Latest news with #documentary
News.com.au
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Streaming picks: Diddy doco exposes ‘lurid details' while Angelina Jolie stars in Maria
While the blockbuster box-office hit Superman dominates cinemas this week, here is a closer look at ten prominent movie and documentary releases currently landing on home streaming platforms. TRAINWRECK: BALLOON BOY (M) ****1/2 Netflix Netflix's annual rollout of fascinating feature documentaries under the Trainwreck banner remains a true highlight of the streaming behemoth's often-erratic release calendar. This latest instalment is the best of the bunch so far: a staggering account of the Balloon Boy affair, a fiasco that initially gripped and then totally appalled the world back in 2009. If you've forgotten the finer details of what went down, all the better. Even now, there are elements of mystery, subterfuge and dark humour to the Balloon Boy yarn that defy all conventional belief. (How has this bonkers tale never been turned into a Hollywood movie?) It all started one July afternoon in a small town in Texas, when a helium balloon shaped like a flying saucer took an unplanned flight after breaking free of its moorings in the backyard of amateur inventor-adventurer Richard Heene. As the craft rapidly picked up speed and altitude, widespread panic ensued after Heene notified authorities his 6-year-old son Falcon had sneaked aboard shortly before launch. What follows is still amazing to this day, and the doco enhances the unworldly strangeness of the notorious incident with both incredible live TV footage taken at the time and present-day interviews with all involved. Brilliant stuff. Trainwreck: Balloon Boy is now streaming on Netflix. HEADS OF STATE (M) ***1/2 In an earlier era, this admirably absurd action-buddy affair would have been a sure-fire hit in cinemas. What gives the production its lively point of difference is exactly who those buddies are. The action heroes fighting for survival while getting the better of a Russian crime lord just happen to be the Prime Minister of the UK (played by Idris Elba) and the President of the USA (John Cena). They were aboard Air Force One when it was shot down over a remote stretch of badlands in Belarus. Now they're on the run from a rich psychopath (Moblands' Paddy Considine) who needs these world leaders dead ASAP. The core premise is undeniably dumb, yet clever writing, inspired direction (from the same team behind Bob Odenkirk's excellent hit Nobody) and the chemistry of the two leads is a winning combo throughout. JAWS AT 50 (PG) **** Disney+ A truly superb documentary journeying back in time to the making of a movie that changed the face of cinema forever. Against all odds in 1975, a young filmmaker named Steven Spielberg took a malfunctioning mechanical shark, a problematic coastal location and a mercurial cast, and transformed the lot into what then became the highest-grossing movie in Hollywood history. This well-resourced and impeccably researched production bills itself as 'the definitive account' of how Jaws put the bite on movie audiences (and beach goers) all over the world, and for once, the tag is well and truly justified. Trust me: you'll be itching to watch Jaws again immediately afterwards (and you'll currently find it sitting prominently on Binge, Foxtel and Netflix). MARIA (M) ***1/2 Foxtel, Binge or Rent For a variety of reasons, Angelina Jolie's magnificent work as the late, great opera diva Maria Callas was unfairly overlooked last awards season. In fact, Jolie's nuanced portrayal of Callas as the troubled singer navigates the final week of her short life stands as one of her finest performances. The only hurdle that viewers must clear is the angular direction of Pablo Larrain, who uses the same cryptically atmospheric approach deployed in his biopics of Jacqueline Kennedy and Princess Diana. Much treasure to savour here if you're up for a challenge. VERDICT: THE DIDDY TRIAL (M) **1/2 Disney+ This no-frills recap of the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial has been rushed to market to beat similar product still being prepped by a number of major streamers. While is a functional enough primer for those who didn't go down all of the seedier side-alleys mapped out by this salacious case, it is noticeably limited in what it can and can't say (largely because Combs remains in custody awaiting sentencing later in the year). There will splashier and deeper dives on the subject to come. However, if you need a quick fix of all the lurid details associated with the deserved downfall of the hip-hop impresario, look no further. TUESDAY (M) *** Foxtel, Binge or Rent In recent years, the American independent movie studio A24 has built a powerful and surprisingly popular brand as a home for all that is strange, brave and genuinely unique. While this odd modern fairy tale doesn't quite reach the heights of recent A24 hits such as The Brutalist, Babygirl or Bring Her Back, it is still worth the track-down for those fancying a swim outside the mainstream. Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as an understandably disoriented mother of the title character (Lola Petticrew), a terminally ill young woman who is being paid regular visits by Death himself. If that's not weird enough for you, perhaps it is worth knowing that Death is played here by a rather talkative and deep-thinking parrot (voiced by gifted British actor Arinze Kene). One of those movies guaranteed to divide audiences, but will mean the world to those who fall under its surreal spell. BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN (PG) **** Foxtel, Binge or Rent Music doco tragics who missed this when it played for a limited season in cinemas are compelled to whack it on their must-see list right away. Made with the active participation of the Zep's three surviving members, the focus here is exclusively on the formative phase of the legendarily heavy rockers' career. Despite this narrow brief, there is plenty of great material (include rare and incendiary live footage) to fill the two-hour running time with ease. Be sure to turn up the volume to ensure the sonic thunder really rumbles. THE OLD GUARD 2 (MA15+) Netflix The world was hardly crying out for a sequel to Charlize Theron's Covid-era streaming hit The Old Guard. Nevertheless, it still comes as quite a jot to see how little life remains in what initially seemed to be such a vibrant fantasy-action concept. Theron listlessly reprises the role of Andy, the leader of a band of immortal warriors continually saving the world on a century-by-century basis. The combat sequences (a highlight of the original) are a particular let-down, as is the herky-jerky storytelling in play. If it wasn't for the cast's MVP Matthias Schoenaerts, you'd be bailing out well before the finish. THE NIGHT OF THE 12TH (MA15+) ****1/2 SBS ON DEMAND This unrelentingly compelling true-crime drama from France has been hard to find on Australian streaming platforms until now, and deserves a wider audience. The screenplay closely tracks an investigative unit who have just commenced work on a particularly challenging murder case in the mountain region near the city of Grenoble. A 21-year-old woman named Clara was killed in the middle of the night, while walking down a supposedly safe street after a small party with friends. The killer has not left a single shred of evidence. All the detectives initially have to go on is a series of messages left on a mobile phone, and cryptic rumours of a tangled love/sex life that will take some considerable time to decode. A sobering and unforgettable experience. ****1/2 MAX or Rent Now that Superman has gone from kryptonite to dynamite with the general public once again, there's no better time to catch this exemplary documentary (one of 2024's better cinema releases) about the actor most will forever associate with the Man of Steel. Anyone expecting a simple, sanitised celebration of the late Christopher Reeve – either for his iconic screen deeds as Superman, or for his dedicated campaigning for disabled rights in the wake of a terrible accident – will be truly surprised and engaged by the complex human being revealed here. The filmmakers were given full licence to approach their complicated subject without glossing over his many intriguing (and telling) flaws. Docos as refreshingly honest, transparent and insightful as this rarely happen along these days. Highly recommended.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hamas politicians and its military wing are not the same, BBC News chief says
BBC News' chief executive has said there is a difference between politicians in the Hamas-run government and members of the terrorist group's military, in comments about a pulled documentary on Gaza. The BBC's Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary was removed from iPlayer in February after it emerged that the child narrator, Abdullah, is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as Hamas's deputy minister of agriculture. It is understood Deborah Turness made the comments when she was asked about the documentary during a routine staff meeting. A video appears to show Ms Turness saying: 'I think it's really important that we are clear that (the narrator) Abdullah's father was the deputy agricultural minister and therefore, you know, was a member of the Hamas-run government, which is different to being part of the military wing of Hamas. 'And I think externally it's often simplified that he was in Hamas, and I think it's an important point of detail that we need to continually remind people of the difference and of that connection.' Hamas's military wing was proscribed in 2001 and that was extended in 2021 to include its political wing. After Ms Turness's comments were reported, a BBC spokesperson said: 'The BBC constantly makes clear on our programmes and platforms that Hamas are a proscribed terrorist organisation by the UK Government and others. 'We are also clear that we need to describe to our audiences the complexities of life in Gaza, including within the structure of Hamas, which has run the civilian functions of Gaza.' They added: 'Deborah Turness was answering a question about how we described the father of the narrator in our Warzone film. 'She did not imply that Hamas are not a single terrorist organisation. 'As we have said, there was an editorial breach in this film, and we are sorry. We will not show the film again in its current form and we should not have used this child as the narrator.' Ofcom announced on Monday that it will investigate the documentary after an external review found the programme had breached the corporation's editorial guidelines on accuracy. The review, conducted by Peter Johnston, the director of editorial complaints and reviews, which is independent of BBC News, said the programme was in breach of accuracy for 'failing to disclose information about the child narrator's father's position within the Hamas-run government'. It found no other breaches of editorial guidelines, including breaches of impartiality, and also found no evidence that outside interests 'inappropriately impacted on the programme'. The report said that 'careful consideration of the requirements of due impartiality was undertaken in this project given the highly contested nature of the subject matter'. Ofcom said it had examined the BBC report and would be investigating under its broadcasting code, which states that factual programmes 'must not materially mislead the audience'. An Ofcom spokesperson said: 'Having examined the BBC's findings, we are launching an investigation under our rule which states that factual programmes must not materially mislead the audience.'
