Showing posts with label Documentary film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Documentary film. Show all posts

Thursday, December 30, 2010

The Ant-Society presents: It's A Living, Part 1 (1975)

Excerpt from hour-long program inspired by Studs Terkel's best-selling book, Working. In the book, people talk about what they do all day and how they feel about it. The documentary explores what it is actually like to be on the job with some of these people.






The opening of the piece declares, "As experimental video journalists, we hope to demonstrate that new small-format television equipment allows people to speak for themselves, simply and directly and that real people in real situations make good television."
This excerpt features parking lot attendant Wheelin' Lovin Al Pommier.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The Ant-Society presents: Human Hair, Part 1 (1979)


Excerpt from documentary by Nancy Cain and Bart Friedman on their trip from Woodstock, NY to the Chicago Editing Center.







In this excerpt: Cain reads news report about a nuclear accident, and we see a reporter mistakenly attribute the accident at a nuclear power plant to human hair instead of human error; Cain and Friedman at site of a fire at Racine and Clyborn. At Palestine Kosher Red Hots and Sausage next door, people continue to eat, despite the fact that the building next door is burning down completely. They try to interview the firefighters, who are completely reticent, only telling them that the fire was started by a match; Friedman interviews men who are salvaging bricks from the wreckage of the fire. These men do not corroborate the report that the fire was started by a match; Cain and Friedman at an industrial site where scrap metal is being taken out of a giant pile with a giant magnet and put on a barge. Cain talks about capitalism and about having to give her thumbprint to cash a check.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

The Ant-Society presents: Hobo, Part 1 (1981)

Hobo Excerpt from documentary exploring the quickly vanishing hobo culture.






We speak with the old-timers who have ridden the rails for years and learn about the new generation. This excerpt is the beginning of the doc, and features narration about radio HOBO, "The Big Rock Candy Mountain," and passing trains. Closeups of various hobos and passing landscapes. Old hobo talks about hopping first train. Hobos talk about romanticism of the rails. National PBS broadcast. Won local Chicago Emmy. Scott Jacobs won one for videography.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Ant-Society presents: The Other M.J. (1999)


Documentary about a man named Michael Johnson, a janitor at United Center, the home of the Chicago Bulls. (The title refers to this connection between the subject and basketball star Michael Jordan.)





Johnson talks about his life and history and also about his views on race, politics, and survival. Johnson was taped again a few years later with updates on his situation and commenting on the impact being on television has had on his life. Some of the original footage was used in a program called None of the Above, which investigated Americas non-voters.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

The Ant-Society presents: Lord of the Universe (1974)


Excerpt from the duPont-Columbia winning documentary that takes a skeptical view of the Guru Maharaj Ji, leader of a cult-like, new age group, the Divine Light Mission (DLM), and who is known to his followers as "The Lord of the Universe".





It chronicles a gathering of his followers at Houston's Astrodome, as well as some of the beliefs and practices of his zealous supporters. This excerpt features Rennie Davis and Abbie Hoffman. Clips of Davis in his more radicals days are contrasted with his current New Agey-support of the Guru. Hoffman is quite critical of Davis and the other followers: "Rennie is arrogant about the future... There's a difference between saying youve found god, and that you know his address."... "If this guy IS God, hes the God America deserves!"

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Zeitgeist (2007)

If you've ever felt as though you were a small part in a very large world, Zeitgeist, the original 2007 Movie will reaffirm your feeling. This compelling documentary explores manipulations of the American masses by those with wealth and power.









By employing three main themes (Christianity, September 11th, and the Federal Reserve) that seemingly have nothing to do with one another, this film may enlighten (or offend) Americans that are spellbound to change the balance of power in the world.

The massive conspiracy that's painted before our eyes is controversial, thought-provoking and gripping. Peter Joseph presents his powerful argument to people that are conditioned to accept the American government and the media as truth. However, he doesn't take a subtle approach that will be easy to swallow for every viewer.

Zeitgeist, the Movie isn't for everyone. If you're interested in exploring the depth of lies, corruption, secrets and manipulation that's spoon-fed to us, you'll most likely find that the two hours it will take you to watch this film will be spent constructively.

Nevertheless, people who are easily offended should probably skip this documentary. After all, films about mass-manipulation, religious manipulation, false flag operations, hidden agendas, economical manipulation and hidden truths aren't everyone's cup of tea.

Whether you're a critic or a fan, the documentary certainly packs a powerful punch. There are many legitimate questions presented and Peter Joseph offers the viewer his own interesting perspective. 

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Death. (a short documentary)

Death is the termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. The word refers both to the particular processes of life's cessation as well as to the condition or state of a formerly living body.




