filmography – Media Services News

Browse the history of the small screen in our new television filmography

We recently added dozens of television shows, bringing our collection total to nearly 400 television show. The time seemed right to assemble a formal list of every series in our collection, so after weeks of hard work and formatting from our staff, we bring you our new Television Shows filmography. In addition to the master … Continue reading “Browse the history of the small screen in our new television filmography”

In addition to the master list of shows, we’ve broken up our television collection by genre and, most importantly for television studies, the era the show was released. For the most part, that means distinguishing them by decade (80s shows were very different from 90s shows), but the filmography also sets space aside for the two “Golden Ages” of television in the 50s and 2000s. If you just want to study or watch post-war Leave It to Beaver-type sitcoms, you can now find what we have in stock much more easily.

(It might seem bizarre to put Reno 911! in the Second Golden Age of Television, but it rode the same wave as other critically acclaimed scripted shows!)

We hope this filmography makes your research in television just a little easier. If you’re looking for something similar in the realm of film, we have a separate section of films by subject area.

Documentarians name their 50 favorite documentaries

We’re suckers for any good, contentious list of best films. Whenever a publication puts together their top 300 films or the best horror movies, it inevitably has a few holes, which is an opportunity to talk about what makes art great. (It also give us justification to argue about movies.) The latest “best of” roundup … Continue reading “Documentarians name their 50 favorite documentaries”

The latest “best of” roundup comes from The Guardian, which asked top documentary filmmakers, including the directors of Waste Land and Man on Wire, to name their favorite documentaries. The usual suspects make the list – Hoop Dreams, Capturing the Friedmans, and The Thin Blue Line makes appearances – as well as a few odder names. (We’re pleased to see the inclusion of The Five Obstructions, a Lars von Trier experiment about the process of producing a film under increasingly absurd limitations.)

The list reflects a wide variety of styles, from Holocaust documentary Night and Fog to the strange meta-story of Sherman’s March. The Guardian’s fifty films are an excellent sampling of the genre. And since the contributors point out that their selections are only reflective of their own tastes, not the whole state of documentary filmmaking, it’s hard to quibble with the choices.

Most if every film on this list is available to watch at Media Services in the AU Library. We’ve also put together our own list of the 500 most essential documentaries in our collection. Both lists are great starting points if you’ve wanted to watch more documentaries but aren’t sure where to begin.

Alternative programming: How about a different holiday?

From The Native Americans We probably don’t need to recap the reasons why Columbus Day has lost favor in the past few years. Ask your favorite history professor or the ghost of Howard Zinn. But, if you’re looking for more material about the real history of Columbus’s expeditions and the lives of Native Americans we … Continue reading “Alternative programming: How about a different holiday?”

From The Native Americans

We probably don’t need to recap the reasons why Columbus Day has lost favor in the past few years. Ask your favorite history professor or the ghost of Howard Zinn.

But, if you’re looking for more material about the real history of Columbus’s expeditions and the lives of Native Americans we are happy to supply you with a few relevant videos. Many groups are pushing to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day, so we’d like to tear down the old history narrative at the same time as celebrating the people who should really get the credit for being here first.

Rather than listing individual titles this time, we’ll point you to our Indigenous Peoples of the Americas filmography. The general filmography list has some stirring videos about historical narrative and revisionism, but you’ll most likely want to look at the U.S. / Canada page, which focuses on both the effect of Europe’s expeditions and current Native American life and media portrayals.

That list includes many streaming titles, so you can watch them instantly from your device of choice. It’s certainly a better way to spend an hour than continuing to observe this very strange holiday.

New resource: Films for Teaching School of Communications Topics

Our Media Librarian, Chris Lewis, has been hard at work on a new sources for faculty (and students!) in the School of Communication. His new subject guide, “Films/Videos for Teaching School of Communication Topics,” compiles lists of useful films on over a dozen communication topics, including political communication, public speaking, and dissident media. This is … Continue reading “New resource: Films for Teaching School of Communications Topics”

This is a valuable new resource for faculty looking to add films to their courses, but it’s also useful for students who want to use films as a resource for their papers or projects. A number of SOC classes require students to watch documentaries of their choosing, and this as a great way to find a relevant movie.

If you aren’t in SOC, don’t fret: We also have a broader index of filmographies which go more in-depth about specific subjects other than communications

Filmography – Jewish Studies

The Media Services contribution to the Library Subject Guides is a selective list of video holdings in the American University Library. Filmographies are created by doing multiple keyword searches in the ALADIN catalog to capture as many titles on a topic as possible. For complete up-to-date holdings (including VHS tapes) please refer to the library … Continue reading “Filmography – Jewish Studies”

Most streaming videos listed are available exclusively to AU students, staff and faculty after an online authentications by AUID#.

