Results tagged “independentlens”

Bummed Project Runway is done for the season? Don't worry because there's still some quality viewing for you tonight as Chicago 10, Brett Morgan's film about the 1968 Chicago DNC riots and ensuing trial, gets its television debut courtesy of PBS' series Independent Lens. The film mixes animation with archival footage of the incidents and features the vocal work of Mark Ruffalo, Hank Azaria and Jeffrey Wright. We caught a screening of it at least year's CIFF and, in spite of a few qualms, thought it was worth catching. Chicago 10 airs tonight at 9 p.m. on WTTW Ch. 11, with a replay early Friday morning at 2:30 a.m.

"Solitude." "Mood Indigo." "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing." Even Mary J. Blige covered "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me." These are all standards composed, of course, by Duke Ellington, arguably the greatest American composer of the 20th century. Yet he did not write his band's theme song, "Take the 'A' Train." That composition is by Billy Strayhorn. For 29 years he worked with Duke, shunning the spotlight even as he created or co-created some of the Ellington's greatest moments on record. Strayhorn was only 51 when he died of esophageal cancer. His best-known song "Lush Life," which he wrote while still a teenager, continues to live on in versions by the likes of Queen Latifah.

Chicago filmmaker Daniel Kraus is looking for another job. No, he doesn't want to change careers. He wants to make a movie about it. Earlier this month his documentary Sheriff was broadcast on the PBS series "Independent Lens." It chronicles the day-to-day job of Sheriff Ronald E. Hewitt as he attempts to maintain order in the small community of Brunswick County, North Carolina. Sure, there are guns involved and people drawl. But "The Dukes of...