Buy The DVD

After revealing just what a diet of Big Macs can do to a person, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock takes a tongue-in-cheek look at another threat to our collective well-being in this witty documentary from the maker of Super Size Me. When Spurlock learns that he and his wife are expecting a baby, he decides that he wants the child to grow up in a safer world than we know today, so he takes it upon himself to track down the most dangerous man on Earth, Osama bin Laden. Spurlock hops on a plane and flies to the Middle East in search of his quarry, making stops in Egypt, Morocco, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan as he keeps an eye peeled for the head of Al Qaeda. When he isn’t playing sleuth, Spurlock interviews people representing all walks of life, ranging from Orthodox Israeli enclaves and a mosque operated by rabidly anti-American Muslims to political moderates and ordinary folks at the supermarket, quizzing them about the nature of post-9/11 conflict and the need for peace.

As co-directed by Anne Marie Stein, Andrew Kukura and Massachusetts-based psychologist-cum-anthropologist Jenny Phillips, the documentary The Dhamma Brothers relays one of the most astounding recent tales of social evolution in contemporary America. The events in question began circa 1999, with several lifetime convicts incarcerated in Alabama’s Donaldson Correctional Facility who commenced regular Buddhist meditation sessions in that institution. Deeply intrigued by this unusual sociological development, Phillips traveled to the penitentiary in the fall of ‘99 to interview the men, and - incredibly - found that the meditation sessions prompted the group to look inward, face their demons and the direct causes of their criminal activity; the sessions thus inaugurated an authentic, deep-seated healing process in each individual. Phillips interviewed the men one by one - sessions that brought her face to face with their surprising openness and desire for permanent psychological and social change; the meetings raised serious, penetrating questions in Phillips’s mind about the possibility of living a life of inner peace and harmony within the dank rot of the prison environment, and - more significantly - the possibility of permanent freedom from rage, violence, and the continued criminal activity to which those phenomena can lead. Deeply inspired, she returned to Massachusetts, contacted the Vipassana Meditation Center in Shelburne Falls, and - following a year of discussion between that facility and Donaldson - prompted a 10 day meditation retreat for 36 of the penitentiary inmates. The Stein/Kukura/Phillips film juxtaposes footage from news accounts relaying the convicts’ original crimes, alongside candid pre-retreat interviews in which the men look ahead and pontificate on the process and results of deep introspection, expressing their most deep-seated hopes, fears and concerns. It also depicts the incredible process whereby the prison gymnasium was transformed into a Buddhist monastery, observes the day to day experiences of the retreat itself, and follows everything up with interview footage and correspondence demonstrative of the fundamental spiritual and moral changes that took place within the former criminals. In so doing, it sheds light on a group of societal outcasts who learned to achieve personal freedom and harmony even as their geographic and social liberties are severely restricted.

Filmed over an 18-month period, Young Yakuza explores the Japanese crime underworld, through the portraits of two figures: 20-year-old Naoki, a new recruit of the Kumagai crime organization, and his boss, confronted by new social trends which are gradually edging out the yakuza gangsters.

Because cameras are traditionally prohibited from this world, the director had to establish a climate of trust with the clan he filmed. He and the gang boss were able to agree on certain rules: “I came to Mr. Kumagai with a set of rules and principles so that the project could be completed. We agreed that I’d refrain from filming their illegal operations, as our point wasn’t to conduct a TV investigation but rather, make a film” said director Limosin.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy can’t even tell whose hat is whose, so it’s no surprise when they lose their jobs as dishwashers. But it isn’t long before they once again obtain employment, this time selling washing machines. Their duties involve dragging a sample machine from door to door. One woman (Anita Garvin) mtions them to come to her door. It’s up a very, very high flight of steps, but they make it up there, machine in tow, only to find out that the woman just has a letter she wants them to post. Then when they get back down the stairs she calls them up again — she forgot to stamp the envelope. Back on the street, another woman (Dorothy Coburn) really wants a demonstration…but she lives back up those steps, so a frustrated Stan kicks her. Angrily, she hits Ollie and leaves the two arguing. Once again they have a mix up with their hats, which spreads a whole streetful of passersby, with everyone mangling everyone else’s hats. A steamroller comes by and runs over the washing machine and the crowd of hat destroyers are all arrested — except for Stan and Ollie, who are still getting their now-raggedy hats on the wrong heads. Sadly, this is the one Laurel and Hardy short that appears to be a lost film — a brief look at the situations it contains shows how much was borrowed from it in later pictures (the hat switching and reciprocal destruction are only a couple of examples).

