Friedman, Jeffrey

10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America (History Channel)

Thoughtfully conceived and brilliantly executed, 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America is History Channel programming at its finest. As its title suggests, this series of ten one-hour documentaries does not necessarily represent the most important and well-known moments in American history (though some of them arguably qualify), but rather they are pivotal milestones that helped to forge and define the American character--events which, in retrospect, have had a profound influence on our ever-changing society. With this as their editorial mission, the History Channel's producers recruited ten highly acclaimed documentary filmmakers to direct each one-hour episode, each contributing their own unique approach to the material. Featuring several well-chosen and prestigious narrators including Jeffrey Wright, Martin Sheen, Joe Morton, Terry Kinney, and Campbell Scott, the results are uniformly excellent, representing a broad spectrum of documentary styles, visual techniques, and painstakingly accurate recreations and dramatizations of the chosen events.

From the very first slaughter of Native Americans by English settlers in 1637 ("Massacre at Mystic") to the civil rights movement's "Freedom Summer" of 1964, each episode places its one-day event in vivid historical context, concisely demonstrating how these events had a ripple effect on America's national identity. Some episodes are more experimental than others: Directed by Emmy-winner R.J. Cutler, "Shay's Rebellion: America's First Civil War" (1787) employs the uniquely expressionistic animation of Bill Plympton, far removed from the more familiar (but no less effective) style of dramatization included in "Einstein's Letter" (about the famed physicist's 1939 letter urging Franklin D. Roosevelt to develop nuclear weapons) or "Scopes: The Battle Over America's Soul" (about the sensational 1925 "Monkey Trial" over the teaching of evolution). With varying degrees of documentary ingenuity, other episodes cover the California gold rush of 1849; the Civil War's bloody battle of Antietam; the violent 1892 "Homestead Strike" of united laborers against Carnegie Steel; the 1901 assassination of President William McKinley; and the dynamic appearances of Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956. Presented in chronological order, these ten films offer lasting value to history buffs, teachers, and anyone interested in understanding how American history was forged in the furnace of tumultuous change. The sole bonus feature is a 30-minute survey of each episode's director and their distinct methods of completing their assignments. Their cumulative efforts combine to form one of the most wide-ranging and fascinating series the History Channel has ever presented. --Jeff Shannon

Offering a fresh perspective on the American experience 10 acclaimed documentary filmmakers direct ten pivotal moments in United States history and the often unexpected changes they triggered.These critical but unsung pieces of history include a local rebellion that inspired a national constitution bullets fired in Buffalo New York and even a crooner from Memphis who couldn't stand still. These are just a few of the fascinating subjects explored in 10 DAYS THAT UNEXPECTEDLY CHANGED AMERICA--10 riveting one-hour documentaries by 10 award-winning independent filmmakers. Together the documentaries represent compelling stories about less well known events that serve as a lens with which to view the range of the American experience.From the first massacre of Native Americans to the single bloodiest day in American history from a courtroom battle of science vs. religion that still rages today to the racial murders that led to the Voting Rights Act these are the events that tested America's soul and forged her destiny.System Requirements:Running Time 460 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 733961752175 Manufacturer No: AAE-75217

The Celluloid Closet (Special Edition)

Author Armistead Maupin (Tales of the City) wrote Lily Tomlin's narration for this superb documentary, based on a book by the late Vito Russo, about Hollywood's treatment of homosexual characters in the 20th century. Never pointing a finger at anyone in the film community, The Celluloid Closet presents clips from more than 100 mainstream features (including The Children's Hour, Advise and Consent, The Boys in the Band, and The Hunger) that speak loudly in their respective images of gays and lesbians. The film makes a persuasive case for patterns of sexual mythology in Hollywood, such as presenting homosexuals repeatedly as tragic, helpless figures redeemed only through death or as back-street monsters cavorting in the shadows. Things change, of course, and clips from more recent films by gay and lesbian filmmakers suggest a more vital, diverse, autobiographical approach. There are lots of great interviews with screenwriters (Gore Vidal), filmmakers (John Schlesinger), actors (Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg), and others to enunciate the major themes. --Tom Keogh

What "That's Entertainment" did for movie musicals THE CELLULOID CLOSET does for Hollywood homosexuality as this exuberant eye-opening movie serves up a dazzling hundred-year history of the role of gay men and lesbians have had on the silver screen. Lily Tomlin narrates as Oscar®-winning moviemaker Rob Epstein (The Times of Harvey Milk and Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt) and Jeffrey Friedman assemble fabulous footage from 120 films showing the changing face of cinema sexuality from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s. Tom Hanks Susan Sarandon Whoopi Goldberg Tony Curtis Harvey Fierstein and Gore Vidal are just a few of the many actors writers and commentators who provide funny and insightful anecdotes.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 043396821071 Manufacturer No: 82107

Paragraph 175

Rupert Everett narrates this sensitive documentary about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals during World War II. "Paragraph 175" refers to the old German penal code concerning homosexuality, which was used to justify the prosecution of gay men during the war (the code ignored lesbians, still considered viable baby-making vessels). As mere rumor became enough to justify imprisonment, over 100,000 were arrested and between 10,000 and 15,000 were sent to concentration camps. In Paragraph 175, Klaus Müller, a historian from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, sets out to interview the fewer than 10 who are known to remain alive. The film covers the astonishingly quick rise of Hitler (one interviewee points out how ridiculous a figure he seemed at first) and the shock that more liberal Germans felt as it became clear that he was a force to be reckoned with. Some of the film's most touching moments come when the participants reminisce about their first loves and the "homosexual Eden" that was Berlin in the 1930s. This is a beautifully well made documentary that poignantly captures a piece of nearly forgotten history. --Ali Davis

