I must say, some of the most entertaining things I've ever watched are documentaries. There are really some gems out there that not many people hear about or know about.
When people think of documentaries, they think of history, animals and conspiracy theories. Presidents, politics and the life cycle of the honey bee.
While these are entertaining in their own right, there are just so many wildly entertaining documentaries out there that just so fun to watch.
In the same vein as the movie thread, I was hoping people could share their awesome documentary recommendations here, as I find them a lot harder to find than great movies.
I'll get the ball rolling with a couple:
Louis Theroux
Seriously can't get enough of this hilarious and intelligent British journalist. He has a series called "Weird Weekends" where he goes and spends 2 weeks in the homes/societies of some really interesting people.
These range from hookers to safari hunters to swingers to intense evangelists. Really, really entertaining.
The King of Kong
Surprisingly entertaining documentary about a guy who attempts to break the world record for a King of Kong score. Really interesting development as an arch-rival emerges (who also rocks at Pacman apparently) and controversial acts of potential sabotage.
Awesomely entertaining look at the Arcade culture as well, and I learnt all about Pacman perfect scores and "Donkey Kong killscreens". Lol, seriously, go watch it xD
ESPNs 30 for 30 is amazing, they get tons of notarized people to direct a movie about sports phenomenons that existed in recent, and past events, and bring a lot of raw emotion. If you want to see some truly gripping stories about adversity and conflict, its a great place to look.
On October 13 2010 13:01 Holcan wrote: ESPNs 30 for 30 is amazing, they get tons of notarized people to direct a movie about sports phenomenons that existed in recent, and past events, and bring a lot of raw emotion. If you want to see some truly gripping stories about adversity and conflict, its a great place to look.
Bigger, Faster, Stronger: About steroids and its evolution in American society + Show Spoiler +
Pumping Iron: About body building, Starring the "Govenator" + Show Spoiler +
Super High Me: Comedian gets high for 30 days straight, similar to "Super Size Me" + Show Spoiler +
Food, Inc: Shows where our food comes from. WARNING: Might not like the answer. + Show Spoiler +
Religulous: Bill Maher's crusade against organized religion continues. It's important to note he claims to hold the position of doubt or agnostic, but his bias comes out and he appears to be atheistic. All in all, a very entertaining and funny documentary. + Show Spoiler +
Jesus Camp: After I saw this for the first time it affirmed my conviction against organized religion. While I do recognize that this film only portrays the radical extremists, I do not trust the moderate believers from being influenced by these people. If you live in America (especially middle-America), you need to see this because the people in this documentary might be your neighbor. + Show Spoiler +
People Like Us: Social Class in America I am just wrapping up my undergraduate degree in Sociology and this documentary typifies my love and interest in the study of people and social interaction. Pleeeeease watch this documentary it will give you a view of a world right in front of your eyes that you never knew existed.
Louis has a book called call of the weird out which is a kind of retrospective on some of the characters he meets in the tv series. Its gives a much greater insight into louis own perspective on these people that he so benignly interviews.
I love documentaries. I'm supposed to be studying but off the top of my head, in no particular order.
Man on Wire The Art of the Steal The Cove The Most Dangerous Man in America More Than A Game Ken Burns - WWII Ken Burns - Jazz Ken Burns - ... Anything hes done basically Gonzo Cocaine Cowboys Jesus Camp - (Oh god the rage...) Planet B-Boy For All Mankind The Smartest Guys in the Room - Enron
Most of these are on Netflix. I watch ALOT of documentaries. All of those are excellent
Another great British journalist, he goes and spends time right in the heart of gangs and learns what they're about. Different episodes = different gangs obviously. He also has a series where he spends time with British soldiers in Afghanistan. Follows them into battles and gets shot at and everything, he's a pretty ballsy guy and I really enjoy his stuff.
Louis is so awesome! Never afraid to ask the right question.
Adding:
Stan Lee's Superhumans
Not really a high class stuff but entertaining nonetheless. There's this guy who chops a baseball in half with his sword which is trown at him by a pitcher, think it's the 6th episode. Pretty awesome
CHASING GHOSTS: BEYOND THE ARCADE is WAY WAY WAY better than King of Kong
Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade has many of the same people, like Silly Bitchell. However, it is also the FUNNIEST THING I have ever seen in my ENTIRE LIFE. How do I know this? I LITERALLY began to fear for my DEATH when I started LAUGHING SO HARD I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO BREATHE AGAIN. Get drunk, find some bros that like to have fun, and watch this movie. Your life will NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. I hope my use of caps in this post CONVINCES YOU THAT YOU MUST SEE THIS IF YOU LIKE VIDEO GAMES AT ALL. AND YOU ARE POSTING ON TEAM LIQUID SO YOU MUST.
On top of all that, Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade chronicles the progamers of the 80s, the guys that were the Boxers of the age when America was king of video games. It shows what they are up to now and such. Great history and much more important scope than King of Kong.
I recommend to check out all of Werner Herzog's documentaries, especially "Grizzly Man" about a dude who was a little bit nuts who lived near grizzlies and has finally been eaten by them
On October 13 2010 20:24 Sumsi wrote: I recommend to check out all of Werner Herzog's documentaries, especially "Grizzly Man" about a dude a who was a little bit nuts who lived near grizzlies and has finally been eaten by them
I'd recommend The Human Animal series of documentaries covering the humans from a biologist's point of view. Topics include: nonverbal communication, why humans live in overcrowded placed(cities), love and several other topics.
Great idea for a topic Subversion! I haven't really had the time to watch many documentaries lately, but I came across this short one the other night on YouTube and found it pretty LOLworthy, if not a little creepy...
I recommend all of the documentaries listed before, I once went on a binge of documentary watching and watched like 20 documentaries in like 2 weeks. Grizzly Man was great, specially the part when he rages because there's no rain. "Hindu Floaty Thing" ftw.
off the top of my head -
Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine - about the Kasparov - Deep Blue Match. That dude that keeps on whispering was annoying though Darkon - about LARP players. Really good stuff Frag - about professional gaming, centering around FPS players like fatal1ty Second Skin - about MMORPG players, particularly WoW Spellbound - about a group of kids who participate in the Scripps national spelling bee. Wordplay - about the national crossword puzzle championships and people who play crossword puzzles The Revolution will not Be Televised - it's a first person account of a coup d'etat that happens in Venezuela. Your Mommy Kills Animals - about animal rights activists like PETA and such.
Edit: Also a very good website on documentaries that I found through the magic of googly http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/ Has a great collection and is categorised.
Awesome documentary about the life and culture of the homeless in New York City. It was quite surprising to see. There's apparently an entire shanty-town in abandoned subway tunnels under the city.
Bastards of the Party
Great movie directed by Cle "Bone" Sloan. He examines the origins of the LA gangs the Bloods and Crips from the 1950s through the 1990s. As an active member of the Bloods, he's got quite a unique perspective. Sloan stated that instead of leaving the Bloods, he's going to stick around and try to change the gang from the inside.
I really liked that documentary Hwang, especially that it continually echoes something that annoy's me alot of the time where people treat everything as objective truth, or seem somehow incapable of understanding the logical conclusion of subjectivity, I won't go as far as to apply that to everything as is the case in the documentary, but certainly to the majority of things we discuss and form opinions, beliefs or values on.
Here's another gaming doco which I really enjoyed.
I GOT NEXT I Got Next is a documentary on the fighting video game scene, primarily the SF franchise. It mainly focuses on the East Coast vs West Coast rivalry which generates the needed competition to make the non-Japanese fighting somewhat internationally competitive. It also touches base on being a professional gamer in the fighting genre. Something I didn't know could be done until I watched this doco.
On October 13 2010 14:04 RiB wrote: Pumping Iron (About body building, Starring the "Govenator")
For the record, this movie is what Arnold himself refers to as a "docudrama". Basically, a lot of it is truth, but a lot of it is made up and acted out for the sake of drama/intrigue.
