PODCAST: Lions, tigers, and big hairy gay men

Another great podcast episode. This time, I'm joined by my friend Malcolm Ingram, filling in as guest host while Jay is off premiering his film at HotDocs. Mick and I interview my new friend Michael Webber about his incredible film, The Elephant in the Living Room. Charlotte's official write-up is below, but check out the site for the complete show notes (which include links to everything we talk about on the show) and don't forget to subscribe on iTunes!


Charlotte Cook » 5.6.11 »

In Episode 13 of the podcast, host Joshua Ligairi is joined by special guest-host Malcolm Ingram. The Bear Nation director talks about the Kickstarter campaign for his new film, Continental, and together the two bears (one gay, one straight) interview Michael Webber about his new film, The Elephant in the Living Room, which features actual bears (along with lions and tigers) wreaking havoc in America’s suburbs. Michael reveals a lot of scary facts about wild animals living in domestic settings, which eventually leads Josh to admit his deep-seated fear of baboons. This episode also includes some recommendations of documentaries new to DVD and is jam-packed with discussion about documentary distribution, the current state of the independent film industry, and what Malcolm calls a “cruel cinematic Darwinism.” Enjoy!

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Original post, show notes, credits, links and more at TheDocumentaryBlog.com.

TRAILER: Jay Cheel's Beauty Day

Joshua Ligairi » 2.22.11 »

Jay Cheel, my co-host over at The Documentary Blog Podcast, has released the first trailer for his documentary film, Beauty Day about a beautiful loser named Cap'n Video. I think the trailer is incredible and the rough-cut scenes I've seen from the film are even better.

The film premieres at MoMA next month as part of their Canadian Film Exhibition and has some pretty awesome screenings coming up including HotDocs! So awesome. What an incredible start to a film's run and a filmmaker's career.

For more info on the film, see Jay's posts at FilmJunk.com or TheDocumentaryBlog.com. You can also follow Jay and the film on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or check out the official Beauty Day website.

PODCAST: Revenge of the nerds

Another podcast, another pair of wonderful films. This time we talk Darkon and New World Order with "the films' makers." Again, one of my favorite episodes so far. Check out Jay's intro below, get the full show notes in the extended write-up at the site, and remember to subscribe on iTunes get get the podcast delivered straight to your computer without having to lift a finger.


Jay Cheel » 1.26.11 »

HEAR YE, HEAR YE! Welcome to Episode 8 of The Documentary Blog Podcast! This episode we’re excited to be joined by two men of noble birth, raised by the sword and driven by vengeance… directors Andrew Neel and Luke Meyer! WHAT GOD DROVE THEM TO FIGHT WITH SUCH A FURY? Find out as we discuss two of their films; the hilarious and exciting live action role playing doc Darkon, and their look at conspiracy theorists, New World Order. We also discuss a few films we’ve been watching lately, including (but not limited to) Restrepo, La Danse, And Everything is Going Fine, The Oath, and much more! Have a listen below and be sure to subscribe to our feed over at “the iTunes.” Enjoy!

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Show notes, credits, links and more at TheDocumentaryBlog.com.

LIST: Top 10 Docs of 2010

Joshua Ligairi » 12.31.10 »

Those of you who read my annual best of lists know that I don't typically rate films numerically, but when Documentary Blog editor, Jay Cheel (who I host a podcast with), asked if I would be interested in submitting a Top 10 for his site, I could hardly resist. Of course, being out of practice, I ended up blowing it right away by forgetting to list one of my favorite films of the year, Sweetgrass. I hate to knock any other films out because I enjoyed them all, but suffice it to say that Sweetgrass would have ranked very high on the list.

