💞 Happy Thursday! I hope your week is going well!
Today’s recommendation is for Crip Camp (2020), streaming on Netflix, a new documentary produced by the Obamas that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Directed by James Lebrecht & Nicole Newnham // ⏱ 107 mins // 🎭 Documentary
Here’s what it’s about:
In the 1970s just outside of Woodstock, New York a camp where disabled teens and their hippie counselors lived in debaucherous harmony became the spark for a national movement that eventually led to the Americans with Disabilities Act. [Trailer]
Why you should watch it:
So much of what makes Crip Camp successful is its perspective. The movie allows the campers and the counselors of the titular Camp Jened to tell their story in their own words — co-director James Lebrecht was even a camper. That allows the nuances of the experience of being a disabled person to be explored. The campers get to truly own their narrative.
While the movie is largely presented as a standard documentary, footage shot at the camp by the People’s Video Theater in cinema verite style gives it a genuine quality that helps you connect with the subjects even more. In this time where Gen Z is leading so much of our progress, Crip Camp is a reminder that youth in revolt can be so powerful.
📺 Buy or Rent: Crip Camp is only available to stream on Netflix.
In movie news
A glimmer of CGI hope 🍿
After months with their lights out, movie theaters in China are slowly reopening after the coronavirus pandemic is reaching its end. To celebrate, theaters are re-releasing some of the biggest movies of all time.
Hollywood blockbusters including 20th Century’s Avatar, Warner Bros’ Inception and Interstellar, and all four of Marvel’s Avengers movies will be re-released at local cinemas. Nationwide chains remain closed but have slowly begun to reopen.
Avatar and Avengers: Endgame having re-releases will be particularly interesting since Endgame beat out Avatar as the highest-grossing movie of all time by just $54m. James Cameron could win back his box office crown.
Chinese hits Wolf Warrior 2, The Wandering Earth and Wolf Totem will also be re-released with 100% of the ticket sales going to theaters — a reversal from the usual deal with distributors.
My take: As we in the U.S. are staring down a seemingly endless shut down, this news is a glimmer of hope for normalcy to return. Keep social distancing, ya’ll.
When theaters in the U.S. reopen, what blockbusters would you like to see re-released to celebrate? My answer: 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Empire Strikes Back, and Jaws.
That’s all for today. Do something out of the ordinary (indoors) this weekend and don’t forget to check in on each other!
See you Monday!
Karl (@karl_delo)