Best Documentaries of 2012

IMHO Movie Reviews:

Side by Side

I saw the documentary, Side by Side at the NoHo Laemmle Theaters in August and I can't stop raving about it!

Side by Side is all about digital v.s. film or how more and more movies are being made digitally as the celluloid filmmaking process (cameras included) fades away. This film is directed by Chris Kenneally who I think did a marvelous job with the subject matter. Also, well done was the way actor, Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, Speed, The Gift, Thumbsucker) did double-duty as the on-screen interviewer and narrator for the film. Reeves also co-produced the film through his production company with fellow producer, Justin Szlasa. 

Watching Side by Side was very educational for me. In fact, it almost felt like Film School 101 because I got such amazing insights from the greats of filmmaking such as Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, David Lynch, Chris Nolan etc. on where they stood on digital versus celluloid filmmaking. A film like this could have become too technical and unengaging in the wrong hands but the subject was so well presented that nothing went over my head.

Side by Side is full of fun and humor, too as are the film's director and producers, which I found out at the Q&A following the screening. Kenneally and Reeves recounted how Reeves came up with the idea for the documentary and then they jokingly shared amusing anecdotes on how they got all the cinematic legends in the doc to agree to the interviews. Kenneally and Reeves even called upon the film's cinematographer, Chris Cassidy to answer a few questions about cinematography for the film.

IMHO: Side by Side is a  "must see" if you love movies and the film industry so don't miss it! It's both fun and informative and it'll kept you interested the entire time.

**Kudos to Tribeca Films for getting the distribution rights for SBS in the U.S. SBS is currently available on VOD but I hope it is released more widely in theaters in the US and abroad because I think they may have a chance of an Oscar nomination with this doc- it's that good!.

(see more of my comments as blessedinLA   www.DeadlineHollywood.com )

                               The Side by Side team  (Cassidy, Szlasa, Kenneally, Revees)
Update: 10/1/12
I've suggested Side by Side for the "must see" list for the film discussion group at my church so we'll see  : )  

Update:  10-20-12
Side by Side was screened for the Academy of Arts and Sciences on Oct 7th 2012. Could an Oscar nomination be in the works? I hope so!

UPDATE: 10-24-12

Live in or around NYC? Side by Side screens for FREE at Tribeca Cinema for the Future of Film
Symposium with a post-film discussion panel planned - don't miss it! Best doc of the year for me and
a "must see" if you're a film buff!  http://futureoffilmoctober2012.eventbrite.com/#

See the full list of Side by Side's upcoming screenings in the U.S. and internationally
HERE   http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/sidebysidethemovie?fref=ts

You can also watch Side by Side on Video On Demand (VOD) $5.99 for a 3-day rental
HERE      http://www.amazon.com/Side-by/dp/B0090EJZA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351233469&sr=8-1&keywords=side+by+side+movie

I still hope Company Films & Tribeca bring Side by Side back to L.A. theaters soon so more industry folk can see it on a large screen here as SBS has finished it's run in the L.A. area.

Update: 11/8/12   Side by Side is coming back to LA!
The Hollywood Post Alliance hosts a screening of Side By Side followed by a Q&A with the director and producers at Arclight Theater on 11/19. A small reception will follow. Get tickets at
http://www.hpaonline.com/side-by-side-screening

More IMHO Reviews to come:
I hope to see a few other documentaries this year especially Searching for Sugar Man which I've heard the most about. I'll also post more of my IMHO reviews starting with the new Indie film, Sironia which was directed by Brandon Dickerson, the former lead Pastor of Ecclesia Church.

"This Is Home" Art Exhibit

SEPT 2012

Hey, art lovers!
Ecclesia Church has another art exhibit up called "This Is Home" and my pencil drawing of my mom among the flora and fauna of the Virgin Islands was selected for it. "This Is Home" runs from August 26th - October 21st and it's filled with amazing artwork from some of Ecclesia's and the L.A.-area's best artists. I'm truly honored to have been selected to show my work at Ecclesia again and I now feel like I can honestly call myself a legitimate artist. Pics of the exhibit to come real soon :)

Update 9-7-12:
No pics of the exhibit yet because my camera isn't working. I have posted an earlier pic of my newly exhibited drawing of my mom on here. I e-mailed it to my mom, too and she said it didn't really look like her. I assured her that I had changed the final drawing a lot before submitting it and that it was now looking more like her. But she's right, something's still not right about it...

Update 10-2-12:
I finished another drawing of my mom that I think looks very much like her. She was right that the one of her that's now in the Home exhibit was of her younger self so it looked more like me. I finally realize why these drawings were so difficult for me to do. I just couldn't bring myself to age my mother's face... to add lines and loss of volume to a face that
I love so dearly... a face that looks so much like mine... Then I thought, "That chica looks good for 75 and a 1/2" and I finished the drawing-lol.

God's very blessings to my mom!

Summer 2012 Wrap Up

I was side-lined most of the summer with an inner ear and balance problem and could not post here as usual. Below are the summary of my thoughts on most of this summer's events--"better late than never".

Mass Shooting in Colorado at Dark Knight's Midnight Opening:

I was too shocked and saddened by the news of this to even post about it. God bless Christian Bale for going to visit the victims' families and the survivors in such a humble and caring fashion. I've been praying for all those affected but I think Joseph Barkley, Ecclesia's pastor, said it best when he tweeted...

"Praying for Colorado right now---for every wound, every broken piece. God heal completely."   https://twitter.com/jkbarkley

Summer Olympics In London Over--Best Ratings Ever For NBC

I liked most of what I saw of the Olympics. NBC still irritated with the prime time delay of events but otherwise they did okay. Loved the Women's Gymnastic team (and the nick names like "Flying Squirrel"), Women's Volleyball (both Court and Beach), Track and Field and Swimming events and Archery.

Though I like Danny Boyle's movies, I didn't exactly get the Opening Ceremony (health service staff pushing gurneys?) but I must say that the Brits really stepped it up for sure. I thought it was funny, too that the usually "egotistical" Americans wore staid looking suits and berets to the Opening Ceremony while the Brits wore loud gold lame tracksuits. The British suits were probably made in China, too (lol).

Summer Box Office Way Down This Year:
Even The Avengers movie box office numbers couldn't stop the Box office from being down this year. Movies with big stars didn't fair all that well either nor did rebooted or retooled franchises like Spider-Man or Bourne Identity.

Falling Stars:
Movie and TV Greats We Lost this Summer:

Actor, Sherman Helmsley from The Jeffersons and Amen TV shows has died. I grew up watching Mr. Helmsley and he always could make me laugh. I recently found out that he was a talented singer and musician, too.

Nora Ephron the amazing female writer-turned-director of When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and Julie and Julia  and countless others has died. She was a trailblazer for women in Hollywood and will definitely be missed.

Tony Scott, director of many loved movies like Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Enemy of the State, Crimson Tide and many TV shows and brother of Ridley Scott died after jumping off a bridge. I don't know what was going on in Mr. Scott's life that could have lead to this tragedy but I'm praying for his family.

Oscar-nominated actor, Michael Clark Duncan from Green Mile died from complications after he suffered a heart attack. Apparently Duncan has been hospitalized since July with a poor prognosis. I'm here in LA and hadn't even heard he was sick. I saw him once (see previous entry) and he was so nice and gentle that every age and race of people were hugging on him. I've always liked him and his acting but his voice was amazing to hear in real life. I will really miss him but I understand that he was very very ill.

May they all rest in peace.