jimbob121686

"Forgotten Ellis Island" is a documentary which explores the medical wing of America's most famous (and infamous) immigration depot. Though most Americans know the story of the island, the documentary seeks to go beyond the usual borders of history and talk about the island's hospitals, which dealt with a wide variety of diseases as well as perceived mental illnesses.

I just watched this movie in a premiere showing and was reasonably impressed. The style is nothing new: talking heads interviews, archive footage, photographs, and some modern shots underscored by an unobtrusive score. Garden variety documentary stuff, which basically sums up this feature. It's short (62 minutes) and by no means incredible film-making, but the material is interesting and the movie is competently put together. On the whole the documentary does a solid job combining the usual Ellis Island background material with more specific information about the medical facilities that the audience is presumably unaware of. Elliot Gould is a decent narrator even if he chews over every word, and the film moves along at a pace that will interest, if not engage, the average viewer.

All things considered, Forgotten Ellis Island is worth a look for those interested in the subject or history in general. 3 stars out of 4.

Although not a despot known to many, Shaka Zulu controlled an empire at the height of his power comparable to that of Napolean and was as brutal as Vlad the Impaler; this miniseries very successfully shows his rise to power, relationship with British envoys, and eventual fall.

As the mini-series opens, a solemn South African representative listens to the British elite, including Queen Victoria, belittle his people and then begs them to let his people keep their sovereignty. The series then flashbacks to the British embassy going to meet Shaka, running into trouble, and eventually earning his trust after an assassination attempt. The series then flashbacks to his rise to power from a young boy to the most powerful man on the continent of Africa. The flashbacks never get confusing, the story is always well told. The cinematography is brilliant, the acting (especially by Henry Cele in the title role) is very competent, and the characters are very compelling.

The series has a little something for everyone, although I think it would appeal more to history buffs like myself. In addition, there is substantial amounts of nudity, as most of the African women go around topless. While the nudity didn't detract from the narrative or become gratutitious, it is something to think about before letting younger viewers watch.

All in all i heartily recommend this mini-series, whether for a really, really rainy day or an hour at at time after work.