Of Dolls & Murder

Release Date: 2012
Director: Susan Marks
Run time: 70 minutes
Seen on: Netflix Watch Instantly
Website: http://www.ofdollsandmurder.com/
City Paper: The Art of Murder

A small, doll-sized room.  Full of details such as window coverings, rugs, and a bloody hammer hidden near a chair.  This is the idea behind "The Nutshell Cases of Unexplained Death."  These were created by Frances Glessner Lee, an heiress to the International Harvester fortune.  Frances Glessner Lee was born in 1878 and with the time period, not allowed to attend college.  The "Nutshell" dioramas were a reaction to the constraints of her time.

I first read about Of Dolls and Murder in an article in City Paper last year (link above).  I was intrigued by the premise of the film as well as the fact that it was narrated by Baltimore icon John Waters.  It seems that anything Waters is affiliated with is dark and more than a little twisted.  I was glad to see that the film is offered on Netflix Watch Instantly.

The film shows the dioramas on permanent loan from Harvard to the Maryland Medical Examiner's Office in Baltimore.  The dioramas are not open to the public, but are regularly used for their intended use of training law enforcement.

While it is a relatively short film at 70 minutes, it maintains a nice balance between the story of Frances Glessner Lee, a look at some dioramas, and their impact on pop culture.  I recommend this film, but it is not for the faint of heart.  WARNING: The dioramas themselves are not cute, cuddly dollhouses, but the film also includes footage of crime scenes as well as the Body Farm, a facility in Tennessee for the study of the decomposition of human remains.

The Art of the Steal

Release Date: 2009

Production Company: 9.14 Pictures

Director: Don Argott
Run time: 101 minutes
Seen on: Netflix Instant, Sundance Channel

Recommended: Highly

Next Air Date: Wednesday, 7/18 9:00-10:45AM, 4:15-6:00PM on Sundance Channel, Baltimore Comcast Channel 165

Website: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-art-of-the-steal

The Art of the Steal tells the tale of the Barnes Foundation in Merion, PA.  Located less then 5 miles from downtown Philadelphia, the Barnes held one of the best collections of Impressionist and Modern masters in the world.  Barnes Foundation was founded in 1922 as an educational institution. 

The purpose of the art was to teach students, not pander to the cultural elite.  His collection was exhibited to the public in 1923 and denounced as "primitive."  Paintings were hung for its aesthetic value alongside furniture and art from around the world.  Dr. Albert Barnes shunned the "elite" of Philadelphia and what they stood for.  "Philadelphia is a depressing intellectual slum."  "The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a house of artistic and intellectual prostitution."  Dr. Barnes was determined to keep his art out of the hands of the downtown interests.

Dr. Barnes' will was written to ensure the preservation of the school in perpetuity.  The commerical value would be removed if they were never sold or lent.  After Barnes' death in 1951, the Foundation was kept intact.  The Foundation and will was not weakened until 1988, upon the death of Violette DeMazia, Barnes' "Last Living Apostle."

The Art of the Steal chronicles the struggle of educators and polticians to "control" the Barnes Collection.  The argument was made that the original structure in Merion, PA was unfit for the collection.  To preserve it, one must move it to a proper location, perhaps in downtown Philadelphia as part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  It makes you realize that the fantastic, earth-shatteringly important collection was used as a pawn of politicians and charitable trusts. 

This film not only sheds light on an important and outrageous cultural struggle, but also presents it in a compelling way.  The news clips are shown on an old tv.  Newspaper clippings and photos are presented on a cork board, much like a detective would show his suspects.  The use of music is compelling and heightens the drama.  But above all, there are compelling stories from past students and educators which draw you into the film.  Once you realize what the Barnes stood for, you are that much more outraged at what they tried, and unfortuantely ultimately succeeded in doing.  The Barnes on the parkway opened in Philadephia in May 2012.  Tickets are sold online for this collection.  Tickets and online museum store are sold in direct contradiction to a man's wishes and will.  I urge you to watch this before your next trip to Philadelphia.

"It is the greatest act of cultural vandalism since WWII."

"This is the scandal of the art world in modern America."

"The name of the game is, if you're going to leave your paintings somewhere, don't let there be a politican within 500 yards."

"It's fair to say that there was a vast conspiracy to move the Barnes."

"One man's conspiracy is another man's political consensus."

"It's about whoever controls $25 Billion worth of art and everything else is bullshit."

Man on Wire

Release Date: 2008
Studio: Wall to Wall
Director: James Marsh
Run time: 90 minutes
Seen on: Netflix DVD and Watch Instantly
Recommended:  Yes, it has the pacing of a good heist film.  Won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2008, recommended on CurrentTV's "50 Documentaries to See Before You Die."
Rotten Tomato Rating: 100%
Website: http://www.manonwire.com/
Showing on TV:  Sundance Channel, Wednesday, February 1, 7:25 AM, 12:00PM, 4:40 PM

"Man on Wire" documents the obsession of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit.  His obsession was the yet unfinished World Trade Center Towers in New York City. 

The doc is crafted like a heist movie, combining re-enactments, interviews, photographs, and vintage films.  From the beginning, they discuss how they needed to sneak into both towers in order to string the wire and ultimately walk the line.  The "heist" comparison lends a sense of drama and immediacy to an event over 20 years in the past.  Since the doc combines modern interviews, you know that Petit survived his ordeal.  But one wonders how and why he attempted this feat.

Petit began his interest with WTC after seeing a plan of the towers in a magazine.  He was taken with the visual and wanted to bridge the span.  Petit had already spanned the towers to Notre Dame in Paris, France and Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia.  However, these had much less difficulties than the World Trade Center.  The WTC had the difficulty of being two separate structures, designed to withstand high winds.  The structures moved with the wind and their roofs were susceptible to high winds.

The doc moves you towards the inevitable point of his walk, but it does not rush you there.  It takes a leisurely stroll, stopping to talk to people on the way, watching Petit train, and re-imagining the hiding and risk they took.  Overall, it was an effective documentary despite the fact that there is no film footage of his walk from the rooftops.  The footage from the ground is combined with still shots to place you on the rooftop watching him.

Fun fact:  Ten years ago, I learned that the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City had a high-wire artist as an artist-in-residence.  Petit is that artist.

Docs in a Year - First Post

So, I have become aware of just how many documentaries I watch. What is the cause? Too much time on my hands? Overabundance of Documentaries on Watch Instantly on Netflix? Great documentary series on PBS and CurrentTV? Or the desire to enrich my mind? In any account, it is probably a combination.

According to my Netflix history, between DVDs and Instant, I have watched 47 documentaries since June 2010. That averages out to about .76 per week. Since my roommates are getting tired of hearing about what new documentary I just watched this week, Steph said I need to write a blog. Sounds like a good idea. I always have too much to say. This way I can get it all out, without driving my wonderful roommates crazy.

Out of the 47 documentaries I watched last year, some still stand out. Others were simply a way to pass the time. I may revisit some of the best documentaries of my past year because they are too good not to mention. These were entertaining, interesting, or emotionally exhausting.

My last doc was "Between the Folds": a film by Vanessa Gould. It is available Instantly on Netflix and was shown on the PBS series Independent Lens. This film shows the numerous artists and surprisingly, scientists who practice origami. There are more approaches to origami than folds in a piece of paper. Some MIT students use planning and theory to create increasingly difficult pieces. Some mathematicians use it to illustrate complex geometric problems. And some artists use massive sheets of paper to create intricate, layered pieces which take hours to create. This documentary was a fasinating look at students, engineers, and artists all taking their own road with the same medium. An interesting and inspiring look at creativity.