Here’s a sneak peak at what can be found in the JEWISH STUDIES Filmography

2000 years of freedom and honor the Cochin Jews of India. 1997. 1 videodisc (80 min.). Jews arrived in India over 1900 years ago. Throughout the years, though deeply loyal to India, they prayed for their return to Zion. Film captures the conflicting emotions of two generations of Cochini Jews. The elderly, heartbroken by the mass emigration of the younger generation to Israel, and their children, who as young parents could only envision a bright future as Jews in Israel. Explores the religious, cultural and economic life of the Cochini Jews in the native India and also follows the younger generation to a new life as Israelis. DVD 5907

Blacks & Jews. 1997. 1 video file (85 min.). Early in the 20th century black and Jewish Americans joined forces against bigotry and for civil rights but in the late 1960’s each group turned inward and the coalition fell apart. This film examines the history of this collaboration and recent racial conflicts between Afro-Americans and Jews and attempts at understanding and reconciliation, with particular emphasis on events in New York City and Oakland, California. DVD 5698 and Streaming video

Budrus. 2011. 1 videodisc (82 min.). They not only save the village, but the Barrier is pushed back behind the Green Line into No Man’s Land. In the process, Ayed and Iltezam unleash an inspiring, yet little-known, movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories that is still gaining ground today. In an action-filled documentary featuring archival footage of this movement from its infancy, Budrus will inspire and challenge audiences worldwide. DVD 8309

Dreamers and builders. 2006. 1 videodisc (60 min.). “The early builders of the Zionist vision, pioneers of the Third Aliyah and the Fourth Aliyah of the 1920s, have been captured on film for time in memoriam by the father of Hebrew film, Ya’akov Ben Dov. Based on three films – Return to Zion, Rebirth of a New Palestine, Romance of Palestine – which were considered lost for more than 70 years”–Container. DVD 7146

The Jewish Americans. 2008. 2 videodiscs (360 min.). Chronicles the 350 year saga of immigrants who gradually wove themselves into the fabric of American life without abandoning their cherished traditions. DVD 3812 and Streaming video
part 1
part 2
part 3

Shtetl. 2009. 1 videodisc (180 min.). Tells the homecoming story of two elderly Polish-American Jews who return to their families’ small village from which most of the Jews had been sent to Treblinka’s gas chambers. Captures these pilgrims as they face old neighbors, some betrayers, some saviors. Interviews Polish Jews in America and Israel who were holocaust survivors or emigrated in the late 1930’s. DVD 5865

See the full Jewish Studies filmography here.

Filmography – Films on Filmmaking and Filmmakers

Most streaming videos listed are available exclusively to AU students, staff and faculty after an online authentications by AUID#.

Here’s a sneak peak at what can be found in the FILMS ON FILMMAKING & FILMMAKERS Filmography:

American movie :the making of Northwestern. Sony Pictures classics. 2000. 1 videodisc (104 min.). Documentary of the two-year effort by Mark Borchardt to finish his “no-budget horror film, Coven.”. DVD 131

Baadasssss! 2004. 1 videodisc (109 min.). A candid portrait of Melvin Van Peeble’s struggles as a young, black director during the society-shifting 70’s. Determined to make a film that matters, Melvin deals with two-faced backers, a rag-tag crew, threatening creditors, and various shades of Hollywood hypocrisy. With everything on the line, his only choice is to stick to his guns and do whatever it takes to get his neo-blaxploitation epic to the audience for which it was envisioned. DVD 2941

Chop socky Cinema Hong Kong. 2005. 1 videodisc (55 min.). This offers an in-depth look at Hong Kong’s wu xia film legacy and its influence on global cinema. From its earliest roots in Beijing Opera to Quentin Tarantino’s tribute to Hong Kong martial arts action in Kill Bill, Vol. 2. All of the bases are covered, from Hong Kong cinema’s first martial-arts hero, Wong Fei Hung, to the balletic choreography of Chang Che. Includes the “one-punch” impact of Bruce Lee and the evolution of kung-fu comedy as epitomized by Jackie Chan. The Hong Kong technique of editing-in-camera is thoroughly demonstrated in a multi-screen sequence, and abundant film clips provide tantalizing samples of the genre’s classic films. DVD 1207

Forbidden Hollywood collection. 2009. 1 videodisc (152 min.). Wild Bill: Explores the life and directorial times of William A. Wellman. The men who made the movies: Wellman shares many stories and speaks bluntly of the producers with who he has worked and describes his remarkable star-making and star-spotting abilities. He was responsible for helping actors win Oscars and discovered such notable actors as James Cagney and Gary Cooper. DVD 5794

