Directing
An account of the life and work of American film director Sam Peckinpah (1925-84), a tortured artist whose genius and inner demons changed the Western genre forever.
A personal, intimate look at journalist Hunter S. Thompson with a special emphasis on his Hollywood relationships. It captures the legacy and "gonzo" spirit of one of this century's most notorious figures - a man whose life and work regularly intersected with some of the biggest names in the world of film, politics, journalism and sports.
A frank and unconventional view of the life and work of actor Nick Nolte.
A retrospective of the work of the late actor Warren Oates, with clips from his films and interviews with cast and crew members who worked with him.
Fellow actors and musicians, film critics, and his Kentucky relatives tell the story of noted character actor Harry Dean Stanton. Kris Kristofferson, Billy Bob Thornton, critic Leonard Maltin are among those interviewed in this profile.
Examines the life and work of novelist Harry Crews.
When World War II broke out, John Ford, in his forties, commissioned in the Naval Reserve, was put in charge of the Field Photographic Unit by Bill Donavan, director of the soon-to-be-OSS. During the war, Field Photo made at least 87 documentaries, many with Ford's signature attention to heroism and loss, and many from the point of view of the fighting soldier and sailor. Talking heads discuss Ford's life and personality, the ways that the war gave him fulfillment, and the ways that his war films embodied the same values and conflicts that his Hollywood films did. Among the films profiled are "Battle of Midway," "Torpedo Squadron," "Sexual Hygiene," and "December 7."
A documentary profile of 3-time Pulitzer winning author Robert Penn Warren, featuring Harold Bloom, David Blight, Natasha Trethewey, David Milch, Gabriel Warren and Rosanna Warren.
Wendy Whelan returns to Kentucky to participate in the Louisville Ballet’s 60th Anniversary Celebration. Her family and friends share home movies, photos, and special memories of Whelan’s path to becoming one of ballet’s greatest dancers.
A documentary on the life of famed character actor and rodeo star Ben Johnson, featuring interviews with his fellow actors and cowboys, as well as directors and film critics.
After emerging victorious from the horrors of World War II, the U.S. eagerly pushed into a new era of optimism, hope, and success. But the shadowy and cigarette-stained B-side to the bright, shiny America emerged: the film noir. Made for cheap, these dark tales scratched at a different society, filled with twisted psyches and sinister motives. Filmmaker Tom Thurman teams up with film critic and narrator David Thomson to weave together a hypnotic collage of a dark world that influences our national identity to this day.
Documentary film about music journalist and long-time producer Jerry Wexler.
This fascinating documentary explores the attempts of African Americans to create non-stereotypical celluloid portrayals of their lives in the United States between 1915 and 1945. Not much was known about this era until the advent of this film, which includes interviews and film clips that bring light to this significant period in American cinema.
