Each week within this column we strive to pair the latest in theatrical releases to the worthwhile titles currently available on Netflix Instant Watch.
As super-powered mutants do battle in multiplexes across the nation, a trio of indies will open in limited release, unleashing tales of love, acceptance, and protest. To take the heart-pounding, mind-broadening, soul-warming and/or consciousness-awakening experience home, try our selected picks from the libraries of Netflix’s streaming features.
—
X-Men: First Class
In this prequel to Bryan Singer’s genre-resurrecting X-Men, director Matthew Vaughn leaps back to 1963, where Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) is just beginning to lay the groundwork for his school, with the help of his best friend, Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender). Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, and Kevin Bacon co-star.
Kick-Ass (2010) The self-reflexive indie flick that brought Mark Millar’s gritty comic to life is also what scored director Vaughn the X-Men gig. Aaron Johnson...
As super-powered mutants do battle in multiplexes across the nation, a trio of indies will open in limited release, unleashing tales of love, acceptance, and protest. To take the heart-pounding, mind-broadening, soul-warming and/or consciousness-awakening experience home, try our selected picks from the libraries of Netflix’s streaming features.
—
X-Men: First Class
In this prequel to Bryan Singer’s genre-resurrecting X-Men, director Matthew Vaughn leaps back to 1963, where Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) is just beginning to lay the groundwork for his school, with the help of his best friend, Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender). Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, and Kevin Bacon co-star.
Kick-Ass (2010) The self-reflexive indie flick that brought Mark Millar’s gritty comic to life is also what scored director Vaughn the X-Men gig. Aaron Johnson...
- 6/2/2011
- by Kristy Puchko
- The Film Stage
Colin Beavan, who conducted a year-long experiment to live a zero-waste lifestyle, will be online from 1pm on Thursday 9 September
Colin Beavan was an ordinary New Yorker until he started a little blog called No Impact Man in 2007. As he put it at the time:
A guilty liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power, and generally becomes a tree-hugging lunatic who tries to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasons–loving wife along for the ride
Since then, Beavan's blog has claimed a large following online, been serialised in a book and turned into a film, which opened in the UK last week. Tomorrow at 1pm he joins us for a live web chat to answer your questions about his eco-experiment.
Want to know more about...
Colin Beavan was an ordinary New Yorker until he started a little blog called No Impact Man in 2007. As he put it at the time:
A guilty liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power, and generally becomes a tree-hugging lunatic who tries to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasons–loving wife along for the ride
Since then, Beavan's blog has claimed a large following online, been serialised in a book and turned into a film, which opened in the UK last week. Tomorrow at 1pm he joins us for a live web chat to answer your questions about his eco-experiment.
Want to know more about...
- 9/9/2010
- by Adam Vaughan
- The Guardian - Film News
The documentary Super Size Me recorded Morgan Spurlock's near suicidal decision to spend a month eating nothing but McDonald's junk food. This fascinating documentary follows New York writer Colin Beavan in the opposite direction when he decides to spend a year with his wife (a journalist on Business Week) and little daughter making no impact on the environment by rejecting meat, lavatory paper, electricity, restaurant meals etc etc. It's like a real-life American version of The Good Life but funnier, less smug and more instructive.
DocumentaryPhilip French
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds...
DocumentaryPhilip French
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds...
- 9/4/2010
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
This eco-documentary about living a low-impact lifestyle is undermined by irritating devices and ersatz drama, says Peter Bradshaw
Superdownsize Me could be the subtitle of this eco-conscious documentary, presented in all an too familiar format; it advances important and laudable ideas, but in a cliched, gimmicky way. Colin Beavan is a New York blogger and environmentalist who at the end of 2006 came up with an idea that soon made him a media darling – to his own elaborate, saucer-eyed surprise. For one year, he and his family will live a lifestyle that has "no impact" on the environment: no car-driving, no TV, no buying anything new, no unnecessary packaging, no electricity, and – gulp! – no toilet paper. What is supposed to make this story cute is that Colin's wife Michelle is a high-flying Business Week journalist with a Carrie-Bradshaw-type love of retail therapy, and for her, the No Impact experiment is...
