Review: Summer Docs on Maternal Health, Don McLean, Nolan Ryan

“Replica”

In the United States, much of the conversation surrounding pregnancy — whether it’s about abortion or carrying a child to term — is more about the health of the fetus than that of the mother. Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee’s documentary Aftershock argues that this has become a huge problem, compounded by an overburdened healthcare system that often rushes patients to an acceptable outcome rather than carefully considering their needs. “Aftershock” suggests the situation is particularly dire in the black community, which has historically been underserved by doctors and nurses.

“Aftershock” was partially inspired by the deaths of two women, Shamony Gibson and Amber Rose Isaac, due to complications in childbirth, and is about the continued efforts of their surviving loved ones to draw attention to what is not was not going. Eiselt and Lee explain how these families — and especially fathers left behind by their partner’s death — always deal with unexpected loss. The film also provides history lessons on how black women have been exploited or ignored by the medical establishment.

The most gripping parts of “Aftershock” follow a black couple from Tulsa, Okla. – Felicia and Paul Ellis – as they try to defend themselves and their future baby, armed with the knowledge of all the potentially bad outcomes. As the day of delivery approaches, even heading to a patient-centered birthing center, their whole experience is nerve-wracking in a way it shouldn’t be — which brings out the point of view of this film.

“Replica”. TV-MA. 1h26. Available on Hulu

“It’s GWAR”

At the start of Scott Barber’s documentary “This Is GWAR,” former heavy metal band dancer and backing vocalist Danielle Stampe (aka Slymenstra Hymen) sums up why the band’s over-the-top, gross, and wildly theatrical stage shows have been such a favorite. cult for more than 30 years. She says a lot of people first watch GWAR on a lark, expecting something trashy, but then become enthralled by the musicality, creativity and storytelling of the act. Newcomers soon realize that this seemingly very silly art-horror comedy project is, according to Stampe, “a joke without a punchline.”

Barber’s film offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the GWAR phenomenon, using candid interviews with most of the surviving members and ex-members (including those who left with a grudge) and extensive footage of the band dating back to its origins in the late 1980s Richmond, Virginia punk scene. Because GWAR began as a potential sci-fi art film collaboration between local rocker Dave Brockie and some of his budding filmmaker buddies — and because much of the band’s output has had a visual component. – Barber had a lot of video documentation to pull from .

“This Is GWAR” is most entertaining in its first hour, when it comes to the band bursting into a ’90s pop culture that didn’t know how to deal with musicians dressed in oversized suits and acting like depraved alien warriors. The film’s second half is more disappointing, detailing the creative conflicts, ill-thought-out career moves, and drug addiction that took its toll on GWAR. But it’s still an oddly inspiring film, celebrating how clever DIY aesthetics and twisted vision can almost always find a receptive audience.

“It’s GWAR.” Unclassified. 1h50. Available on Frisson

‘The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s “American Pie”

Don McLean’s eight-minute folk-rock epic “American Pie” has thrilled some listeners (and, let’s be honest, irritated others) since it first aired on radio in 1971. The documentary “The Day the Music Died” tells the story of the song like a collage, oscillating between a look back at McLean’s early career, testimonials from artists who covered and riffed on “American Pie” and vignettes on the original inspiration for the song: the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP “The Big Bopper” Richardson.

Director Mark Moormann (who once directed the superb rock documentary “Tom Dowd & the Language of Music”) has found many different entry points on this topic. Not all are successful. Musicians praising “American Pie” as an all-time great sometimes make this image feel like a puff piece; and the segments on Holly and Valens are too short and one-dimensional to do those legends justice. But “The Day the Music Died” really connects every time McLean begins to unravel where “American Pie” came from — including debunking some of the myths about the cryptic lyrics and describing the long process of writing and editing. ‘registration. In a way, the more McLean explains the song, the more wonderful it sounds.

