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The Golden Rule (Straight Shooter Review)
The Golden Rule is an emotionally charged documentary about the effects of environmental pollution on health and well-being of citizens who reside in communities located in close proximity to facilities that process and dispose of highly toxic or radioactive materials. The film also attempts to expose corporate greed as a driving force behind numerous violations of health and safety codes by large companies, such as Boeing and NASA.
PN and Friends: Phase III (Straight Shooter Review)
PN just needs to grow up. He’s a down-and-out guy,, living in pandemic-era New York City. People call him a man-child, but he’s just doing what he can to get by. He’s wishing he could get even just a little bit ahead. But most of all, he’s observing the strange world around him, full of lunatics. Man, are things crazy out there.
The Dalai Lama- Scientist (Straight Shooter Review)
Director: Dawn Engle
Production Company: Gravitas Ventures
Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 94 minutes
Budget: $800,000
Expected Rating: PG
Website: peacejam.org
Trailer: Click Here
Online Rent: Click Here (Available: 12/10/2019)
Online Purchase: Click Here (Available: 12/10/2019)
Reviewer: Manuel Crosby
Final Score: 9.0 – Worth renting, streaming and watching for educational purposes to generate discussion!
Imagining the 14th Dalai Lama explaining in a public forum that Buddhist followers should not accept religious teachings out of faith, but rather through investigation and experiment, may feel surprising.
Don’t religion and science typically clash? Yet, it makes perfect sense when viewing the documentary The Dalai Lama- Scientist, the latest film by Dawn Engle and Peacejam. This film paints a surprising portrait of the renowned religious leader as he engages with scientists during the eighties, nineties, and the new millennium.
Life On Set (Straight Shooter Pilot Review)
Director: Russell Robertson
Production Company: The Robertson Company
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 33 min.
Budget: $9000
Expected TV Rating: TV-14 (parents strongly cautioned)
Website: lifeonsetseries.com
Trailer: Click Here
Online Rent/Purchase: TBA
Reviewer: Manuel Crosby
Final Score: 6.2 (out of 10)
What really goes on behind the scenes of a film set- that extravagant, well-oiled machine where the greatest of blockbusters are produced? According to the pilot episode of Russell Robertson’s web series, Life on Set- you’ll find a whole lot of absurdity, plenty of comedy, and very little work getting done. In this web series. Paul (Ben Campbell), a goofy PA, schemes and struggles to get face time with the egotistical yet incompetent director, Rod (Todd Gaebe) and hopes to eventually call the shots on set. Meanwhile, Catalina (Lauren Chapman), a cheery yet hopelessly naive actress, struggles to gain notoriety and get on the good side of the film’s producers- including a clueless, crazy-haired Hoop (Jason Carr). And as you might imagine, hijinks abound.
No Retreat (Straight Shooter Review)
Director: Nicholas ZafonteDistributor: Sharawadgi
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 78 minutes
Budget: $30,000
Expected Rating: R for Language
Website: Click Here
Trailer: Click Here
Online Rent: Click Here
Online Purchase: Click Here
Reviewer: Jeremy T. Hanke
Final Score: 8.0 – Worth watching at festivals and art house theaters!
When artistic hipster Sean (Josh Tyson) decides to make a film, he invites his old high school flame, Emily (Samantha Soule), to help him write it. 15 years out of high school, Emily is now a successful partner in a law firm and the only person Sean—whose never stuck it out at any of his creative ventures—knows with the actual cash to bankroll his project.
Meeting at a summer house on the beach that Emily’s side-action owns, they agree to a weekend writer’s retreat that explores not only what they want to do next, but also the things they never resolved from their relationship in the past.
Unaccountable (Straight Shooter Review)
Director: Stacey StoneDistributor: None
Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 12 min. 29 sec.
Budget: $2000
Expected Rating: G for General Audiences
Website: Click Here
Trailer: Click Here
Online Rent: TBA
Online Purchase: TBA
Reviewer: Manuel Crosby
Final Score: 8.5 – Worth watching at festivals, at home, and highly recommended!
In the 1950’s, the Salton Sea–created by flood overflow from the Colorado River decades earlier–was an oasis in the middle of the Southern California desert. The large inland body of water became a tourist destination, a place where families would enjoy the cool, clean water and sunshine. However, a lack of outflow caused a slow rise in salinity of the water- proving deadly to the fish and birds there. This, combined with polluted runoff from nearby farms, made the once idyllic Salton Sea barren and desolate, incapable of supporting life. “Unaccountable”, the latest documentary by director Stacey Stone, takes a reflective, melancholy look at both of these periods in the Salton Sea’s history.
