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Showing posts with the label Corey Johnson

September 5 | Average Guy Movie Review

The 1972 Olympic hostage crisis, as seen from the perspective of the ABC  Sports crew who reported it live from Munich. Learning on the fly, they were the first to broadcast an incident of this kind live around the world. This is one of those stories that not only explores a major historical event, it exposes the viewer to a mostly unseen viewpoint, and does it very well. Over the course of a fairly brisk 90 minutes, writer/director Tim Fehlbaum, along with writers Moritz Binder and Alex David drop us into the world of live TV, circa 1972. Thanks in no small part to some clever use of real footage,  September 5 is both an eye-opening look at what it takes to produce a live broadcast, and a weird way to view such a horrible event. The cramped quarters of the ABC offices in the Olympic park feel very detached from the terrible tragedy that was unfolding just down the road. The trouble is, that taut 90 minute runtime may add a degree of intensity, but it can also give you the i...

The Mauritanian | Average Guy Movie Review

The story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Tahar Rahim), a man who was believed to have been involved in the planning of 9/11. He was held at Guantanamo Bay for years without trial. Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley) were the lawyers who took his case, and Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch) was the military lawyer assigned to prosecute. What they discovered was a a case built on flimsy, circumstantial evidence and forced confessions. Based on Slahi's book 'Guantanamo Diary' (which he wrote while still incarcerated) this is a shocking look at US counter-terrorism activities after 9/11, and how that event was used to justify "questionable" actions. In that way it would make an eye-opening double feature with The Report  starring Adam Driver - both movies are available on Amazon Prime Video. Much like The Report , this is a story that should be told. And not just for Mohamedou, but for all those who were locked up at Guantanamo for years witho...