Tag: Biography

The Legend, The Man, Don Bluth Somewhere Out There, A Man Ahead of His Time

The man behind The Secret of Nimh is a legend! In Don Bluth Somewhere Out There, we will soon see how this mind works and more!

Don Bluth Somewhere Out ThereComing to Amazon Prime: Nov 20, 2026
Other Platforms: Dec 4, 2026

The filmmakers behind the acclaimed documentary I Am Big Bird (movie review), has a new documentary, and this time, they are focusing on a man ahead of his time. In Don Bluth: Somewhere Out There, Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker will be looking at the life and times of one of animation’s most influential and uncompromising artists. Some may only know him for the groundbreaking interactive animated video game Dragon’s Lair, but others, he’s the creative mind behind fond favourites like The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, The Land Before Time and Anastasia. His distinctive story telling approach and animation style says it all.

From the Press Release:

An early animation prodigy, Bluth dreamed of working for Disney and achieved that goal at just 18 years old when he was hired to work on Sleeping Beauty during his freshman year at BYU. Following the death of Walt Disney, however, Bluth became increasingly concerned about the direction of the studio. Along with fellow animators Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy, he ultimately left Disney and set out to build an independent alternative to the animation giant.

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Beyond the Curse: About Heather O’Rourke. She Was Here, Then and Now

Rather than lean into the urban legend behind the Poltergeist trilogy, She Was Here-The Heather O’Rourke Story honours the life, promise, and spirit of a child actor gone far too soon.

She Was Here - The Heather O'Rourke Story Poster
Available on Prime Video, Apple TV, Vimeo On Demand, Fandango at Home, and home video.

When Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper saw something in Heather O’Rourke during casting for Poltergeist, although nobody knew it as the time, a star was born. All she had to say was, “They’re here,” in Poltergeist. All those details are well explored in She Was Here – The Heather O’Rourke Story.

She went on to play the adorable Heather Pfister in Happy Days, along with a handful of other roles, before she suddenly passed away. Medical professionals at the time couldn’t pinpoint exactly which condition precipitated the eventual cardiac arrest, and to call it a result of the film’s paranormal origins is urban legend rather than fact.

What’s presented here is less about the curse and more about how a star is born. For anyone unfamiliar with the trilogy, a bit of history: four people connected to the franchise died before, during or after the release of each film.

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Star Light, Star Bright: Is Elizabeth Taylor Rebel Superstar a True Delight?

A thoughtful three-part primer on Elizabeth Taylor Rebel Superstar that spotlights the studio system’s control, her hard-won agency, and the legacy she forged beyond scandal, including her later advocacy and Live Aid appearance.

Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar promo card, BBC documentaryPassion Pictures
Coming to Hollywood Suite Dec 26th

At long last, the BBC documentary Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar is turning up on additional distribution channels. Not only does it offer a revealing look at the old studio system, it also delivers a fitting examination of Taylor’s life. Not everyone today understands how that system functioned, and I appreciate this work for acting as both a reminder and an introduction to how things once worked. Although she hit the scene years after Chaplin and the true Golden Age, she endured through its twilight and well into the Silver Age.

One detail that truly hits a nerve is how young performers were treated. They were expected to “perform” whenever required and were handled as commodities rather than people. While this exploitation predated the case of Jackie Coogan, whose earnings were famously squandered, the documentary makes clear that the damage took many forms.

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On How The King of Color Transformed How The Industry Saw The Rainbow

When you ask a graphic designer who The King of Color is and if that individual does not say Lawrence Herbert, it’s best to hire someone else to get your visual design made.

The King of Color PosterPicturehouse Movies
Playing at select theatres beginning Dec 12

Lawrence Herbert is a name few will recognize, but for anyone in illustration, graphic design, fashion, or printing, he’s an individual widely respected. He built the system that standardized how color is described, visualized, and mixed. In doing so, he became The King of Color—which is also the title of this biograph. Normally I’d lean on Canadian spelling, but for this story, American convention feels appropriate. After all, this revolution began in the United States.

When a curious child asks a teacher why one drop of black on white differs from three, they’re told it’s a subtle gradient. And this individual was that kind of child. He was wide-eyed, fascinated, and drawn to the magic of the moving picture. His love affair with cinema began when he saw The Charge of the Light Brigade. His father worked various jobs, and when he became a projectionist, young Herbert all but lived in the theater. He wasn’t just there for the pulps; he was there to learn. Some of that spark still glows in him nearly ninety years later.

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Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie is Perhaps Their Best Recap To Date!

Before these two comedy legends retire, Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie show the duo at their best. This documentary examines both the good and the bad of their decades-long career, entertaining and examining society’s ills.

Cheech and Chong's Last Movie PosterRelease Date: Apr 25

Cheech and Chong’s Last Movieis perhaps the best documentary made to recount everything that’s happened in their careers. That’s because this road trip movie is the best way to present them fondly recalling their work as they head to some unknown destination, perhaps to smoke their last joint. The best part is in how they are being themselves instead of their on-stage characters. I’m glad to see them as best friends rather than anything else.

Here, this work directed by David Bushell also goes further back in time to consider how each of them got their start as a comedian. It also examines their childhoods and considers the problematic times which still hold today. When parts of the United States of America take issue with immigrants, Tommy left to go live in Vancouver, BC. He wanted to avoid the draft than deal with individuals who didn’t like the fact he’s of multicultural descent. While there, he met Cheech and the rest is history. Although success wasn’t immediate, they kept ongoing.

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He’s More Than Amazing. Super/Man, The Christopher Reeve Story

Just what makes an actor more than Super/Man, The Christopher Reeve Story aims to look at the life and times before and after landing the role that defined him all ’round the world, and a different legacy for what he represents now.

Super:Man The Christopher Reeve Story Movie PosterOn Apple TV+ and Crave.
Coming soon to HBO Max

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a documentary which will leave many people in tears. Not only does it explore this actor’s legacy, but also look at what made him the hero he had to be. After the accident which left him paralyzed, he fell into a dark, depressive state. If it wasn’t for his fans, his life’s journey might have ended differently.

Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui‘s work doesn’t aim to be a complete biography, but it offers enough material so that those unfamiliar with the man’s achievements don’t have to search for more. What’s presented here puts this individual on a pedestal instead of a wheelchair, and while some folks might criticize this intention, I’m sure Reeve would be humble about it.

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