Common Threads - Stories from the Quilt

As of 2004, a variety of drugs have been developed to resist, if not cure, AIDS--yet Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt remains as emotionally powerful as it was during the height of the crisis, when people were dying by the thousands every year. With a combination of photo-montages, interviews with friends and family members, home movies, and news footage, this 1989 documentary captures the grief of those who have survived victims of AIDS. It's wrenching to hear the mother of a hemophiliac boy describing giving him blood transfusions in the middle of the night, or seeing pictures of a former Olympic athlete with the daughter he fathered with a lesbian mother, or hearing a Naval officer describe his relief when he learned that he, like his dead lover, had the virus--that the stress of waiting was over. A moving combination of art and politics. --Bret Fetzer

Where Are We?: Our Trip Through America

Accomplished documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeff Friedman (Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, The Celluloid Closet) take a trip across the American South and Southwest, asking people about their hopes and fears. Along the way they interview a mobile-home salesman, gay and lesbian soldiers (including Gulf War veterans), a woman whose husband built her miniature version of Graceland, a recovering drug addict who aspires to movie stardom, a 15-year-old mother-to-be, and a casino owner whose role models include Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa. Where Are We? (Our Trip Through America) is simple; none of the interviewees says anything profound or complex--yet the movie captures an intriguing and contradictory cross-section of the U.S., observing how people forge ahead regardless of their circumstances, seeking happiness as best they can. It's a striking portrait of resilience, illustrated with some amazing hairstyles. --Bret Fetzer

Paragraph 175

The Harvey Milk 4-Pack Box Set (Times of Harvey Milk / Common Threads / Where Are We / Paragraph 175)

The Times of Harvey Milk
A devastatingly skillful and emotionally compelling documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk charts the political rise and brutal slaying of the first openly gay city official in the United State, Harvey Milk. Ironically, the same election that brought Milk to the board of city supervisors of San Francisco also elected the man who killed him, a former police officer and fireman named Dan White. After White shot both Mayor George Moscone and Milk, his defense lawyers convinced the jury that White's judgment was impaired by depression and junk food, resulting in a conviction for manslaughter instead of murder--a verdict that prompted riots. With care and conviction, The Times of Harvey Milk captures not only Milk himself, but also the political and social landscape in which these events took place. The interviews--with friends, politicians, and journalists--are articulate and heartfelt, expressing the impact that Milk had upon this historical moment. --Bret Fetzer

Where Are We? (Our Trip Through America)
Accomplished documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeff Friedman (Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, The Celluloid Closet) take a trip across the American South and Southwest, asking people about their hopes and fears. Along the way they interview a mobile-home salesman, gay and lesbian soldiers (including Gulf War veterans), a woman whose husband built her miniature version of Graceland, a recovering drug addict who aspires to movie stardom, a 15-year-old mother-to-be, and a casino owner whose role models include Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa. Where Are We? (Our Trip Through America) is simple; none of the interviewees says anything profound or complex--yet the movie captures an intriguing and contradictory cross-section of the U.S., observing how people forge ahead regardless of their circumstances, seeking happiness as best they can. It's a striking portrait of resilience, illustrated with some amazing hairstyles. --Bret Fetzer

Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt
As of 2004, a variety of drugs have been developed to resist, if not cure, AIDS--yet Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt remains as emotionally powerful as it was during the height of the crisis, when people were dying by the thousands every year. With a combination of photo-montages, interviews with friends and family members, home movies, and news footage, this 1989 documentary captures the grief of those who have survived victims of AIDS. It's wrenching to hear the mother of a hemophiliac boy describing giving him blood transfusions in the middle of the night, or seeing pictures of a former Olympic athlete with the daughter he fathered with a lesbian mother, or hearing a Naval officer describe his relief when he learned that he, like his dead lover, had the virus--that the stress of waiting was over. A moving combination of art and politics. --Bret Fetzer

Paragraph 175
Rupert Everett narrates this sensitive documentary about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals during World War II. "Paragraph 175" refers to the old German penal code concerning homosexuality, which was used to justify the prosecution of gay men during the war (the code ignored lesbians, still considered viable baby-making vessels). As mere rumor became enough to justify imprisonment, over 100,000 were arrested and between 10,000 and 15,000 were sent to concentration camps. In Paragraph 175, Klaus Müller, a historian from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, sets out to interview the fewer than 10 who are known to remain alive. The film covers the astonishingly quick rise of Hitler (one interviewee points out how ridiculous a figure he seemed at first) and the shock that more liberal Germans felt as it became clear that he was a force to be reckoned with. Some of the film's most touching moments come when the participants reminisce about their first loves and the "homosexual Eden" that was Berlin in the 1930s. This is a beautifully well made documentary that poignantly captures a piece of nearly forgotten history. --Ali Davis

Underground Zero

One week after 9/11, San Francisco-based filmmakers Jay Rosenblatt and Caveh Zahedi asked 150 independent filmmakers to create a short film or video related to the events. Eleven of the resulting works are included in UNDERGROUND ZERO, a feature-length video that studies the significance of September 11th through a variety of creative, personal and cultural perspectives. The DVD edition includes 14 additional shorts.