NA 404 Film

John mentioned two Woody Allen films; Midnight in Paris and his new one To Rome With Love.





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Secret Pakistan: Part II - Backlash

This weeks film is the second part of a BBC Two special on Pakistan.  Part I was the NA Films Monday Movie back in March.  I originally watched both parts after reading the following on Wikipedia:

"The (BBC Two) series generated controversy after Pakistan blocked BBC World News claiming it contained 'anti-Pakistan' content and that the program was one sided."

Since banned films and books usually end up being the most interesting watches and reads, I sought out this special and was rewarded with some insights on the culture and politics of Pakistan.

Here is the description from the BBC web page:

"The second film in this timely and enthralling two-part documentary series reveals how Britain and America discovered compelling evidence that Pakistan was secretly helping the Taliban and concluded they had been double-crossed.

It tells the story of how under President Obama the US has waged a secret war against Pakistan. Taliban commanders tell the film makers that to this day Pakistan shelters and arms them, and helps them kill Western troops - indeed one recently captured suicide bomber alleges he was trained by Pakistani intelligence.

Chillingly, the film also reveals that, based on some evidence, Pakistani intelligence stands accused of sabotaging possible peace talks. Pakistan denies these charges, but relations between Pakistan and America now verge on hostility."

Feature (58:59):


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All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace - Love and Power (2011)

A new Adam Curtis documentary! This is cause for excitement here at my house and this will come as no surprise to longtime readers/watchers of NA Films.  In fact the third post on this site was for Mr. Curtis' The Power of Nightmares (still in my top 5 documentaries ever made) way back on July 12, 2010.

His new series, All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace is a three part documentary series which "argues that computers have failed to liberate humanity and instead have distorted and simplified our view of the world around us".  In his signature style of deadpan narration and unbelievable archive footage, Mr. Curtis continues to go deeper and deeper into the matrix of modern society and uncover those in power who are trying to pull out strings.

Part I (from BBC website):
A series of films about how humans have been colonised by the machines they have built. Although we don't realise it, the way we see everything in the world today is through the eyes of the computers.
This is the story of the dream that rose up in the 1990s that computers could create a new kind of stable world. They would bring about a new kind global capitalism free of all risk and without the boom and bust of the past. They would also abolish political power and create a new kind of democracy through the internet where millions of individuals would be connected as nodes in cybernetic systems - without hierarchy.

The film tells the story of two perfect worlds. One is the small group of disciples around the novelist Ayn Rand in the 1950s. They saw themselves as a prototype for a future society where everyone could follow their own selfish desires. The other is the global utopia that digital entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley set out to create in the 1990s. Many of them were also disciples of Ayn Rand. They believed that the new computer networks would allow the creation of a society where everyone could follow their own desires, yet there would not be anarchy. They were joined by Alan Greenspan who had also been a disciple of Ayn Rand. He became convinced that the computers were creating a new kind of stable capitalism - "Like a New Planet", he said.

But the dream of stability in both worlds would be torn apart by the two dynamic human forces - love and power.


Free download at Archive.org

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NA 401 Film

Adam enthusiastically recommended the film Albert Nobbs starring Glen Close.

Trailer:


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Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood (2008)

I always feel optimistic when Adam and John mention e-mails from parents who listen to No Agenda - or when parents send in audio clips of their kids singing the jingles from the show.  As a stay at home dad, my usual interactions with other parents are thru my son's preschool, story time at the library and PTA activities - mostly people asleep at the wheel when it comes to being a parent.  With a four year old and a two year old living here, this weeks film freaked me out almost as much as last weeks NA Films Monday Movie.  It's not entirely new information, nor should it be for any die-hard NA listener, but still nice to see all the information in one hour long documentary.   Also, I had to include the poster with this post.

Consuming Kids (1:06:05)


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NA 399 Film

Bobcat Goldthwait has made the best comedy of the year with God Bless America.  Adam confirmed it on today's show.  It is on bit torrent sites, but is also available from most online rental sources.

Red Band Trailer:



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NA Films Catch Up III

John mentioned the source of the Hilary "Lucifer-Clippity-Clop" Clinton sound effect is from the film, Go West, starring the Marx Brothers.

Adam also mentioned watching the film, The Siege (a NA Films Monday Movie from April 2011).

Adam and John were giving all kind of love to American Films from 1962
To Kill a Mockingbird 
Lawrence of Arabia
Jules and Jim (One of my favorite films of all time)
The Manchurian Candidate
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Lolita
Days of Wine and Roses
The Music Man
Dr. No
How the West Was Won
Mutiny on the Bounty
Advise and Consent
Birdman of Alcatraz
Mr Magoo's Christmas Carol

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The Largest Street Gang In America (2011)

Many thanks to Producer David for today's NA Films Monday Movie, The Largest Street Gang In America.  However, this one comes with perhaps the largest disclaimer yet for a NA Films Monday Movie.  It contains some very rough footage of extreme police brutality.  It does have a kind of "car wreck" vibe where once I started watching it, I really wanted to stop, but couldn't look away.
I haven't found too much information on the folks who made this documentary, they are know as Boiling Frogs and are online via MySpace (yea, you read that right - MySpace).  This film will infuriate you!

Full Feature (56:54)


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NA 398 Film

Adam highly recommended the The Road, from the novel by Cormac McCarthy and adapted by the Australian director John Hillcoat (whose film The Proposition should also be watched immediately)
Trailer:


Zombedy Genre:
Zombieland


Shaun of the Dead


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