Jimmy O’Pharrow is a boxing trainer and one of the founders of the Starrett City Boxing Club who describes one of his most promising fighters, Dmitriy Salita, like so: “Looks Russian, prays Jewish, fights Black.” Salita was born in Odessa, Ukraine and moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York when he was a boy, as his father didn’t want his children held back by widespread Russian anti-Semitism. Growing up in a rough and tumble section of Brooklyn, Salita developed a passion for boxing, and made a reputation as a fighter to be reckoned with in Brooklyn gyms. After winning New York’s Golden Gloves championship, Salita turned pro, but he also made a renewed commitment to his faith, and while he’s become a hero to the Big Apple’s Russian and Ukrainian exile community as well as devout Jews, he also struggles to remain true to Orthodox Judaism; as Salita himself once said, “If anyone wants a whuppin’ from me, they got to wait until after sundown.” Orthodox Stance is a documentary from filmmaker Jason Hutt that explores Salita’s remarkable life and his journey to faith; the film received its world premiere at the 2007 Silverdocs Film Festival, a competition founded by the American Film Institute and The Discovery Channel.

The documentary follows Maher as he travels around the globe interviewing people about God and religion. Known for his astute analytical skills, irreverent wit and commitment to never pulling a punch, Maher brings his characteristic honesty to an unusual spiritual journey. The film will mark Charles’ first feature project since the critically acclaimed, wildly successful BORAT. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be working with Larry Charles and Bill Maher, two of the sharpest, funniest minds in show business,” said Ortenberg. “I can’t imagine a better team to tackle the subject of religion in a smart, inventive and unpretentious way. We feel this film can play as broadly as a Michael Moore film, and it’s sure to be as provocative, informative and entertaining as any documentary in recent memory. Certainly, the promo reel that the sales team screened at Cannes generated enormous enthusiasm among acquisition executives across the board. Of course, a movie that deals topically with religion is bound to generate controversy, and that makes it a risky proposition. At Lionsgate, we’ve dealt with that kind of challenge before, so we are very, very happy to partner with Larry, Bill and Thousand Words to give this film the release it deserves.” Said Maher, “Comedically, the topic of religion is hitting the side of a barn – it’s literally hard to miss. This movie will make you laugh so hard you’ll pray for it to stop.’ Observed Charles, “Nietzsche said God is dead, but he didn’t see the grosses for PASSION OF THE CHRIST.” Remarked Smith and West, “We’re delighted to be in business with Lionsgate, a cutting-edge company that is the ideal home for this provocative film.”

“Bra Boys” documents the cultural evolution of the inner-Sydney beach-side suburb of Maroubra and the social struggle of its youth–the tattooed and much maligned surf community known as the Bra Boys. Explores their success in professional big wave surfing, their international reputation for hard partying and rough justice, and touches on their running battle with authorities. The film shows their absolute reliance on one another to fit into a society in which they are displaced and, at times, disinterested. Follows how the evolution of Maroubra, coupled with the historical stigma associated with Australia’s rebellious surf community, has contributed to their social displacement.

After exploring the careers of the Band and Bob Dylan in The Last Waltz and No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, respectively, acclaimed director Martin Scorsese turns his lens on rock & roll legends the Rolling Stones for this documentary focusing on two concerts from the bands 2006 A Bigger Bang tour. In addition to extensive coverage of the band’s two-night stand at New York’s Beacon Theater (an engagement that was staged as part of President Bill Clinton’s lavish birthday bash), the documentary will also feature historical footage, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from decades past. Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Richardson (JFK and The Aviator) supervises photography for the film, with an impressive array of A-list talents, including Andrew Lesnie, John Toll, Ellen Kuras, Anastas Michos, Stuart Dryburgh, Declan Quinn, Emmanuel Lubezki, Robert Elswit, and Albert Maysles, stepping in to insure that the Beacon performances are covered from every angle possible.