This month's must-see documentaries feature a deep dive into AI, the nostalgia of classic arcade and video games, and a thoughtful portrait of grizzlies in the wild.
A.I. Revolution. 55 min. PBS. 2024. DVD UPC 4188704878. $29.99.
No shock to anyone, artificial intelligence is already among us, and its influence is only going to increase. For proponents, it’s a valuable tool; for opponents, it will doom humanity. Part of PBS’s Nova series, director Miles O’Brien’s film delivers a well-rounded, no-frills overview of the positives and negatives of AI by talking to scientists, engineers, and people in technology development. The most interesting element involves O’Brien himself. He lost an arm in an accident a decade ago, then replaced his regular prosthetic with an AI-powered prosthetic. Here he demonstrates his attempts to use the AI limb in real-world situations. VERDICT Presents easy-to-digest basics on all facets of AI.
Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons. 55 min. PBS. 2024. DVD UPC 4188704855. $29.99.
Grizzly 399 is a 27-year-old bear who has long roamed Wyoming’s Grand Tetons, to the great delight of hikers and visitors. At the start of the documentary, she has emerged from winter’s hibernation with four new cubs, a rarity at her age. While viewers witness her raising her cute cubs, the film also chronicles more challenging issues such as bear-maintenance policy, the good and the bad of wild animals living so close to humans, and the touchy subject of whether grizzlies should still be on the Endangered Species Act list. It’s not all playful, cuddly bear footage in a stunning nature setting; there are also lengthy discussions of the complications of animal-human interactions. VERDICT Animal and nature lovers will enjoy learning about Grizzly 399.
Insert Coin. 102 min. Ten Point Oh. 2020. DVD UPC 4041830511. $16.99.
Seemingly made specifically for nostalgic viewers who played arcade and video games in the 1980s and 1990s, Joshua Tsui’s documentary is an in-depth telling of the history of Williams and Midway games from the era. The nerd-out goes deep into the minutiae of legendary coin-op games (which produced billions of dollars in revenue), such as Defender, Mortal Kombat, and NBA Jam. The style of the film is basic, showing clips from the games behind the nonstop audio commentary of coders, artists, engineers, and managers. It’s not the most exciting film structure, but Tsui makes clear that his interview subjects loved what they did and the classic games they created. VERDICT Might appeal more to video game lovers than to general documentary fans.
★Pictures of Ghosts. 93 min. Grasshopper Film. In Portuguese w/English subtitles. 2023. $29.99.
This is an intimate story of Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho’s relationship with the city he is from (Recife) and its connection to his love of movies. Filho (Neighboring Sounds; Aquarius) has frequently used Recife as backdrop, often filming in the apartment and neighborhood he’s lived in since he was a teen. Here, he delves into that personal history with archival footage that he recorded on VHS cameras in his youth. Though its subject is highly localized, Filho’s film expands outside of Recife to pull in anyone who likes to ponder the larger context of cinema. VERDICT Viewers who think of cinema as social history or of movie theaters as architectural and cultural shrines will find much to appreciate.
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing
Add Comment :-
Comment Policy:
Comment should not be empty !!!