Forever a hotbed of controversy, the alarming anti-vaccination movement has another lightning rod on its hands with the new documentary “The Pathological Optimist.” HuffPost has the exclusive trailer for this profile of Andrew Wakefield, a doctor who has been labeled a fraud for advancing dubious claims that link MMR vaccines and autism.
Wakefield, who co-authored a 1998 study that essentially launched the modern anti-vax phenomenon, allowed director Miranda Bailey to follow him for five years as he battled the British Medical Journal on defamation charges. Bailey, who has produced “Swiss Army Man” and “The Diary of a Teenage Girl,” sought to chronicle Wakefield’s media coverage and let his role in this scientifically tenuous debate speak for itself. The documentary Wakefield directed himself, “Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe,” was pulled from last year’s Tribeca Film Festival lineup after facing criticism for its inclusion.
“I’ve always gravitated towards controversial subject matters in the many films I’ve produced,” Bailey said when distributor The Film Arcade acquired the rights to her movie. “The minefield of strong opinions and disagreements on who Andrew Wakefield is or what Andrew Wakefield has done intrigued me. What I found was a startling portrayal of a modern day sisyphus, punished by the media and the public yet continuing to push his rock up the hill over and over again.”
“The Pathological Optimist” opens in theaters Sept. 29, with a VOD release slated for later in the year. Watch the trailer above, and check out an exclusive poster below.
(Photo: The Film Arcade)
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"Orgasm, Inc."
"Orgasm, Inc." skewers "big pharma," with an investigation into the way major corporations attempt to capitalize on women's sexuality. Director Liz Canner catalogs the race to create an FDA approved "Viagra for women," and ends up also lovingly explaining the "strange science" behind the female sex drive. Warning: this film includes sexual imagery lots of O faces.
"Jesus Camp"
Somehow, despite the pervasive religious zealotry and penchant for brain-washing, the most shocking part of this film is when the head of the Jesus camp in question tells her campers that Harry Potter is evil (because he is "a warlock"). Either that or a mother actively convincing her child that global warming does not exist. But beneath this film's absurd specifics, lies an unsettling look at a deeply misled faction of the conservative right.
"Tabloid"
With "Tabloid," Errol Morris revisits the story of British tabloid sensation Joyce McKinney, a former beauty queen accused of kidnapping a Mormon and making him her slave. "Thirty years before the antics of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan," she makes the modern day scandal look like child's play.
"Aileen: Life And Death Of A Serial Killer"
Through the story of Aileen Wournos (the woman understood to be "America's first female serial killer"), "Aileen" dissects a triptych of the issues surrounding its primary subject's prosecution. It casts light on the way the stories of salacious criminals are sold to the press, the way both the public and court system digest a female murderer, and the chilling lack of remorse that defines serial killers, gender stereotypes aside.
"The Woman Who Wasn't There"
"The Woman Who Wasn't There" tracks the retrospectively terrifying Tania Head, as she poses as a 9/11 survivor, incorporating herself into a support group and weaving an intense web of lies for over six years. Her deception and its effect on those surrounding her present a compelling look at pathology and the lengths we are willing to go to garner acceptance.
"The Imposter"
Essentially this one is a real-life version of "The Orphan," except with a French man impersonating a Texas boy who has gone missing. It is perhaps the closest the documentary format can get to being truly scary.
"Dear Zachary"
A good way to test if someone has a soul is to make sure they weep violently when watching "Dear Zachary." Seriously, you will be racked with sobs by the end. But, beyond the emotional personal story upon which it is based, the film places a critical spotlight on an intensely-flawed child care system.
"Blackfish"
You've probably already heard everything there is to be heard about this "hauntingly beautiful nonfiction film." Anyway, it's on Netflix. Watch it.
"For The Bible Tells Me So"
"For The Bible Tells Me So" is a simultaneously academic and emotional look the harrowing clash of Christianity and homosexuality. Through the stories of five families, director Daniel Karslake reveals the deliberate stigmatization of the gay community by religious conservatives and the many ways that scripture has been used as an argument against basic human rights.
