Child 44
The serial killer thriller seems played out, but how about one set in Josef Stalin’s Russia? A shadowy killer stalks young boys in Child 44 amidst a gripping recreation of the fearful atmosphere of the Soviet Union of the 1950s. A knock on the door at night or the sight of a black car on the street could mean a trip to the Gulag. Child 44 stars Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman as policemen and Noomi Rapace as Hardy’s wife.
Deep Sea Blues
Deep Sea Blues records a high-seas concert for affluent baby boomers, complete with all the whooping, hollering and beer swilling. For the 2007 Blues Cruise, shot by director Robert Mugge, organizers assembled a top roster of roots-oriented talent, including randy-voiced Bobby Rush, the house-rocking Fabulous Thunderbirds and even a cooking demonstration by Taj Mahal. The ocean-going ship had enough lounges to accommodate unplugged acts and spontaneous jam sessions along with the main stage attractions.
I Am Big Bird
Caroll Spinney was entranced as a child by stories told through puppets. As a young adult in the ’60s, he found his way into TV puppet shows for kids—good training for the role of his life as “Sesame Street’s” endearing Big Bird. A favorite on the film festival circuit, I Am Big Bird chronicles Spinney’s mostly happy life and career, especially his near-total identification with the disarmingly inquisitive avian he inhabited year after year.
