Prison Docs: From Inside Out

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July 15, 2010 / Posted by: Amy Beth Arkawy / Category: Movies, New Media, Social Issues/Trends


Can a movie change the world? Omar Broadway, a brash prisoner with a hip-hop swagger to match his name, smuggled a camera into Northern State Prison in New Jersey-one of the country’s toughest prisons. A few years later-with the help of his mom, a professional documentary filmmaker, and maybe a few errant guards–the movie based on the raw footage he and his cellie Buddy Randoolph shot in 2004–has been shown at the Tribeca Film Festival and featured on HBO. Read more in my latest NJP review:
Omar Broadway Film: Prison Through An Insider’s Lens | NEWS JUNKIE POST

And, hey, would it kill you to tweet, digg &/or comment? BTW: for those who insist I’m a paid HBO shill ( I’d wish you’d alert the cable outlet, because for some reason my imaginary checks seem to be perpetually lost in th mail), I’m happy to report you can track it down on DVD, too.

Prison Valley,” the brainchild of a pair of French filmmakers, started as a web slide show, evolved into an interactive ( and sometimes technically frustrating) interactive web documentary, and now may be coming to a big –or small–screen near you. Stay tuned for details. For a sneak peak check out the PV web site. I’ll warn you, it’s very time-consuming, but worth the trip through a Colorado community in which prison has infused both the local economy and culture. A fascinating, frustrating, sad sign of our times. Prison is one America’s surest business bets. An industry like undertaking, that never seems to have a slow season.

There’s got to be a better way America. Let’s think of something.

Drive safe. Play nice. Think peace.

aba

The Secret Dream Life of Barack Obama

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March 06, 2010 / Posted by: Amy Beth Arkawy / Category: New Media, Politics

The twisted geniuses at Funny or Die have cooked up a comic tirade to push people to push politicians to pass the Consumer Protection Act that will curtail greedy credit card company practices. This truly inspired sketch reunites all the “SNL” presidents: Chevy Chase as Ford; Dan Aykroyd as ( a very chunky) Carter; Jim Carrey as Reagan; Dana Carvey as Bush 41; Darrell Hammond as Clinton; Will Ferrell as Bush 43 and Fred Armisen as Obama. Maya Rudolph plays Michelle.
Hilarity on a mission. Check out Funny or Die for more ingenious videos.

Drive safe. Play nice. Think peace.

aba