Superdownsize Me could be the subtitle of this eco-conscious documentary, presented in all an too familiar format; it advances important and laudable ideas, but in a cliched, gimmicky way. Colin Beavan is a New York blogger and environmentalist who at the end of 2006 came up with an idea that soon made him a media darling – to his own elaborate, saucer-eyed surprise. For one year, he and his family will live a lifestyle that has "no impact" on the environment: no car-driving, no TV, no buying anything new, no unnecessary packaging, no electricity, and – gulp! – no toilet paper. What is supposed to make this story cute is that Colin's wife Michelle is a high-flying Business Week journalist with a Carrie-Bradshaw-type love of retail therapy, and for her, the No Impact experiment is...
- 9/2/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Two outdoor film screenings in July will officially launch newportFILM, a new organization that will bring film and filmmakers to the area and create a richer experience of the medium for Newport residents and visitors. On Friday, July 23, newportFILM will host an outdoor screening at the International Tennis Hall of Fame of Sam Taylor-Wood's Nowhere Boy, a feature debut that imagines the formative years of John Lennon. On Wednesday, July 28, a screening of No Impact Man will be hosted at Sweet Berry Farm; attendees will have an opportunity to watch a documentary that follows New Yorker Colin Beavan and his family as they attempt to minimize their environmental footprint by living off the grid in the middle of New York City, and to meet Beavan and his family.
- 7/28/2010
- BroadwayWorld.com
Two outdoor film screenings in July will officially launch newportFILM, a new organization that will bring film and filmmakers to the area and create a richer experience of the medium for Newport residents and visitors. On Friday, July 23, newportFILM will host an outdoor screening at the International Tennis Hall of Fame of Sam Taylor-Wood's Nowhere Boy, a feature debut that imagines the formative years of John Lennon. On Wednesday, July 28, a screening of No Impact Man will be hosted at Sweet Berry Farm; attendees will have an opportunity to watch a documentary that follows New Yorker Colin Beavan and his family as they attempt to minimize their environmental footprint by living off the grid in the middle of New York City, and to meet Beavan and his family.
- 7/28/2010
- BroadwayWorld.com
Two outdoor film screenings in July will officially launch newportFILM, a new organization that will bring film and filmmakers to the area and create a richer experience of the medium for Newport residents and visitors. On Friday, July 23, newportFILM will host an outdoor screening at the International Tennis Hall of Fame of Sam Taylor-Wood's Nowhere Boy, a feature debut that imagines the formative years of John Lennon. On Wednesday, July 28, a screening of No Impact Man will be hosted at Sweet Berry Farm; attendees will have an opportunity to watch a documentary that follows New Yorker Colin Beavan and his family as they attempt to minimize their environmental footprint by living off the grid in the middle of New York City, and to meet Beavan and his family.
- 7/16/2010
- BroadwayWorld.com
Three years ago, the NYTimes did a profile on Colin Beavan and his wife, Michelle, who were engaged in a year-long experiment to see if they could go that length of time without causing detriment to the environment. One in four Americans over the age of 25 must have read that piece -- I remember it, as well as the conversations it inspired around my home about whether we could go a year without using toilet paper. (The answer is a resounding 'no').
While that headline certainly attracted eyes (which is why I'm repurposing it), it was also reductive, cheapening Beavan's year-long experiment into a gimmick to sell a book. The cynics among you, of which I include myself, would no doubt come to the same conclusion. But that's because it's easier to assume the worst -- it requires the least amount of thought. Colin Beavan, whose year-long experiment is also the subject of the documentary,...
While that headline certainly attracted eyes (which is why I'm repurposing it), it was also reductive, cheapening Beavan's year-long experiment into a gimmick to sell a book. The cynics among you, of which I include myself, would no doubt come to the same conclusion. But that's because it's easier to assume the worst -- it requires the least amount of thought. Colin Beavan, whose year-long experiment is also the subject of the documentary,...
- 6/10/2010
- by Dustin Rowles
The 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival (Hiff) will continue its tradition of focusing on the green movement with a host of screenings that will be targeted towards preserving environmental sustainability through social responsibility.
The Green Screen Showcase will be sponsored by Whole Foods and will feature five films each carrying an important message. The five films will include "The Burning Season," "Earth Days," "Ingredients," "The Last Beekeeper" and "No Impact Man: The Documentary."
"The Burning Season" is an eco-thriller about a young man not afraid to confront the biggest challenge of our time. "Earth Days," from acclaimed director Robert Stone, traces the origins of the modern environmental movement through the eyes of nine Americans. "Ingredients" will explore a thriving local food movement as our world becomes a more flavorless, disconnected and dangerous place to eat.