Geek Tyrant
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Teaser Trailer For Eminem-Produced Superfans Documentary STANS — GeekTyrant
A teaser trailer and release date have been set for the Eminem-produced documentary Stans , about superfans and the rapper's song 'Stan,' which has become the definition of an overly-dedicated or obsessive fan. The doc is said to explore 'the rapper's trajectory through the prism of the following of his most loyal superfans.' Stans examines the complicated relationship between one of the world's most private artists and his massive public persona. Through stylized recreations, rare archival footage, and intimate original interviews, it follows Eminem's career and the passionate audience that has grown with him. AMC Theatres Distribution will launch the work, by Emmy-winning writer, director, and investigative journalist Steven Leckart, in 135 AMC theatres in the U.S. for a limited time period from August 7 to 10. All participating AMC theatres will offer at least two showtimes per day. The doc will also receive a full week awards-qualifying run at AMC Empire 25 in New York. Trafalgar Releasing will launch the film internationally on the same date in more than 1,600 theatres across more than 50 territories. Full screening details will be released on July 24. Alongside Eminem, producers are Paul Rosenberg, Stuart Parr, Antoine Fuqua, Tony DiSanto, David Schiff with DIGA Studios in association with Shady Films, Fuqua Films, Interscope Films, and MTV Entertainment Studios. Bruce Gillmer, Amanda Culkowski and Michael Maniaci are Executive Producers for MTV Entertainment Studios. Check out the teaser below:
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Simple Plan documentary: Band calls record labels 'irresponsible' for lacking support systems as artists find success
Canadian band Simple Plan has been making music for 25 years. From their childhood basements in Montreal to performing on some of the biggest stages around the world, now the band has gone back to the archives, revealing some of the earliest memories of Simple Plan, while reflecting on their legacy in the Prime Video documentary Simple Plan: The Kids In The Crowd. For lead guitar player Jeff Stinco, he actually wasn't even particularly on board to make a documentary in the first place. But as the band worked through the process of creating the film, elements of their dynamic and the impact of their music became particularly revealing. "I did not want to do it at all," Stinco told Yahoo Canada. "We were approached about this documentary. We spoke about it quite a bit. And at first I think we were sort of interested in showing the world how big the band was in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and how it had grown way above anything that people kind of knew. But then it became so much more. It became more about the human relationships. It became more about the hardships that we had to go through to become the band that we are now. ... I think the movie is more human than it is a glorification of a career." As the documentary presents, drummer Chuck Comeau made a particular push for Simple Plan to find success. Comeau's father is a significant voice in the film, expressing how he had a hard time understanding why his son would throw away his law school opportunity to play in a band. Comeau described the process of seeing the journey his father went on to understand his drive for Simple Plan to succeed as "really emotional." "I have a very, very close relationship with my parents, with my dad, we speak every day, still to this day. And he came on tour with us," Comeau said. "But at the time when we were starting out, and trying to explain to them this is what I want to do, it's not just a hobby, I think for him it was, I'll support you all the way, but obviously you're going to go to college and you're going to have a regular job." "I think it was hard for him to understand, to wrap his head around that, because there was really no model for him in his mind. It just didn't exist. It was not possible. ... I think there was a lot of just feeling misunderstood by my dad, even though [my parents] were extremely supportive. ... That's where the song 'Perfect' came from. So that's why it felt important, because so much of ... the story comes from that dynamic, that relationship, and from our families." 'Irresponsible' for record labels to not have a support system for artists Among the topics the band's members, Comeau, Stinco, leader singer Pierre Bouvier and guitarist Sébastien Lefebvre, talk about in the documentary is what happens when you find fame, including making the statement that it's "irresponsible" for record labels to not have a "support system" for artists dealing with the rising demands of success. Additionally, Bouvier opens up about having panic attacks and having to prioritize his time away from the spotlight. That personal time is where he differs from Comeau. "I think some of the biggest challenges that we have between us is that [Chuck] doesn't have an off switch," Bouvier said. "I think it's commendable, but for me, I'm just not like that. ... I'm also a singer, so the nature of what I do on tour, I cannot be talking all day long. I cannot be playing a three hour concert followed by a meet and greet with 100 fans, and we did one beforehand, with a sound check, with five exclusive songs, I just can't do it." "I have to sometimes put my foot down and be like, 'I'm not doing that.' And I also enjoy having some time to myself. ... I think Chuck, even though he may sometimes like playing hockey or some other sport, the guy wakes up and the first thing he thinks about is the band. ... I want to do other things. ... When we started doing this documentary, you want to pull up the curtain. ... Let's open up these doors and show people what the struggles are, not just the things to celebrate." "And it's still uncomfortable sometimes to even have these conversations, to hear that. It's tough, but at the same time, I embrace it," Comeau added. But when it comes to tensions within the band, Stinco believes the band still has work to do. "I feel that we need to work on our relationship as a band, because we still have some of the same dynamics that we had when we were 13 and 14," Stinco said. "I think we have some work to do. We have post-documentary therapy ahead of us." "But that being said, I've also witnessed some beautiful moments of friendship and a very wonderful support system. ... The guys have always been there for me and I see that in the documentary, and it really touched me a lot." 