Read the full write-up and see lists from Jay and the rest of the Documentary Blog staff here. Check out my section of the article and the closest I could come to a Top 10 below:

Release dates for independent make end-of-year lists tricky, so rules always play a big part in how I form my lists. For this one, I’m discounting festivals altogether and sticking to films that either played theatrically, on television, or went straight to DVD in 2010. That is especially good this year because I had a film of my own that premiered at the end of 2009 and played the festival circuit in 2010, but since we aren’t getting our theatrical release until 2011, I can hold off a while longer on the awkward and unethical recommendation of my own film. I should also mention that I have not seen all of the year’s supposed best documentaries. Among the notable omissions are Armadillo, Client 9, Happy People, Nostalgia for the Light, Genius Within, Inside Job, The Kids Grow Up, La Danse, Precious Life, Presumed Guilty, The Thorn in the Heart, and Waste Land. Disclaimers out of the way, here are my top ten documentaries of 2010:

1. Alamar

2. Marwencol

3. Exit Through the Gift Shop

4. A Film Unfinished

5. Best Worst Movie

6. Last Train Home

7. The Oath

8. 45365

9. Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo

10. 12th & Delaware

Honorable Mentions: American Radical, Czech Peace, The Elephant In the Living Room, Gasland, Google Baby, Restrepo, Smile ‘Til It Hurts, The Tillman Story, The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia, and Winnebago Man.

For the very best in non-fiction news, reviews, lists, and commentary visit TheDocumentaryBlog.com. Read the original post and find 2010 lists from Jay, Charlotte, and Sean here. Listen to Jay and I interviewing some of the best documentary filmmakers of our day on the site's new podcast.

PODCAST: Terrifying hillbillies

Not to toot any of our own horns, but the podcast seems to be getting better and better. A lot of that has to do with our consistently good guests more than anything else, but I think it helps that Jay and I are getting more relaxed with each other. See, we actually didn't know each other at all when we started the podcast and really only talk when we record. I had been a fan of the Film Junk podcast before we started the show and I was really used to the relationship being, Jay talking, me listening and chuckling to myself. I've been trying to be myself a bit more and actually say something from time to time and it seems to be slowly working. Anyway, the joy from this episode comes not from me, but from hearing the insane stories that filmmaker Julien Nitzberg had on location when filming The Wild and Wonderful White of West Virginia. Jay was out of town when I completed this episode, so I did a little write-up and posted a link to download the pod on the site with the help of Jay's Film Junk co-host Sean Dwyer. Check out the original post and download the podcast here.

Joshua Ligairi » 12.20.10 »

After a short hiatus, The Documentary Blog Podcast is back home for the holidays. In this episode, hosts Jay Cheel and Joshua Ligairi are joined by Julien Nitzberg, fearless director of The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. Executive Produced by Jeff Tremaine and Johnny Knoxville, Nitzberg’s film lives up to the Jackasses’ shocking reputations. Recent projects and documentary recommendations are briefly discussed before barreling head-on into into hilarious and cringe-inducing tales from the making of Nitberg’s film. As Ligairi describes them, The White Family is like “a nightmare version of the Dukes of Hazzard” and their story is sure to make you thankful for your own family–perfect timing for the holiday season! Have a listen to the show below and be sure to subscribe to the show on iTunes (and rate us while you’re at it). Happy Holidays from The Documentary Blog Podcast!

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PODCAST: Midwest white trash

First off, I've had a few complaints about the podcast post titles being offensive or too reductive, specifically with regard to the post title for Episode 3 of the podcast "The gays take over." Before we go any further down that road with criticisms of me of writing-off the very human subjects of the breathtakingly beautiful film that is 45365 as "midwest white trash," let me simply state that reductive is the point. Seriously? It's a joke. A joke rendered even less funny by this explanation.

But chuckle-seekers are in luck because, this week, we are offering up the funniest episode of the podcast so far, talking to Bill and Turner Ross really made me wish there were more laughs in our podcast. We're not a comedy show, but I'm making a concerted effort to bring a little more personality to the table on future episodes. The Brothers Ross are hilarious guys and very talented filmmakers. It is almost hard to imagine that a couple of guys with such wacky senses of humor could turn in such a mature and measured film as 45365...but they did.

Tune in now for a great conversation. My podcast co-host and the editor of The Documentary Blog, Jay Cheel, did a write-up and posted a link to download the pod on his site. Check out the original post and download the podcast here.