That's It That's All. An epic snowboarding documentary shot in HD that follows pro snowboarder Travis Rice and his buddies as they rip mountaintops and competitions all around the globe. This documentary will get your blood pumped for snowboard season.
For snowboarding docu's (if you can call them that) I recommend all the Absinthe films ^^ Just bought Nowhere and it's awesomely spectacular. That's It That's All is one of the best films around tho, with beautifull scenery and great moves.
I'm also really, really looking forward to Jeremy Jones' Deeper, He forfeits the heli and walks/climbs up sick mountains, camps out there and rides m down. Can't wait to see it
On October 14 2010 07:46 Shiragaku wrote: Insane documentary on the origin of power and how Europe came to be. This is perhaps the best one I saw.
there's a book by this name and its really excellent.
thanks for all the recommendations guys, keep it coming! :D
The book was also great, but the biggest problem is that some of the information is outdated. However, the book has some of the greatest theories and conclusions about certain events that I ever read. So much to the point that I did a report on Jared Diamond.
The series is hosted by theoretical physicist Michio Kaku and is based on his book Physics of the Impossible. In each episode, Dr. Kaku addresses a technological concept from science fiction and designs his own theoretical version of the technology using currently-known science. He also visits scientists developing technology related to the episode's concept. Contents
Heh. Always nice to rewatch one of these documantaries. Ive seen this one and the one with nal_ra in it. Are there any others?
In English, not that I know of. I believe there are more than a few in Korean about famous SC gamers specifically.
As for general gaming documentaries Chasing Ghosts and I Got Next are both excellent (links in the thread). MTV did a True Life episode on gamers that is pretty funny (can be seen here) in part because its about 7 years old now. There is a doc that goes over the CPL drama called Frag that had some good stuff too.
I also enjoyed Word Wars which is about the Scrabble pro scene (covers a lot of the same material as the book Word Freak which was cool for me).
Dr. Michio Kaku, world renowned physicist and the co-founder of string field theory, tackles some of the biggest topics in contemporary science. Now he's set his sights on the world of video games, as he disentangles science fact from fiction in an exclusive video interview series hosted by GameTrailers' Daniel Kayser.
Amazing/crazy story. Martin Striel is an extreme endurance swimmer who has swam some of the world's longest, dirtiest, and most dangerous rivers from beginning to end. Oh, and he's also overweight and a raging alcoholic. This film documents his final greatest challenge: Swimming the Amazon.
I won't say whether he makes it or not, but there's some really gnarly stuff that happens. The guy who goes completely insane, the navigator, is from my hometown as well...
On October 13 2010 14:04 RiB wrote: Bigger, Faster, Stronger: About steroids and its evolution in American society + Show Spoiler +
I'm watching this right now, and it is making me think that Starcraft and more strategy oriented sports will slowly become the norm. With everything just being about genetics, steroids, and working out, it seems like we've figured out physical sports.
Great documentary on the rise of the personal computer through Microsoft and Apple. A bit old, but still a documentary every CS or EE major should watch. Wozniak, Jobs, Gates, Allen...
I doing think anyone has mentioned this one yet, The Union: The Business of Getting High. It tries to clear up lot of common public misconception about marijuana, I personally found it very educating.
Extraordinary People - The Boy Who Sees Without Eyes
This is the story about a boy who loses his eyesight due to cancer at a very young age but learns how to navigate using echolocation. His ability to navigate using sound gets so good that people forget that he's blind. For example, he can ride a bike between parked cars.
the special thing is that they had cameras on their helmets. those pictures made me watch all 3 season. every season is divided into parts. have fun watching!
On October 13 2010 20:24 Sumsi wrote: I recommend to check out all of Werner Herzog's documentaries, especially "Grizzly Man" about a dude a who was a little bit nuts who lived near grizzlies and has finally been eaten by them
Highly, highly recommend this.
Totally concur.
Anything by Werner Herzog and Errol Morris.
I recommend:
Catfish
Probably one of the most talked about documentaries of this year
Encounters at the End of the World
My favourite Herzog doc. You get to see penguin prostitutes!
Personal favorites, are, The most hated family in America, a really creepy, but really well done Louis therox thing, in which he goes to live with the Westboro baptist church. Jesus camp, and though its an odd topic Spellbound, which follows 8 national spelling bee hopefuls through the competition, really interesting stuff.
This movie made me furious. If this info is accurate, it blows my fucking mind that anything like this is allowed to happen. Just fucking mind-boggling. I cannot believe industry will go to such extremes, with such blatant neglect for health, just in the name of cash. More importantly, I can't believe that a government knowingly lets it happen.
On October 14 2010 16:00 Jarvs wrote: Extraordinary People - The Boy Who Sees Without Eyes
This is the story about a boy who loses his eyesight due to cancer at a very young age but learns how to navigate using echolocation. His ability to navigate using sound gets so good that people forget that he's blind. For example, he can ride a bike between parked cars.
I love documentaries. I have a ton of them on the solar system/universe or the history of science (mostly chemistry though). Lately I've been going through a few history documentaries (different wars or eras). My favorite overall so far : How Earth Made Us, a 5 part documentary about Water, Air, Earth, Fire and Humans. Extremely well made and worth watching if only for the scenary.
I also have watched pretty much every single documentary on serial killers that I could find (there are tons of biographies). They are always extremely interesting; so many different psychos out there yet so many are similar in background. Anyone bored should search on youtube for some of them; there are plenty of playlists with most of the big ones there.
I suggest : Albert Fish or Jeffrey Dahmer. Both are pretty chilling.
A documentary on the history of hip-hop DJs and all the aspects associated with being a DJ.
Dark Days, already mentioned. A documentary about a HUGE homeless community who band together to live in a abandoned train station. Eventually found by the police and given eviction notices.
Dear Zachary: Very famous, but also not for the weak of heart. It's a video-letter from a friend to his best-friend's unborn son.
Hoop dreams is pretty good as well.
I like killing flies: The main character is REALLY out there. But he makes it interesting. Follows the life of a restaurant owner who caters solely to his customers and refuses to change his ways that he's been following for decades. Documentary follows what happens after his building is sold and he has to do something to save his restaurant.
"After all others had been silenced, his lonely act of defiance against the Chinese regime amazed the world. What became of him? And 20 years later, has China succeeded in erasing this event from its history?"
"After all others had been silenced, his lonely act of defiance against the Chinese regime amazed the world. What became of him? And 20 years later, has China succeeded in erasing this event from its history?"
Awesome. thanks! Never seen this one before.
edit: Wow. Wasnt expecting that interview with the students... to be so awkward. Not even a slight reference.
Run Ricky Run is easily the most interesting sports documentary I have ever seen. Even if you hate american football or sports in general, it is a very unique documentary about one of the most honest athletes I have ever seen.
People Like Us: Social Class in America I am just wrapping up my undergraduate degree in Sociology and this documentary typifies my love and interest in the study of people and social interaction. Pleeeeease watch this documentary it will give you a view of a world right in front of your eyes that you never knew existed.
Anyone out there know documentaries about south-korea, or japan or china? im highly fascinated with these countrys but google wont let me finf docu's about the countries someone know any? it can be a whole list or just one name, enough for me :D thnaks in advance
This thread kicks ass. Thanks..queuing up netflix. I really liked Food Inc. Tells you a lot about this country and the Food we eat. Poor little piggies.
I like National Geographic doc on NK. Cult of personality and indoctrination system was amazing. Tells you a lot about moral relativity. Basically these men are gods and everyone there is willing to die for the dear leader.
