Watchers 4: On the Edge

The Best of the Blues Brothers

July 1994 •English

Writer Tom Davis hosts a Blues Brothers retrospective that tells the whole truth about the legendary band's early days and righteous ways. The Blues Brothers were an unforgettable part of Saturday Night Live's golden era, making their musical debut in bee costumes singing "I'm a King Bee," and becoming an overnight sensation. Switching to hats and shades inspired by John Lee Hooker, they combined classic Chicago Blues with Stax-Volt R&B to create a sound all their own. Their first album, Briefcase Full of Blues, went double-platinum and led quickly to their hit movie and milestone soundtrack album. The rest is history, and it's all here in a music-filled, memory-blasting account of a band that will always be on a mission from God.

Indochine: A People's War in Colour

January 2009 •English

A major documentary which tells the remarkable story of the people of South East Asia who fought three wars over three decades to gain their freedom using entirely original colour archive footage.

Salonique, ville du silence

January 2006 •French

A fascinating, revealing, and poetic documentary exposing the disappearance, obliteration, and omission of a culture. The disappearance of a humanist equilibrium during the Ottoman Empire and the willful erasing of the nonconformist history of a city that did not adhere to the nationalistic ideology that turned the Balkans upside down and continues to do so. The ancient Jerusalem of the Balkans has become a forgotten city, a “judenfrei” city. Organized like a stroll around the urban environment and accommodating the words of survivors of the extermination camps of 1943, the film puts together fragments of memories and nostalgia to witness the exceptional past of the city. A Thessaloniki-born director tres to raise his own cinematic voice, to refuse the elimination and silence which are like a second death, more definitive than the first.

Operación Palace

February 2014 •Spanish

Finally, 33 years later, the whole truth behind the attempted coup d'état that shook Spain on the afternoon of February 23, 1981, is revealed by those who lived through those dreadful hours; a deep look behind the heavy curtain which hides the real mastermind, waiting to be unmasked.

American Juggalo

September 2011 •English

A look at the often mocked and misunderstood subculture of Juggalos, hardcore Insane Clown Posse fans, who meet once a year for 4 days at The Gathering of the Juggalos.

El camino más largo

March 2016 •Spanish

A Rockumentary about the Latino International Rockstar Enrique Bunbury in his legendary 'Las Consecuencias USA Tour 2010'.

The Seattle Pilots: Short Flight Into History

January 2010 •English

This film traces the history of major league baseball's one year team, the Seattle Pilots, who after their lone season of 1969 were moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers.

The Day That Lasted 21 Years

September 2012 •Portuguese

Stunning espionage documentary on the US conspiracy that led to the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état. John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson original White House tapes, and CIA Top Secret documents reveal how the US government planned to overthrow Brazilian elected president João Goulart.

Alien Lifeforms

September 2023 •English

A riveting new documentary exploring what Alien lifeforms may look like.

Quebec: Duplessis and After...

June 1972 •French

This film establishes a parallel between the 1970 electoral campaign in Québec and the 1936 campaign dominated by Maurice Duplessis. It shows the hope but also the uncertainty that existed in 1970. Had the Quiet Revolution really changed things in Québec? Was it possible that a new leader would emerge on the political scene? (NFB.ca)

Still Alive: A Film About Krzysztof Kieslowski

February 2005 •Polish

Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz directed this insightful TV documentary (2005) tracing the Polish filmmaker's career. Former classmates reminisce about Kieslowski's happy beginnings at the Lodz film school and how his dissatisfaction with some of his early documentaries prompted the dramatic work and stylistic experimentation that led to his monumental series of films The Decalogue (1989). Wim Wenders, Agnieszka Holland, and Juliette Binoche are among the many admirers weighing in on his hard-driving work methods and preoccupation with the ephemeral. In Polish, French, and German with subtitles.

Candyman: The David Klein Story

January 2010 •English

Candyman tells the amazing true story of David Klein, an eccentric candy inventor from LA, who came up with the concept of Jelly Belly jellybeans. These colorful beans became a pop culture phenomenon, revolutionized the candy industry and were personally endorsed by Ronald Reagen. However, David's eccentric personality and peculiar sense of business led him to leave Jelly Belly just as it was about to explode and grow into a billion dollar enterprise. Is there room for eccentric genius in the modern corporate world? The film tells how Klein may have lost his beans, but kept his soul.

Best of Faszination Blauer Planet

January 2014 •German

Aliens in LA

November 2019 •English

Los Angeles has had the most Alien and U.F.O. sightings in the entire world since the 1950's. This unique documentary takes an unparalleled look at several of those encounters over the years with shocking, previously unseen eyewitness interviews, evidence and re-enactments.

Tie-Died: Rock 'n Roll's Most Deadicated Fans

September 1995 •English

Filmed during the Grateful Dead's 1994 summer tour, this film chronicles the lives of the "Deadheads"-- free-spirited fans who follow the band around the country.

Keith Richards: Under the Influence

September 2015 •English

A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.

Jeremy Scott: The People's Designer

September 2015 •English

The story of fashion designer Jeremy Scott's ascent from a small town in Missouri to his current position as the Creative Director of Moschino.

First Pitch

September 2015 •English

Part of ESPN's 30 for 30 Shorts. On October 30, 2001, with the United States of America still reeling from the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, George W. Bush took to the mound at Yankee Stadium to throw the "first pitch" of the 2001 World Series' third game. Includes interviews with former United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice; former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani; Yankees shortstop, Derek Jeter; former Yankees manager, Joe Torre; former United States Director of Central Intelligence, George Tenet; members of the Bush family; and the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.

Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo

September 2010 •English

Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo' goes behind prison walls to follow convict cowgirls on their journey to the 2007 Oklahoma State Penitentiary Rodeo. In 2006, female inmates were allowed to participate for the first time. In a state with the highest female incarceration rate in the country, these women share common experiences such as broken homes, drug abuse and alienation from their children. Since 1940, the Oklahoma State Penitentiary has held an annual 'Prison Rodeo'. Part Wild West show and part coliseum-esque spectacle, it's one of the last of its kind - a relic of the American penal system. Prisoners compete on wild-broncs and bucking bulls, risking life-long injuries. For inmates like Danny Liles, a 14-year veteran of the rodeo, the chance to battle livestock offers a brief respite from prison life. Within this strange arena the prisoners become the heroes while the public and guards applaud

On the Edge of 'Blade Runner'

July 2000 •English

This is the rare UK Channel 4 documentary about Blade Runner, giving insights into it's history with interviews of Ridley Scott, the writers and nearly all the cast. Interviews with production staff, including Ridley, give details into the creative process and turmoil during preproduction. Stories from Paul M. Sammon and Fancher provide insight into Philip K. Dick and the origins of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Interweaved are cast interviews with the notable exceptions of Harrison Ford and Sean Young. Through these interviews we get a sense of how difficult and frustrating the film was to make as a result of an exacting director without allies and hot, wet, smoggy conditions; which added to the high pressure atmosphere everyone increasingly felt as the film went over budget. There is also a tour of some locations, most notably the Bradbury Building and the Warner Brothers backlot that was the LA 2019 streets, which look very different from Ridley's dark version.