Kurosawa. 2002. 1 videodisc (215 min.). A documentary of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa featuring his family, colleagues and critics from Japan and America commenting on the man and his films. Includes excerpts from many of his famous works. DVD 392

A letter to Elia. 2010. 1 videodisc (82 min.). Martin Scorsese directs and narrates this look at director Elia Kazan. From his triumphs with films such as On the Waterfront to his controversial naming of names during the McCarthy hearings, Kazan is shown in all his complexity. DVD 7741

Nanook revisited. 2005. 1 videodisc (55 min.). The filmmakers revisit Inukjuak, the Inuit village where Flaherty filmed Nanook of the North. Examines the realities behind the ground-breaking documentary and the changes since it was made almost 70 years ago. Shows the reactions of the Inuit living in the village, to the film, and also looks at the inaccuracies and staged scenes in the original. DVD 6795

Sidney Lumet. The directors. 2002. 1 videodisc (60 min.). Profile of director Sidney Lumet, featuring extensive film clips and interviews with actors who have worked with him. DVD 570

Stanley Kubrick: A life in pictures. Stanley Kubrick collection. 2001. 1 videodisc (143 min.). Documentary about the career of director Stanley Kubrick, drawing on Kubrick archives and offering an intimate portrait of his life among family and friends. DVD 2787

See the full Films on Filmmaking and Filmmakers filmography here.

Filmography – William Shakespeare

Most streaming videos listed are available exclusively to AU students, staff and faculty after an online authentications by AUID#.

Here’s a small sampling of what can be found in the WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Filmography:

All’s well that ends well. 2000. 1 videodisc (141 min.). William Shakespeare’s comedy about Helena, the new wife of Count Bertram, who resorts to chicanery to win the respect and affection of her husband. DVD 3191

All’s well that ends well. 1980. The complete dramatic works of William Shakespeare. 1 streaming video (142 min.). William Shakespeare’s comedy about Helena, the new wife of Count Bertram, who resorts to chicanery to win the respect and affection of her husband. Streaming video

Hamlet The Royal Shakespeare Company Production Starring David Tennant. 2009. 1 streaming video file (215 min.). Called the greatest Hamlet of his generationby Guardian reviewer Robert McCrum, Scottish actor David Tennant headlines this edgy film version of the acclaimed 2008 Royal Shakespeare Company stage production. Tennant is supported by a host of gifted players-including the impeccable Patrick Stewart as Claudius and Oliver Ford Davies in an astonishing performance as a doddering yet strangely leonine Polonius. Modern costumes, shrewd textual abridgements, and a recurring motif of high-tech video surveillance all connect the play to 21st-century anxieties, but these attributes in no way eclipse Tennant’s forceful mixture of rage, sorrow, and manic humor. Original broadcast title: Hamlet. An Illuminations/Royal Shakespeare Company Production. (2 parts, 88 minutes and 94 minutes). Streaming video

Henry VI Part I. 2000. 1 videodisc (185 min.). A dramatization by Shakespeare of King Henry VI’s early days as king and the beginning of the long civil wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster. In the war with France, England is being driven off French soil. True to the popular view of the time, the French heroine Joan of Arc is characterized as a “minister of hell” and a wanton. DVD 3201

Henry VI Part II. 2000. 1 videodisc (212 min.). A drama of the civil war between The House of York and The House of Lancaster. Henry marries Lady Margaret of Anjou, but she despises him for his meekness and takes Suffolk as a lover. The new Queen, who also hates the Yorks (the White Roses), becomes the inspiration of the Lancastrians (the Red Roses). She and her followers are pitted against Richard, Duke of York, and his supporters, who include the Earl of Warwick, also known as “the King maker.”. DVD 3202

Henry VI Part III. 2000. 1 videodisc (210 min.). Concludes the King Henry VI chronicles with the War of the Roses. York, as victor at St. Albans, contemptuously forces Henry to give him succession to the crown. The merciless Margaret captures and kills York, only to be captured herself and compelled to watch as the Yorkists slay her son. In a powerful soliloquy, the vile Duke of Gloucester reveals his plans to murder Henry VI. DVD 3203

Macbeth. 1982. The complete dramatic works of William Shakespeare. 1 streaming video (148 min.). Driven by ambition and an unscrupulous wife, Macbeth murders the King of Scotland and claims the throne for himself. Haunted by ghosts and vexed by witches, he and his wife descend into the depths of madness and paranoia as they crumble beneath the weight of their crimes. Streaming video