On October 13 2010 14:04 RiB wrote: Bigger, Faster, Stronger: About steroids and its evolution in American society + Show Spoiler +
Pumping Iron: About body building, Starring the "Govenator" + Show Spoiler +
Super High Me: Comedian gets high for 30 days straight, similar to "Super Size Me" + Show Spoiler +
Food, Inc: Shows where our food comes from. WARNING: Might not like the answer. + Show Spoiler +
Religulous: Bill Maher's crusade against organized religion continues. It's important to note he claims to hold the position of doubt or agnostic, but his bias comes out and he appears to be atheistic. All in all, a very entertaining and funny documentary. + Show Spoiler +
Jesus Camp: After I saw this for the first time it affirmed my conviction against organized religion. While I do recognize that this film only portrays the radical extremists, I do not trust the moderate believers from being influenced by these people. If you live in America (especially middle-America), you need to see this because the people in this documentary might be your neighbor. + Show Spoiler +
People Like Us: Social Class in America I am just wrapping up my undergraduate degree in Sociology and this documentary typifies my love and interest in the study of people and social interaction. Pleeeeease watch this documentary it will give you a view of a world right in front of your eyes that you never knew existed.
Cocaine Cowboys I have not seen this, but a close friend of mine had to analyze it for class and recommended it highly. + Show Spoiler +
Nice selection. Very nice. Organized religion gets a bad wrap IMO. It's made me what I am to a large degree. I am non judgmental tho and try and live like Jesus said with charity, helping the meek and otherwise doing unto others as... well you know the rest. Islam/Judiasm all have something to offer as well - much of the mores tenants and atmospherics of life today are based on those ancient philosophers. So be careful about besmirching a whole group - makes you not much different from the judgmental fundis in that video.
All in all, it is a well-balanced account of Thompson's life and work, with many pertinent interviewees like his two wives and son, Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone, Sonny Barger of the Hell's Angels, Jimmy Buffett, George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, Tom Wolfe, and various Aspenites. His passion and wit were undeniable, and his addiction to guns, booze and dope were in many ways forgivable. But his absence in today's disastrous political scene, his voice against war and corruption is sorely missed, and lamented by several of the interviewees. The parallels between Nixon and Bush are easily drawn, and "Gonzo" does this without hammering the point home except to exhort the audience to take up the fight that the Good Doctor waged in a seemingly crazy, but noble and honorable way for most of his life.
All in all, it is a well-balanced account of Thompson's life and work, with many pertinent interviewees like his two wives and son, Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone, Sonny Barger of the Hell's Angels, Jimmy Buffett, George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, Tom Wolfe, and various Aspenites. His passion and wit were undeniable, and his addiction to guns, booze and dope were in many ways forgivable. But his absence in today's disastrous political scene, his voice against war and corruption is sorely missed, and lamented by several of the interviewees. The parallels between Nixon and Bush are easily drawn, and "Gonzo" does this without hammering the point home except to exhort the audience to take up the fight that the Good Doctor waged in a seemingly crazy, but noble and honorable way for most of his life.
Yea this is on Netflix. Hunter S Thompson is fascinating.
I hadn't watched this before my initial post, and went about watching it after reading through this thread. This shit is fucking incredible. I recommend everyone watch it.
Also, This came on netflix this/last week.
Another great documentary. It's by the same guy who did Enron: The smartest guys in the room. Warning: may further your believe that the American legislative is absolutely hopeless.
I watched "People Like Us" and wasn't very impressed to be honest. I think it focussed a bit too much on the wealthier side and white people in general. Also, where was the coverage of the social misfits and/or the people who (at least attempt to) opt out of participating in social heirarchy? Did I miss it? I don't know where the guy who was majoring in sociology comes from, but I can definitely say that I didn't actually get anything out of this film. It's not the rich and wealthy that are invisible, it's the kid at the bagel shop that they mentioned in passing to use as an example that is.
Frustrated and disappointed is where I'm at, I suppose. They talk about "thousands" of social groups in the US, but focus on one and then mention maybe... 3 others? All of which are predominantly consisting of white people. More diversity, plz.
not sure if anyone posted yet but this is America's most hated family with louis theroux. Looks very interesting and enjoyed watching it but raged at the brain washing and the bulllllll crap the adults say when they have no answers to give
Marjoe Docu about Marjoe, a kid who was forced by his parents to preach hell and damnation to confessionalist America - if he didn't want to do it his mum would smother him in a pillow while his dad told people a story about how Jesus had touched his son. Marjoe fled into hippie California in his teens but he comes back to preaching for this documentary, showing what a fraud and shenaniganry make up the evangalist church. It's on YouTube in full.
Audience of One Docu about a Pentecost vicar who received a vision from God about having to make a film that was to be the "Star Wars or Christianity". The docu follows the film crew, funded by churchgoer's gifts to a set in Italy. Throughout the film it becomes painfully apparent how deceited the director guy is. Embarrassingly funny and sad at the same time.
Deliver us from Evil Docu about a Catholic priest and his victims who show us the contrast between how being raped as a child utterly and totally destroys one's life versus the paradox between feeling regret and having God on your side. Utterly disgusting.
Omg I'm watching that Westboro Baptist Church documentary. Soooo rage inducing. I understand that this is like the extreemeeee side of religious fanaticism, but I still want to punch my computer screen out
On November 30 2010 18:21 backtoback wrote: not sure if anyone posted yet but this is America's most hated family with louis theroux. Looks very interesting and enjoyed watching it but raged at the brain washing and the bulllllll crap the adults say when they have no answers to give
I dont understand how noone has arranged a meeting with that lady and god.
the kids are a prime example of the harmful affects of indoctrination.
But according to her interpretation of the bible she's desperately trying to save our souls from an eternity in hell.
God I wish I lived near that area just so I could make there life a living hell. I would love to get on there picket lines with funny signs, or just get in an argument with them.
Had to stop at 3 minutes in to that louis theroux. That is not a documentary: documentries are meant to show and teach you stuff not make you a raging wreck and ruin your weekend.
Don't think this was here yet, I'm not sure if this is so much a documentary but it's highly interesting & enjoyable stuff.
On November 30 2010 18:21 backtoback wrote: not sure if anyone posted yet but this is America's most hated family with louis theroux. Looks very interesting and enjoyed watching it but raged at the brain washing and the bulllllll crap the adults say when they have no answers to give
I just saw a really good one called "Pyramids of Waste". Its about planned obsolescence, or how manufacturers plan for goods to break down within a certain timespan so we are forced to buy new ones. Really interesting, and quite shocking to be honest. I only have a link to it with Norwegian subtitles tho.
Finally saw a documentary I've been dying to see for ages. Restrepo. It was pretty good.
The best documentary I've seen though in the past few years is Mugabe and the White African. It was exhilirating to watch, there was a palpable sense of danger throughout the film. But there were also moments of courage and triumpth that took my breath away. Recommendededed.
I really like World of Jenks, a documentary-series that airs on MTV, directed by a young filmmaker Andrew Jenks. The show revolves around Andrew moving in with a new stranger to experience a week in their life, from random people, such as a houseless woman, a man with autism, a rapper, MMA fighter, a professional poker player, an NFL cheerleader, a female-fronted band, etc. In contrast to allot documentaries what I like about World of Jenk is it shows you the better side of people. + Show Spoiler +
Download: The True Story of the Internet is about a revolution - the technological, cultural, commercial and social revolution that has radically changed our lives. And for the first time on television, we hear how it happened from the men and women who made it possible. From the founders of eBay, Yahoo, Amazon, Netscape, Google and many others, we hear amazing stories of how, in ten short years, the Internet took over our lives.
Browser Wars This is the story of an epic battle between America's mightiest corporation and a small group of "computer geeks" who created a revolutionary technology.
Search In a few short years a new and unique way of finding information revolutionized the Web and in the process created one of the largest companies in the US; Google
Bubble In an astonishing journalistic coup, the founders of the Amazon and Ebay, Jeff Bezos and Pierre Omidyar, tell the story of how their business grew from nothing to dominate the global economy and profoundly change the way we live our lives.