“The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’. ” Unclassified. 1 hour 34 minutes. Available on Paramount+

‘Wheel’

Indie drama “The Wheel” suffers from some of the common issues of small-scale movies about relationships in crisis. The characters reveal themselves almost entirely through direct conversation rather than through action. The brooding soundtrack is all over the place, carrying too much emotional weight. And screenwriter Trent Atkinson and director Steve Pink are preparing for a big confrontation that turns out to be forced. Yet for all its formulaic flaws, “The Wheel” is exceptionally shrewd about how some couples avoid the hard truths about each other because they’re afraid of tearing their whole lives apart.

There are two couples in this photo: a bickering couple (played by Amber Midthunder and Taylor Gray) on a final mountain retreat to avoid divorce; and their Airbnb hosts (played by Bethany Anne Lind and Nelson Lee), who are days away from getting married before their guests’ problematic romance begins to expose theirs. The cast here is a game, and the filmmakers challenge them, putting them in situations where their characters can either keep lying to each other to preserve a slightly miserable status quo, or make a big change that might make them feel even more wrong. The path to these decisions is too direct and too simple, but to Atkinson and Pink’s credit, the end point is never obvious.

‘Wheel.’ Unclassified. 1 hour, 22 minutes. Available on VOD

“Facing Nolan”

The title of Bradley Jackson’s documentary, “Facing Nolan,” refers to a few moments in the film where some of the best Major League Baseball players of all time talk about what it was like to step into the box. batter against Nolan Ryan, a Hall of Famer who holds MLB’s all-time records for strikeouts and no-hits (and both by many). This kind of baseball talk is rarer than expected in “Facing Nolan,” which is mostly a fairly straight-forward biodoc, tracing Ryan’s life and career from his childhood days in rural Texas to his stints. with four major leagues. teams.

But while not formally groundbreaking, this doc is still a treat for die-hard baseball fans, who should enjoy seeing game footage from the 60s to the 90s. It’s also a sweet portrait of the the pitcher’s family, led by his wife, Ruth, who worked to ensure that one of America’s most famous athletes could lead a comfortable and more low-key home life. Sometimes “Facing Nolan” sounds more like a salute to Ruth than Nolan. But given how long she must have been a baseball player’s wife, the tribute is overdue.

“Facing Nolan.” Unclassified. 1h41. Available on VOD

“Dickie V”

ESPN’s early success was due in large part to the fledgling cable sports network’s adoption of college basketball as a way to fill hours of airtime in the 1980s. a lot to do with one of ESPN’s earliest analysts: Dick Vitale, a former coach with an upbeat attitude and infectious enthusiasm for the game. Vitale has been away from the mic a lot lately, battling cancer – something something covered in slice-of-life scenes throughout Nick Nanton’s “Dickie V” documentary. Much of Nanton’s film is about the inspiring story of this unlikely TV star, from his early success as a high school and college coach to the disastrous NBA stint that put him on the line. the ultimate path to becoming a cable pioneer. Throughout, Vitale has won over colleagues, fans, and the college basketball establishment — and will likely reach viewers of this film as well — with his commitment to spreading a message of teamwork, positivity, and self esteem. He’s an easy guy to support, just like he supports everyone.

‘Dickie V.’ Unclassified. 1h20. Available on ESPN+

Also streaming

“The Cinema of Mark Rappaport” collects over 30 features and shorts from the great American documentarian and experimental filmmaker, including well-known classics like ‘Rock Hudson’s Home Movies’ and ‘The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender’, as well as video essays and narrative dramas rarely seen. Rappaport has spent more than 50 years putting images and ideas from older films into new contexts, playfully and thoughtfully encouraging viewers to see and hear our shared cinematic language in new ways. Available on Kino now

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“God told me to” is one of exploitation auteur Larry Cohen’s finest films, turning the story of an NYPD detective (Tony LoBianco) and elusive killer into a wild tale of cults, aliens and secrets deep family. The new 4K UHD and Blu-ray edition includes several interviews and two commentary tracks, all of which attempt to dig below the surface of this strange and surprising 1976 B-movie masterpiece. blue metro