"Talhotblond"
"Talhotblond" explores the complex consequences of virtual relationships through one specific Internet love triangle, which ends in murder and incarceration. There are moments of somewhat corny chat recreation, but the complete picture of the person behind the titular screen name is chilling enough to forgive those phoned-in reenactments.
"Invisible War"
Tracking the rape epidemic in the military, "The Invisible War" exposes not only the pervasiveness of sexual assault, but the flaws of the system that perpetuate it and blame victims instead of granting them justice.
"Schooled: The Price Of College Sports"
Being interested in sports (or having any conception of what "touchdown" means) is not necessary for watching this documentary. Through the lens of a few slighted young men, "Schooled" tells the story of the big business of college sports and the little it has to offer its players.
"The Central Park Five"
"The Central Park Five" takes on the troublingly powerful impact that media can have on public perception. The narrative tracks the five boys who were wrongfully convicted in the notorious 1989 rape of a jogger in Central Park, exposing flaws in the criminal justice system and effect of trial by mob.
"Man On Wire"
In a sublime narrative that may as well be a fairy tale, "Man On Wire" tracks the preparations of Philippe Petit, the miraculous French man who walked a high wire strung between the Twin Towers in 1974. The tale of "the artistic crime of the century," as it came to be called, is suspenseful yet intriguing and easily the most beautifully unique real life story on this list.
"Hot Coffee"
If you were alive in the '90s, you've heard the story of the woman who drove with coffee in her lap and sued McDonald's. It's practically an urban myth. But did you know that she sustained burns so intense she had to undergo hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of surgery and receive skin grafts? Did you know she wasn't even driving? This story is a portrait of the agenda behind tort reform and the perception of "frivolous" lawsuits.
"Bronies"
"Bronies" delves into the world of adult (predominantly male) fans of the children's cartoon "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic." At once a community and a subculture, the show's following trades in a sense of love and acceptance that seem otherwise unavailable to its members. Beneath the cosplay, "Bronies" offers up a story about the way human nature seeks belonging, and the heteronormative assumptions that all too often get in the way of that basic desire.
"Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room"
Director Alex Gibney depicts the rise and fall of Enron in a way that frames its leaders as some of the more tangible villains of the documentary genre. Even if you vividly remember the publicity surrounding the 2001 scandal, this retrospective look at the fallout still manages to pace through the story of Enron with a level of engagement rivaled only by fictional thrillers.
"From One Second to the Next"
Werner Herzog's documentary about texting while driving has an obvious agenda: stop careless idiots from texting while driving. But that doesn't stop this it from being a well-packaged and emotionally-moving film, perhaps because no matter how many times you've heard the stats, the extent of senseless deaths that are a direct result of texting and driving remain mind-blowing.
"It's a Girl"
This upsetting look at "gendercide" in India and China encounters the devaluation of females and the extent to which it has led to infanticide and violence toward women. In case you needed further warning as to precisely how grave this situation has become: the film opens with a woman who has given birth to and subsequently murdered eight of her daughters.
"Girl Model"
"Girl Model" renders a startling look at an industry that does not flinch at the exploitation of children, as told from the perspective of an ex-model working as a Russian scout. Some of the more disturbing moments expose sexual abuse and exploitation of pre-pubescent females, but this documentary focuses its lens more closely on the way young girls are tricked into working for free and forced to support their families while lacking support for themselves.
"Hoop Dreams"
Tracking Chicago's top basketball prospects as they are recruited to attend competitive high schools, "Hoop Dreams" explores the intersection of race, education and class through a world in which success on the court can make or break a family's future.
"The Act Of Killing"
This 2014 Oscar nominee tracks two Indonesian death-squad leaders as they reenact their mass killings in whatever genres they wish. As they recreate their share of the atrocities -- totaling approximately 1 million deaths -- the film peels back an unflinching look at the meaning of evil once it is no longer contextualized by war.