Macbeth A Critical Guide. 1997. 1 streaming video file (33 min.). In this program, the major themes of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedy are investigated by noted experts. Analyzing key scenes from an award-winning film production, Professor Robert Smallwood of the Shakespeare Centre and Professor Stanley Wells of the Shakespeare Institute examine how the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth changes during the course of the play; how Banquo’s character serves as a counterpart to Macbeth’s; whether Macbeth’s character is at all admirable; and whether the play confirms that all tragedies are uniformly pessimistic. Host Graham MacTavish, an actor with the Stratford Shakespeare Company, establishes context and background for the play. (33 minutes). Streaming video

Macbeth Shakespeare for the Modern Age. 2003. 1 streaming video file (37 min.). This condensed adaptation of Macbeth, performed by experienced Shakespearean actors of the innovative Big Adventures Theatre Company, uses the Bard’s own immortal words to tell the story of Duncan King, head of King Enterprises, and his scheming employee, Macbeth, recently awarded the coveted Cawdor contract. After Macbeth’s fateful meeting with three saucy witches-not on the heath, but at the Heath Nightclub-the tragedy unfolds, leading to the inevitable showdown in which Macduff shoots Macbeth. E-mail, cell phones, and stretch limos all have their place in this intriguing film. Guaranteed to catch the interest of teenage and adult viewers alike. (37 minutes). Streaming video

Shakespeare in love. 1998. 1 videodisc (122 min.). When Will Shakespeare needs inspiration to break a bad case of writer’s block, a secret romance with the beautiful Lady Viola starts the words flowing like never before! There are just two things he’ll have to learn about his new love; not only is she promised to marry someone else, she’s successfully impersonating a man in order to play the lead in Will’s latest production. HOME USE COLLECTION DVD 76

Silent Shakespeare. 1999. 1 videodisc (89 min). In the early days of the cinema, pioneer filmmakers created these seven charming films based on the plays of William Shakespeare. Considered a “lowbrow” medium, the fledgling movie industry sought to elevate its status by immortalizing the classics and hiring the actors of the day. Most of these early photoplays were only one or two reels long but whatever they gave up in language and length, they made up for in exuberance, cinematic artistry, visual wit and bravura acting. Some films feature original hand-stenciled color. DVD 193

Titus Andronicus. 1985. The complete dramatic works of William Shakespeare. 1 streaming video (168 min.). William Shakespeare’s tragedy set in Roman times dealing with the revenge of Titus Andronicus for the atrocities committed against his family by Tamora, the captive queen of the Goths, and her faction. Streaming video

Titus. 2000. 2 videodiscs (ca. 162 min.). Presents the story of a victorious Roman general whose rigid code of honor and duty proves to be his downfall. A shocking journey into the depths of the human heart, a place where vengeance and passion reign supreme. DVD 197

See the full two part Willam Shakespeare filmography here.

Filmography – Food Production

Most streaming videos listed are available exclusively to AU students, staff and faculty after an online authentications by AUID#.

Here’s a sneak peak at what can be found in the FOOD PRODUCTION Filmography:

Colony. 2011. 1 videodisc (88 min.). Few people realize that honey bees pollinate one-third of our fruits and vegetables. In fact, these incredible insects play a vital role in producing our food and ensuring our survival. Investigated are the circumstances and the impacts of ‘colony collapse disorder’ with focus on beekeepers dealing with the crisis. As these families and individuals struggle to understand this lethal problem, they illuminate the devastating effects of bee extinction not just on bees, but on people. HOME USE COLLECTION DVD 8299

The end of the line. National Geographic Ocean Now: National Geographic ocean now. 2009. 1 videodisc (83 min.). “[This film] charts the devastating ecological impact of overfishing by interweaving both local and global stories of sharply declining fish populations, including the imminent extinction of the bluefin tuna, and illuminates how our modern fishing capacities far outstrip the survival abilities of any ocean species. Scientists explain how this depletion has slipped under the public radar and outline the catastrophic future that awaits us — an ocean without fish by 2048 — if we do not adjust our fishing and consumption practices.” — Container. DVD 7260

Food, Inc. 2009. 1 videodisc (94 min.). Lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing how our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profits ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Reveals surprising – and often shocking truths – about what we eat, how it’s produced and who we have become as a nation. DVD 6527

The future of food. 2005. 2 videodiscs (ca. 88 min.). An in-depth investigation of the disturbing truth behind unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade and an exploration of alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture. DVD 2357

Thirsty planet. Thirsty planet. 2004. 1 videodisc (27 min.). Looks at the use of water for agriculture from locations around the world, surveying both disasters of agricultural irrigation, such as cotton farming in Uzbekistan, and innovative successes in water-efficient techniques and crops, such as in California and India. Also looks at the destructive effects of deforestation and overgrazing, the difficulty of fighting erosion and reclaiming arable soil, and the urgency of the motto: more crop per drop. DVD 1835 and Streaming Video

Filmography – Health and Fitness

Most streaming videos listed are available exclusively to AU students, staff and faculty after an online authentications by AUID#.

