"Young@Heart"

Young@Heart, 2007
Dir.: Stephen Walker, Sally George
Prod.: Hannah Beckerman, Sally George, Jane Villiers

This morning, as I lay in bed watching TV, I saw a commercial for something only I would get excited for: the summer documentary series on HBO. YES!!!

HBO will be showing ten hour-long documentaries, once a week for ten weeks, starting tomorrow until August 12th. I was so excited I immediately set my DVR. I’m going to be watching and blogging all ten documentaries (starting tomorrow with Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer).

Anyway, seeing this commercial totally lit a fire under me and it put me in a doc watching mood. So, let’s dive back in!

Okay. Quick – picture a glee club!

I bet you’re thinking one of two things: overly sequined Broadway rejects singing cheesy, schmaltzy versions of pop songs, or that monstrous TV show that falls under the category "it seemed like a good idea at the time" (you know exactly what I'm talking about). 

I'm glaring at you, Fox...

Well, I’m about to totally blow your mind. Meet the Young@Heart chorus – a music group comprised of twenty-four senior citizens singing punk and rock songs. Talk about “seniors behaving badly”!

The average age of this group is EIGHTY! EIGHTY, OKAY?! They sing, they entertain, they tour, they’re up on stage, singing their asses off, with walkers, wheelchairs and canes. The documentary follows them on their journey to rehearse a brand new touring show, which will open in seven weeks.

Eat your heart out, Rachel Berry

It originally began as a group of golden oldies singing golden oldies. However, one member of the group suddenly busted out into singing the song “Do Wa Ditty”, and the course of the chorus was changed forever.

The chorus master, Bob Cilman, is charismatic and funny and works extremely hard with the chorus. At the first rehearsal that is filmed, he congratulates one member on his birthday, makes a few jokes about kidney stones, and then asks, “Anyone have any other health issues they want to share? Anyone having a baby?”

Bob picks songs like “I Wanna Be Sedated” by the Ramones and “I Feel Good” by James Brown. He’s not so much concerned with tune or harmonies. It’s more about camaraderie, fun and entertainment. He prints the lyrics out for everyone using an extra-large font. He provides CDs for the members, so that they can sing along at home and learn the words. The choreography is light and easy. They’ve performed at schools, festivals and for the Queen of Norway. Though not everyone loves the music Bob picks (some admit to wearing ear plugs to rehearsal), they all love being a part of the chorus.

Most of the members of the group have no idea about punk and rock – they only sing it. Their own tastes vary from Broadway standards to opera. Sonic Youth, the Clash and Outkast may be on their own program, but they don’t prefer to listen to it.

The oldest member of the group is Eileen, who is 92 years old. She’s a British import who, in a former life, was a burlesque dancer. She’s flirty and sweet, who tells people she’s twenty nine. “I just switch the numbers ‘round!” she laughs. She lives in a nursing home, but is the only resident who has her own key to the front door to the facility, due to the fact that chorus rehearsals sometimes keep her out late, after all of the staff has gone home.

“Singing does a lot for your whole body,” says chorus member Joe. He’s eighty three years old, has battled cancer (and went through six bouts of chemotherapy), and is going on tour with Young@Heart against medical advice. He, Eileen and their friend Lenny, travel to rehearsals together. Lenny (a WW2 veteran) is the only one who is still able to drive. He also enjoys going on long bike rides and is still active in other choral groups, like the Harmonicats and the church choir.

The most emotional part of the documentary is when Bob visits a former member of Young@Heart, named Bob Salvini, who swears that music brought him back from the brink of death. He was hospitalized, and not expected to survive the night. A priest was brought in to say his last rites. However, his daughter tells about how singing through the night helped him pull through. “He sang everything,” she says. “Everything from the Young@Heart program.”

I think my favorite part, however, is the scene where the chorus does their first-ever performance at a prison. This was one of the greatest things I have ever seen on film - two dozen senior citizens performing in an outside courtyard, surrounded by barbed wire, for inmates who genuinely look like that they are having a wonderful time. I'm serious! These guys sit and listen to the chorus with gigantic smiles on their faces, bobbing their heads and clapping with sincere appreciation. At one point, a few of them are moved to tears. Afterwards, the chorus members mingle with the prisoners, who give them hugs and handshakes, complimenting their performance and saying how much they loved them. It was quite wonderful to see. 

