Friday
Aug 14, 2020 at 2:29 PM
Here is an interesting new release available now from the Violet Crown’s Virtual Cinema as well as a new title currently available for streaming.
Video on Demand
“Jazz on a Summer’s Day”: Out of circulation for years, this essential fly-on-the-wall documentary from Bert Stern that was originally released in 1959 has been lovingly restored in 4K and is experiencing a new lease on life thanks to Kino Lorber. Shot at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, this is a tightly edited 85-minute glimpse into what it was like to attend this legendary event. Among the performers featured are Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Dinah Washington and Mahalia Jackson, who lifts her voice in praise for “The Lord’s Prayer” to close out the film. There is no real narration to speak of aside from occasional stage announcements, and the music is occasionally intercut with footage from the America’s Cup yacht race that was simultaneously going on in the waters of Newport right off the shore from the concert. (Digital rental available through the virtual cinema at violetcrown.com; can be easily viewed through the Kino Now app on Amazon Fire Sticks, Apple TV and Roku devices.)
Also on streaming services:
“Boys State”: I attended the American Legion’s Boys State program in Ohio back in the mid-’90s, so my interest was piqued when I heard a film about the experience had won the U.S. Documentary Competition grand jury prize at Sundance earlier this year. Filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine were on the ground during the 2018 Texas edition that took place in Austin. The goal of the weeklong program is to bring together a thousand teenagers from across the state to create a representational government and learn about politics through a mock election. Cameras capture what happened after a controversial year when the Texas teens attending in 2017 formed a new constitution and Declaration of Independence after voting for the state to secede from the union. These savvy students come from many different backgrounds with a wide variety of beliefs and suddenly are thrown together to run for office. Of course, I didn’t have to worry about things like vicious Instagram memes against me when I ran for city treasurer all those years ago in the Buckeye State. Things have certainly changed, but the passion for campaigning and a knack for strategy seem fairly universal and timeless. These kids (for better, but occasionally worse) offer us a pure and unfiltered distillation of our current political climate. “Boys State” focuses on four very different teens and their journey to election day. Your own biases and persuasions will undoubtedly influence which ones you root for along the way. (Apple TV+)