'I feel a sense of responsibility' A core element of The Kids in the Crowd documentary is Simple Plan reflecting on the feedback they've gotten from fans for songs that have really helped them through difficult times, including tracks like "Perfect" and "Welcome To My Life." "I feel a sense of responsibility," Stinco said. "I feel that I have to live up to that role that people give me." "It's funny how those very personal stories became so universal. ... I feel that I need to be the best version of myself, to sort of live up to the success that we had and to not disappoint our fans. But the reality is, it's just music. And I'm glad that the songs, the lyrics, really have an effect on people. And I'm going to just basically celebrate those songs with every show we play by giving the best performance and making sure that when I meet fans, I'm the kindest and most attentive ... person I can be. Because I've met a lot of very big celebrities that were shitheads, and I never wanted to be that person." "I think it started to change when we released 'Perfect' as a music video," Comeau said in a separate interview. "That opened up a whole new dimension for the band, because that was a true, meaningful, personal connection. People felt seen." "Honestly, when we wrote the song, we knew it was a good song, but we put it last on the record because we thought it was so personal that it wouldn't really connect with that many people. ... But then what we realized is that the more personal you get in songwriting, the more personal you get in your stories, the more it hits home, because it feels genuine. It feels authentic. It feels honest and people started to connect with that song. We would play it, and even before it was a single, ... people would be crying in the front row. They would give us these letters saying like, 'I played the song for my dad because he doesn't understand me.' And it just it opened up a whole new way of looking at what bands and artists can do in society. It can be like lifeline." "Songwriting is an interesting thing, because you set out with a goal and you set out to obviously write songs that will impact people, but you're kind of trying to catch lightning in a bottle," Bouvier added. "And I feel like we always swing our hardest and try our best, but I, just in hindsight, I feel so grateful that we were able to catch these songs that have been there for people, that have been along the journey of life with some people, and that have impacted them in a way that, even 20 years later, they'll hear it and remember where they were and remember what they were going through." While the current Simple Plan band members participated in the documentary, there's only a brief mention of former member David Desrosiers, who left after facing multiple sexual misconduct allegations. As the band indicates in the documentary, following what happened with Desrosiers, there was a focus on ensuring that everything that surrounded the band was a "safe space." While that's something that maybe could have been addressed in more depth, what the current members of Simple Plan were striving to do was to be, as they described, "honest" and "authentic" about their experiences.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Simple Plan documentary: Band calls record labels 'irresponsible' for lacking support systems as artists find success
Canadian band Simple Plan has been making music for 25 years. From their childhood basements in Montreal to performing on some of the biggest stages around the world, now the band has gone back to the archives, revealing some of the earliest memories of Simple Plan, while reflecting on their legacy in the Prime Video documentary Simple Plan: The Kids In The Crowd. For lead guitar player Jeff Stinco, he actually wasn't even particularly on board to make a documentary in the first place. But as the band worked through the process of creating the film, elements of their dynamic and the impact of their music became particularly revealing. "I did not want to do it at all," Stinco told Yahoo Canada. "We were approached about this documentary. We spoke about it quite a bit. And at first I think we were sort of interested in showing the world how big the band was in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and how it had grown way above anything that people kind of knew. But then it became so much more. It became more about the human relationships. It became more about the hardships that we had to go through to become the band that we are now. ... I think the movie is more human than it is a glorification of a career." As the documentary presents, drummer Chuck Comeau made a particularly push for Simple Plan to find success. Comeau's father is a significant voice in the film, expressing how he had a hard time understanding why his son would throw away his law school opportunity to play in a band. Comeau described the process of seeing the journey his father went on to understand his drive for Simple Plan to succeed as "really emotional." "I have a very, very close relationship with my parents, with my dad, we speak every day, still to this day. And he came on tour with us," Comeau said. "But at the time when we were starting out, and trying to explain to them this is what I want to do, it's not just a hobby, I think for him it was, I'll support you all the way, but obviously you're going to go to college and you're going to have a regular job." "I think it was hard for him to understand, to wrap his head around that, because there was really no model for him in his mind. It just didn't exist. It was not possible. ... I think there was a lot of just feeling misunderstood by my dad, even though [my parents] were extremely supportive. ... That's where the song 'Perfect' came from. So that's why it felt important, because so much of ... the story comes from that dynamic, that relationship, and from our families." 