Favorite Documentaries

Ok, I've been hangin around these parts for a few weeks, reading and posting away. I hope I'm not re-hashing something you've discussed to death, but here goes:

What are some of your favorite documentaries? I love to watch them and find a great deal of them to be more entertaining than acted film. Some of the best I've seen are:

The Eyes of Tammy Faye--a REALLY close-up look at the mascara mama. Funny and kinda disturbing.

Paris is Burning--fun, real look at Harlem drag queens.

Roger and Me--Michael Moore's finest work. It's so much fun to see him go after the bad guys.

The Celluloid Closet--fascinating chronicle of homosexuality in cinema.

R

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American Movie is a good one.

And I really enjoyed Hoop Dreams.

I'm sure there are others, but those are the two that I remember off the top of my head.

Hands down, "Trekkies." Funny, interesting, and just all-around insightful. Very well put together.

I agree! 'Trekkies' was excellent. I've heard good things about 'American Movie'. I'll have to see it.

R

Here's ten I recommend unreservedly...


The Thin Blue Line (1988 - Errol Morris)
Examination of the limits of our Justice system, focusing on one innocent man on Death Row in Texas. Amazingly, the film was so powerful and well-documented it resulted in the man's eventual release from prison. Errol Morris' style suits the material perfectly.

Roger & Me (1989 - Michael Moore)
Not all journalism has to come from a neutral starting point. Moore's perspective is definitely weighted, but his sense of humor mixed with the presentation of the world as he knows it is brilliant. Biased but perfect.

Hearts and Minds (1974 - Peter Davis)
Rounded and enthralling look at The Vietnam War. One of the first to take a complete look at that time period and chaos from all angles, and still one of the best.

Burden of Dreams (1982 - Les Blank)
Follows Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, and a full cast and crew as they obsessively go too far down river to make Fitzcarraldo, a movie about an man going obsessively too far down river. An endlessly fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a Film artist doing whatever it takes to complete his vision, no matter the danger and maddness along the way.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991 - Bahr & Hickenlooper)
Like Burden of Dreams, this is a must-see for anyone interested in the ultimate chaos that is part of Filmmaking, in this case Francis Ford Coppola's epic Hell in making his flawed masterpiece Apocalypse Now.

Visions of Light: the Art of Cinematography (1992 - Glassman, Samuels & McCarthy)
Beautiful and hypnotic look at the history of the craft of Film photography. Another must-see for Film Buffs.

The Atomic Cafe (1982 - Loader, Rafferty & Rafferty)
Through a mix of propoganda and the historical record, the American Cold War era paranoia of the '50s and early '60s is presented in an entertaining and chilling way.

The Last Waltz (1978 - Martin Scorsese)
The best concert film ever made, Scorsese gives us The Band's farwell performance with all-star guest roster (Joni Mitchell, Clapton, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Staples Singers, Bob Dylan etc.) along side revealing back-stage interviews with Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel. Both kinetic and poetic, a perfect capturing of an event and a music.

Speaking in Strings (1999 - Paola di Florio)
The unique life and career of radical violin virtuoso Nadja Salerno-Sonneberg, an interesting spirit if there ever was one. Oh, and she's kinda talented with the fiddle too.

Hoop Dreams (1994 - Steve James)
Uplifting, heart-breaking, and always mesmerizing. This Film should be required viewing in this country. It will draw you in like no fictionalized Hollywood drama ever could.

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Those are two more that I've seen and really enjoyed, so I second Holden's recommendations of them.

Visions of Light is definitely a must-see.
Powaqaatsi, Koyaniqaatsi and Baraka are all awesome, Baraka being hands-down the best of the three.

Hoop Dreams, Crumb, Gates of Heaven, Fast Cheap & Out of Control. these are my favorites. I like Hearts of Darkness & Blue Line also.

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Beyond the clouds, a documantary about a small town in china. Made by national geographic, watch it its great

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Steve! I just saw Gates of Heaven on IFC last night! I kept having to tell myself: "This is not a mockumentary." It was great!

R

I love THE THIN BLUE LINE it shows just how powerful cinema can be and what good it can do it was amazing Phillip Glass music and Robert Chappell & Stefan Czapsky Cinematography suited the film perfectly.

