Life through the Looking Glass

Documentary Film

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Before and after of Spurlock's experiment in Super Size Me.

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Want to Die Quickly? Here's How

The Experiment: Duration will be 30 days

--Fully eat 3 McDonald's meals per day.

-- Consume every item on the McDonald's menu at least once over the course of 30 days.

-- Only ingest items on the McDonald's menu.

-- Must super size the meal when offered, but only when offered. 

To children, the above experiement sounds like heaven. What child doesn't want a happy meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Director Morgan Spurlock puts himself to the test in his film Super Size Me. Eating only McDonald's from February 1 to March 2 of 2003, Spurlock revelas the drastic effect on his physical and psychological being. 

At the end of the 30 day period Spurlock gained 24.5 lbs and had a cholesterol level of 230. He experienced a serious of mood swings, sexual mood swings, and fat accumulation in his liver. While many may say this was an extreme way of showing fast food is not good for you, Spurlock does bring to light the fact that obesity is a growing 'epidemic' in the United States. Fast food is an easy and quick option, but the costs behind the 'dollar menu' are so much higher. 

A queasy sensation can be felt while observing Spurlock down a super-sized quarter-pounder, but the point is made regardless. A must see film! 

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Please don't Frack Our Momma

Documentary filmmaker Josh Fox digs into the controversial subject of hydraulic fracturing, fracking, by revealing how leaking of the chemicals  can contaminate our natural resources while releasing dangerous methane into the Earth's atmosphere. 

Fox gets pulled into the world of fracking after receiving a letter from a natural gas company asking him to lease his land to drill for gas. To fully understand the depth of what this gas extraction would do, Fox travels to communities that have been affected by fracking for decades. Along the way Fox finds residents who have experienced a variety of chronic health problem, many of which can be directly traced back to contaminated water. 

The disturbing part of the whole ordeal is that the gas companies are telling the residents the water is safe to consume even though they are receiving settlement money from the same companies to replace the affected water with portable water. 

The entire truth behind the true cost of fracking is laid out for viewers to see with a call at the end of the film to bring fracking to an end. 

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GasLand- The truth behind Hydraulic Fracturing 

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No Pain No Glory

Earth, water, and fire: three important elements that work and feed off of each other. Without the elements Earth would be nothing but another desolate planet. Elemental follows an indigenous Canadian activist, a crusading government official in India and a struggling inventor. The weaknesses of these would-be heroes is strongly acknowledged showing the audience the major obstacles needed to be overcome before 'doing-good' can be done. Although the film could have followed one idea rather than three, the point is still made of the toll taken by activists to fight for what they believe is right. 

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The Truth behind the Smile

Dolphins are greatly known as intelligent fun-loving creatures. They have been used as 'actors' in television shows such as 'Flipper' and 'Dolphin Tale.' What makes these animals so lovable to humans is the fact that they always look to have a smile on their faces. A dolphins ability jump out of water and do tricks mixed with the beautiful smile gives the impression of pure happiness. Director Louis Psihoyos unfolds the truth behind the smile in his powerful and effective film, The Cove. 

The film portrays Richard O'Barry, a former specialized animal for the popular television show 'Flipper', on his journey to Taiji, Japan. This coastal town's economy is majorly supported by a lucrative business in dolphin capture and slaughter. The 'kill-zone' is located in a hidden cove that is off-limits. Those who stray too close are immediately harassed by fishermen. Th methods behind the killing is so brutal the viewer cannot help but look away. O'Barry is unafraid of this harassment and works with his group of activist to place hidden cameras throughout the 'kill zone' to fully document the truth behind dolphin captures. 

The footage captured reveals tortured animals and blood-red water. Seeing so much pain inflicted onto such intelligent animals brings the viewers to their feet with rage. A truly eye-opening film that brings to light the horrors of dolphin captures. A must see!

The following image is taken from a hidden camera in the 'kill zone' showing the blood red water along with several dead dolphins. 

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The Silent Stress of SeaWorld

Dawn Brancheau was the head trainer at SeaWorld Orlando. On February 20, 2010 during a performance, Brancheau was pulled into the water by the orca named Tilikum. Promptly after pulling Brancheau into the water, Tilikum bit her arm off and swallowed it. Unfortunately Brancheau did not survive her injuries.  

Blackfish documents  Tilikums life from his capture in 1985 to current time. Twenty years prior to the death of Brancheau, Tilikum was responsible for the death of another trainer in British Columbia, a fact that was unbeknownst to those at SeaWorld working with him. Many of the interviews in this film are with former SeaWorld trainers who talk about their excitement at getting the opportunity to work with orcas. They also speak of the psychological damage that being in confined spaced does to an animal that needs a family group and miles of space. 

Along with Tilikum's story are incidents of other whales intentionally harming there trainers. Are these incidents coming out of a killer instinct, or out of pure frustration due to there living environment?

To this day Tilikum is used in performances at SeaWorld. This film makes the viewers make up their own minds about the treatment of whales in captivity and the fact that Tilikum is still allowed to perform.

 A must see film that will make vacationers think twice about visiting the SeaWorld them

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Let's talk about Sex

Michael Glawogger, director of Whore's Glory, pulls viewers into an intimate look at the life of prostitutes in Thailand, Bangladesh, and Mexico.