"The Last Beekeeper" is a documentary by Jeremy Simmons examining the enormity of how bees are vanishing.
The Green Screen Showcase will be sponsored by Whole Foods and will feature five films each carrying an important message. The five films will include "The Burning Season," "Earth Days," "Ingredients," "The Last Beekeeper" and "No Impact Man: The Documentary."
"The Burning Season" is an eco-thriller about a young man not afraid to confront the biggest challenge of our time. "Earth Days," from acclaimed director Robert Stone, traces the origins of the modern environmental movement through the eyes of nine Americans. "Ingredients" will explore a thriving local food movement as our world becomes a more flavorless, disconnected and dangerous place to eat.
"The Last Beekeeper" is a documentary by Jeremy Simmons examining the enormity of how bees are vanishing.
- 10/9/2009
- icelebz.com
The documentary No Impact Man, which is slowly rolling out in theaters around the country, is about preachy environmentalist author Colin Beavan, who persuades his wife Michelle Conlin, a delightful BusinessWeek reporter, to go along with him on a rather extreme year-long experiment in no-impact living in a Manhattan apartment. In the process of not creating garbage, eating local produce in season, walking up flights of stairs, shutting off power and …...
- 9/21/2009
- Thompson on Hollywood
It's not easy to be an environmentalist in the simplest of cases, whether it's trying to get the grocery store cashier not to give you a plastic bag or talking your household into composting. But when you dub yourself No Impact Man, start a popular blog about your efforts to have zero net impact on the environment for one year, and put your wife and toddler through the project with you, it's the kind of challenge that's bound to get made into a movie someday. And thus we have No Impact Man, a documentary about New Yorker Colin Beavan's efforts to stop producing trash, stop eating non-local food, stop using carbon-producing transportation, and overall live as greenly as possible for an entire year. He documented the entire effort on his blog, as well as in the new book of the same name, but Justin Schein and Laura Gabbert's...
- 9/11/2009
- cinemablend.com
Intriguingly high concept yet visually and structurally artless in the way of so many modern documentaries, Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein’s “No Impact Man” chronicles Colin Beavan’s yearlong experiment to reduce his carbon footprint as much as possible while living in New York City. Necessarily participating in the project are Colin’s wife, Michelle Conlin, and toddler daughter, Isabella. Giving up trash-producing luxuries such as takeout meals, as well as non-locally sourced …...
- 9/8/2009
- Indiewire
Cinematical has just received this exclusive new poster for No Impact Man, a documentary directed by Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein. The film follows Manhattan-based author Colin Beavan as he makes a life-changing decision that affects not only himself, but his wife and infant daughter as well.
Researching his next book, he founded the No Impact Program in November 2006, and pondered what he could do personally to help end the environmental crisis. What would have the greatest impact -- or, rather, what would allow him to have the least impact? From the official synopsis: "A newly self-proclaimed environmentalist who could no long avoid pointing the finger at himself, Colin leaves behind his liberal complacency for a vow to make as little environmental impact as possible for one year. No more automated transportation, no more electricity, no more non-local food, no more material consumption...no problem. That is, until his espresso-guzzling,...
Researching his next book, he founded the No Impact Program in November 2006, and pondered what he could do personally to help end the environmental crisis. What would have the greatest impact -- or, rather, what would allow him to have the least impact? From the official synopsis: "A newly self-proclaimed environmentalist who could no long avoid pointing the finger at himself, Colin leaves behind his liberal complacency for a vow to make as little environmental impact as possible for one year. No more automated transportation, no more electricity, no more non-local food, no more material consumption...no problem. That is, until his espresso-guzzling,...
- 7/23/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
Oscilloscope Laboratories has released the first theatrical trailer their upcoming environmental documentary No Impact Man, which they picked up at this year's Sundance Film Festival. It follows the story of Colin Beavan, a non-fiction writer and blogger from New York City who records the attempts of he and his family to live a zero impact lifestyle for one whole year. This includes no buying of new things, no consumption of food not made locally and even, to be completely no impact, no electricity. The film has very unique and engaging concept, and as I noted in my review from Sundance, it is "a very intimate and engaging look at some of those ‘changes’ we often talk about, but never muster the courage to enact in our own lives." I found it to run a bit slow, focusing too much on Beavan's media appearances instead of his actual time living 'no impact,'...