Young@Heart was a wonderful, uplifting documentary. I did not stop smiling the entire time, though there are moments that will move you to tears. These elderly folks really are young at heart – they would rather defy their doctors and travel to rehearsals than miss a single one. They sing in the shower, they sing in the car, they sing to each other. They love to dance and to perform. They work so hard to learn these songs, and when Bob gets frustrated at rehearsals and wants to cut a song, they get up and arms and threaten to pummel him. They even make music videos!

What I took away the most from Young@Heart is that you’re never too old to do what you love and as long as it makes you happy, there’s nothing that can stop you.

I really hope I'm this cool when I'm an octogenarian. 

For more information about the Young@Heart chorus (and get their tour schedule, of course), visit: http://youngatheartchorus.com/

"Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers"

Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers, 2010

Dir.: Chip Mabry

Prod.: Chip Mabry

For those of you who don't know, as of March 2013, I became a proud member of the Jerzey Derby Brigade, a women's flat track roller derby team! It's one of the best decisions I've ever made! Our captain Doom Hilda is an amazing and hard-working leader, and my teammates are some of the toughest, funniest, most supportive and encouraging ladies I have ever had the pleasure of being associated with. It has been hard and challenging, but twice a week, I lace up my skates and pad up within an inch of my life and work my ass off on learning everything from how to skate on one foot to how to whip a fellow player (don't worry, that's not as cruel as it sounds). It's helping me build my confidence and be a little more outgoing in social situations. I've made amazing friends and I've been having a frigging blast! 

I wanted to cover a derby-related documentary for this blog first thing I dove right back into it, but Prostitution: Behind the Veil caught my interest first. As I was searching through Hulu, I found a documentary that I had put on my original list of to-watch documentaries waaaaaay back from 2011, when I first started this blog! I found Brutal Beauty! 

One thing I have learned ever since starting derby myself was that you cannot trust what you see on films and TV about the sport. They make it look easy. I'll be the first to admit that the reason why I joined derby was because of the movie Whip It. But I knew from the day I decided to join that I wasn't going to be on the roster any time soon. I hadn't strapped on a pair of skates since elementary school. Now, well, I'm not gonna say I'm good or anything, but at least I don't look like an asshole. Thankfully, the JDB is an amazing support system and even if I'm feeling down on myself for things like not being able to execute a smooth transition (read: turn around while skating), I get a knock on the helmet from one of my teammates and the words, "It's okay, you'll get the hang of it."

Anyway, enough of me rambling. Brutal Beauty tells the story of the Rose City Rollers of Portland, Oregon, and their 2008-2009 season. It opens with a montage of skates being laced up, pads being strapped on and skaters weaving through bright orange cones, accompanied by the sounds of skates on the floor, players shouting to one another, and whistles blowing. I'm immediately choked up - by now I know these sights and sounds like I know my own heartbeat.

Rose City Rollers founder, who goes by the derby name Rocket Mean, says that roller derby is "indicative of the culture of young women in America."

Skater Blood Clottia explains that it gives women "an alter ego".

"I was captain of the cheerleading squad in high school," says skater Marollin' Monroe, a curvaceous blonde bombshell with a husky voice. "The universe wanted me to be a derby girl. I obliged it."

Rocket Mean launches into the origins story of the Rose City Rollers. In 2004, three friends - Rocket Mean, Jeff and Yvette - were having drinks at a bar. Jeff was the one who suddenly says, "We need to start a roller derby league." At the time, there was no derby in Portland. They planned for nearly two months, meeting every single night at the bar, before they began skating and recruiting. They only place they had to practice was the basement of a bowling alley that they rented out at $200 a month. Once they began to understand the rules more and had a better grip on things, the league grew at a rapid pace.

The league grew to thew point where it was eventually divided into four local teams: the Break Neck Betties, the Heartless Heathers, Guns N Rollers, and the High Rollers. Then there are two travelling teams: the Wheels of Justice and Axles of Annihilation, that compete on a national level.

"It gave us the camaraderie we were all kind of looking for," Rocket Mean adds.

There are discussions about the origins of their derby names, their quirky costumes, and, of course, the one thing synonymous to derby: injuries. Broken ribs, sprained ankles, fractured legs...everytime you step onto the track, there's a potential for injury. Skater and co-captain Angry Wrench, who is interviewed from her living room couch with her foot in a cast, describes it as "going to the bathhouse without a condom every Friday night."