In Thailand the women who work in the brothel Fish Tank are mere objects. These women go to work, get there hair done, then proceed to sit in a big glass room where they are on display. Men come to the brothel and choose from the display room. The women are not called by name, but instead by a number assigned to them. The 'City of Joy' in Bangladesh rooms more than 800 girls/women. Some of the women go their willingly to find work, but other girls are sold from brothel to brothel. Reynosa, Mexico lies in a 'tolerance zone' which are legal areas for prostitution. This town is very closer to the Texas, US border so there are a plethora of customers. 

What makes this film very personable are the  stories told by women throughout the film. Some admit to crying themselves to sleep almost every night due to the fact that many of these girls and women lead depressing lives. One woman even goes on to say how unfair it is to be a woman. 

Men in the brothel Fish Tank looking for the right woman. 

This film brings viewers into a very taboo subject and really brings to light dark aspects of human society. 

It is important to note that t there is graphic sex and full nudity portrayed throughout the film. So don't watch this with your parents. 

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Pssshhhh, who listens to expiration dates anyway?

A simple short film, Dive brings to light the amount of food waste produced daily by grocery stores and super markets. Director Jeremy Seifert and his friends go to back alleys and gated garbage receptacles in L.A. Thousands of dollars worth of good food are retrieved. Jeremy has to purchase an extra freezer to store all of the good food he is acquiring through the act of diving. 

All of the food being thrown out is that which will 'expire' the next day. Jeremy and his fellow divers rush to the stores after closing time to collect the days bounty.

For a film who's budget was $200, Dive truly is effective about its message of food waste. 

A quick peak into a night of diving. 

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"If not for them, what friends do I have?"

Bully is a riveting documentary portraying the struggle of kid-on-kid violence in schools. This film brings to light the emotional abuse faced by kids daily and the inability of school employees to truly understand and help the individuals facing the abuse. Five stories are woven together within this documentary. Two of the stories are of the grieving families of boys who committed suicide, another on a teenager who was arrested after pulling a gun on her tormentors. A young lesbian is tormented by both students and teachers and young Alex believes the kids who strangle him on the school bus are his friends.

A scene depicting the vice principle trying to settle and argument between a bully and victim makes both shake hands. The bully willingly smiles and reaches out confidently while the victim backs away only to be reprimanded for not cooperating. This scene shows the true colors of the lack of knowledge this professionals have when it comes to bullying in schools.

An eye-opening film that truly brings one into an intimate level with school bullying. 

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I love when my food bites back... NOT

Genetically modified organisms, GMO's, are a major controversy in todays society. The key areas include whether GMO's should be labeled, the role of government regulators, the effects on pesticide resistance  the effect of GMO crops on human health and the environment, the impact of GMO's on farmers, and of course the role of GMO crops 'feeding the world.' 

Loving father and director Jeremy Seifert brings all of these issues to light in the documnetary film 'GMO OMG'. 

Jeremy is both director and main character in the film. His love and protection for his family moves this father to uncover to hidden truth in today's food market. Jeremy follows GMO crops from the state of Iowa, USA all the way to the Svalbard Global Seed Bank located on a Norwegian island called Spitsbergen unraveling hidden truths unknown by American citizens. 

The end of the film leaves viewers sick to there stomachs and pondering the question, "What did I really eat today?"

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A scene from the documentary 'GMO OMG.' Running through rows of corn isn't what it used to be.

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Its Romeo and Romeo, get the F**k over it!

After falling to his death, Tom is remembered by his love of 6 years Shane Crone. These two soul mates found one another in the sunny state of California while pursuing show-business careers. Shane grew up with a series of panic attack induced by his awareness of his sexuality; Tom on the other hand grew up at the center of attention of everyone's world. He had great looks and attended a military school to appease his father. After meeting, Tom and Shane were inseparable for the six wonderful years they shared together. Shane's family welcomes the relationship with open arms while Tom's mother and father refuse to acknowledge the couple. After Tom's accidental death from a rooftop fall, Shane is not allowed to attend the funeral virtually erasing Shane from Tom's life. The film allows the audience to feel the love and pain shared by Shane because of the various home videos and Shane's personal film diary. This film allows the audience to put a face to the issue of gay marriage in today's society. The final scene of the film shows the Supreme Court building; hopefully this inequality can soon be corrected.

A must see film. There will be not a single dry eye in the audience at the conclusion of the film. 

A scene from the documentary film "Bridegroom."

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Cargo

A phenomenal short film about sacrifice and love. A recommended must see!

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Daddy Knows Best

No words are spoken as a father does what he can to protect his precious baby daughter in Cargo, an emotional roller coaster of a short film. The film is shot outdoors in what is the current zombie apocalypse. The father and his infant daughter have nothing left but to keep pushing until they can find some sort of safety. Mind you, the father has been bitten and is now infected with this unknown virus that causes the brain to die and the body to become reanimated. The level of tension rises and the father succumbs to the disease and the little infant is still strapped to his back. The urge to jump into the screen and protect the child is more than one can handle. 

The lack of dialog in the film allows the audience to truly understand the inner turmoil of the father. The amount of love and need to survive makes one think of how much one is willing to sacrifice in the world today.

A scene from the short film: Cargo

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The Business of Being Born