- 7/14/2009
- by Neil Miller
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that it has acquired domestic distribution rights to Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein’s documentary, No Impact Man, a look at the personal fallout resulting from one man’s decision to eliminate his family’s impact on the environment in downtown Manhattan. No Impact Man had its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and will screen at the Silverdocs film festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival this month. Oscilloscope will open the film in theaters on September 4th, 2009, with a DVD and digital release to follow. Colin Beavan, author, and newly self-proclaimed environmentalist, decides [...]...
- 6/9/2009
- by The Critic
- SmartCine.com
- Oscilloscope have been making huge strides at becoming the home for socially relevant and socially responsible documentary films: just in the last three months they've released The Garden, Burma VJ and Unmistaken Child. Now the New York based distributer have added one more Sundance Film Festival doc title to their slate with plans to open Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein's No Impact Man: The Documentary on September 4th. A feature film version may be in the works, Columbia House picked up the screen rights to a feature based on the book by Colin Beavan. The synopsis mentions that "Beavan cut out all forms of consumption that leave a footprint, including electricity and automated transportation", but the choice of becoming a vegetarian and not becoming a vegan ultimately No Impact Man becomes a person who makes a little imapct. The doc examines the effects on him and his family.
- 6/9/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
New York -- Oscilloscope will make an impact.
Adam Yauch's startup distribution label has acquired North American rights to "No Impact Man," Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein's environmental documentary about a Manhattan man who attempts to leave no carbon footprint for a year.
Colin Beavan cut out all forms of consumption that leave a footprint, including electricity and automated transportation. The doc examines the effects on him and his family.
"Impact," which played at this year's Sundance Film Festival, will screen at the upcoming Silverdocs and Los Angeles film festivals.
Oscilloscope will release the doc theatrically Sept. 4, with digital and DVD releases to follow.
Yauch noted that the movie, which has comedic elements, marks "the first time I've seen an environmentally concerned film with a strong comedic element. I still think about it every time I go to the supermarket."
Beavan has also written a book about the experience,...
Adam Yauch's startup distribution label has acquired North American rights to "No Impact Man," Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein's environmental documentary about a Manhattan man who attempts to leave no carbon footprint for a year.
Colin Beavan cut out all forms of consumption that leave a footprint, including electricity and automated transportation. The doc examines the effects on him and his family.
"Impact," which played at this year's Sundance Film Festival, will screen at the upcoming Silverdocs and Los Angeles film festivals.
Oscilloscope will release the doc theatrically Sept. 4, with digital and DVD releases to follow.
Yauch noted that the movie, which has comedic elements, marks "the first time I've seen an environmentally concerned film with a strong comedic element. I still think about it every time I go to the supermarket."
Beavan has also written a book about the experience,...
- 6/8/2009
- by By Steven Zeitchik
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Premieres
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, this section offers the latest work from American and international directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films.
Adventureland / U.S. (Director-screenwriter: Greg Mottola)
In 1987, a recent college graduate takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park and discovers the job is perfect preparation for the real world. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader. World premiere
Brooklyn's Finest / U.S. (Director: Antoine Fuqua; screenwriter: Michael C. Martin)
After enduring vastly different career paths, three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location. Cast: Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin. World premiere
Earth Days / U.S. (Director: Robert Stone)
The history of our environmental undoing through the eyes of nine Americans whose work and actions launched the modern environmental movement. World premiere, closing-night film
Endgame / U.K. (Director: Pete Travis; screenwriter: Paula Milne)
A...
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, this section offers the latest work from American and international directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films.
Adventureland / U.S. (Director-screenwriter: Greg Mottola)
In 1987, a recent college graduate takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park and discovers the job is perfect preparation for the real world. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader. World premiere
Brooklyn's Finest / U.S. (Director: Antoine Fuqua; screenwriter: Michael C. Martin)
After enduring vastly different career paths, three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location. Cast: Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin. World premiere
Earth Days / U.S. (Director: Robert Stone)
The history of our environmental undoing through the eyes of nine Americans whose work and actions launched the modern environmental movement. World premiere, closing-night film
Endgame / U.K. (Director: Pete Travis; screenwriter: Paula Milne)
A...
- 12/4/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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