Tag Archives: Fun
August 7, 2011 Live It : Follow Doco Peeps on Twitter
These are fun people to follow on twitter …
THE DAILY NOTEBOOK @thedailyMUBI
> Film news and tips throughout the day, every day.
ERROL MORRIS @errolmorris
> documentary filmmaker
ROTTEN TOMATOES @rottentomatoes
> Unite the critics, inform the world.
KevinSmith
4. Judd Apatow
Twitter has become an immediate, collaborative tool for many filmmakers on and off the set. To help write jokes for his speech at the Producers Guild Awards, Judd Apatow hit up his community of followers. Apatow (“Bridesmaids,” 2011, “Knocked Up,” 2007) included this joke from @omitofo: “Inception is really about Hollywood. Everyone’s constantly trying to ruin your dreams so they can make a buck.” Follow Apatow on Twitter (@JuddApatow) and tell him a joke. If you’re lucky, he may just use your creation to amuse and entertain others.
Tags: Becky Beamer, documentary, follow, Fun, twitter
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- Posted under Becky, Errol Morris, FUN FACTS, Live It.
July 4, 2011 Live It: More Freedom on PBS
Freedom Riders | PBS
The story behind a courageous band of civil rights activists called Freedom Riders who in 1961 challenged segregation in the American South.
* This documentary recently played to a sold out crowd in DC * Now, Everyone can watch and enjoy. PBS has a great interactive website and WATCH entire film online FREE ! *
Click link for more info:
WGBH American Experience . Freedom Riders | PBS.
Tags: Becky Beamer, documentary, free, freedom, Freedom Riders, Fun, NEWS, online, pbs, To see, watch
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- Posted under Becky, free, To see, Watch It.
February 11, 2011 What are you doing this weekend?
Doc & a Drink is going to the “Our City Film Festival”. Our first stop is the opening night party tomorrow (Saturday). It’s open to the public — Join us!
It’s at RFD’s (810 7th St, NW) and everyone knows RFD’s has an excellent beer selection. Katy and I will be interviewing some of the local documentary filmmakers. It’s going to be a blast. It’s only 12.00 and all the money from the festival goes back into the organization. Buy your tickets online – they will sell out! See you there (8-11pm).
**** Celebrate the opening of the film festival with filmmakers and VIPs.
Enjoy beer specials, great raffle give-aways, and performances by
Grammy nominee, Arts and Humanities Council of Washington grantee
and subject of past OCFF film, Blue Line…
Then – this Sunday – is the main event. The films are all about D.C. The festival is only on Sunday, at The Goethe Institute (812 7th St, NW). For ticket information and a full schedule check the website: http://www.yachad-dc.org/Home.shtml
AND – just added — is the closing event with the D.C Cupcake Girls…
Georgetown Cupcakes’ Sophie and Katherine will be special guests,
screening TLC’s Second Season of DC Cupcakes,Our City
hosting a Q&A, and cupcake decorating contest at the finale.
ONLY 10.00 to attend. Buy tickets here.
5 out of 5 Cheers.
-becky beamer
Tags: Becky Beamer, beer, Community, documentary, Documentary Event, Documentary review, entertainment, film festival, friends, Fun, movies, NEWS, Our City, party, RFD, To see, Washington D.C
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- Posted under 5 out of 5 Cheers, Becky, City, Event, film festival, FYI, NEWS, Washington D.C
November 22, 2010 (belated) OKTOBERFEST!!!!!!!!
I celebrated Oktoberfest in Sydney,Australia. I ordered a traditional Hoffbrau House Dunkle (.5 liters) and some traditional grub. I sat outside – in 72 degree weather – in a beer garden. What more could I ask for? Yummy!
5 out of 5 Cheers (for Sydney)
4 out of 5 Cheers (for the food and beer) The beer was good and the mug was special. The food was traditional but, not exceptional. I had to combined those reviews with an overall experience score to get the 4/5.
Tags: Becky Beamer, beer, Fun, oktoberfest, sydney
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- Posted under 5 out of 5 Cheers, Becky, Drink Review, Rating
September 18, 2010 Teen Angst Survives in American Teen Movie
Last weekend I was on Grease overload – the soundtrack, the movie, a pizza night sleepover party with more singing. The teenage angst rolled into this weekend with the documentary selection…..