Jay Cheel » 11.18.10 »

Once again, it’s time for a new episode of The Documentary Blog Podcast! This week Jay Cheel and Joshua Ligairi are joined by the Ross brothers (Turner and Bill), directors of last year’s SXSW festival favourite 45365. They join us for the entire show as we talk about some documentary recommendations and I discuss my experience at this years CPH:DOX film festival. We also talk to Turner and Bill about their experience making 45365 and the success that followed it. It’s also worth noting that I was suffering jet lag when we recorded this episode, so I take no responsibility for how slow I talk or the things I say. Having said that, this was one fun show! Gotta love those Ross Bros™! Have a listen to the show below and be sure to subscribe to the show on iTunes (and rate us while you’re at it).

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Show notes, credits, links and more at TheDocumentaryBlog.com

PODCAST: Voyeurs and environmentalists

We're back with a pretty damn interesting episode of the Documentary Blog Podcast. Ondi Timoner is a strong woman, a strong filmmaker, and she has created some really fascinating films. She's also a talker. Hear me be intimidated live on air!

We actually had a great, open conversation with her the other day and discussed my two favorite movies from her filmography, We Live In Public and Cool It. The highlight of this episode for me was the James Franco casting story in our new "How Was Your Weekend?" segment. My podcast co-host and the editor of The Documentary Blog, Jay Cheel, did a write-up and posted a link to download the pod on his site. Check out the original post and download the podcast here.

Jay Cheel » 11.02.10 »

Hello and welcome! It is time once again for another episode of The Documentary Blog podcast. This week hosts Jay Cheel and Joshua Ligairi are lucky enough to be joined by the only filmmaker who has won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival twice, director Ondi Timoner. She joins us to discuss her latest film, Cool It, which premiered at this years Toronto International Film Festival (you can read my thoughts on Cool It here). We also talk a bit about her previous work, specifically her last film We Live in Public. On top of that, we talk about what we’ve been watching and we introduce a brand new segment to the show titled ‘How Was Your Weekend?’. All in all a great time and a definite must listen! Enjoy!

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PODCAST: Yes, we did @#%*in' shoot that!

The first in what I hope will be a long line of visitors from a secret society known only as "Michael Moore's Documentary Insurgency," Jeff Deutchman joins us on the The Documentary Blog Podcast.

As a personal aside, I found out just before our interview with him that Jeff was the IFC executive that passed on Cleanflix, so I went in prepared to hate the guy, but he won me over instantly with his charm and intellect.

This podcast is a great way to get to know the filmmaker and get some insights into his film which will screen simultaneously across the country tomorrow, October 20th. If you are near one of his 11/4/08 screenings tomorrow, please go support the film and this exciting new distribution method for independent documentaries.

Charlotte Cook » 10.19.10 »

On episode four of The Documentary Blog Podcast Jay and Josh are joined by Jeff Deutchman, curator/producer of 11/4/08. We talk to Jeff about making a "participatory documentary" and his interesting distribution plans for the film. 11/4/08 is released tomorrow and you can see more information on where to see the film here. In addition we have the usual discussion about documentaries everyone watched this week, which includes Jay’s review of Jackass 3D, Josh's thoughts on Reel Paradise, and Jeff’s recommendation of the latest Patricio Guzmán film, Nostalgia for the Light. Make sure to check out the show notes after the jump for all of the info you need on our guests and the topics we discuss. Enjoy!

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PODCAST: Gay ol' time

My buddy Malcolm Ingram (I'm going with "buddy" because I'd call him a friend, but he'd probably call me an acquaintance) is our special guest on Episode #3 of The Documentary Blog Podcast. The fire in Malcolm's belly for Catfish lead to us getting him for an entire episode. Full of hilarity and controversy, this may be the best DocBlogPod episode so far. Go to the original post to download the episode and get full show notes here.