WHEN WE WERE KINGS was a very cool docum on Muhammad Ali

GEORGE STEVENS : A FILMMAKER'S JOURNEY The best docum I've seen so far on a director after watching it you gain a new kind of respect for the man

A PERSONAL JOURNEY WITH MARTIN SCORSESE THROUGH AMERICAN MOVIES
It's a 3 hour look at Scorsese's favorite Directors and movies showing tons of movie clips and interviews with Directors

THE TYPEWRITER,THE RIFLE & THE MOVIE CAMERA I really want to see this documentary on Director Sam Fuller if any of you guys have seen it could you tell me about it. It would be much appreciated Thanks

I love docos, Always have, always will. Some great ones have already been mentioned, a few more I love are:

GRASS- the hilarious story of the US and its hypocritcal war on drugs....narrated by Woody Harrelson

ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER- the astounding true story of the 1971 Munich Games where terrorists took an olympic team hostage and ......well you just gotta watch it. The whole thing is done with actual footage and the soundtrack rips, one of the most intense thrillers ever.

MICROCOSMOS/BARAKA- the cinematography alone in these warrants repeat viewings. Both these films truly take you away to another place and open the mind and senses.

WACO: Rules Of Engagment- truly out of hand, this one won an Academy award, and rightfully so. Telling the REAL story behind this seemingly one sided affair.

AMERICAN PIMP- The Hughes Brothers (Dead Presidents, Menace II Society) direct this often amusing doco on what it takes to become a ho havin, caddie drivin all star pimp.

tons more, these are just a few I watch repeatedly that never cease to amaze and often amuse...

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Pimps Up, Hoes Down

Steve, bring Crumb tomorrow!!

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The Filth and The Fury- A shocking and hilarious documentary about British Punk legends the Sex Pistols. My jaw just about hit the floor when I saw this. It's the most unique documentary I've ever seen.

OR

The Big One- Michael Moore's second film. Not as famous as Roger and Me, but still scathingly funny stuff. Michael Moore is my hero.

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Actually my favorite, untill I watch crumb, is one I saw in England. I have no idea what the name was, but it was about a failing Tennis player, and his trying to get into sporting events and overcome being an alcholic. Top Notch.

Crumb.

- damn right thats a great doco....Some really solid recommendations all round.

I will add a few more that I dig as no has responded for a long time.

STOKED: The Rise and Fall of Gator- tracks the rise and fall of one of skatings finest, giving into fame and letting it envelope and leads to tragedy.

TRAVELLING BIRDS- from the makers of Microcosmos, you are on the wings of the birds, migrating with them.

ROBERT EVANS: The Kid Stays in pictures- interesting and informative retelling of a life in cinema history.

LOST IN LA MANCHA- Terry Gilliams failed Don Quixote film captures the inner workings of a film failure and Johnny Depp.

ANIMALS ARE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE- from the director of THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY this is all actuall wild life footage with a narrative comparing onscreen beast behaviour to that of man....very amusing and informative.

DOGTOWN & THE Z BOYS- Narrated by Sean Penn Amazing footage of the birth of modern skate boarding and tracing the history of the bones brigade. with teh first pool rides ollies and of course Perallta, Cabelerro and Hawk- (David Fincher is making this into an actual film)

I agree with most of what you guys have allready said, especially Hoop Dreams and Dogtown & Z Boys. I would also like to add:

Harlan County, USA

by Barbara Kopple

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The novelist does not long to see the lion eat grass. He realizes that one and the same God created the wolf and the lamb, then smiled, "seeing that his work was good".

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They had temporarily escaped the factories, the warehouses, the slaughterhouses, the car washes - they'd be back in captivity the next day but now they were out - they were wild with freedom. They weren't thinking about the slavery of poverty. Or the slavery of welfare and food stamps. The rest of us would be all right until the poor learned how to make atom bombs in their basements.

When We Were Kings is a film I enjoyed throughout. I'd also single out Hoop Dreams, and the Madonna doc - I think called Truth or Dare - is also pretty decent.

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I've seen that one. Does it start with him beating Sampras as a promising youngster, and then going down progressively ?