Betty Williams: Contagious Courage (Straight Shooter Review)
Director: Dawn Gifford EngleProduction Company: Gravitas Ventures
Genre:Documentary
Running Time: 67 min. 9 sec.
Budget: $490,000
Expected Rating:PG for realistic violence
Website: peacejamfilms.org
Trailer: Click Here
Online Rent:TBA
Online Purchase: TBA
Reviewer: Manuel Crosby
Final Score: 7.5 – worth a watch at a festival or at home on streaming!
Chaos filled the streets of Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Shootings, car bombings, and civilian death became the norm for citizens living through a time known as “The Troubles”. The strife stemmed from fierce disagreement, both political and religious, between the Protestants and Catholics. No one was safe from this violence. But for Betty Williams, the firsthand experience of living through violence served as a call to action. She made it her life’s mission to spread peace and protect children in the face of unrest- both in her turbulent home nation and around the globe. The documentary film Betty Williams: Contagious Courage, directed by Dawn Gifford Engle, documents Betty’s journey along with the events that sparked her struggle for peace.
Glossary of Broken Dreams (Straight Shooter Review)
Director: Johannes GrenzfurthnerDistributor: Pace Films
Genre: Political Documentary
Running Time: 97 min 40 sec
Budget: $15,000
Expected Rating: PG
Website: Click Here
Trailer: Click Here
Online Rent: TBD
Online Purchase: TBD
Reviewer: Manuel Crosby
Final Score: 5.2 – Worthwhile for existing fans, challenging for general public.
Johannes Grenzfurthner has grown tired of ignorance in political discourse. Armed with cameras, animation, a two-piece acoustic band, and a very unique sense of humor, he hopes to educate the rest of us on some key topics of political discourse, like “Capitalism”, “Freedom”, “Privacy”, “Identity”, “Resistance”, and “The Market”. The result: A kinda-sorta-documentary called Glossary of Broken Dreams.
The Happiest Place on Earth (Straight Shooter Review)
When Jonah (Tom Kemnitz Jr.) and Maggie (Jennifer Faith Ward) move into their dream home in Orlando to start their family, things take a sudden turn for the worse when Jonah loses his job at the local paper. Then, as they’re trying to figure out how to make ends meet to survive their mortgage, Jonah is lost at sea in a mysterious camping accident. Now Maggie has to deal with her grief while trying to do everything she can to save money so she won’t lose the anchor that’s drowning everything in her life: the house.
Forever Under Siege (Straight Shooter Review)
Imagine coming home from war, but finding yourself unable to escape the terror and panic you felt on the battlefield. Feeling trapped, searching for exits whenever you walk into a coffee shop. Forcing yourself into seclusion, unable to go outdoors. And not having the words or the trust to describe your pain to others. In fact, many veterans of the Armed Forces struggle with these demons as a result of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In the documentary Forever Under Siege, filmmaker Stacy Stone talks to some of these veterans in order to shine a light on the enormity of PTSD, and to examine potential for healing.
Oscar Arias: Without A Shot Fired (Straight Shooter Review)
Director: Dawn EngleProduction Company: Gravitas Ventures
Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 63 minutes
Budget: $300,000
Expected Rating: PG for war footage & adult concepts
Website: peacejamfilms.org
Trailer: Click Here
Online Rent: Not Yet Available
Online Purchase: Not Yet Available
Reviewer: Manuel Crosby
Final Score: 7.0 (out of 10)
Why is war a constant in our world? The borders between conflicting nations may shift, and the reasons behind the battles may evolve, but the bloodshed never seems to stop. Yet, one leader chooses not to let the status quo of violence dictate the future of humanity.
Oscar Arias, the former president of Costa Rica, dedicates his life to the goal of de-weaponizing the world. Filmmaker Dawn Engle shares his journey to end the cycle of destructive conflict between the globe’s citizens in her documentary, Oscar Arias: Without A Shot Fired.
My Own War (Straight Shooter Review)
Director: Stacey StoneProduction Company/Distributor: Pace Films
Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 52 min 39 sec
Budget: $15,000
Expected Rating: PG
Website: MyOwnWar.com
Trailer: Click Here
Online Rent: Not Yet Available
Online Purchase: Not Yet Available
Reviewer: Manuel Crosby
Final Score: 9.0 (out of 10)
For many soldiers haunted by the demons of battlefield experiences, discussing them with ordinary civilians may prove unbearable. Even with their own health and well-being on the line, many would rather stay silent about their struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Filmmaker Stacey Stone brings this struggle to light through her documentary, My Own War. In it, she attempts to open up conversations and illuminate a path towards healing for all of those who suffer from PTSD. Her film, consisting mainly of intimate conversations with war veterans and those connected to them, certainly accomplishes this goal.