The very last Toronto '09 review: Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound

Although it feels more like an authorized biography than an in-depth portrait, Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound should hold interest for admirers of the renowned singer, recording artist and human-rights activist. Scheduled for an Oct. 14 airdate on the PBS American Masters series after its Toronto Film Festival premiere, this well-crafted documentary also will get wide circulation through its upcoming release as part of a CD/DVD package. You can read my Variety review here.

Yet another transparent attempt to draw readers to this site by posting something vaguely connected to that new Indiana Jones movie

Harrison Ford is the narrator of Lord of the Ants, a profile of ant expert E.O. Wilson. I'm sure it's only a coincidence that PBS is airing this NOVA documentary on Tuesday, May 20, just a couple days before the opening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. You know, that movie where Indy and his buddies are menaced by some really, really nasty ants.

A 'Ken Burns guilt trip' at PBS?

The controversy over Ken Burns' The War may be fueling a sudden spike in Latino-skewing programs (including Brown is the New Green: George Lopez and the American Dream) on PBS. Read all about it here.

The looming war over 'The War'

Evidently, it's never too early for some folks to be outraged. Six months before his latest mega-documentary airs on PBS, filmmaker Ken Burns already is catching flak for The War.

Job security for Ken Burns

From the Associated Press: "PBS essentially has given a lifetime contract to documentarian Ken Burns, whose upcoming 14-hour series on World War II was described by network chief Paula Kerger Saturday as his greatest work. Burns, essentially the nation's highest-profile documentarian since his series The Civil War created a sensation, has agreed to air his work exclusively on PBS until 2022, the network said. Burns is 53 now."