UPDATE: Netflix All Quiet on the Western Front has been nominated for NINE Academy Awards: Best Picture, International Feature Film, Writing (Adapted), Cinematography, Music, Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, Visual Effects. The film is getting very good reviews, some comparing it to the acclaimed 1930 Best Picture version. Let's hope they're seeing it in … [Read more...]
Operation Hyacinth | Film
In communist Poland, a police officer tasked with arresting gay men gradually gains sympathy for them and begins to question the brutal system in which he has played so pitiless a role. [ Operation Hyacinth credits: Dir: Piotr Domalewski/ Tomasz Zietek, Hubert Milkowski, Marek Kalita/ 112 min/ Drama, Foreign/ Sexual Liberty, Government as Bigot, Anti-Socialism/ Poland/ 2021/ … [Read more...]
The Internet’s Own Boy | Documentary
WINNER: TOP 25 LIBERTARIAN DOCUMENTARIES Aaron Swartz -- an internet wunderkind and "open access" advocate -- is threatened with 35 years in federal prison for the crime of downloading a large number of copyrighted documents, and commits suicide. [ The Internet's Own Boy credits: Dir: Brian Knappenberger/ 105 min/ Documentary, Biography/ Law & the individual] "The … [Read more...]
My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
WINNER: TOP 25 LIBERTARIAN FILMS A young Pakistani immigrant and his English boyfriend overcome all obstacles to launch a fabulous laundromat: [ My Beautiful Laundrette credits: Dir: Stephen Frears/ Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth, Daniel Day-Lewis/ 97 min/ Comedy, Romance/ Pro-Capitalism, Individualism] "My Beautiful Laundrette scores a rare 100% critics approval rating on … [Read more...]
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
African-American entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker creates and markets a line of hair care products designed for black women -- and becomes America's first female self-made millionaire. Based on a true story. [ Self Made credits: Octavia Spencer, Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo/ 191 min/ Biography, Drama, History/ Creator As Hero/ 2020] Available now on Netflix. External … [Read more...]
Miss Virginia | Film
A young mother (Virginia Walden Ford) fights a pitched, ultimately victorious, battle with educational authorities to create the District of Columbia voucher program. Based on a true story. [ Miss Virginia credits: Dir: R.J. Daniel Hanna/ Nadji Jeter, Matthew Modine, Aunjanue Ellis/ 102 min/ Biography, Drama/ Government Schools/ 2019] External Reviews "A heartfelt ode to … [Read more...]
Pad Man | Film Review
An heroic and independent entrepreneur creates a low-cost sanitary pad for the world’s poor, but must overcome cultural shame associated with menstruation to get his invention accepted. Based on a true story. [ Pad Man credits: Dir: R. Balki/ Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte, Sonam Kapoor/ 140 min/ Biography, Comedy, Drama/ Creator-as-Hero, Individualism/ India/ 2018/ aka Padman … [Read more...]
Poverty, Inc. | Film Review
WINNER: ANTHEM FILM FESTIVAL, GRAND PRIZE WINNER: TEMPLETON FREEDOM AWARD Poverty Inc. examines the unintended consequences of efforts by the West to alleviate poverty in less-developed countries, suggesting that free markets would do more good than charity. [ Dir: Michael Matheson Miller/ 94 min/ Documentary/ Econ 101, Pro-capitalism/ 2014] "Poverty, Inc. is a very … [Read more...]
Bitter Harvest | Film Review
A young Ukrainian fights for his freedom, and to survive, as occupying Soviet troops deliberately starve his country into submission during the infamous Holodomor holocaust. [ Bitter Harvest credits: Dir: George Mendeluk/ Max Irons, Samantha Barks, Terence Stamp/ 103 min/ Drama, Romance, History/ Democide, Anti-socialism/ 2017] “Bitter Harvest is both long overdue and a … [Read more...]
Kinky Boots | Film Review
When a young man inherits a failing shoe factory, he discovers that the only way to save it is to abandon its traditional product and manufacture…custom boots for transgenders?! Based on a true story. [ Kinky Boots credits: Dir: Julian Jarrold/ Chiwetel Ejiofor, Joel Edgerton, Sarah-Jane Potts/ 107 min/ Comedy, Drama/ Creator-as-hero, Individualism, Social tolerance/ … [Read more...]