FILM: American Teen (2008)
DIRECTOR & WRITER:Nanette Burstein
REVIEWER: Becky Beamer
The documentary was exactly what I remember of highschool rolled into all of my favorite movies from the same time.
I don’t mean to give anything away but yes there was the faithful school announcements (Grease), followed by the introduction of the stereotypical characters (breakfast club), and their peer pressured ways (Pretty in PInk). It’s an easy to watch documentary. I liked it. I don’t think it was exceptional or revolutionary but, dependable and liable in all its clichéd glory.
Don’t be thrown off by the animation appearing randomly about an hour into the film. I think it smoothes itself into a purposeful normalcy – like the super dork – in the end.
If you were worried there wouldn’t be a final basketball dual (Teen Wolf), Prom NIght (Pretty in PInk) or Graduation Speech (Say Anything) – don’t worry they are all in there too.
Rock on!
I feel the need to end this posting with a cheer – from none other than Shaker Heights High School’s Field Hockey Team to another rival Field Hocky Team.
U
L
G
Y
You ain’t got no alibi – you ulgy – Aye – Aye – You Ugly- (clap clap clap) GOOOOOOO Raiders!
4 out of 5 Cheers — b.b.
Tags: Angst, Becky Beamer, documentary, friends, Fun, Highschool, review, Teenager, Teens
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- Posted under 4 out of 5 Cheers, Becky, Rating
June 16, 2010 Silverdocs is NEXT WEEK ….. hollllllla
The D.C area’s best documentary Film Festival and arguably one of the most anticipated events of the year invades Silver Spring next week.
Everyone should take advantage of the access to the hippest – hottest and hard to find docs. Check out the long – the short and the conferences.
And, as if that wasn’t exciting enough, Doc & a Drink will be giving the weekly play by play as official bloggers of the festival.
Bookmark these blogs for the inside scoop:
http://silverdocs.wordpress.com/
Inside Scoop of the Week: Many of the evening shows are selling out. Buy your tickets today online!
Highlighted Doc of the Week: MEN WHO SWIM
I’m really looking forward to a doc that features Men Synchronize Swimming. To learn more check out my blog for SilverDocs.
Cheers and Beers — becky
Tags: Becky Beamer, documentary, Documentary Event, Documentary review, entertainment, friends, Fun, Movie Review, NEWS, Silverdocs, To see, Washington D.C
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- Posted under 5 out of 5 Cheers, Becky, City, Event, film festival, NEWS, Rating, To see, Washington D.C
May 14, 2010 Doc News > Joaquin Phoenix’s doc a HOAX!
The premise for the new Joaquin Phoenix doc entitled I’m Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix, has leaked to the press. The verdict: It’s a hoax! Last spring – he ran around town like a crazy person. His actions only be explained as “bizarre”. To top off the weirdness was the cameras following him around – headed by his brother-in-law Casey Afflack.
Plot Points : The film shows Phoenix snorting cocaine, having sex with prostitutes and simply falling apart in his quest to land a record deal. It shows him meeting with Sean Combs in a desperate plea to get him to produce his record album.
Best Review in One Sentence:
“According to the Los Angeles Times, those present at the screening were baffled by the on-screen weirdness (including a bizarre scene involving human feces and lots of male frontal nudity).”
2nd Best Review in One Sentence:
“This thing is starting to sound less like a Joaquin Pheonix mockumentary and more like a Nick Cannon biopic.”
Articles:
http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/the-joaquin-phoenix-documentary-is-obviously-a-hoax/18609
COCAINE – RAP STARS – PROSTITUTES – AND FECES – WHO DOESN’T WANT TO SEE THAT?
4 out of 5 Cheers – Live it Up!
- becky beamer
Tags: Becky Beamer, Fun, hoax, Joaquin Phoenix, mockumentary, NEWS, review, To see
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- Posted under Becky, FYI, NEWS, To see
May 2, 2010 Event of the Month – Environmental Film Festival – Living Downstream
FILM: Living Downstream
FILMMAKER: Chanda Chevannes
REVIEWER: Becky Beamer
Based on the acclaimed book by ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., Living Downstream is an eloquent and cinematic feature-length documentary. This poetic and character-driven film follows Sandra during one pivotal year as she travels across North America, working to break the silence about cancer and its environmental links.