"Into the Abyss"
Another addition to this list from Herzog: "Into The Abyss" examines why people kill, and whether capital punishment is ever warranted. In conversations with inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime, Herzog delves deep into the state of the the prison system, for an unflinching look at life, death and the value of a humanity, as impacted by a search for justice.
"The Institute"
The impact of "The Institute" on its viewers is, at least for the duration of the film, that of the Jejune Institute on its inductees. As it follows the story of participants in an two-year alternate reality experiment designed as "a citywide art project and living game," it will leave you questioning what is "real" and whether our experiences matter any less, once we discover that they have been contrived.
"Life 2.0"
Examining the world of virtual reality, "Life 2.0" depicts the consuming nature of the site called "Second Life" (which, for many in the film, is given priority over what we might call "first life"). One of many stunning portraits tells the story of two married-in-real-life people who commit "emotional adultery," when they meet and fall in love within the confines of "Second Life." Overall, this is a haunting look at the need for human connection and clever ways in which we are willing to garner a sense of acceptance.
"Marwencol"
In 2000, Mark Hogancamp was beaten senseless outside a local bar. He had to have his entire face rebuilt, and finally emerged from a nine-day coma, brain damaged and forced to re-learn how to walk and eat. After 40 days in the hospital, he was dismissed, because he could no longer pay for care. With nowhere else to turn, he enmeshed himself in the creation Marwencol: a 1/6-scale replica of a WWII-era town. This is not only his story, but that of finding unexpected beauty in tragic events; Jeff Malmberg's documentary is (almost) as intricate as Hogancamp's tiny town.
"Terms and Conditions May Apply"
The title sounds about as boring as, well, reading the terms and conditions of nothing in particular, but this documentary is more eye-opening than it may seem. There's a lot going on with all that fine print, and there are plenty of industries that rely on the fact that we do not realize it. For example, it would take approximately 180 hours per year to read all of the terms and conditions agreements at each of the various sites you likely hold an account, and consumers lose about $250 billion dollars annually as a result of what they simply do not know.
"Maxed Out"
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"The Pervert's Guide to Ideology"
Admittedly this one might be a bit hard to digest for those of us who are not psychoanalysis and philosophy nerds. "The Pervert's Guide to Ideology" plays like a trippy college course taught by Slavoj Žižek, but if you can wade through his discussions of dialectics (and extremely heavy accent), the overriding messages about subconscious influences and our best strategy for a satisfying life are certainly worth the effort.
"Solitary Confinement"
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"The Revisionaries"
The former Chair of the Texas State Board of Education, Don McLeroy, once said of the kind of power he had: "It boggles my mind." After no less than four minutes into the documentary, your mind will also be boggled. "The Revisionaries" explores the inordinate influence of Texas in buying textbooks, which affects the rest of the country and, consequently, its curriculum. Of course, this conflict boils down to the theories of evolution verses intelligent design, with the latter pushed so aggressively by the Texas school board, that it might not be readjusting only what kids are taught in schools, but the future policy that emerges from those lessons.
"Shenandoah"
In depicting the story of four high school boys who murdered a Mexican immigrant, "Shenandoah" dissects the mob mentality of the small town in which their atrocity took place. Whether or not you were familiar with this case when it ran through the news, the objective here is to take on a very specific form of racism, told through the disturbing reality of American life for those who don't fit into the mold of "tradition."
"Bigger, Stronger, Faster"
Using himself and his brothers as the subject, director Chris Bell examines the conflation of steroid subculture and the more ambitious aspects of the American dream. Dealing in the dangerous effects of steroids, Bell also takes a look at what he identifies as "the side effects of American culture." Obviously, both Hulk Hogan and Sylvester Stallone make cameos in the film.
"Whores' Glory"
This exploration of prostitution looks at the act of selling sex across three different countries, languages and religions. Director Michael Glawogger views his subjects through an unflinching yet compassionate lens, for a disturbing look at the crossover between sexuality and politics, and its impact on women from vastly different cultures.
"The House I Live In"
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