New DVD List: Planet Earth II, Best of Enemies & More

Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.

“Planet Earth II”
TV miniseries
Website / Reviews
This 2016 follow-up to the 2006 documentary mini-series “Planet Earth” examines the natural features and wildlife found in various parts of the world. Each of the six episodes correspond to a different category of natural or man-made terrain (e.g., islands, mountains, jungles, desserts, grasslands, cities, etc.).

“Best of Enemies”
Website / Reviews / Trailer
Presented at the True/False Film Fest in 2015, this film highlights the 1968 debates between William F. Buckley Jr. and Gore Vidal. Armed with deep-seated distrust and enmity, Vidal and Buckley believed each other’s political ideologies were dangerous for America. Live and unscripted, they kept viewers riveted. Ratings for ABC News skyrocketed, and a new era in public discourse was born.

“Kate Plays Christine”
Website / Reviews / Trailer
Shown at the True/False Film Fest in 2016, this gripping, nonfiction psychological thriller follows actress Kate Lyn Sheil as she prepares for her next role: playing Christine Chubbuck, a Florida newscaster who committed suicide live on-air in 1974. Directed by local filmmaker Robert Greene (Kati With An I, Actress), this film is a cinematic mystery that forces us to question everything we see and everything we’re led to believe.

“Harry and Snowman”
Website / Reviews / Trailer
Playing last year at Ragtag Cinema, this film tells the story of Dutch immigrant Harry deLeyer and his trans-formative relationship with a broken down Amish plow horse he rescued off a slaughter truck that was bound for the glue factory. Harry paid 80 dollars for the horse and named him Snowman, and, in less than two years, the team went on to win the triple crown of snow jumping, beating the nation’s top pedigree horses.

“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Season 1, Season 2
Website / Reviews
Rescued after fifteen years in an underground doomsday cult, Kimmy decides to rebuild her life in New York City armed with only a fifth-grade education and a firm belief that truly anything is possible. She quickly finds a roommate, Titus Andromedon, a job working for a spoiled Manhattan mom, Jacqueline Voorhees, and a new beginning.

“Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise”
Website / Reviews / Trailer
This film examines the life and legacy of African American poet, memoirist and civil rights worker Maya Angelou, from her upbringing in the Depression-era South to her work with Malcolm X in Ghana to the recitation of her inaugural poem for President Bill Clinton. It includes Angelou’s own words, woven together with archival photographs and videos as well as interviews with Angelou’s friends and family.

“The Americans”
Season 4
Website / Reviews
Season 4 of this period drama begins with Philip and Elizabeth dealing with the fallout from the previous season as the FBI learns about Gene’s suicide. Later, tensions rise in the Jennings house due to a secret involving Paige, and a serious flaw in their mission tests the patriotism of Philip, Elizabeth, William and Gabriel.

“Tower”
Website / Reviews / Trailer
On August 1st, 1966, a sniper rode the elevator to the top floor of the iconic University of Texas Tower and opened fire, holding the campus hostage for 96 minutes in what was a previously unimaginable event. This documentary combines archival footage with animated re-enactments, based entirely on first person testimonies from witnesses, heroes and survivors, in a seamless and suspenseful retelling of the unfolding tragedy.

“Insecure”
Season 1
Website / Reviews
A painfully funny new comedy series which follows best friends Issa and Molly as they navigate the tricky professional and personal terrain of Los Angeles while facing the challenges of being two black women who defy all stereotypes. “Insecure” explores the black female experience in a subtle, witty and authentic way.