Summer

Eek, it's been a while. I've been blazing through the wintery-like Southern California summer, but of course have still found time to check out a bunch of new captivating docs.

HBO Documentaries has once again been showcasing a number of fine films in their esteemed, now annual Summer Series. I recently attended a screening for the film 12th and Delaware, an intense look at one Florida intersection where an abortion clinic and pro-life center sit within steps of each other. The incendiary abortion rights debate finds its ground zero here, in a daily battle for women at a crossroads (literally). That film stayed with me for a while.

I also have queued up on my dvr Smash His Camera, the story of pioneer paparazzo Ron Galella, whom you may remember as Jackie O's New York City street nemesis during the '70s and '80s. I can't wait to watch that one, nor Lucky - a film on the aftermath of winning the lottery.

My Sundance favorite, Gasland, also made the lineup - I'm glad their story of the consequences of natural gas fracking has reached a wider audience, to hopefully raise the level of public awareness and debate.

There are a number of other strong films - check them out Monday evenings on HBO. By the end of summer you will hopefully not only have a glowing tan, but be well versed on a plethora of fascinating stories from around the globe!

Elephants

I ventured downtown a few weekends ago to LA Live, the new venue for the Los Angeles Film Festival. While not a fan of the new location (long live Westwood!), I did enjoy a number of fine documentaries on topics including rogue economists, pastry chefs and elephants.

One Lucky Elephant, directed by Lisa Leeman, tells the heartwarming and bittersweet tale of Flora, an orphaned African elephant rescued from the wild and then raised by circus owner David Balding. When Flora starts to become restless in her circus life, Balding goes on a nearly ten-year quest to find the perfect home for her and struggles with the long-term effects of raising a wild elephant in captivity. It's a love story that ultimately weighs the complex issues of human emotions against the humane interests of our animals. And it made me cry. Much like the recent Mine documentary that just won the PBS Independent Lens 2010 Audience Award.

I have also been making my way through another true elephant tale, Modoc, a book by Hollywood animal trainer Ralph Helfer. The story of a boy and his elephant, born on the same day and raised together to share a lifetime of high adventures, is a truly captivating read.

You can watch the "elecam" of some of the elephants at Flora's current sanctuary here to get your video fix of majestic pachyderms in action.

Midnight Express

Do you remember that great line in the movie Airplane, where Peter Graves as Captain Oveur asks his young passenger, "Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?" So funny, right?

Yeah, well not if you're Billy Hayes. He's the subject of Nat Geo's new documentary "The Real Midnight Express", which is premiering next week as part of its new season of Locked Up Abroad. I screened the film last night at the Paley Center - one of my favorite venues in LA (and NY) to soak up media and pop culture.

You may remember Midnight Express, the Oscar®-winning movie from the late '70s starring Brad Davis and adapted by Oliver Stone from Hayes' book of the same name. The film dramatizes the story of Hayes' hashish drug arrest, imprisonment and daring escape from a brutual Turkish prison. It has been criticized over the years for its alteration of some events for dramatic effect and for its portrayal of the Turks, but remains a solid pick among prison films. Nat Geo is presenting the story as a documentary, anchored by an interview narration with Hayes and a dramatic re-enactment of his full story, which for the first time Hayes is able to share. He is past the point of being a wanted man in Turkey - as he noted in a Q&A last night, he was actually invited back there for an event not so long ago - but his story still fascinates. He was accompanied by attorney Dick Atkins, who worked on Hayes' case and has helped thousands of Americans since get out of legal trouble abroad (and is now going to be in my rolodex next time I venture outside of the U.S.!). Atkins' tip: buy low-cost travel insurance, which helps provide assistance with many international emergencies.

Or I say, just stay home and watch documentaries instead!