People Power This is the story of how the internet has changed society and how a new breed of entrepreneurs are shaping our digital futures. It all started with Napster; a way of swapping music that was dreamt up by the teenaged Shawn Fanning.
Just finished watching Restrepo. It's an excellent documentary and there's no propaganda or agenda being put across. It's just a raw portrayal of soldier life in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan in 2007-2008. Very interesting and highly recommended!
On December 23 2010 18:05 Spiffeh wrote: Just finished watching Restrepo. It's an excellent documentary and there's no propaganda or agenda being put across. It's just a raw portrayal of soldier life in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan in 2007-2008. Very interesting and highly recommended!
I would suggest this documentary as well, it gives a realistic and (relatively) uncensored view of what it's actually like over there.
I saw Collapse at a documentary festival a while ago, and it's really interesting. Not so much about what he believes, but about what his beliefs do to him.
Yesterday I watched Best Evidence on youtube (1h15), it's about UFO, it's decent but If you've seen others it's all the same.
Unknown ufologist who wrote a book talk about crazy conspiration --> retired NASA/military old man talk about something they saw on a radar --> Image that everyone saw 10000 times.
I still love theses UFO cases, it's interesting even tho most documentaries aren' t that informative and made to entertain.
If you want to check an interesting case, google Teheran sightings.
Really interesting story about all the forces that worked against electric cars being viable. Some of the things that happened are just so absurd you would never believe it if someone told you.
Even if you don't like cars all that much it is still a fascinating story.
Really interesting story about all the forces that worked against electric cars being viable. Some of the things that happened are just so absurd you would never believe it if someone told you.
Even if you don't like cars all that much it is still a fascinating story.
Yep, greedy corporations stall the advance of human race by quite a lot. I'm quite sure there are a ton of groundbreaking discoveries out there and they aren't incorporated into daily lives because current bussinesses which use the inferior versions would get destroyed.. Pretty sad
Super high me is a really disappointing movie, especially if you're a stoner and want something interesting to watch. About 3 months ago, I used to get high a lot more than the guy in the documentary and it really wasn't a big deal or anything.
Good ones that I have watched are:
BBC's The atom BBC's The day the universe changed The expanding universe A brief history of time
Survivors of slave labor, brainwashing, torture and attempted organ harvesting combine with an investigative journalist, and eminent experts, to discuss the contentious subject of Genocide in modern-day China, which increasingly involves the West. Shocking persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. It is appalling to realize what little international attention has been paid to such a massive human rights abuse. Transmission 6-10 was independently written/directed/produced by two practitioners of Falun Gong with the assistance of a number of people who do not practice. Therefore, the production is considered to be a collaborative effort.
Dunno if it's been mentioned yet but a cursory Google search says no.
A great series of debates between Christopher Hitchens and a pastor named Douglas Wilson on a basic question: Is Christianity good for the world? Resulted in the book. A great, passionate, thorough, and above all, civilized exchange between two intelligent men on an essential topic. If nothing else, still a fascinating character study on these two guys who, as the film shows, are extraordinarily similar aside from this one most fundamental disagreement.
I might have somewhat of a tainted view of this since I really enjoy guitar playing, but I found it overall quite enjoyable. I really liked the amount of depth the film took into the backgrounds of each of the artists to show the path each artist took in order to define their sound.
2010 film about street art (tagging) and how modern art is all bullshit.
The "art world" is talking about this film alot because it just proves how stupid they are. This film is also really highly rated, 97% on Rotten Tomatoe.
- Jesus Camp for all the atheists out there. About some hardcore religious nuts.
- And Monster Camp is hilarious. For all you nerds. This movie is soooooooooo funny. even funnier than King of Kong (OPs recommendation).
- And Man On Wire. Amazing story about an impossible prank.
- And Grizzly Man. Hilarious. Movie. About. An. Idiot.
I love documentaries, I watch a lot of them and these are some of the best I can remember off the top of my head. You MUST watch these + Exit Through the Window.
What is interesting about the documentary is that it shows that gays that believe in God is not like a Jew supporting the Nazi Party as many people assume. Full Movie here http://www.archive.org/details/ForTheBibleTellsMeSo
Honestly... This documentary is everything to me. I've never referenced and referred to a documentary so many times to so many of my papers.
I learned a lot from this and it confirmed a lot of things I knew previously. Might not be the most interesting to people, but it says a lot and their approach of comparing a corporation to a socio/psychopath is spot on.
Honestly... This documentary is everything to me. I've never referenced and referred to a documentary so many times to so many of my papers.
I learned a lot from this and it confirmed a lot of things I knew previously. Might not be the most interesting to people, but it says a lot and their approach of comparing a corporation to a socio/psychopath is spot on.
I am watching this right now. Actually took a break to visit the forums. Great doc I've seen allot of the footage before like the monsanto stuff and much of the stock footage appear in other docs though.
Honestly... This documentary is everything to me. I've never referenced and referred to a documentary so many times to so many of my papers.
I learned a lot from this and it confirmed a lot of things I knew previously. Might not be the most interesting to people, but it says a lot and their approach of comparing a corporation to a socio/psychopath is spot on.
I am watching this right now. Actually took a break to visit the forums. Great doc I've seen allot of the footage before like the monsanto stuff and much of the stock footage appear in other docs.
I think what I loved the most are the anecdotes and views/explanations from their guest-speakers. Really interesting! The 14th amendment part really had me hooked with interest (even though I knew of it, in part).
And the patent section, oh man, I fucking wept with laughter and the ridiculousness of it all.
What is interesting about the documentary is that it shows that gays that believe in God is not like a Jew supporting the Nazi Party as many people assume. Full Movie here http://www.archive.org/details/ForTheBibleTellsMeSo
What a joke. Sure there are a bunch of fake churches who say homosexuality is fine but they are just lying. The Bible teaches homosexuality is wrong and people who engage in those acts and don't repent will go to hell. End of story. Its not some literal vs allegory account it is WRONG. Just like its WRONG to have sex out of marriage. Its described as wrong in a few different places and I'm not gonna bother finding the verses atm. But if having sex out of marriage is wrong how can people think that gays can have sex and its ok? That makes no sense.
Its taught in the New Testament that its wrong. Lets take a look. In the gospel Jesus says fornication is wrong. All homosexual sex is fornication and always will be (or possibly adultery) because that marriage isn't recognized as legitimate by God. Sure the State might one day say Homosexuality is ok and their marriage is real but thats man's arbitrary ever shifting opinion.
Go ahead and lie to yourself or feel comfort in that fact that their are whole churches who will lie to you and say its ok with God. Its not. And anyone who approves of homosexuality is just as guilty as those who engage it it. This video is just liberal Chrisitianity (if you can even call it Christianity) doing their normal lying routine so they are PC. Look we have women as pastors and say gays are fine come to our church we are progressive multicultural blah blah...
The whole God Hates Fags people are mislead though. God WILL put homosexuals who dont repent in hell but if they aren't in the church its not your job to tell them that. It is definitely appropriate for Christian to vote, lead, and get into politics to make homosexuality illegal (again) and stop homosexual wanna be marriage from existing (or adoption).
Honestly... This documentary is everything to me. I've never referenced and referred to a documentary so many times to so many of my papers.
I learned a lot from this and it confirmed a lot of things I knew previously. Might not be the most interesting to people, but it says a lot and their approach of comparing a corporation to a socio/psychopath is spot on.
rofl. seems very impartial...
the general theme [edit: of all the docus here] seems to be anti-corporation, anti-religion and pro-socialism documentaries. teenagers will be teenagers, i guess.
Well this movie just reinforces my belief that people who buy bottle water are wasting their money however I did learn that PET is more dangerous than I originally though. It was entertaining.
