Brian and I are watching one right now as we customize these WordPress pages for our class. The freedom that online media has given us is incredible, and it makes things like documentaries accessible 24 hours a day.

I’ve recently become obsessed with the innate simplicity of the documentary. From its inception, not much has changed except the technology used for creation. The idea of documenting anything in a video medium is fascinating to me, and watching at least two documentaries a week for a few months now has taught me a great deal about the world we live in and the people who live among us.

The purpose of this class is to broaden our use and proliferate ourselves across the broad field of Social Media. I’ll be using this as a portal to show and discuss some of the many documentaries I’ve watched, and the ones I plan on watching. Stay tuned.