Here’s a sneak peak at what can be found in the HEALTH AND FITNESS Filmography

All jacked up: Hungry for the truth? 2008. 1 videodisc (110 min.). “All jacked up is an angst-driven portrait of four teenagers who discover the truth about their obsessive, addictive, and emotion-fueled eating habits.” DVD 4040

Ayurveda the art of being. 2004. 1 videodisc (102 min.). Ayurveda, the “science of life”, one of the oldest holistic medical systems in the world. Originating in India more than 5000 years ago, and spreading to Tibet, China and Japan, this uncanny intersection of science, medicine and magic is only now receiving serious study in the West. DVD 872

Beauty mark Body image & the race for perfection. 2009. 1 videodisc (53 min.). “[Diana] Israel, a Boulder-based psychotherapist and former champion triathlete, talks candidly about her long and agonizing personal struggle with eating disorders and obsessive exercising, fearlessly confronting her own painful past as she attempt to come to terms with American culture’s unhealthy fixation on self-destructive ideals of beauty and competitiveness. The film lends context to Israel’s personal odyssey with fascinating insights from athletes, bodybuilders, fashion models, and inner-city teens, as well as prominent cultural critics and authors” — Container. DVD 6876

Healing and the mind. 2009. 3 videodiscs (318 min.). Ancient medical science told us our minds and bodies are one. So did philosophers of old. Now modern science and new research are helping us to understand these connections. Bill Moyers talks with physicians, scientists, therapists, and patients — people who are taking a new look at the meaning of sickness and health. He discusses their search for answers today? How do thoughts and feelings influence health? How can we collaborate with our bodies to encourage healing? DVD 5711 – 5713

Incredible human machine. 2007. 1 videodisc and 1 streaming video (96 min.). Brilliantly designed and marvelous in its mechanics, the human body is incredible. With stunning footage and powerful first hand accounts, take a fantastic journey through an ordinary day in the life of the human body. Witness striking feats of medical advancement, from glimpses of open-brain surgery to real-time views of Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler’s vocal chords. Meet athletes and other unique people who push the human body to its ultimate limits. Take an exhilarating tour of the human body, from the inside out, to reveal the miraculous everyday workings of the incredible human machine. Features cutting-edge medical technology and groundbreaking CGI views. An update to the 1975 documentary. DVD 4660 and Streaming video
http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=8604&xtid=40765

See the full Health and Fitness filmography here.

Filmography – War and the Media

Most streaming videos listed are available exclusively to AU students, staff and faculty after an online authentications by AUID#.

Here’s a sneak peak at what can be found in the recently updated WAR AND THE MEDIA Filmography:

Bill Moyers journal. Bill Moyers journal: Moyers collection. 2007. 1 videodisc (58 min.). “Tracing a President’s steps in escalating war, this edition of the Journal looks back to Lyndon Johnson’s deliberations on U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Using a compilation of excerpts from taped conversations in which LBJ wrestled with what to do in Southeast Asia, Bill Moyers draws a parallel between two very different men united, across time, by their role as Commander-in-Chief. “Granted, Barack Obama is not Lyndon Johnson, Afghanistan is not Vietnam, and this is now, not then. But listen and you will hear echoes and refrains that resonate today,” says Moyers.”–Container. DVD 6797

Frontline journalists: Death and danger in Afghanistan. 2008. 1 videodisc (50 min.). This documentary showcases the chaos and extreme dangers that journalists face in the most war-torn areas of the world. DVD 4209

Imaginary witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust. 2009. 1 videodisc (92 min.). This documentary examines the American film and television industry’s response to the rise of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi persecution of the Jews before, during, and after World War II. Uses film clips, newsreel footage and interviews of filmmakers and Holocaust survivors. DVD 8070

The war briefing. 2008. (60 min.). Examines the policy choices the next president will face as he inherits an overstretched military, frayed alliances, and wars on two fronts. Features strategists and diplomats discussing how to correct past failures and how to shape a realistic foreign policy approach in the war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Presents on-the-ground reporting from the deadliest battlefield in the mountains of Afghanistan and follows the trail to the militant safe havens deep inside the Pakistani tribal areas. DVD 1085 and Streaming video
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warbriefing/view/

See the full War and the Media filmography here.