'Irresponsible' for record labels to not have a support system for artists Among the topics the band's members, Comeau, Stinco, leader singer Pierre Bouvier and guitarist Sébastien Lefebvre talk about in the documentary is what happens when you find fame, including making the statement that it's "irresponsible" for record labels to not have a "support system" for artists dealing with the rising demands of success. Additionally, Bouvier opens up about having panic attacks and having to prioritize his time away from the spotlight. That personal time is where he differs from Comeau. "I think some of the biggest challenges that we have between us is that [Chuck] doesn't have an off switch," Bouvier said. "I think it's commendable, but for me, I'm just not like that. ... I'm also a singer, so the nature of what I do on tour, I cannot be talking all day long. I cannot be playing a three hour concert followed by a meet and greet with 100 fans, and we did one beforehand, with a sound check, with five exclusive songs, I just can't do it." "I have to sometimes put my foot down and be like, 'I'm not doing that.' And I also enjoy having some time to myself. ... I think Chuck, even though he may sometimes like playing hockey or some other sport, the guy wakes up and the first thing he thinks about is the band. ... I want to do other things. ... When we started doing this documentary, you want to pull up the curtain. ... Let's open up these doors and show people what the struggles are, not just the things to celebrate." "And it's still uncomfortable sometimes to even have these conversations, to hear that. It's tough, but at the same time, I embrace it," Comeau added. But when it comes to tensions within the band, Stinco believes the band still has work to do. "I feel that we need to work on our relationship as a band, because we still have some of the same dynamics that we had when we were 13 and 14," Stinco said. "I think we have some work to do. We have post-documentary therapy ahead of us." "But that being said, I've also witnessed some beautiful moments of friendship and a very wonderful support system. ... The guys have always been there for me and I see that in the documentary, and it really touched me a lot." 'I feel a sense of responsibility' A core element of The Kids in the Crowd documentary is Simple Plan reflecting on the feedback they've gotten from fans for songs that have really helped them through difficult times, including tracks like "Perfect" and "Welcome To My Life." "I feel a sense of responsibility," Stinco said. "I feel that I have to live up to that role that people give me." "It's funny how those very personal stories became so universal. ... I feel that I need to be the best version of myself, to sort of live up to the success that we had and to not disappoint our fans. But the reality is, it's just music. And I'm glad that the songs, the lyrics, really have an effect on people. And I'm going to just basically celebrate those songs with every show we play by giving the best performance and making sure that when I meet fans, I'm the kindest and most attentive ... person I can be. Because I've met a lot of very big celebrities that were shitheads, and I never wanted to be that person." "I think it started to change when we released 'Perfect' as a music video," Comeau said. "That opened up a whole new dimension for the band, because that was a true, meaningful, personal connection. People felt seen." "Honestly, when we wrote the song, we knew it was a good song, but we put it last on the record because we thought it was so personal that it wouldn't really connect with that many people. ... But then what we realized is that the more personal you get in songwriting, the more personal you get in your stories, the more it hits home, because it feels genuine. It feels authentic. It feels honest and people started to connect with that song. We would play it, and even before it was a single, ... people would be crying in the front row. They would give us these letters saying like, 'I played the song for my dad because he doesn't understand me.' And it just it opened up a whole new way of looking at what bands and artists can do in society. It can be like lifeline." "Songwriting is an interesting thing, because you set out with a goal and you set out to obviously write songs that will impact people, but you're kind of trying to catch lightning in a bottle," Bouvier added. "And I feel like we always swing our hardest and try our best, but I, just in hindsight, I feel so grateful that we were able to catch these songs that have been there for people, that have been along the journey of life with some people, and that have impacted them in a way that, even 20 years later, they'll hear it and remember where they were and remember what they were going through." While the current Simple Plan band members participated in the documentary, there's only a brief mention of former member David Desrosiers, who left after facing multiple sexual misconduct allegations. As the band indicates in the documentary, following what happened with Desrosiers, there was a focus on ensuring that everything that surrounded the band was a "safe space." While that's something that maybe could have been addressed in more depth, what the current members of Simple Plan were striving to do was to be, as they described, "honest" and "authentic" about their experiences.
