Critics Pumped for Steroids Doc

Documentary follows four infants in four countries

(NEWSER) - Critics are generally won over by Babies, a documentary that follows four infants' first years in San Francisco, Mongolia, Tokyo, and Namibia. Some samples:

• Wesley Morris, Boston Globe : "As an advertisement for the wonders of figuring out how to be alive, the movie is an engaging proposition."
• Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times : "The 'awww' without the 'shock' definitely makes Babies a very huggable movie experience, just not a primer on parenthood."

Beastie Boy produces shallow but pleasing documentary

(NEWSER) - Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot, the second documentary from Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, is no Hoop Dreams, but critics predict a slam-dunk with roundball and hip-hop aficionados. The film follows eight high school phenoms through a high-profile Harlem pick-up game and “offers a snapshot of the kind of top players who one day hope to have a shoe named after them,” writes Variety’s Ronnie Scheib. More»

Morgan Spurlock helms documentary on advertising

(NEWSER) - Morgan Spurlock, the guy behind Super Size Me, calls his latest documentary—an exploration of our ad-obsessed culture—The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. And critics seem to agree:

• Spurlock “has this habit of making documentaries that come hidden in the Trojan horse of silly and then stab at your conscience,” writes Peter Travers in Rolling Stone . “As ever, he makes you laugh till it hurts.”

10- to 12-hour documentary will air in 2016

(NEWSER) - Ken Burns' next project will wade into the quagmire known as America's "war of lost illusions:" Vietnam. PBS announced the project, already in production, yesterday, reports Time, and expects to air it in 2016. Burns mentioned a Vietnam project in 2007 when promoting The War, but said he wanted to wait until veterans were "at the age where their advancing age will provide them with the kind of perspectives that we've been able to tap into for this film." More»

Film includes 'outright falsehoods:' letter

(NEWSER) - It's not uncommon for industries to try and discredit documentaries that harm their image, but this time, an energy group is appealing directly to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Energy in Depth wants to make sure the Academy knows that Gasland should not be considered for an Oscar because of its "many errors, inconsistencies, and outright falsehoods," according to a letter from the group. More»