My criticism lies in that fact that I found the lack of explanation of the process of actually making bottled water, as someone who operated distilling plants, disturbing. Comparing the processes would of done a much better job at convincing people to stop drinking bottle water than the mostly one sided arguments the film makers used.
Also they didn't mention anything about water fluoridation which the Government has recently had to lower to recommend max amount to put into drinking water because it has been shown to lead to cavities and is suspected to cause bone problems by replacing the calcium in bones with fluoride.
This thread is so awesome, so many interesting documentaries posted! I'm going to have to start watching from the first page onwards, thanks to those sharing and don't stop!
Honestly... This documentary is everything to me. I've never referenced and referred to a documentary so many times to so many of my papers.
I learned a lot from this and it confirmed a lot of things I knew previously. Might not be the most interesting to people, but it says a lot and their approach of comparing a corporation to a socio/psychopath is spot on.
rofl. seems very impartial...
the general theme here seems to be anti-corporation, anti-religion and pro-socialism documentaries. teenagers will be teenagers, i guess.
Aren't you acting like a teenager? Passing judgment before even watching the film? I'd validate your argument with a refutation, but I dislike when someone makes up their mind before giving the documentaries a chance.
Honestly... This documentary is everything to me. I've never referenced and referred to a documentary so many times to so many of my papers.
I learned a lot from this and it confirmed a lot of things I knew previously. Might not be the most interesting to people, but it says a lot and their approach of comparing a corporation to a socio/psychopath is spot on.
rofl. seems very impartial...
the general theme here seems to be anti-corporation, anti-religion and pro-socialism documentaries. teenagers will be teenagers, i guess.
Aren't you acting like a teenager? Passing judgment before even watching the film? I'd validate your argument with a refutation, but I dislike when someone makes up their mind before giving the documentaries a chance.
i recognize the usual "boohoo evil corporations are so EVIL" bullshit when i see it.
Honestly... This documentary is everything to me. I've never referenced and referred to a documentary so many times to so many of my papers.
I learned a lot from this and it confirmed a lot of things I knew previously. Might not be the most interesting to people, but it says a lot and their approach of comparing a corporation to a socio/psychopath is spot on.
rofl. seems very impartial...
the general theme here seems to be anti-corporation, anti-religion and pro-socialism documentaries. teenagers will be teenagers, i guess.
Aren't you acting like a teenager? Passing judgment before even watching the film? I'd validate your argument with a refutation, but I dislike when someone makes up their mind before giving the documentaries a chance.
i recognize the usual "boohoo evil corporations are so EVIL" bullshit when i see it.
It seems you've already made up your mind, perhaps with ignorance or perhaps with stubbornness. Doesn't matter, making someone watch a documentary is futile and wasted.
If you disagree, there's no reason to call it bullshit. Just state that your stance is skeptical about the views and perceptions of corporations.
What is interesting about the documentary is that it shows that gays that believe in God is not like a Jew supporting the Nazi Party as many people assume. Full Movie here http://www.archive.org/details/ForTheBibleTellsMeSo
What a joke. Sure there are a bunch of fake churches who say homosexuality is fine but they are just lying. The Bible teaches homosexuality is wrong and people who engage in those acts and don't repent will go to hell. End of story. Its not some literal vs allegory account it is WRONG. Just like its WRONG to have sex out of marriage. Its described as wrong in a few different places and I'm not gonna bother finding the verses atm. But if having sex out of marriage is wrong how can people think that gays can have sex and its ok? That makes no sense.
Its taught in the New Testament that its wrong. Lets take a look. In the gospel Jesus says fornication is wrong. All homosexual sex is fornication and always will be (or possibly adultery) because that marriage isn't recognized as legitimate by God. Sure the State might one day say Homosexuality is ok and their marriage is real but thats man's arbitrary ever shifting opinion.
Go ahead and lie to yourself or feel comfort in that fact that their are whole churches who will lie to you and say its ok with God. Its not. And anyone who approves of homosexuality is just as guilty as those who engage it it. This video is just liberal Chrisitianity (if you can even call it Christianity) doing their normal lying routine so they are PC. Look we have women as pastors and say gays are fine come to our church we are progressive multicultural blah blah...
The whole God Hates Fags people are mislead though. God WILL put homosexuals who dont repent in hell but if they aren't in the church its not your job to tell them that. It is definitely appropriate for Christian to vote, lead, and get into politics to make homosexuality illegal (again) and stop homosexual wanna be marriage from existing (or adoption).
Wow...either a Evangelical Christian or a literist atheist interpreting the Bible his own way to justify in own beliefs for why Christianity is the new Nazi Party.
I am a gay atheist but the Bible by all means is not a Mein Kampf by any means. But I am not going to waste my breath since I probably am being trolled. Yes, I do believe that God is 10 times worse than Hitler in the Old Testament but the New Testament is definably recommend for studying. (Revelations is another story though)
See Shiragaku, that's just the thing. You pick and choose which part(s) of the bible are valid, worth studying etc...how could that ever hold any significance then? (I'm atheist btw, not anti gay)
Also, no one mentioned "The Cove" yet. The guy who trained Flipper seeks redemption and tries to stop the (really rather pointless) slaughter of dolphins via taking pictures and movies of "the cove" and showing the world. He is strongly opposed by the cities inhabitants who always follow him around and try to stop him, which leads to some kind of real life spy movie. The Cove Trailer
I love nature documentaries and this one is about the biggest country in the world which features a lot of different climate and vegetation, from semi-deserts to the freezing tundra. It has six episodes: SIBERIA KAMCHATKA ARCTIC THE GREAT DIVIDE THE SECRET FOREST PRIMEVAL VALLEYS
On January 20 2011 23:46 REDBLUEGREEN wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOcyJHIsHFI I love nature documentaries and this one is about the biggest country in the world which features a lot of different climate and vegetation, from semi-deserts to the freezing tundra. It has six episodes: SIBERIA KAMCHATKA ARCTIC THE GREAT DIVIDE THE SECRET FOREST PRIMEVAL VALLEYS
I wonder if that is the same Wild Russia documentary that was filmed almost entirely in Finland -.- If it is that is some serious BS right there.
On January 21 2011 00:05 Vain wrote: Why didnt anyone posted this awesome documentary? Its about north korea and has some actual footage from the inside
Probably the most moving/emotional documentary I have EVER watched (and I watch quite a bit of documentaries). I was told to not watch any trailers/read anything about it and just watch it. I did, and I am extremely glad I did, it was absolutely an emotional rollercoaster.
If you MUST watch a trailer before you watch it, here it is (make sure not to read youtube comments, theres plenty of spoilers):
On January 20 2011 18:15 Ajunoo wrote: See Shiragaku, that's just the thing. You pick and choose which part(s) of the bible are valid, worth studying etc...how could that ever hold any significance then? (I'm atheist btw, not anti gay)
Well this is not about pick and choose. It is about interpretation and we have to keep in mind that many of the rules in the Bible are written for people of their time. So when reading about Sodom and Gomorrah, we seem way too fast to assume that God destroyed that city due to homosexuality when it appears that the issue of more related to xenophobia, lack of hospitality towards foreigners (very old tradition in ancient culture) The Greeks had this practice because the stranger could be a divine figure and I could assume the people of Sodom had similar religious beliefs. And we have the abuse of power (soldiers gladly willing to rape Lot's daughter, people you are suppose to protect.) But as for the anal gang rape part, it is not a sign of perversity, but rather, an act of humiliation. Even today in many wars, most notably in the Middle East or in Afghanistan, Islamic soldiers have been known to humiliate their prisoners through anal rape but I cannot confirm if that is true or not since I heard these tales from a friend who is buddies with a Afghan veteran. But as for the homosexual activity in the Old Testament later on, especially in Leviticus, the people at the time knew that semen created babies, but they believed that by not ejaculating into the woman, you are wasting sperm as a result. In fact, Yahweh in his ever so wonderful wisdom smites a man for wasting the sperm. But as for morality, it is just against ceremonial traditions in Leviticus and seen as disgusting. In Romans, Paul condemns homosexuality not because God said so, but because the Greeks and with their many Gods, it was seen as a way of getting away from God. So it is not about picking and choosing, it is how those statements related to how people lived back in the ancient times.
