Blog Archives
This Is Us
How can we best tell our story to the world?
According to Steven Spielberg, we can best tell our story by projecting it with the people in it…along with a little imagination and uncertainty.
Spielberg, a forthcoming HBO documentary, is a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, I (and most likely everyone else on the planet) cannot wait to see this in-depth look into everything Steven Spielberg. The man is a cinematic and storytelling trailblazer. On the other hand, the fact that an in-depth documentary about Steven Spielberg’s life has been filmed, produced and is ready for showtime HBO means that he’s lived a full life and that it’s now time to just reflect…?
Fortunately, the greatest filmmaker in history (my humble opinion) isn’t slowing down one bit.
Ready Player One, directed by the man, the myth and the legend, is set for release with high-anticipation next year. Then, of course, the famed director has another Indiana Jones film. Plus, he has at least a couple more Jurassic World’s to produce and guide during the next several years.
That’s the good news. Now here’s some more. We won’t just be entertained by Steven Spielberg’s imaginative movies about virtual reality, genetically modified dinosaurs causing chaos in the modern world or an adventurous professor from the mid-20th century. Moreover, we’ll be entertained by stories about, well, ourselves. That’s the true storytelling genius of Spielberg.
He suspends focus on himself in order for all of us to believe in ourselves in ways we never thought possible.
And an accompanying John Williams score doesn’t hurt either…
Spielberg premieres on HBO on Saturday, October 7th.
Waiting to Be Seen
Batman isn’t the only one who confronts an enigmatic two-face.
Netflix, fresh off its freshman sensation Stranger Things, is releasing a documentary about the insane public trial (in more ways than one) of American student studying abroad Amanda Knox. In producing this documentary, Netflix has created a new “Upside Down” of sorts that recalls the real world saga of an international murder trial that spotlighted an American, an Italian and a Brit. However you feel (or felt) about the final verdict that allowed Ms. Knox and then Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito to ultimately walk in October 2011, there were paranormal elements seen in this trial and in the events before, during and after someone murdered British student Meredith Kercher.
And Netflix is banking on your continued intrigue in the paranormal, this time focused on Amanda Knox. If you remember, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito did spend time in Italian prisons. The time spent in prison was just one chapter of a complex story that still has questions lingering. For anybody who read Amanda Knox’s captivating book “Waiting to Be Heard” (my hand is raised), it extensively detailed her experiences, her trials and tribulations that were, at times, emotionally overwhelming and insightful, yet brutal in its acutely revealing nature.
Excluding the lawyers, investigators, forensic professionals, police interrogators, prison staff, cellmates, Patrick Lumumba, families and friends, there were four primary players:
- Amanda Knox
- Raffaele Sollecito
- Meredith Kercher (RIP)
- Rudy Guede
For those who favor logic and believe Rudy Guede was the lone killer, Netflix has a trailer for you.
“Believe Her”
For those who reject the linear circumstances and analysis of crime scene evidence for nearly all murders, Netflix has a trailer for you.
“Suspect Her”
Netflix, cognizant of the fierce debate concerning Amanda Knox, is brilliantly marketing its documentary Amanda Knox that will start streaming on September 30th. Whether you are passionately in the camp of innocence or guilt for Amanda Knox, what transcends this murder case above so many are the foreign (and ridiculous) procedures and protocols in the Italian police and court systems, as well as the reality that one cannot help but briefly and frequently ponder the question, “What really happened in the Perugia apartment that night?”
This lingering curiosity, after all these years, may not sway you from your initial convictions. But that imaginative inquisitiveness is there nonetheless…
And Netflix has documented this suspicious intrigue like a courtroom drama.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 