My favorite part of the documentary has to be when the High Rollers' coach, a lean mean donut-making machine who goes by Rob Lobster, demonstrates the basics of roller derby rules using - what else? - donuts.

My other favorite part was an interview with skater Rhea Damage and her husband Jason, who admits that ever since his wife began roller derby, it has taken the top spot over football as his favorite sport and refers to his wife as his "favorite derby girl" (say it with me: Awwwww!!!)

"Men can get passionate about a sport when they're playing it," Jason explains, "But women...it's a whole other level. I mean, these girls devote themselves to it, and they don't even get paid!"

It's true - we actually have to pay dues to play. But ask any roller derby girl if that matters and they will say "Hell NO!" Seriously. At least three or four girls who are interviewed in this film say the exact same line: "Roller derby saved my soul."

It's true for both the skaters and fans alike. Derby is a sport that's for everyone - no matter what your size is, no matter what your skill level is, no matter what you look like.

The Rose City Roller girls - as well as my Jerzey Derby Brigade family - come from all walks of life. Women who are librarians, acupuncturists, and day care teachers strap on skates and become another person entirely when they're on the track. My own team consists of women who are lawyers, therapists, musicians, nannies and stay-at-home moms. That's what roller derby does. It takes whatever kind of mood you're in and immediately turns it on its ear, transforms it into something bigger and better.

Honestly, I spent most of this documentary crying my eyes out. It made me fall in love with this sport all over again. If I wasn't a derby girl now, I would have been immediately after seeing this film. It made me remember all of the beautiful, friendly, intelligent women that I am surrounded by weekly. They are instantly accepting of who you are and where you come from. Once you're in, you're in. I've only been a JDB member for a little less than two months and it feels like forever. I get hugs and advice and encouragement. I sweat, I laugh, and though sometimes I get frustrated, I will never quit.

....Sorry, how did this post become all about me all of a sudden?

Anyway. I have one complaint about the film and that is I wish I had seen more of a perspective from a beginning skater (or "fresh meat", which is the correct derby lingo). These girls have all been skating and on the roster for months or even years. I would have liked the film to follow at least one newbie, someone who was closer to my own experiences. But you know what? That's okay. The film gave me something to aspire to.

If you've ever had any inclination about joining roller derby, watch Brutal Beauty and I promise you, you will be hooked. It's a love affair you will never regret!

Oh, and of course, don't forget to support your local roller derby teams! :D

For more information on the Rose City Rollers: http://www.rosecityrollers.com/
For more information on the Jerzey Derby Brigade: http://www.jerzeyderby.com/

To find local derby near you: http://www.derbyroster.com/

"Prostitution: Behind the Veil"

Prostitution: Behind the Veil, 2004

Dir.: Nahid Persson

Prod.: Jakob Hogel, Nahid Persson

OK I know it's been a long time - almost a year - since I last posted. I promised I would come back and to be more devoted, then I made one post and poof! There I go again. Frankly, I am ashamed I couldn't make the commitment. But, to be fair, at the same time I was aiming to come back, I was planning my wedding. Yup! I got married in September! Go us! It wasn't easy but we had a lot of help from friends and family and we had a great day. 

Anyway, I really, really want to get back into this project of documenting documentaries (har-dee-har-har). I really do love the genre and there's just so many, on so many different subjects! Last time I tackled a pretty lighthearted subject with God Is the Bigger Elvis. This time, I have a bit of a darker subject to tackle: the state of women in Iran. 

Filmmaker Nahid Persson was born in Iran, however she escaped to Sweden in 1982 when Islamic fundamentalists took control. Seventeen years later, she returned, shocked to discover poverty was rampant and social justice had deteriorated. 

Iran used to be one of the most liberal Muslim countries. Now, however, the Koran is considered law, and religious infractions are considered crimes, punishable by imprisonment, torture and execution. 

In Prostitution: Behind the Veil, Persson chronicles the struggles of two women she meets quite by accident during a visit to Iran. The film is narrated by Nahid Persson herself. She first meets Habib, a man who works as a fortune teller using parakeets. Yes, parakeets. Apparently this is a really common thing! The guy sets a parakeet down and the bird picks a fortune out for you and you pay for it. I kid you not! 

This is not a screenshot from the documentary but it's the closest thing I could find. 

