This Machine News

The Atlantic Festival 2023 Discussion: Netflix Premiere of “Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul”
Watch a conversation about the new Netflix documentary series “Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul.” The director R. J. Cutler and Jamie Ducharme, the author of “Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul,” join Atlantic staff writer Shirley Li to discuss how vaping became an epidemic among young people.

‘Big Vape: The Rise And Fall Of Juul’ Trailer: In R.J. Cutler’s Netflix Documentary Series, E-Cig Maker Goes From Silicon Valley Darling To “Cautionary Tale”
At one point, e-cigarette maker Juul was valued at $38 billion, qualifying the company as one of the most successful startups in Silicon Valley history. But that book value proved as ephemeral as a cloud of smoke.

The Best Films of the ’80s: Todd Field, Bill Hader, Nia DaCosta, Wayne Wang, and More Share Their Picks
Do you love the cinema of the '80s? So do dozens of your favorite directors, writers, producers, and stars, all of whom shared their lists with IndieWire.

The Atlantic Festival Announces Full Agenda and Evening Programming
On Thursday night, Netflix will debut its new documentary series Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul, directed by R. J. Cutler, followed by a conversation with Cutler and Jamie Ducharme, a Time correspondent and author of the book on which the docuseries is based.

Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations
The 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards nominations were revealed Wednesday morning.

"The Disappearance Of Shere Hite" Wins Adrienne Shelly Foundation Excellence in Filmmaking
The Nantucket Film Festival announced the winner of the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Excellence in Filmmaking Award, a $5,000 grant recognizing the achievement of a female filmmaker, and named in honor of the late actor and director. This year’s award went to filmmaker Nicole Newnham for her film THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE, part of NFF’s documentary feature lineup this year.

Variety and Rolling Stone Announce Additional Speakers and Programming for Truth Seekers Summit Presented by Showtime
Additional new speakers to the summit include R.J. Cutler and Roger Ross Williams, who will join the Documentary Filmmaker Roundtable exploring creative trends in the field. Previously announced participants for this include Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan, Sam Pollard and Lisa Cortés.

IFC Films, Sapan Studios Acquire ‘The Disappearance Of Shere Hite,’ Doc On Celebrated Sex Researcher Who Was Attacked By Conservative Critics
IFC Films and Sapan Studios today announced they have acquired North American rights to The Disappearance of Shere Hite, a feature documentary on the famed sex researcher whose pioneering study of women’s sexuality sold millions but triggered a ferocious backlash.

America Gets A New National Anthem In Tribeca Doc From Director Peter Nicks, Producer Ryan Coogler
“The Star-Spangled Banner,” written by Francis Scott Key was adopted by Congress as the national anthem of the United States in 1931. But what if it’s time for a new anthem? And if we adopted a new one, what should it sound like?

“Murf the Surf” with R.J. Cutler
Miami Beach in the early ‘60s was a magnet for dreamers, the idle rich, and the young-and-restless. It was also an irresistible draw for a young, handsome California surfer named Jack “Murf the Surf” Murphy who quickly took Miami Beach by storm… and then just took it. Joining a high-flying crew of brash jewel thieves, Murphy and his accomplices made off with thousands in stolen gems.

Crime Wave
The docuseries Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA immediately reveals that the surfer at the center of the tale was a murderer. That fact, however, is quickly washed away by a swell of beach tunes, vintage footage and the biggest jewel heist in New York history.

‘Supreme’, ‘Terry Schiavo’s Story’ To Premiere At DC/DOX Festival; ‘Anthem’ And ‘The Body Politic’ Among Special Screenings On Slate For June Event
Peter Nicks’ Anthem and Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough’s The Body Politic are among the non-fiction highlights in this year’s DC/DOX documentary film festival in Washington, D.C. next month.

R.J. Cutler (Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA | MGM+)
R.J. Cutler’s new four-part documentary series explores the high-stakes Miami criminal underworld through the eyes of the most daring jewel thief in American history turned alleged murderer, Jack Roland Murphy, aka “Murf the Surf.”

Russo Brothers Pizza Film School Podcast: R.J. Cutler
In this episode of Russo Bros. Pizza Film School, Joe and Anthony Russo sit down with documentarian, R.J. Cutler, to discuss his impressive documentary filmmaking process and his film, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.

Tribeca Festival’s 2023 Film Lineup Includes ‘Maggie Moore(s)’ With Tina Fey & Jon Hamm, ‘First Time Female Director’, Marvel’s ‘Stan Lee’ Doc, More
Anthem to premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
What would it sound like to have a national anthem that actually reflects America? Anthem follows composer Kris Bowers and producer DJ Dahi on a road trip across the country to find out.

Major League Baseball, Imagine Entertainment Strike Multi-Year Partnership; R.J. Cutler-Directed Doc First at Bat
Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment has entered a significant content deal with Major League Baseball, Variety can report exclusively. The partnership will yield multiple scripted and unscripted projects, the first of which is a documentary feature from noted filmmaker R.J. Cutler (“The September Issue,” “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry”) following baseball’s 2023 world series.

Jack Murphy Was the Donald Trump of His Time, Says 'Murf the Surf' Director
Jack Roland "Murf the Surf" Murphy enjoyed having control of his own narrative, so much so that in his later years he would actively steer the conversation away from the murders of secretaries Annelie Mohn and Terry Rae Frank. Mohn and Frank's bodies were found weighted down in Whiskey Creek Canal in 1967, they had been bludgeoned, shot and stabbed. They were 21 and 24 at the time of their deaths.

Director R.J. Cutler on his documentary series 'Murf the Surf'
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to R.J. Cutler, director of a new documentary series "Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus, and Mayham in the USA," about the surfing star who turned to crime.

R.J. Cutler discusses the notorious jewel thief who is the subject of his new docuseries "Murf the Surf"
R.J. Cutler discusses the notorious jewel thief who is the subject of his new docuseries "Murf the Surf." If you're a true crime buff, you won't want to miss R.J. Cutler's latest project, "Murf the Surf." This docuseries delves into the fascinating world of a televisions's first-true celebrity, and R.J. himself recently sat down for a live interview on The Jess Cagle Podcast with Julia Cunningham to discuss the project.

R.J. Cutler’s ‘Murf the Surf,’ Developed by Epix, Ushers in New Era on MGM+
The top-to-bottom rebrand of Epix into MGM+ under Amazon’s ownership means an increase in not only scripted series but also documentary content. R.J. Cutler’s “Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA” is the first of five docuseries that will stream on the new platform in 2023.