Jay Cheel » 10.05.10 »

On episode number three of The Documentary Blog Podcast Jay and Josh are joined by Malcolm Ingram, director of Small Town Gay Bar and, most recently, Bear Nation. You might also recognize Malcolm as the co-host (alongside Kevin Smith) of the popular podcast Blow Hard, a weekly show that’s part of Smith’s awesome Smodcast Podcast Network. This week we get into an EXTREMELY SPOILER HEAVY talk about the controversial Sundance favourite ‘reality thriller’ Catfish. While Malcolm is fairly clear cut in his feelings towards the film, Jay attempts to sort out all of the pro’s and con’s of his experience. This leads us into some Dear Zachary discussion and a little bit of TIFF talk (including Ondi Timoner’s Cool It). We also talk with Malcolm about the making of Small Town Gay Bar and his latest film, Bear Nation.

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PODCAST: DocBlogPod gets double-teamed

In episode two of The Documentary Blog Podcast, we actually have two guest filmmakers. We had a blast talking with Bradley Beesley and Ben Steinbauer about their films. Check out the original post here for complete show notes, to download, subscribe, and more.

Jay Cheel » 09.19.10 »

On this week’s episode of The Documentary Blog Podcast Jay and Josh are joined by two great documentary filmmakers, Bradley Beesley (Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo, The Fearless Freaks, Okie Noodling) and Ben Steinbauer (Winnebago Man). We talk with them about their latest films (they actually worked on each other’s projects) and get some insight into filming inside of a prison, the visceral nature of the rodeo, and a little insight into the wonderfully cantankerous Jack Rebney and his infamous viral video. Also, Jay discusses his time at TIFF and everyone recommends some essential documentary viewing. Make sure to check out the show notes after the jump for all of the info you need on our guests and the topics we discuss. Enjoy!

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Show notes, credits, links and more at TheDocumentaryBlog.com

PODCAST: Documentary podcast launches

The first episode of The Documentary Blog Podcast just went live. My co-host and the editor of The Documentary Blog, Jay Cheel, did a write-up and posted a link to download the pod on his site. Check out the original post and download the podcast here.

Jay Cheel » 09.12.10 »

It’s my pleasure to present to you the very first episode of The Documentary Podcast! Myself (Jay Cheel) and my co-host Joshua Ligairi aim to bring you some solid, informative discussion on the latest in documentary news, reviews, trailers and DVD/Blu Ray releases on what we hope will be a regular basis (aiming for bi-weekly at the moment). Best of all, we plan on having regular guest contributors including some of your favourite bloggers and documentary filmmakers!

For our premiere episode we’re thrilled to be joined by Jeff Feuerzeig, director of one my favourite docs of the decade, The Devil and Daniel Johnston. We discuss some docs we’ve been watching, highlight some of our top pics at TIFF and get into some trailers. Finally, we end the show off with a discussion with Jeff about working with Daniel Johnston and some of the challenges he faced when making his film.

This being our first episode, we’re still in the process of working through the format and sorting out any technical issues we might face so any feedback would be greatly appreciated! As the shows go on, we will begin to smooth everything out and settle comfortably into what will hopefully be an entertaining and insightful podcast for documentary lovers! Enjoy!

Download the podcast and get show notes, credits, and links at TheDocumentaryBlog.com

BLOG: A documentary podcast

Joshua Ligairi » 09.01.10 »

I've just started recording a new documentary-centric podcast for TheDocumentaryBlog.com with DocBlog founder Jay Cheel (himself also a documentary filmmaker). Our goal with the podcast is to create a strong internet community around non-fiction filmmaking, while also creating a resource for film students enthusiasts to get an insight into the craft and process of the greatest non-fiction filmmakers of our day. Jay hopes to approach it from a fan perspective. I hope to meld that with a filmmaker perspective, getting into technique and business.

Although we are just creating the first Documentary Podcast season, Jay is also the co-host of the Film Junk Podcast. One of the world's highest-rated and longest-running podcasts, they have recorded (almost) 300 weekly episodes over the past (almost) six years, so there is a pretty solid track record there.

We plan on bringing filmmakers on for the entire episode to discuss what documentaries we've seen lately, some documentary news, and then transition into a conversational interview about the filmmakers' work which will take up the majority of the podcast.

We will be recording every other week in the beginning and judge future episode frequency based on response. Stay tuned!

Check out The Documentary Blog now here and follow them on Twitter @documentaryblog for updates.