Anyway, Habib is run off the street corner he is fortune-telling on by the religious police and Persson and her crew end up following him home. Habib lives in a tenement building with ten other people with no running water or toilets, just a water pump in the courtyard. While there, Persson meets Fariba and Mina, two young women in their early-to-mid 20s, with a child each, who make their living through prostitution. 

They live in tiny rooms with barely any furniture and rags covering the windows. There are no locks on their doors. They have no beds but instead sleep on the floor with their children. They casually chat as Persson films and Mina threads Fariba's eyebrows, which are as thick and unruly as Frida Khalo's. 

They talk about sex and what they do to make a living, but also about the guilt and shame they feel. They talk about their methods of birth control - condoms are preferred, because they protect them against diseases (they are both fond of flavored condoms). Persson explains that when Islamic power rose in Iran, they banned all contraceptives. Because of this, the population doubled within a short period of time. By the time the government realized their mistake and lifted the ban on contraceptives, it was too late and overpopulation was already a growing concern. Fariba also tells Persson that the religious police tend to look the other way when it comes to prostitution, and confesses that she herself has slept with the chief of the religious police, and he paid her $20. "He was rough," she adds."I didn't like it."

Later, as the girls smoke heroin together, Fariba pulls out a photo album and says she wants to "show that we didn't always live like this." 

Fariba was married to a young man from a respected, wealthy family. Her brother-in-law was a medical student. Her father-in-law was a literary professor. Less than a year before this interview, Fariba's husband was arrested for drug use, and sentenced to life in prison. Mina's story is shockingly similar. Her husband is also in jail, serving a 35-year sentence for smuggling, selling drugs and murder. He was the one who was responsible for getting Mina addicted to heroin. 

In the film, Persson introduces us to the concept of a sighe. It is something that is perfectly legal in Islamic Iran. It is when a man takes on an "extra" wife that he can later sell to another man for a profit. During the time of the sighe marriage, which is negotiated with a verbal contract and then sealed by a mullah (Islamic clergy), the woman must act as a wife must - she must cover her head, ask her husband for permission to leave the house, and service him in bed. Sighe marriages can last any period of time, from ten minutes to 99 years, and the woman is often paid a fee for her participation. 

Habib, the parakeet fortune teller who is a man of about sixty, makes a sighe marriage of six months with a 17 year old girl that he'd only known for about ten minutes. Persson narrates that girls in Iran are married off as young as nine years old. It turns out that Mina has a sighe that she has a two-month contract with. She shows Fariba the marks on her body where he has cut, kicked and scratched her, and cries as she confesses he hits her 20-month-old daughter as well. 

One thing that I wished Persson covered more in the documentary was how Mina and Fariba solicit their customers. I know that sounds like an odd thing to say, but for a documentary called Prostitution: Behind the Veil, she does not focus very much on the actual profession of prostitution. She follows Mina and Fariba only one time each. Heartbreakingly enough, they are forced to bring their children with them as they solicit, since there is no one else to watch them. Fariba makes $5 off a cabbie, who forces her to buy condoms from a nearby pharmacy because "it isn't right" for him to do it himself. He allows Persson to film him as he drives and haggles over price with Fariba, telling her that he wants people to see that Iran has gone to hell. Mina picks up two young men in a car who pay her $10 each. They drive her and her baby to their apartment. She hands the baby off to one of the men as she goes into the bedroom with the other. "When he's done, you can come in," she says, flicking her head scarf over her shoulder. 

Persson reflects more on the concept of sighe marriages and the religious power oppressing the women of Iran more than the actual act of prostitution and how so many women fall into that trap. She mentions how grateful she is that she can return to Sweden where she has opportunities, and women in Iran cannot and do not. 

There was really no moral or message to this documentary. Persson does include an epilogue about Fariba and Mina, but the information is sparse. I wish she had gotten more interviews with more prostitutes. She does manage to talk to Fariba's sister-in-law and mother, but no one from Mina's family. I would have liked a little more background on the girls. 

Though I was intrigued and saddened by the information I learned in the documentary, I really wish it had a little more meat on its bones. It did make me grateful that I have grown up in a country where I am not considered property, and where I can get an education and vote and make my own choices. Persson made it very clear that she was glad she left when she did. But I feel like the film lacked something, and it was probably more stories, but I thank Nahid Persson for making this film and showing us what is going on in other parts of the world that we have no idea about.

