Notes on an American Film Director at Work

Utopia

May 2012 •English

The latest work from Australian political satirist, cartoonist and filmmaker Bruce Petty contemplates our efforts to imagine the future using animated and live-action sequences, fiction and reality. An accident takes place during the filming of a documentary on the future and the film’s presenter (Rhys Muldoon) slips into unconsciousness. The actor’s muddled neurons recall fragments of his script, and he begins to consider humankind’s past and present imaginings of Utopia – an ideal and perfect state.

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat

June 1896 •French

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

Accélère, accélère ! 10 ans de F1 sur Canal+

May 2023 •French

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.

I'm Your Venus

June 2024 •English

The two very different families of "Paris Is Burning" star Venus Xtravaganza unite to honor her and reopen her unsolved murder case.

The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'

June 2006 •English

A look back at the making of Billy Wilder's 1959 comedy classic "Some Like It Hot."

The Celebration in Retrospect

November 2005 •Danish

This 2005 documentary features interviews with the cast and crew of The Celebration, including director Thomas Vinterberg and co-screenwriter Mogens Rukov.

Shine a Light

April 2008 •English

Martin Scorsese and the Rolling Stones unite in "Shine A Light," a look at The Rolling Stones." Scorsese filmed the Stones over a two-day period at the intimate Beacon Theater in New York City in fall 2006. Cinematographers capture the raw energy of the legendary band.

[CENSORED]

June 2018 •English

An essay film by filmmaker and archivist Sari Braithwaite, [Censored] offers an overview of film censorship in Australia, told through an ever-changing collage of images compiled from the footage that was cut from films released domestically between 1958 and 1971.

Appointment with Dr. Terrible

August 2003 •English

A behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of "Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible" featuring Steve Coogan.

We Were Once Kids

June 2021 •English

In the early nineties, before the massive gentrification of many of New York's then slums, several young people from very disparate backgrounds left their broken homes and ventured onto the brutal streets of the city. United by their love of skateboarding, they formed a family and built a unique lifestyle that eventually inspired Kids, a groundbreaking and outrageous film directed by photographer Larry Clark and released in 1995.

Director’s Journal: Making The Invisible Man

June 2020 •English

Tracks Leigh Whannell’s directing process on reimagined horror classic The Invisible Man.

The Next Step Live: The Movie

June 2015 •English

The film features exclusive footage of the dancers from the series "The Next Step", as they prepared for their first-ever tour in Canada. Also includes live performances and exclusive interviews with cast members.

Make Me Famous

February 2023 •English

An investigation of Edward Brezinski, an ambitious, charismatic Lower East Side painter hell-bent on sucess, who thwarted his own career with antics that roiled NYC’s art elite. Brezinski’s quest for fame gives an intimate portrait of the art world’s attitude towards success and failure, fame and fortune, notoriety and erasure.

Cursed: The True Nature of Hereditary

October 2018 •English

A featurette that sheds light on the filmmaker’s approach, and how he turned a character-driven domestic drama into one of the 2018’s most harrowing cinematic experiences.

The Making of Sexy Beast

July 2001 •English

A brief promotional featurette about the film including comments from most of the cast, as well as from director Jonathan Glazer.

Paul Naschy: la sonrisa del lobo

November 2008 •Spanish

Legendary Spanish actor and director Jacinto Molina, also known as Paul Naschy, tells the mythical story of Waldemar Daninsky, the cursed werewolf, his most iconic character; a relationship that began in 1968.

Making 'The Shining'

October 1980 •English

Directed and edited by Stanley Kubrick's daughter Vivian Kubrick, this film offers a look behind the scenes during the making of The Shining.

The Blade Runner Phenomenon

May 2021 •German

Ridley Scott's cult film Blade Runner, based on a novel by Philip K. Dick and released in 1982, is one of the most influential science fiction films ever made. Its depiction of Los Angeles in the year 2019 is oppressively prophetic: climate catastrophe, increasing public surveillance, powerful monopolistic corporations, highly evolved artificial intelligence; a fantastic vision of the future world that has become a frightening reality.

Impressions from the Shoot: Making Bad Education

December 2004 •Spanish

A short featurette of behind the scenes footage from Almodóvar’s Bad Education (2004).