But as for a contribution for something to watch, I would heavily recommend this since I have not seen it yet.
On January 21 2011 05:24 Shiragaku wrote: In Romans, Paul condemns homosexuality not because God said so, but because the Greeks and with their many Gods, it was seen as a way of getting away from God. So it is not about picking and choosing, it is how those statements related to how people lived back in the ancient times.
So how do you decide if it is still valid in modern times? How about the ten commandements? I mean they were given WAY back right? There are many...unsavory things written in the bible. And if you decide what was only valid back then, and what still is now...call it what you will, I call it picking and choosing, because it is exactly what you do. I'm sure there are quite some christians who would think that the anti-gay thing is still applicable, because it is written in the bible. If 10 people interpret the bible, you will probably get 10 different (and valid!) opinions.
Now, as much as I'd like to discuss that here, this is a documentary thread, so here goes: Freakonomics
On January 18 2011 16:29 recline wrote: anyone watch or read freakonomics?
I've read the book, got it for christmas I think. It's quite interesting, the writers use methods of statistics and econometrics to get some useful info out of empirical data. They get to very interesting conclusions in various fields. (Like revealing cheating teachers, or the role of abortion in the reduce of crime.) It's called freakonomics, cause it applies ordinary data processing methods to examine and explore unconventional areas.
On January 21 2011 04:38 Gatsbi wrote: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father
Probably the most moving/emotional documentary I have EVER watched (and I watch quite a bit of documentaries). I was told to not watch any trailers/read anything about it and just watch it. I did, and I am extremely glad I did, it was absolutely an emotional rollercoaster.
If you MUST watch a trailer before you watch it, here it is (make sure not to read youtube comments, theres plenty of spoilers): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyY0CXdiNo
okay, i watched it. dude you need to choose your words better. "i am extremly glad i did, it was absolutely an emotional rollercoaster". well i'm glad you had such a nice ride, because you sound like an ignorant ass. that movie depicts something extremely heinous and you seem to speak of it strictly in terms of its entertainment value. come the fuck on.
On January 21 2011 04:38 Gatsbi wrote: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father
Probably the most moving/emotional documentary I have EVER watched (and I watch quite a bit of documentaries). I was told to not watch any trailers/read anything about it and just watch it. I did, and I am extremely glad I did, it was absolutely an emotional rollercoaster.
If you MUST watch a trailer before you watch it, here it is (make sure not to read youtube comments, theres plenty of spoilers): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyY0CXdiNo
okay, i watched it. dude you need to choose your words better. "i am extremly glad i did, it was absolutely an emotional rollercoaster". well i'm glad you had such a nice ride, because you sound like an ignorant ass. that movie depicts something extremely heinous and you seem to speak of it strictly in terms of its entertainment value. come the fuck on.
Can you elaborate? I watched the trailer and it looks a bit enticing. How is it heinous and why is he an ignorant ass?
On January 21 2011 04:38 Gatsbi wrote: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father
Probably the most moving/emotional documentary I have EVER watched (and I watch quite a bit of documentaries). I was told to not watch any trailers/read anything about it and just watch it. I did, and I am extremely glad I did, it was absolutely an emotional rollercoaster.
If you MUST watch a trailer before you watch it, here it is (make sure not to read youtube comments, theres plenty of spoilers): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyY0CXdiNo
okay, i watched it. dude you need to choose your words better. "i am extremly glad i did, it was absolutely an emotional rollercoaster". well i'm glad you had such a nice ride, because you sound like an ignorant ass. that movie depicts something extremely heinous and you seem to speak of it strictly in terms of its entertainment value. come the fuck on.
you seem to have misunderstood what i meant by "emotional rollercoaster". I am referring to how you could have the feeling of extreme anger and extreme happiness at different parts in the documentary.. the "up and downs" of a rollercoaster so to speak, not that it was as "fun as riding a rollercoaster" like you seem to think.
On January 21 2011 04:38 Gatsbi wrote: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father
Probably the most moving/emotional documentary I have EVER watched (and I watch quite a bit of documentaries). I was told to not watch any trailers/read anything about it and just watch it. I did, and I am extremely glad I did, it was absolutely an emotional rollercoaster.
If you MUST watch a trailer before you watch it, here it is (make sure not to read youtube comments, theres plenty of spoilers): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyY0CXdiNo
Holy Fuck.
That film hit me like a truck between the eyes. You're dead on about the emotional up and down.
Seriously, watch this film if you want to be torn apart and put back together again.
Who: Dr. Stanley Milgram What: This is the famous experiment that shows how far people will go to carry out orders given by authority. Why: It tests if German Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann and his men were just following orders despite extreme moral beliefs (the Holocaust). How: The subject plays a "teacher" role and must punish the "student" with increasingly painful electric shocks. A figure of authority stresses that the lessons must go on.
Is there a reason why Freakonomics was poorly received? I did not watch it yet but was it boring, filled with crazy lies, biased, or just filled with appeal to emotion tactics?
i watched King of Kong with a couple friends, and at first we thought it was a mockumentary and were laughing a lot, then we realized it was real and laughed even harder.
My favs:
The Union (marijuana legalization) No End in Sight (the war in iraq) Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (something like that) Michael Moore's works There are a couple really good ones about 9/11 conspiracy theories, but i dont remember their names.
On January 01 2011 12:44 leeznon wrote: Also recommend:
- And Monster Camp is hilarious. For all you nerds. This movie is soooooooooo funny. even funnier than King of Kong (OPs recommendation).
Oh god, I lived next to the Paul guy, towards the beginning, for 8 years. Janet, his mom, was the craziest woman I have ever met in my life. I also went to NERO twice. That shit is beyond insane.
On January 28 2011 09:05 Shiragaku wrote: Is there a reason why Freakonomics was poorly received? I did not watch it yet but was it boring, filled with crazy lies, biased, or just filled with appeal to emotion tactics?
"Read the book, don't wait for the movie" is a good mantra to follow with this one. The Freakonomics books (a sequel is long out already) are pretty easy reading if you have even a cursory understanding of behavioral economics theory - or less. The movie, however, was not nearly as well put together or viewer friendly. I agree with reviewers at RT and EDIWM (an economics blog) that the film was poorly executed and not interesting - and I did an econ minor in college and love endless talks on the subject.
Dunno if they have been mentioned but I found the following documentaries entertaining:
- The Cove (About the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, group of people go undercover to film it)
- Man On Wire (Tells the story of a frenchman who tightrope walked across the WTC towers in NYC in the 70s)
- Waiting for Superman (About the public school system in the USA)
- Gasland (About natural gas mining in the rural midwest and how it effects the people living around it)
- Exit Through the Gift Shop (hard to explain it, basically about street art. Fuckin amazing, everyone should check it out.)
- Taxi to the Dark Side (Afghan taxi driver gets arrested by american military near Bagram Air Base, gets interrogated and ultimately dies. You will feel sick after watching this.)
- The Tillman Story (About the football player Pat Tillman who signed up voluntarilly to fight in Afghanistan. Tells the story of Pat Tillman and about the horrible circumstances of his death, and how the media tried to portray him as something he wasn't.)
- The King of Kong (About two nerds who have world high scores in Donkey Kong. Don't really know what else to say. It's pretty interesting though.)
Especially for those of you who got interested in the japan reactors.
This one is really, really good.
Wow, just watched that 10 minute video. That is messed up what the russian government made them do. If robots couldnt handle the pressure, how could humans and only for 100$... sickens me!