"God Is the Bigger Elvis"

God Is the Bigger Elvis, 2011

Dir.: Rebecca Cammisa

Prod.: Sheila Nevins, Julie Anderson, Rebecca Cammisa

A few months ago, my best friend Meredith allowed me to use her HBOGO account, and I couldn't thank her enough. HBOGO is like Hulu, except it is exclusively HBO programming - movies, series, and, of course, documentaries. One of the first things I did when I gained HBOGO access was scope out their documentaries section, and boy oh boy did I have a field day. The one that grabbed my attention first was the Oscar nominated short documentary God Is the Bigger Elvis, which had a screen cap of a smiling nun, her arms outstretched, Julie Andrews-style.

First of all, what an awesome title. Second, I think nuns are great. I don't know why, exactly. Maybe that's due to my early love of The Sound of Music, maybe it's because my mother took me to see Sister Act when it first came out in theaters, maybe it's because those calendars of "Nuns Having Fun" crack me up. 

It was all fun and games until Sister Ruth rear-ended the Mother Superior

Whatever the reason, I think nun culture is fascinating. I mean, these women give up everything - their families, their social lives, their fashion tastes - to serve God. They come from so many different backgrounds, but all came together for their mutual love of God. It's a pretty groovy thing, if you ask me.


Though only a half-hour long, God Is the Bigger Elvis manages to tell a beautiful, moving story – one of Dolores Hart, an actress from the '50s and '60s who had performed alongside the biggest heartthrobs of the day: Montgomery Clift, Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Warren Beatty, and yes, the King himself. In her mid-twenties, she gave it all up, broke off her engagement, and became a nun at the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut - an enclosed Benedictine monastery and working farm. It's the only one of its kind in the United States.

Now known as Mother Prioress Dolores Hart, she still currently resides there, one of 36 nuns who follow strict Benedictine guidelines. They pray and sing 7 times a day, observe 3 periods of silence a day, and work on the farm. Mother Prioress takes appointments to speak to people who come to the monastery about their suffering, and help them find hope in dismal situations. She also enjoys bird watching, listening to opera and spending time with her African Grey parrot, Toby. She also spends time personally answering fan mail that she still receives daily.

Dolores was a blonde, blue-eyed bombshell back in her day. She was nineteen years old when she was offered a seven year studio contract. She acted in ten films, including Loving You, Lonelyhearts and Where the Boys Are. Dolores has zero regrets about quitting her acting career. “I never felt I was leaving Hollywood. I never felt I was leaving anything that I was given. The abbey was like a grace of God that just entered my life in a way that was totally unexpected, and God was the vehicle,” she pauses here and gives a big smile. “He was the bigger Elvis.”

Her first encounter with the Abbey came when she was acting on a show on Broadway in the late fifties. Dolores was experiencing fatigue, and a friend suggested she go to the Abbey to recuperate. Hesitant at first, she soon fell in love with the peacefulness of it all. During her time there, she met with the Reverend Mother. 

“The concern that I had was that it was wrong as a Catholic to be in the movies because, sexually, you could be aroused by boys and you could get involved sexually with men…and the leading star was Elvis. She said, ‘Well, why not? You’re a girl! Chastity doesn’t mean that you don’t appreciate what God created. Chastity says, ‘Use it well.’ I came away with a sense of peace.”

After she returned from the abbey, Dolores became engaged to Don Robinson, a young architect. To my delight, Don Robinson is interviewed in this documentary. He speaks nothing but kind words about Dolores. In the midst of planning a wedding and building a house and a life together, on the night of their engagement party in 1963, Dolores tells Don she does not want to get married. She was going to Regina Laudis to take her vows.

God Is the Bigger Elvis also interviews other nuns that live alongside Dolores Hart, offering perspective of her as a Mother Prioress and the pillar she is to her abbey. One of the most terrific things about Dolores Hart is that she truly is a wonderful woman – you can absolutely see why Hollywood was mad for her. Though she is no longer the blonde pinup model she was in 1960, her charm and wit shines through, even though she is dressed in a nun’s habit. She has a smile and a kind word for everyone. 

The best part about this documentary was that I smiled the entire time I watched it. If you have a half hour to spare and are looking for a great, fuzzy documentary filled with nuns having fun, try to get your hands on God Is the Bigger Elvis.

Quiet on the Set ... I'm Coming Back!