The nature of death has been for millennia a central concern of the world's religious traditions and of philosophical enquiry, and belief in some kind of afterlife or rebirth has been a central aspect of religious belief. In modern scientific enquiry, the origin and nature of consciousness has yet to be fully understood; any such view about the existence or non-existence of consciousness after death therefore remains speculative. This short, independant documentary explores what people think about the subject of death.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Pedal Power! (bicycling documentaries)

As the skies turn gray and the days grow cold many people are reluctantly putting their bicycleslist of documentaries from snag films. up in winter storage. None of us here at the Anti-Society are one of "those people". We ride our bikes as a daily lifestyle for our own various different reasons. As a show of solidarity for our fellow bicyclist we bring you this excellent list of documentaries from SnagFilms.com.


Watch more free documentaries

 
 
Please check out our sponsors over at Amazon.com!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Ant-Society presents: Tales of Hoffman (2001)

Short documentary about the two main figures in the Chicago Conspiracy trial - Abbie Hoffman and the presiding judge, Julius Hoffman. This piece compares the Hoffmans' personalities and argues that they had a mutual fascination with one another.





Abbie Hoffman was truly one of the heroes of my youth, along with Bobby Seale, and the Berrigan brothers. REVOLUTION!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Religion and Spirituality (The Burning Times Documentary)

This beautifully crafted film is an in-depth look at the witch-hunts that swept through Europe just a few hundred years ago. False accusations and trials led to massive torture and burnings at the stake, and ultimately to the destruction of an organic way of life. The film advances the theory that widespread violence against women and the neglect of our environment today can be traced back to those times.






This was one of our darkest periods, one that brought out the very worst in people -- our morbid sadistic bloodthirst that thrilled in the power of life and death over others -- and it is, I think, fair to say that we still struggle with this now. Perhaps we always did. Even today, almost all women live with a distinct but unarticulated fear and uncertainty of their place in society, but perhaps in understanding what happened to bring that about -- that it was a specific series of events that really happened, and her fear is that awful legacy -- women may come to feel less isolated and more willing to move past that fear to find their own sense of purpose that they define for themselves. If this video plays any positive part in that, I am very happy for it.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Frightening Friday Documentaries!

Anti-Society t.v. would like to get the Halloween weekend celebrations off to an early start by bringing you these great documentaries from Snagfilms!


Watch more free documentaries

Here are just some of today's featured documentaries in no particular order.
Neo-pagan families and modern witches reveal why they've been hesitant to 'come out of the broom closet'.
Historians piece together what happened in 1692, when mass hysteria led to the hanging of nineteen innocent people in Salem.
Investigation of tragic Hollywood deaths and haunted places.
A compilation of five terrifying ghost stories of true haunting documented by those who witnessed them.
Update of popular Fox TV Special never available on DVD with new exclusive ghostly apparitions and analysis.
Follow the night misadventures of little Davide during his several attempts to escape from a monster that has occupied his room.
   

Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Ant-Society presents: Making It In Hollywood (1976)

Excerpt from documentary following several unknown actors as they attempt to become movie and TV stars (or, at least, make a living by acting). Sequences include actors working their day jobs (mostly in food service), going to auditions, waiting for acting work at Schwabs Drugstore, etc. Also features several famous actors discussing what it takes to be successful in Hollywood, including Tab Hunter, Shelly Winters, and Sally Kirkland.

In this segment, actors hanging out at Schwab's Drugstore talk about show business and surviving as an actor.





Excellent documentary made in 1976, it was very interesting to listen to the actors express themselves at the now demolished Schwabs in Hollywood.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Ant-Society presents: Adland - Opening, George Lois (1974)


Excerpt from documentary about the advertising business includes: 
Footage of commercial shoot, text about the anonymity of most admen and about how this program intends to give them a voice, The Pontiac Choir Boys do a commercial, George Lois, chairman, Lois, Holland, Callaway, New York, explains the power that comes from commercial production - "Poom! It's like poison gas..Poom! That's sensational. Oh yeah, that's great!"




Opening of the film Adland, featuring singing McDonalds hamburger puppets (you know how I feel about singing and dancing food, folks), a Pontiac mens choir, and commercial director George Lois, talking about what its all about for him. This makes me wish they had put up the whole film, rather than just excerpts from it.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Ant-Society presents: Adland (Mickey D's)

Excerpt from documentary about the advertising business : 
Footage of filming a McDonald's Christmas commercial. King Moody, in Ronald McDonald costume, talks about the few perks he gets playing that part. Reinhard claims that the ads for McDonald's are subtle since they sell the product through the characters instead of convincing people to buy the product.






Another clip from Adland, this one showing us the filming of a McDonalds commercial. The guy who plays Ronald McDonald is interviewed, as well as the director of the commercial and the man in charge of the campaign. They are shown enjoying their work, and viewing this type of advertising as subtle and sophisticated. This is not quite as strange as the Adland clip featuring Mason Reese, but its still fairly interesting.