Becoming Bulletproof
Born with cerebral palsy, A.J. Murray was cooped up and bored—until he was drawn into the cast of Bulletproof. Zeno Mountain Farm, an idealistic organization filming low-budget movies with roles for the disabled, produced the western. It was the most elaborate Zeno production to date, featuring a complete screenplay and plausible locations. Released under the “Morgan Spurlock Presents” banner, director Michael Barnett’s Becoming Bulletproof is an inspiring documentary of a project to enrich lives.
The Challenge
Released at a time of high anxiety over Japan’s rising economic might, The Challenge (1982) concerns an American protagonist, a failed boxer (Scott Glenn), drawn into a samurai conflict between a clan of righteous traditionalists and their scion, an evil tycoon who holds the fate of the world’s economy in his portfolio. John Sayles’ screenplay makes subtle allusions to poverty, ethnicity and capitalism in this better-than-usual late film by the once-great director John Frankenheimer.
“Burt Bacharach: A Life in Song”
In this BBC-TV special, Burt Bacharach is interviewed in between songs about his influences and songwriting process. Inspired by Thelonious Monk and Maurice Ravel, Bacharach brought polytonality and unusual colors to his pop hits; he was a careful writer, preferring to return to the material until it was just right. “A Life in Song” is also a concert with his hits performed by a sequence of mostly young singers such as Rebecca Ferguson and Joss Stone.
“The Hee Haw Collection: Kornfield Klassics”
It’s almost paradoxical that something as annoyingly corny as “Hee Haw” (1969-1971) was also one of that era’s most groundbreaking shows on television. The episodes on the latest DVD release from the program’s archives include creative use of puppetry, animation, mock advertisements and meta-commentary on their own silliness. This simulacrum of rural America benefitted from performances by regulars Buck Owens and Roy Clark along with such guest stars as Loretta Lynn and Roger Miller.