Hello, movie lovers - or whomever reads this blog. I'm so sorry I stopped updating here, and I've missed it terribly. I have NOT stopped watching documentaries, though! I've watched several that I'm actually going to go back and watch again because I kept meaning to write reviews but never got around to it.

Here's the situation: since I started this blog, I've been hired and fired from two different jobs. Because of this, I suffered from a bought of depression that caused me to not want to do anything other than lie in bed and feel miserable. However, I eventually picked myself up, brushed myself off and began to do what I do best - watch documentaries.

Now, I am working a job I absolutely adore with a great company. I only work 4 days a week (10 hours/day), which leaves me with 3 glorious days to do nothing. So, I decided I'm going to try to watch at least ONE documentary a week so that I can get back on this horse.

Sometimes, there's nothing like watching life unfold before your very eyes to help you realize things can be so much worse.

Let's get this show back on the road.

"Mine"

Mine, 2009

Dir.: Geralyn Pezanoski

Prod.: Alison Pezanoski-Browne, Erin Essenmacher and Geralyn Pezanoski

This will forever change our lives. As pet guardians, as parents, our lives will be forever changed – New Orleans resident. 

I avoided this documentary for the same reason when my mom brought home the DVD of Marley & Me, it sat unopened for nearly six months.

“Because, Mom,” I stressed when she asked me for the umpteenth time why we hadn’t watched it yet, “I know for a fact that I am going to cry uncontrollably.”

It’s like a sickness. I know that any movie or TV show involving a dog or the plight of a dog is almost inevitably going to make me cry. I have two dogs, a mutt and a terrier, who are my best friends (other than, you know, my fiancé). I don’t live with them anymore, my mom has them. When she told me she was moving to Arizona and taking the dogs with her, I began to cry. “Don’t worry,” Mom said. “We’ll still call each other and you can come visit anytime.”

“I’m not crying about that! I’m crying because you’re taking away my dogs!” I wailed, much to my mother’s chagrin.

As much as I cannot wait to adopt a dog of my own, I am dreading the process – there are so many dogs who need homes, so many that deserve loving families. How can I choose just one? On top of that, I work at an animal lodging facility where I spend eight hours a day, four to five days a week as a companion for dogs whose very rich owners have kenneled them while they go on business trips or vacations. I often find myself wiping away tears when I put them back in their enclosures, not wanting to hear their high-pitched whining as I lock their doors. Also, my fiancé knows better than to let me anywhere near an animal shelter or a pet store, because I will want to take all the dogs home. I'm also the type of person who will quickly change the channel in order to avoid watching the ASPCA commercials featuring all the moon-eyed dogs wanting a sponsor. Aaaagghhh my eyes are watering just at the thought of those damn commercials.

According to the synopsis on the documentary’s website (minemovie.squarespace.com), “Mine is…about the essential bond between human and animals, set against the backdrop of one of the worst disasters in modern US history [Hurricane Katrina].”

I was going to avoid watching this film as much as possible. Maybe save it as the last one off my list. But I didn’t want to postpone the inevitable. I found myself actually needing a good cry, so, I put it on.

The film opens to a montage of Hurricane Katrina wreckage from August of 2005. While rescue personnel were concerned with evacuating the people of New Orleans, the people were dismayed that they were being forced to abandoned their pets. Shelters were refusing to accept people with animals. Therefore, pet owners had no choice but to leave their beloved pets behind. After the city began to return to normal, pet owners were faced with the task of trying to track down their beloved furbabies.

Mine focuses on five people and their difficulties with reclaiming their dogs in the aftermath of Katrina. There are also interviews with the dog foster parents, ASPCA workers and rescuers, and animal rights activists. Director Geralyn Pezanoski does a miraculous job recording the emotional pain, joy and outrage of all involved.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and later Hurricane Rita, 150,000 animals died. Those that were found alive were rescued and shipped out. This project, known as Operation: Orphans of the Storm, sent 15,000 pets to 500 shelters across the US and Canada. They were all catalogued and listed on Petfinder, then word was put out that owners could find their missing pets online.

Rescuer Jane Garrison was met with skepticism when she told people she was going to New Orleans to rescue animals. She was asked, "Why are you saving dogs? Why aren't you saving people?" She was shocked when she saw footage of Katrina's aftermath and news crews were abandoning the dogs they filmed. She saw people being rescued off of building rooftops, and the dogs being left behind. She explains, "None of the groups were ready for the disaster of this magnitude...I couldn't get enough people down there each day...As long as you weren't from the area, you could come down and help." Cameras follow her as she and her team search neighborhoods. They find several houses were spray painted to let rescuers know that animals were inside. They discover dogs locked in cages, trapped in destroyed homes.

