Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire

Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire

The intimate untold story of the legendary painter, Carlos Almaraz

2019•1h 25m•4.5/10

Documentary

Ratings

🎬TMDb

4.5/10(2)

Mixing archival footage with interviews, this film celebrates one of Los Angeles's most influential painters and Chicano art activists from the 1970s.

Open in PickFlick

Language

EN

Status

Released

Release Date

Cast

Zack De La Rocha

Zack De La Rocha

Self

Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey

Self

Dolores Huerta

Self

Cheech Marin

Cheech Marin

Self

Edward James Olmos

Edward James Olmos

Self

Recommended

Man

Man

An experimental film through the eyes of a man

Man

2022

6.9

12

After blowing his professional ballet career, John's only way to redeem himself is to concoct the demise of his former partner, Leah, who he blames for his downfall; he rehearses his salvation in his mind in the way that he rehearses a dance, but being able to break from the routine will be the key to his success.

12

2009

5.6

Desperation Road

Desperation Road

Ex-con Russell Gaines is attempting to rebuild his life with the help of his father, Mitchell. However, the arrival of Maben sends his new life into chaos, leading the pair to go on the run - as their violent pasts catch up to them, the pair must learn to trust each other if they hope to live out the rest of their days.

Desperation Road

2023

6.7

Fast

Fast

A woman signs the verb “fast” in American Sign Language by putting her thumb and index finger together and “zipping” her mouth, which resembles the action of closing one’s mouth to be silent. The speed of the action is slowed down, so the person signs the word "fast" very slowly.

Fast

2007

6.1

Survive the Night

Survive the Night

A disgraced doctor and his family are held hostage at their home by criminals on the run, when a robbery-gone-awry requires them to seek immediate medical attention.

Survive the Night

2020

4.8

Bogotá: City of the Lost

Bogotá: City of the Lost

After moving to Bogotá for a chance at a better life, a young Korean man rises through the Colombian black market — risking peril for a shot at success.

Bogotá: City of the Lost

2024

6.9

Lost & Found

Lost & Found

Mario, a worker in "lost and found" department, finds a suitcase with a dead baby inside.

Lost & Found

2022

6.1

Sicario

Sicario

An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

Sicario

2015

7.4

Let's Kill Ward's Wife

Let's Kill Ward's Wife

Everyone hates Ward’s wife and wants her dead, Ward most of all. But when his friends’ murderous fantasies turn into an (accidental) reality, they have to deal with a whole new set of problems — like how to dispose of the body and still make their 3 p.m. tee time.

Let's Kill Ward's Wife

2014

5.5

Max Steel

Max Steel

The adventures of teenager Max McGrath and alien companion Steel, who must harness and combine their tremendous new powers to evolve into the turbo-charged superhero Max Steel.

Max Steel

2016

5.6

Flow

Flow

A turbulent day in a life, painted by air.

Flow

2019

8.7

Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora

The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.

Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora

2010

6.4

Similar Movies

Painting Anna

Painting Anna

A young accountant finally pursues her dreams of becoming a painter.

Painting Anna

2015

5.5

101 Rent Boys

101 Rent Boys

Paid 50 dollars for their time, 101 male prostitutes -- spanning all ages, ethnicities, and personal backgrounds -- are questioned by the filmmakers about their lives.

101 Rent Boys

2000

4.9

Exhibition on Screen: Caravaggio

Exhibition on Screen: Caravaggio

Five years in production, this is the most extensive film ever made about one of the greatest artists of all time – Caravaggio. Featuring masterpiece after masterpiece and with first-hand testimony from the artist himself on the eve of his mysterious disappearance, this beautiful new film reveals Caravaggio as never before. Multi-award-winning filmmakers David Bickerstaff and Phil Grabsky delve into the hidden narratives of Caravaggio’s life, piecing together clues embedded within his incredible art. The intriguing self-depictions within his works — sometimes disguised, sometimes in plain sight — offer a rare window into his psyche and personal struggles. Join us as we unravel the story of one of history’s most brilliant, complex and controversial figures.