At first when i got it I thought it was just going to be another boring documentary. After watching it however, i really felt passioniate about the cause it was promoting (the stopping of shark poatching) Heres the movie's website: www.sharkwater.com/
Wow, I cannot believe this is the first time I've seen this thread. I've got literally 16 movies written down that I can't wait to see. Thanks everyone.
For my vote, I'm gonna have to say Waiting for Superman was very good. Finally we are starting to take an honest look at america's educational system and how the unions are actively working against the children they are supposed to be teaching. A must see for anyone in america who is interested in political topics.
Here is a related documentary coming up that I have been dying to see:
Not really a documentary, more of an interview / speech from a man who claims to have killed 2 Aliens and worked on secret underground base construction for the US government, it was entertaining, not saying it's true but I enjoyed it.
EDIT: Apparently this man was murdered a week or so after he gave this speech. Weird.
I recently watched "Crossing the Line", a documentary about one of the four US Soldiers who defected to DPRK during the Korean War. I would recommend it to to anyone with a strong interest in issues of History, Wars, Communism or Korea in general.
This is a documentary about Pablo Escobar, the druglord, and Andres Escobar, the football player. And all that was going on in Colombia during their rise to fame.
As a DJ (although amateur) i found this documentary to be extremely entertaining. It's about the history of DJing, or more specifically scratch DJ's. There use to be a full version on youtube, but it got taken down. Frankly I think anybody can enjoy this movie even if you are not interested in DJing or know nothing about DJing.
On March 25 2011 03:35 TadH wrote: Not really a documentary, more of an interview / speech from a man who claims to have killed 2 Aliens and worked on secret underground base construction for the US government, it was entertaining, not saying it's true but I enjoyed it.
EDIT: Apparently this man was murdered a week or so after he gave this speech. Weird.
not everyone will find this sort of documentary appealing but if your a runner you will or if your an athlete you might. Its called spirit of the marathon and it follows the training of individuals up to a marathon and then covers the marathon itself. The most interesting part for me was the coverage of the training of an elite female and male marathoner and what it takes to be at that level. heres a trailer. (full movie can be found on youtube)
- Maybe the best made movie I've ever seen. It hasn't evoked a reaction as strong as a few other movies but I can't think of another as well put together and simple and beautiful in concept.
Cocaine Cowboys
- So over the top, incredibly entertaining. More than a few times I said "holy shit!" out loud at the outrageousness of the stories I was hearing.
Great thread. I absolutely love documentaries. I skimmed the whole thread and was surprised not to have seen two documentaries that were probably the two most moving and utterly heart wrenching documentaries I've ever seen:
Children of Beslan, a documentary of the Chechen terrorist siege on a school full of children:
Telling Nicholas, a documentary about breaking the news to a child who lost his mother on 9/11. This is just a trailer of the doc, not sure if the whole thing is on youtube or not.
I am rarely so touched by any film but tears were streaming throughout both of these documentaries. Both of these documentaries really put life in a perspective I didn't have before watching them. Be prepared to weep.
There's many documentaries in this thread I haven't seen, and can't wait to watch, but I have to agree with the TL'r who recommended the Devil and Daniel Johnston doc. Such an amazing yet sad story of genius conflicted by mental illness. It's one of my favorite documentaries...highly recommended.
On May 04 2011 12:50 koOl wrote: not everyone will find this sort of documentary appealing but if your a runner you will or if your an athlete you might. Its called spirit of the marathon and it follows the training of individuals up to a marathon and then covers the marathon itself. The most interesting part for me was the coverage of the training of an elite female and male marathoner and what it takes to be at that level. heres a trailer. (full movie can be found on youtube)
Just watched it on youtube and thoroughly enjoyed it, even as a non-runner. There's so much emotion involved and the personal triumphs that everyone attain is inspirational. Makes me want to sign up and train for a 5K and work my way up and see if I have what it takes to do what these marathoners are able to do.
There was a documentary on Channel 4 More yesterday called "Catfish" about a guy who falls in love with someone over Facebook and goes off to find her & her family. Its oddly eye opening and good it should be on 4OD. It was released in other countries before yesterday. Hopefully this is the rightful place to post this.
On May 04 2011 12:50 koOl wrote: not everyone will find this sort of documentary appealing but if your a runner you will or if your an athlete you might. Its called spirit of the marathon and it follows the training of individuals up to a marathon and then covers the marathon itself. The most interesting part for me was the coverage of the training of an elite female and male marathoner and what it takes to be at that level. heres a trailer. (full movie can be found on youtube)
Just watched it on youtube and thoroughly enjoyed it, even as a non-runner. There's so much emotion involved and the personal triumphs that everyone attain is inspirational. Makes me want to sign up and train for a 5K and work my way up and see if I have what it takes to do what these marathoners are able to do.
yeah the emotion shown in the movie is really amazing too and i think its inspiring for anyone. definitely a hidden gem film.
Yeah, this was actually surprisingly good. Oversimplified? Yes. Biased? Yes. It's really a far cry from being as bad as "Waiting for Superman" and other docs of the sort though.
If you haven't been watching the senate hearings you owe it to yourself to give this a view.
As a DJ (although amateur) i found this documentary to be extremely entertaining. It's about the history of DJing, or more specifically scratch DJ's. There use to be a full version on youtube, but it got taken down. Frankly I think anybody can enjoy this movie even if you are not interested in DJing or know nothing about DJing.
w00t. I'm a friend of the director's and I'm happy it got mentioned in this thread. He also has a movie called Infamy which shows life within the tagging community.
Another great one by him is Hype! which is about the grunge scene from the 90s. Both are fantastic documentaries.
thats until you find out that most of their "facts" are pulled out of their ass and its just another conspiracy video that is made by an idiot who didn't do his research
Amazing documentary about the issue of abortion in the United States. It was directed by Tony Kaye (American History X) and shot in black and white. This film really shows the validity of both sides of the argument, but at the same time points out a lot of the religious extremism and misinformation fueling the pro-life movement.
Haven't been able to see this yet, but Armadillo is a movie following a squad of Danish soldiers serving in Afghanistan. Not so much a documentary as it is an experiment in non-fictional storytelling, but the filmography looks absolutely amazing. Definitely on my movies to watch list.
On January 21 2011 04:38 Gatsbi wrote: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father
Probably the most moving/emotional documentary I have EVER watched (and I watch quite a bit of documentaries). I was told to not watch any trailers/read anything about it and just watch it. I did, and I am extremely glad I did, it was absolutely an emotional rollercoaster.
If you MUST watch a trailer before you watch it, here it is (make sure not to read youtube comments, theres plenty of spoilers): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyY0CXdiNo
Holy Fuck.
That film hit me like a truck between the eyes. You're dead on about the emotional up and down.
Seriously, watch this film if you want to be torn apart and put back together again.
On January 21 2011 04:38 Gatsbi wrote: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father
Probably the most moving/emotional documentary I have EVER watched (and I watch quite a bit of documentaries). I was told to not watch any trailers/read anything about it and just watch it. I did, and I am extremely glad I did, it was absolutely an emotional rollercoaster.
If you MUST watch a trailer before you watch it, here it is (make sure not to read youtube comments, theres plenty of spoilers): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyY0CXdiNo
Holy Fuck.
That film hit me like a truck between the eyes. You're dead on about the emotional up and down.
Seriously, watch this film if you want to be torn apart and put back together again.
This is just a 10-minute clip of a bigger documentary, but it's so fascinating, scary and confusing at the same time. I cannot even imagine how it must feel to be in a state like that.
I dont know if it's a real documentary, some sites say it is others that some parts are acted, i think i read the movie director claimed everything is true BUT i dont care, it's a really good movie, a must see i would say.
Need. More. Surf. Step into Liquid Your first thought: No it's not Starcraft related. This is one of my favorite documentaries I've ever seen. In 2003 it was released and instantly became part of the collection of movies we'd watch at the beach house late at night after smoking and surfing all day. I can't tell you how many times I've watched this, or how many of those I've fallen asleep to the peaceful and awe inspiring footage of surf spots.
