The MoFo Top 100 Documentaries

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The Mofo Top 100 (probably) Documentaries

To be honest, I find the semi-lack of interest from some users here very disconcerting. Documentaries are a significant piece in the history of film and to avoid them in general is insane if you're a film geek. I want to digest it all, every decade and genre, it doesn't matter. I love the totality of the cinema and I know a lot of you do too. The lengths that some filmmakers will go to in order to document their subjects is, well, noteworthy, and to dismiss it is cinephile suicide.



Let's recall some of our favourite documentaries, watch some new ones, and when the countdown is over perhaps we will discover some new films and experiences. It's not like watching a documentary is akin to taking a leap towards the abyss.



Now before we get started submitting lists, this freaky cat has some rules.



The Rules

-Submit your top 25 movies to me in a PM with the title "Username - Mofo Top 100 Documentaries"
(of course, don't put "Username" in the title, include yours. I think this will make it easier for me to search through if need be, so thanks in advance)
-Your top 25 must be ranked 1-25, and no ties.
-Deadline for entries is January 7th, 2016 9pm PST.
-No changes to the list once it has been submitted.
-New members can send in their Top 25 as soon as they've been on the forums for one month.
-Any series of documentaries will be taken into advisement case by case, and I will be the lone judge. I will of course listen to what the masses have to say. Typically, it's one imdb entry, one countdown entry. I have made a few decisions already. Both Histoire(s) du cinema and The Battle of Chile will be regarded as one movie each.
-No mini-series will be allowed. There was vote. If you are uncertain as to whether your documentary is a mini-series or not simply check on imdb. Ineligible entries will be listed as TV Mini-Series.
-Any film with the genre tag Documentry is eligible (keeping in mind the above).
-Films will be given points as follows: 1st gets 25 points, 2nd gets 24 points, 3rd 23 points, and so on until 25th gets 1 point.
-Do not post your lists until after the complete top 100 has been posted, your list will be disqualified.
- NEW 100% performance movies (stand-up, concert, etc) are not allowed. Significant off-stage documentation is necessary for the film to be permitted (example: Woodstock).



You'll also notice that the title of this thread seems a little uncertain on how many films are going to make the countdown. I'll determine this after all the entries are submitted. If we get enough lists and it's not too spread out, we'll do a top 100. I believe we can.



Top banner provided by Sexy Celebrity.

UPDATE:

Here is a list of films that are allowed that don't adhere to the guidelines above (because imdb isn't perfect) or have been debated here in this thread:

Waltz with Bashir
Close-up
In Vanda's Room
Histoire(s) du cinema
The Up Series (to be counted as one)

For future reference, see this post if you want to have a film given the green light for the countdown that doesn't meet the above guidelines: http://www.movieforums.com/community...58#post1400258

So, from now on, if you want to see something allowed that doesn't conform to the imdb standards you should provide reasons (and preferably links or quotes from legitimate sources) as to why it should be allowed. Cool?
UPDATE #2

REGARDING PARTIAL LISTS

Also, in the spirit of Christmas I have decided partial lists will be accepted. It's a minimum of 10 and they will not be allowed until after the new year. Try and watch some more, and if you have some that you like but don't feel like they're "list worthy" add them anyway - you still like them and it doesn't matter if they're list worthy or not because this is supposed to be your "top 25 documentaries" and not "top documentaries that you think deserve to be placed on an all-time list."
__________________
"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."



Lists submitted so far:

Camo
donniedarko
mark f
Harry Lime
Tacitus
Guaporense
seanc
Thursday Next
neiba
Citizen Rules
cricket
linespalsy
Senso_68
Sexy Celebrity
Nope1172
meatwadsprite
#13
matt72582
The Gunslinger45
Swan
TheUsualSuspect
Miss Vicky
Holden Pike
Mr Minio
CiCi
christine
Watch_Tower
Derek Vinyard
Slappydavis
Gatsby
jiraffejustin
Marlon Brando
foster
the samoan lawyer
earlsmoviepicks
honeykid
Yoda
teeter_g
Friendly Mushroom!
Kaplan
Kilgore Trout
ScarletLion
MovieMeditation
Pussy Galore
Daniel M
gbgoodies
sleightofhand
WBadger
lynchian
Funny Face
sarah f



. . . or we could just be too busy with our insane lives, to have the time to squeeze such a huge project into it. There are more reasons than just insanity, or cinephile suicide.



It's amazing what people will come up with to justify inaction...
You wanna live my life for a day? Just remember, you get the whole package. Diseases and all!

Where did this attitude come from? We used to kid around, and get along quite well.

You know, I made that comment in the 60's thread, because I myself wished I had watched and rewatched more movies. I know that I can now try to pull that off with the Documentaries, which will be very hard for me to do, or I can accomplish watching what I need for the 50's thread, in a way that won't stress me out, wear me out, or anything else. I'd rather be able to take my time, and enjoy what I'm doing. Is that OK with you?!?



So Harry, I watched a very sad Documentary about a young woman who had lain dead in her flat in central London for three years before anyone found out. It's listed on IMDb As a documentary, but also as a biography drama as they acted out some parts of her life. Would that be allowed do you think? There are quite a few doc us where you get re-enacted scenes

It's this one http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1819513/?ref_=nv_sr_1



Sorry I haven't been involved much in the buildup to this, after this month (I have serious catching up to do with the 7th HOF) I'll try and start getting to some important documentaries. Serious lack of films watched for this so far unfortunately.
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Documentaries are fun!

Some of the most entertaining films I've seen have been documentations.

All MoFos should try to send in a list and....remember....you don't have to watch any more documentaries, just make a list of your favorites that you've already seen. Of course watching more docs is half the fun. Here are two big list of great docs.

IMDB Highest Rated Documentaries

IMDB Most Popular Documentaries



So Harry, I watched a very sad Documentary about a young woman who had lain dead in her flat in central London for three years before anyone found out. It's listed on IMDb As a documentary, but also as a biography drama as they acted out some parts of her life. Would that be allowed do you think? There are quite a few doc us where you get re-enacted scenes

It's this one http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1819513/?ref_=nv_sr_1
So My Winnipeg counts?
Both count.

Also, Quince Tree of the Sun counts.

Documentaries are fun!
Indeed, documentaries are fun! They can challenge the line that separates fiction from reality and I, as leader of this rabble, want to include these types of films.



This will be great, didn't think I'd have seen that many documentaries but after further investigation I have seen quite a lot. Still feel like the genre has so much more possibilities for the future



Sorry lines, but because of the TV tag it won't count. And of course your post reminds me that I still haven't watched it. I think I'll watch it in the next couple months in honour of the countdown, despite the fact it can't be voted for.



You wanna live my life for a day? Just remember, you get the whole package. Diseases and all!

Where did this attitude come from? We used to kid around, and get along quite well.

You know, I made that comment in the 60's thread, because I myself wished I had watched and rewatched more movies. I know that I can now try to pull that off with the Documentaries, which will be very hard for me to do, or I can accomplish watching what I need for the 50's thread, in a way that won't stress me out, wear me out, or anything else. I'd rather be able to take my time, and enjoy what I'm doing. Is that OK with you?!?
Hm. My OP was in jest, it appeared that yours was as well, so I responded in jest continuing the trend. From the above post I see it wasn't just for fun like I thought the wink indicated. Sorry, I don't use smiley faces so sometimes my twisted sense of humour gets lost in the interwebs.



I won't be voting on this, as I haven't seen enough to warrant a list... or even a partial list tbh.


I was asked by CR if I could do the graphics though a couple weeks back... so like, do you still need me to help with the headers and stuff?