Exhibition on Screen: Caravaggio

2025

8.0

Straight Outta L.A.

Straight Outta L.A.

In 1982, the Raiders and owner Al Davis captivated black and Latino fans with swagger and charisma that matched the rapidly changing city.

Straight Outta L.A.

2010

6.2

Chagall dans son jardin a Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Chagall dans son jardin a Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Extract of rushes from the unfinished documentary project written and produced by Henri Langlois on Marc Chagall.

Chagall dans son jardin a Saint-Paul-de-Vence

1970

5.0

Kings Ransom

Kings Ransom

On August 9, 1988, the NHL was forever changed with the single stroke of a pen. The Edmonton Oilers, fresh off their fourth Stanley Cup victory in five years, signed a deal that sent Wayne Gretzky, a Canadian national treasure and the greatest hockey player ever to play the game, to the Los Angeles Kings in a multi-player, multi-million dollar deal. As bewildered Oiler fans struggled to make sense of the unthinkable, fans in Los Angeles were rushing to purchase season tickets at a rate so fast it overwhelmed the Kings box office. Overnight, a franchise largely overlooked in its 21-year existence was suddenly playing to sellout crowds and standing ovations, and a league often relegated to “little brother” status exploded from 21 teams to 30 in less than a decade.

Kings Ransom

2009

6.6

The Seeds: Pushin' Too Hard

The Seeds: Pushin' Too Hard

Documentary about seminal garage-rock band, The Seeds, that uses vintage footage, rare photos, memorabilia and audio, plus fresh interviews with band members and associates as well as notable fans and observers, Pushin’ Too Hard relates the bizarre rage-to-riches-to-rags tale of the rock quartet who took Los Angeles by storm in the mid-60s.

The Seeds: Pushin' Too Hard

2014

William et Harry : de l'amour à la haine

William et Harry : de l'amour à la haine

War has been declared between William and Harry, who are no longer on speaking terms. The elder brother, temperamental and ultra-traditionalist, was raised by his grandmother, for whom only the crown mattered. Harry, on the other hand, is the unloved one. He was the most popular member of the family before he left for the United States with his wife Meghan. Who will win the battle for the hearts and minds of the British people?

William et Harry : de l'amour à la haine

2023

Reverón

Reverón

Directed by Margot Benacerraf, Reverón is a poetic and visually striking documentary that delves into the life and artistic vision of Venezuelan painter Armando Reverón. Set in the sun-drenched coastal landscape of Macuto, where the artist lived in near isolation, the film captures his eccentric lifestyle and unique creative process. Through evocative imagery and a contemplative narrative, Reverón explores his deep connection to nature, his experiments with light and texture, and his profound artistic genius. This seminal work stands as a tribute to one of Venezuela’s most influential painters and a landmark in Latin American documentary filmmaking.

Reverón

1952

7.3

We Will Speak

We Will Speak

The Cherokee language is deeply tied to Cherokee identity; yet generations of assimilation efforts by the U.S. government and anti-Indigenous stigmas have forced the Tri-Council of Cherokee tribes to declare a State of Emergency for the language in 2019. While there are 430,000 Cherokee citizens in the three federally recognized tribes, fewer than an estimated 2,000 fluent speakers remain—the majority of whom are elderly. The covid pandemic has unfortunately hastened the course. Language activists, artists, and the youth must now lead the charge of urgent radical revitalization efforts to help save the language from the brink of extinction.

We Will Speak

2023

10.0

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

A documentary on the Z Channel, one of the first pay cable stations in the US, and its programming chief, Jerry Harvey. Debuting in 1974, the LA-based channel's eclectic slate of movies became a prime example of the untapped power of cable television.

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

2004

7.1

How the West Was One

How the West Was One

In a contemporary reimagining of the American West, three young women - a snake hunter, a New York artist, and a rodeo queen - challenge the idea of who is permitted to be a cowgirl.

How the West Was One

2024