Karen O'Toole, another rescuer, says of the disaster: "I knew it wasn’t a matter of sending a check to the Red Cross. I thought I was watching a movie when I saw Katrina on TV. You couldn’t rely on the government in a disaster like this."

For what it's worth, many, many efforts were made for the sake of the animals. Temporary shelters sprung up. Every cat and dog found were given medical care, vaccinations and microchips. "The first priority was saving their lives," Jane says. "The next was finding their families."

Malvin, a man in his mid-eighties, left his miniature poodle Bandit in his New Orleans home when he was told to evacuate. He left Bandit with food and water and a promise that he would return in a few days. "When the levees broke," Cavalier says, "I thought, Lord have mercy. What about Bandit? Where’s Bandit?" After living as an evacuee for eight months in Houston, Malvin recieves his FEMA trailor, and, eventually the help of an organization known as Stealth - their mission being to reunite Katrina dogs with their owners.

When Linda was evacuated with her family, she left fifty pounds of food and lots of water for her German shepherd, Precious. She begged rescuers to save her dog, but her plea fell upon deaf ears.  

Victor returned to New Orleans to find his dog, only to discover he'd been adopted by another couple named Tiffany and Jeremy, who were told that the original owner of Max "didn't want him back." Of course, Tiffany and Jeremy are shocked to discover that not only did Max's original owner wanted him, but never consented to an adoption. A pet custody battle ensues, leaving both parties fighting to call Max theirs.  

Jessie, a hard working man, had to leave behind his four-legged son J.J. (which stands for "Jessie Junior") during Katrina while he and his family were evacuated, and has since spent many, many months trying to locate him, only meeting with dead ends, false hope and lies. 

Finally, we are introduced to Gloria and her Labrador Murphy, her best friend. Gloria was "forcibly rescued" from her home during Katrina, because she refused to leave Murphy behind and be separated from him. Rescuers ignored her requests to save Murphy. Her devoted daughter scours the internet, looking for her mother's dog in a chaotic aftermath. 

I initially wrote six pages, single spaced, on this film, but I’ve decided to cut it down to save me from myself. However, I am thrilled to report that in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Congress passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, requiring states to accommodate pets in their disaster evacuation plans so that something like this will never happen again.

After the film ended, I sat on my couch, buried my face in a pillow and cried for a good five minutes. I cried for Malvin and Bandit; for Linda and Precious; for Victor, Tiffany, Jeremy and Max. I cried for Jessie and J.J.; I cried for Gloria and Murphy. I cried for the dogs that didn’t make it. I cried for the dogs that found new homes and were reunited. I cried for the owners who have lost their best friends. I cried for the fact that I could not hug my own dogs.

If you are a dog lover, a dog owner, a friend of a dog, I highly recommend Mine. Don’t be embarrassed to cry, seriously – even if you’re not a waterworks like me. These are stories that are altogether heartbreaking and uplifting, happy and sad.

"Confessions of a Superhero"

Confessions of a Superhero, 2007

Dir.: Matt Ogens

Prod.: C. Shawn Bennett, Jordan Ehrlich, Charles Gruet, Elizabeth McIntyre, Mark Meyers, Matt Ogens, Spencer Parker, Jamie Patricof and Zev Suissa.

Every morning, Christopher Lloyd Dennis brushes his teeth, washes his face, styles his hair and dons his uniform for work on Hollywood Boulevard: a uniform that consists of tights and a cape.

Dennis is one of many who make their living by dressing in costume and posing for pictures with tourists in Los Angeles, California. Rain or shine, winter or summer, they are all there - characters ranging from Jack Sparrow to Marilyn Monroe to Spiderman - working for tips while waiting for their big break. 

Matt Ogens focuses on four of these hard working individuals as they dedicate their lives to  becoming famous - regardless of the cost to their home lives and own mental well-being.

The subjects of this documentary are, of course, Dennis, who was the first Superman on Hollywood Boulevard; Max Allen who dresses as Batman and deals with intense anger issues; Jennifer Garrett, the Tennessee-born pastor's daughter, also known as Wonder Woman; and Joe McQueen, who lumbers around in a large, bulky Incredible Hulk costume.

