Calling the Shots

A Gray State(en)

In 2010 David Crowley, an Iraq veteran, aspiring filmmaker and charismatic up-and-coming voice in fringe politics, began production on his film Gray State. Set in a dystopian near-future where civil liberties are trampled by an unrestrained federal government, the film’s crowd funded trailer was enthusiastically received by the burgeoning online community of libertarians, Tea Party activists and members of the nascent alt-right. In January of 2015, Crowley was found dead with his family in their suburban Minnesota home. Their shocking deaths quickly become a cause célèbre for conspiracy theorists who speculate that Crowley was assassinated by a shadowy government concerned about a film and filmmaker that was getting too close to the truth about their aims.

Beyond Horror: The History and Sub-Culture of Red Films(en)

Delves into the history of the most extreme and shocking films that have ever been made. chronicles the timeline of Red Films: those films that are too extreme for the mainstream and historically have been circulated via the bootleg circuit.

Old Tucson: Where the Legends Walked(en)

Tells the story of Tucson and the legendary movies that were shot there.

Cinecittà, de Mussolini à la Dolce Vita(fr)

Cinecitta is today known as the center of the Italian film industry. But there is a dark past. The film city was solemnly inaugurated in 1937 by Mussolini. Here, propaganda films would be produced to strengthen the dictator's position.

Modes of Masculinity: The Western and Red River(en)

Author Lee Clark Mitchell discusses the Western genre and literature.

Tensions and Traditions: Molly Haskell on Red River(en)

Interview with critic Molly Haskell about Hawks and Red River

A Film of Firsts: Peter Bogdanovich on Red River(en)

Interview with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich about Red River and the two versions of the film.

The Belgian Road to Cannes(fr)

A cheerful road movie all about Belgian films at Cannes over the past 70 years. Filmmakers from the past converse with those from the present to paint the portrait of a cinema that is both diverse and free. An account of Belgium’s participation in the greatest film festival in the world.

France, le plus beau décor de cinéma(fr)

Verstörung - und eine Art von Poesie. Die Filmlegende Bernhard Wicki(de)

Documentary about film director and actor Bernhard Wicki.

Satan's Blood: recuerdos de «Escalofrío»(es)

The story of the shooting of Satan's Blood (Escalofrío), a film directed by Carlos Puerto in 1978.

David Against Goliath(fr)

Haunted by three unfinished films, a filmmaker seeks to demystify his relationship with failure through encounters with past collaborators.

Sexo en el plató(es)

How are the sex scenes filmed? What tricks are used to fake the desire? How do the interpreters prepare and feel? Spanish actors and directors talk about the most intimate side of acting, about the tricks and work methods when narrating exposed sex. In Spain the general rule is that there are no rules. Each film, each interpreter, faces it in very different ways.

Gina Carano in Training(en)

Juzo Itami: The Man with 13 Faces(ja)

A documentary about the legendary Japanese filmmaker.

Easter Parade: On the Avenue(en)

This documentary tells the story of the making of Irving Berlin's Easter Parade.

My Best Fiend(de)

A film that describes the love-hate relationship between Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski, the deep trust between the director and the actor, and their independently and simultaneously hatched plans to murder one another.

From Manila with Love(en)

Retrospective documentary on the making of the 70's women-in-prison exploitation cult favorites "The Big Doll House" and "The Big Bird Cage".

The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened?(en)

The Death of 'Superman Lives': What Happened? feature film documents the process of development of the ill fated "Superman Lives" movie, that was to be directed by Tim Burton and star Nicolas Cage as the man of steel himself, Superman. The project went through years of development before the plug was pulled, and this documentary interviews the major filmmakers: Kevin Smith, Tim Burton, Jon Peters, Dan Gilroy, Colleen Atwood, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and many many more.

Somewhere Between New York and LA(en)

Since he was 18 years old, Blake Eckard has written and directed six feature length films in his hometown of Stanberry, Missouri (population 1186). Aside from a short distribution deal in Canada and a few festival screenings, his movies have largely gone unseen.