I am so glad that I took the time to attend D.C’s Environmental Film Festival’s Bonus Day on April 25th. I saw a film that was very special. My glowing review starts with the first scene - The opening scene visuals are thoughtful and the narration is extremely well written. The open also happens to be part of the trailer so I don’t feel like disclosing the narration (below) will be any kind of spoiler …
There was once a village overlooking a river.
The people who lived there were very kind.
These residents, according to parable, began noticing increasing numbers of drowning people caught in the river’s swift current. And so they went to work devising ever more elaborate technologies to resuscitate them.
So preoccupied were these heroic villagers with rescue and treatment that they never thought to look upstream to see who was pushing the victims in.
This film is a walk up that river. The river of human cancer.
Finally, Doc&aDrink has experienced an intelligent Host-Main Character. The documentary was filled with beautifully – well composed landscapes and solid science. Simplicity & Style of the visuals just works. The B Roll was clean and deliberate. My favorite scene was the beluga whales. The scene included beluga dissection in the name of science. It was raw and interesting. I’ve never seen anything like it – effective.
For all those who were wondering – the screening was free and the location was wonderful. Please keep an eye out for the festival next year.
It was well attended and the audience included Senator John Kerry.
Final Thought : STAY TUNED FOR KATY’S INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER!
5 out of 5 Cheers.
-b.b
Tags: Becky Beamer, cancer, Chanda Chevannes, documentary, Documentary Event, Documentary review, entertainment, environment, Environmental Film Festival, friends, Fun, Living Downstream, Sandra Steingraber, Washington D.C
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- Posted under 5 out of 5 Cheers, Becky, Event, film festival, free, Movie Review, Rating
April 26, 2010 How to Pair Beer with Your Food ….
I ran across this article on Life Hacker about Pairing Beer with your food.
Here is the cheat sheet:
- Pale Ales – Salads, light appetizers, fish and seafood
- India Pale Ales (IPAs) – IPAs can stand up to a little more richness and flavor. They can go well with things like pulled pork, pizza, and fried chicken, as well as lighter salads and seafood dishes. And if you like heat, try an IPA with spicy food – the hoppiness really pumps up the spice quotient!
- Hefeweizens and Wheat Beers – Fruit dishes, dinner salads, grain salads, and desserts made with warm spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg).
- Amber Ales – Ambers are a good middle-of-the-road beer and go well with just about anything: burgers, grilled cheese, roast chicken, soups and stews
- Stouts and Porters – Barbecue, stews, braised dishes – any kind of meat dish, really. Also rich desserts with chocolate and espresso flavors.
For the full article – go to : LIFEHACKER ARTICLE
—- becky beamer
April 17, 2010 Doc of the Week : This Film is Not Yet Rated!
FILM: This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
FILMMAKER: Kirby Dick
REVIEWER: Becky Beamer
This Film documents a history of the MPAA ratings board. Talks to numerous directors and actors about the censorship of their movies before they could be released. Includes directors, Kevin Smith, Matt Stone, John Waters, Darren Aronosfsky, Maria Bello, Atom Egoyan. Director, Kirby Dick hires a lesbian family of private investigators to find out the names of the MPAA ratings board and see if the raters are actually parents of children 5-17 like the MPAA tells American parents they are.
I love when documentaries make me think about something I’ve taken for granted. Case and point – the MPAA rating system. I started thinking about censorship and the all-powerful studios.
Knowing me, if my film was critiqued in an unfair way by the MPAA, I also would have felt the need to push boundaries and boycott the system by rolling with the “NR” or not rated cut of the film. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy in “real life”. The “real life” in which your film rating means distribution, marketing, and making a living.
Sad.
I feel the need to mention that this documentary had great interviews with many well-known filmmakers. The filmmakers speak quite frankly about censorship of their films by the MPAA. Even This Film is Not Yet Rated had more than a handful of scenes that needed editing before the NC-17 rating could be removed.
Personally, I do believe that American’s can be prudish. The MPAA is a reflection of this majority. The MPAA is not the first system set up to regulate a type of business that ends up favoring big business. (Check out our review of Beers Wars for another story of conquering big business).
I wish this film actually changed the ratings process. It didn’t – but maybe it will start the ball rolling…..
4 out of 5 Cheers
bb
Tags: Becky Beamer, documentary, Documentary review, Fun, Movie Review, movies, MPAA, review, scandal
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- Posted under 4 out of 5 Cheers, Becky, Movie Review, Rating