The film also has a few interviews with the beat cops who stroll Hollywood Boulevard, making sure that the characters are respecting the line between public and private property and aren't terrorizing the tourists. Their job is mostly benign, and a few of the cops actually get to know the regulars - asking how their kids are, how their day is going and if they've had any auditions lately.

I had seen the costume characters on television and movies that take place in Los Angeles, but I always thought that these were either professional extras or hired by movie studios for promotional purposes. But this is quite the opposite. These costume characters are mostly independent workers, accepting tips from tourists. They are not allowed to approach people and ask if they want a picture, and then demand payment - that is considered panhandling. Therefore, they have no control over their take of the day. "On a bad day," Jennifer Garrett says, "I will make thirty dollars. On a good day, I will make $150 an hour."

Confessions of a Superhero is as light as it is dark. While it seems like fun to learn about the people who sped their days dressing up as superheros and popular characters, it turns out that most of them - or at least the ones featured in this film - are pretty miserable. Well, not really miserable, but they do have their troubles.

Christopher Dennis, for example, calls himself a "historian of Superman and keeper of artifacts". His girlfriend, who studies psychology, calls him "obsessive". Shots of his apartment show that it is covered from floor to ceiling with Superman memorabilia, toys, posters and figurines - an estimated $90,000 worth of merchandise.

Max Allen, who once worked as a George Clooney impersonator, has a history of violent behavior and may or may not have been involved with the mafia. His past jobs also include stunt driving, boxing, and bodyguarding. He holds several black belts and has received Special Forces training. He attends anger management therapy, in full Batman costume. The cops have been called on him for scaring people, and aggressive begging.

Jennifer Garrett dropped out of college to move to Los Angeles and become an actress. On her fourth day in town, she met a man at a seminar. Two weeks later, they were married in Las Vegas. However, after several years, their marriage is quickly disintegrating. She admits that their spark is gone and he no longer excites her. At one point in the film, Jennifer has a meeting with her talent agent, who refers to her as a "sexy, curvy woman", though Jennifer is no more than a size eight.

Joe McQueen sold his video game system to buy a one way bus ticket out of North Carolina to Hollywood. He dealt with homelessness for four years while struggling to make it as an actor. He admits that he loathes dressing up as the Hulk on Hollywood Boulevard. "I feel like a loser. I didn't come out here to...make chump change."

The four performers constantly struggle with being in the position that they are in. The only one who seems content with themselves is Christopher. He really commits to his role as Superman, addressing the tourists as "citizens", lecturing a man dressed as Spiderman for smoking in front of the tourists. "Superheros don't smoke," he says. One Marilyn Monroe complains to him that she has not made one dollar all day, and Christopher reminds her that "tipping is not mandatory". On record heat days in Los Angeles, Christopher invites Jennifer back to his apartment so that they can soak themselves and their costumes in cold water. Meanwhile, the temperature reaches 130 degrees inside Joe's Hulk costume.

During the time that this movie was being filmed, two costumed characters made news headlines after they were arrested for aggressive begging. Footage of "Elmo" and "Mr. Incredible" being handcuffed and shoved into the back of police cars were all over YouTube and local news outlets. While the publicity did a lot for the other costumed characters - some were raking in thousands of dollars a day in tips - they became more on edge. Undercover police officers took to walking Hollywood Boulevard to make sure that the performers were complying with the rules. However, it turned out to not be much of a problem. Late night talk show hosts were clamoring to get them for interviews. Magazines and newspapers ran articles on them. Christopher Dennis  was even featured in a coffee table book about the performers on Hollywood Boulevard.

I had mixed feelings about Confessions of a Superhero. I thought it would be more of a lighthearted romp about people who get to live out their childhood fantasies by dressing up as their favorite characters/celebrities. But, like the superheroes that these actors portray, their lives aren't picture perfect. Max Allen is just as troubled and dark as Batman. Christopher Dennis struggles to find his place in the world, like Superman. It's almost as if the costumes reflect their own psychology. Director Matt Ogens did a fair job of portraying the struggles of the Hollywood Boulevard character actors. It wasn't my favorite documentary and it did drag a bit, however, if you're interested in a really fascinating stance on comic book characters/superheroes and psychology, this is what you'd want to watch.