Julia's Stepping Stones 2024

Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar (1995)

0 /10

This riveting music documentary traces the history of Jazz piano legend Oscar Peterson, from his early days as Montreal's teenage Boogie-Woogie sensation through his meteoric rise to international celebrity with Norman Granz and the ground-breaking Jazz at the Philharmonic and beyond. In this award-winning autobiographical portrait, legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson narrates his story, from his beginnings in smoke-filled Montreal clubs to hallmark performances with jazz greats. Concert footage includes an unforgettable combo -- Nat King Cole with Jazz at the Philharmonic and the Oscar Peterson Trio Wall reunion. Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie are interviewed, among others. - Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Ella Fitzgerald

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 1995-01-01

True Record of an Ando Gang Side-Story: Starving Wolf's Rules (2002)

0 /10

Former yakuza gang boss Noboru Ando reminisces about old partner in crime Kei Hanagata.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2002-04-13

Frank Sinatra Memorial (2000)

0 /10

Frank Sinatra, the greatest entertainer of the 20th century, is remembered by some of the brightest stars in Hollywood in this television memorial which celebrates his life and mourns his passing. Exclusive flashback interviews with Sinatra, his friends and his family, reveal little known facts about his overwhelming generosity and the sensationalized image created by the press. * In-depth interviews with those who knew him best... Ed McMahon, Tommy Sands, Shecky Green, Phyllis McGuire, Quincy Jones, & Betty Garrett, among others. * See highlights from some of Sinatra’s last films and farewell perfomances.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2000-05-16

A Brief History of Time (1991)

7.2 /10

This shows physicist Stephen Hawking's life as he deals with the ALS that renders him immobile and unable to speak without the use of a computer. Hawking's friends, family, classmates, and peers are interviewed not only about his theories but the man himself.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 1991-10-01

My Way: The Life and Legacy of Pat Patterson (2021)

9 /10

Pat Patterson and those who knew him best look back at his unlikely path to the top of sports-entertainment. From growing up a poor kid in Montreal, to finding fame in San Francisco and New York City and working side-by-side with Vince McMahon, Pat became the celebrated creative force behind some of the greatest moments and matches in WWE history.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2021-01-24

The World's Best Film (2020)

10 /10

Told he only had a short time to live, Joshua Belinfante sought out dedicated talents around the world striving their best at what they always wanted to do as kids; trying to find what he would do if given a second chance.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2020-12-12

Crash and Burn (2016)

8.2 /10

Crash and Burn chronicles the thrilling and turbulent career of Irish racing driver Tommy Byrne, who rose from a rough, working-class background to the cusp of Formula 1 in the 1980s. Directed by Seán Ó Cualáin, the film explores Byrne's undeniable talent and rebellious personality, which set him apart on the track but also clashed with the conservative and elite world of Formula 1. Byrne’s story is filled with highs and lows, from his dominance in lower racing categories to his brief, rocky stint in Formula 1 and subsequent struggles. The documentary combines interviews, archival footage, and personal insights to portray the complexities of Byrne’s character and his “what could have been” legacy in motorsport.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2016-12-30

Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton (2017)

6.412 /10

This is the remarkable story of an American icon who changed the sport of big wave surfing forever. Transcending the surf genre, this in-depth portrait of a hard-charging athlete explores the fear, courage and ambition that push a man to greatness—and the cost that comes with it.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2017-09-29

Martha (2024)

7.3 /10

Told in her own words, this candid documentary charts the unstoppable rise, sudden fall and hard-won comeback of lifestyle icon Martha Stewart.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2024-08-31

The Power of Good: Nicholas Winton (2003)

9 /10

A gripping documentary about the courage and determination of a young English stockbroker who saved the lives of 669 children. Between March 13 and August 2, 1939, Nicholas Winton organized 8 transports to take children from Prague to new homes in Great Britain, and kept quiet about it until his wife discovered a scrapbook documenting his unique mission in 1988. Winton was a successful 29-year-old stockbroker in London who "had an intuition" about the fate of the Jews when he visited Prague in 1939. He quietly but decisively got down to the business of saving lives. We learn how only two countries, Sweden and Britain, answered his call to harbor the young refugees; how documents had to be forged and how once foster parents signed for the children on delivery, that was the last he saw of them.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2003-03-27

I Am Not a Freak (1987)

5 /10

This film is a fascinating look at some people afflicted with congenital deformities of an extreme nature. Their ability to live with their aberrations while remaining socially involved and upbeat is truly inspirational. While their predecessors were often seen in so called "freak shows" that were part of various exhibitions from Coney Island to traveling circuses, these performers were actually the more fortunate ones in an era of little tolerance for those who were different from the accepted norm. Many became famous and extremely wealthy, such as Tom Thumb (Charles Sherwood Stratton), who worked for many years with P.T. Barnum.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 1987-11-01

The Panafrican Festival in Algiers (1969)

6 /10

Festival panafricain d'Alger is a documentary by William Klein of the music and dance festival held 40 years ago in the streets and in venues all across Algiers. Klein follows the preparations, the rehearsals, the concerts… He blends images of interviews made to writers and advocates of the freedom movements with stock images, thus allowing him to touch on such matters as colonialism, neocolonialism, colonial exploitation, the struggles and battles of the revolutionary movements for Independence.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 1969-01-01

Elizabeth Windsor (2022)

7.6 /10

Elizabeth Windsor tells the story of the girl who was never supposed to be Queen. Born the first daughter of 'the spare', the Duke of York, Princess Elizabeth's life was destined to be nothing more than a bit part in the privileged shadows of the British Royal family.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2022-05-27

The 11th Hour (2007)

6.7 /10

A look at the state of the global environment including visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planet's ecosystems. Featuring ongoing dialogues of experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolse

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2007-08-17

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band (2020)

6.8 /10

A confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robbie Robertson's young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2020-02-21

Einstein and the Bomb (2024)

6.077 /10

What happened after Einstein fled Nazi Germany? Using archival footage and his own words, this docudrama dives into the mind of a tortured genius.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2024-02-16

The Silence of the Princess (2014)

10 /10

Diana Mariscal reached a moment of fame in the sixties, when at just 18 years of age she was the lead actress of the movie Fando and Lis by Alejandro Jodorowsky. The moment seemed to trigger a promising career, but her public image faded little by little until disappearing. Forty years later the traces of her existence have not been entirely erased.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2014-10-21

La véritable histoire de D'Artagnan (2020)

8.1 /10

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2020-06-16

Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen (2022)

5.7 /10

The story of Queen Elizabeth II in her own words, featuring never-before-seen home movies.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2022-05-29

The Man Who Defied Beijing (2019)

6.5 /10

A portrait of Chinese writer Liu Xiaobo (1955-2017), a witness of the Tiananmen Square massacre (1989), a dissident, a woodpecker who tirelessly pecked the putrid brain of the Communist regime for decades, demanding democracy loudly and fearlessly. Silenced, arrested, convicted, imprisoned, dead. Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2010, alive forever. These are his last words.

Runtime: MMPA: PG-13 Release: 2019-05-14