It's a montage of secret surf spots and the classic locations with interviews and voice overs by the men and women who surf them. It's as good of surf porn as you'll find anywhere until the end. If you haven't heard of The Cortes Bank before, then it's worth watching this documentary on that alone. Spoiler: It features a 66 foot wave being ridden.
Louis Theroux is just about as awesome as it comes. He has a newer one were he revisits the Westboro baptist church people 4 years later. Makes me just as dumbfounded as the first one.
On September 04 2011 15:06 USK wrote: Louis Theroux is just about as awesome as it comes. He has a newer one were he revisits the Westboro baptist church people 4 years later. Makes me just as dumbfounded as the first one.
Thanks alot for posting, had no idea he made a follow-up.. and still bat fucking shit crazy stuff
To contribute with something that hasn't been mentioned:
Terror's Advocate
An examination of the career of Jacques Vergès (1925- ), attorney for members of Algeria's FLN, Palestine's FPLP, the Khmer Rouge, Carlos and associates, Klaus Barbie, and other revolutionaries and outcasts. Archival footage, news articles, and photographs mix with contemporary interviews of Vergès, friends, associates, and historians. Connections with Nazis are explored, as well as Vergès's marriage to Djamila Bouhared, his courtroom methods, his disappearance from 1970 to 1978, and the roots of his radicalism. Throughout, Vergès remains playful and charming, with a soupçon of arrogance. The film suggests Vergès's anti-colonial nature is at his center.
I don't know how I have missed this thread until now! I will check out some of the mentioned docs later.
Now some of my own recommendations. Look them up on IMDB for more info:
A behind the scenes look at the crazy and violent world of nightclub bouncers. With among others British legend Lenny "The Guv'nor" McLean who appeared in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"
A film about the cultural evolution of the Sydney beach side suburb of Maroubra and the social struggle faced by it's youth - the notorious surf gang known as the Bra Boys.
A documentary about the culture of hip-hop. Through interviews with some of hip-hops biggest names, the film makers attempt to find out what makes it tick.
The Parking Lot Movie is a documentary about a singular parking lot in Charlottesville, Virginia. The film follows a select group of parking lot attendants and their strange rite of passage.
Still trying to get my hands on the documentary Gerrymandering somewhere. Sounds interesting but hard to find
On September 04 2011 15:06 USK wrote: Louis Theroux is just about as awesome as it comes. He has a newer one were he revisits the Westboro baptist church people 4 years later. Makes me just as dumbfounded as the first one.
Downloaded a torrent of louis throuxs documentaries since BBC blocked them on youtube and there were not DVDs available in my region code. My favourite was the survivalists episode
I really enjoyed "A Cross the Universe". It's a documentary about the French DJ duo Justice touring through the USA after their first album (Cross). It shows a mix of concert footage (which is awesome), pre and post concert events, some footage from inside the touring car and other random events in between shows (including a pillowfight with some hot chicks, inspecting a few 1mil+ properties with a broker and Gaspar getting married).
Here is a trailer (crappy quality but couldn't find a better one):
I'm not much for documentaries, but these are all imo very important and interesting.
The zeitgeists (especially moving forward) Are kife IMO, very snobby, opinionated, and just overall incorrect privately made documentaries. If you actually look into the credentials of the people he is interviewing you would laugh. If you think zeitgeist holds any merit, I suggest looking through this site. http://conspiracies.skepticproject.com/articles/zeitgeist/
As far as my two favorite documentaries are concerned, I'd check out cocaine cowboys 1 and 2. Both are excellent.
I love documents and there is so many to list, but since one of the most touching and depressing documents out there, The Cove has already been said before, fast checked and didn't see anyone say Wild China. But if someone did, i'm sorry.
Easily one of the best and most entertaining animal/nature documents out there. Especially when you watch it in HD. Go Go check it out if you haven't!
Not sure if any one mentioned Rize (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rize_%28film%29) which is about krumping and that Lil Wayne docu ... both which are somewhat recent.
Just watched "We Live in Public" on netflix. Awesomely entertaining and incredibly strange, it's about one of the ".com" pioneers and the crazy "experiments" he did with people living under constant surveillance.
Armadillo is a danish documentary (With English subs) that follows a team of Danish soldiers in Afghanistan.
In Denmark, this documentary helped laying the foundation of the discussion about our role in the wars in the Middle East. I really recommend watching this, it's quite provocative :-)
I'm not much for documentaries, but these are all imo very important and interesting.
The zeitgeists (especially moving forward) Are kife IMO, very snobby, opinionated, and just overall incorrect privately made documentaries. If you actually look into the credentials of the people he is interviewing you would laugh. If you think zeitgeist holds any merit, I suggest looking through this site. http://conspiracies.skepticproject.com/articles/zeitgeist/
As far as my two favorite documentaries are concerned, I'd check out cocaine cowboys 1 and 2. Both are excellent.
I can agree on the fact that the film has'nt been questioned and that it has no clear sources, but I think that both Peter Joseph and this guy Edward Winston has some valid points, I find it very hard to belive that he's made it all up. There are some "facts" in the films that can and should be questioned, but as a whole he's more or less right.
I'm not much for documentaries, but these are all imo very important and interesting.
The zeitgeists (especially moving forward) Are kife IMO, very snobby, opinionated, and just overall incorrect privately made documentaries. If you actually look into the credentials of the people he is interviewing you would laugh. If you think zeitgeist holds any merit, I suggest looking through this site. http://conspiracies.skepticproject.com/articles/zeitgeist/
As far as my two favorite documentaries are concerned, I'd check out cocaine cowboys 1 and 2. Both are excellent.
I can agree on the fact that the film has'nt been questioned and that it has no clear sources, but I think that both Peter Joseph and this guy Edward Winston has some valid points, I find it very hard to belive that he's made it all up. There are some "facts" in the films that can and should be questioned, but as a whole he's more or less right.
The problem with Zeitgeist is not the validity of the points, but rather that it is not even wrong. You can remove half the stuff there and reach the same conclusions, and you can remove half and reach the exact opposite. It is basically about lowering your intellectual barriers and making you get an emotional acceptance of opinions instead of a true factual analysis. Zeitgeists are not documentaries.
I am amazed that nobody mentioned "Solo: Lost at Sea". In my opinion one of the best documentaries around. It is about a young men named Andrew, who want's to travel across the Tasman Sea by a Kayak. You can watch a clip of it here
On January 21 2011 05:24 Shiragaku wrote: In Romans, Paul condemns homosexuality not because God said so, but because the Greeks and with their many Gods, it was seen as a way of getting away from God. So it is not about picking and choosing, it is how those statements related to how people lived back in the ancient times.
So how do you decide if it is still valid in modern times? How about the ten commandements? I mean they were given WAY back right? There are many...unsavory things written in the bible. And if you decide what was only valid back then, and what still is now...call it what you will, I call it picking and choosing, because it is exactly what you do. I'm sure there are quite some christians who would think that the anti-gay thing is still applicable, because it is written in the bible. If 10 people interpret the bible, you will probably get 10 different (and valid!) opinions.
Now, as much as I'd like to discuss that here, this is a documentary thread, so here goes: Freakonomics
Manufacturing consent, almost a classic, very interessting. Even if you don't agree with anything that is being said, I think it is important to watch such critiques.
Something more related to recent events - the story of Ghaddafi and his relations to the west.
I am amazed that nobody mentioned "Solo: Lost at Sea". In my opinion one of the best documentaries around. It is about a young men named Andrew, who want's to travel across the Tasman Sea by a Kayak. You can watch a clip of it here
Have to say that this guy was extremely selfish/stubborn in my eyes. Who would want to do something like that which is really, really risky overall, epecially when you have a young son and wife..
It's basically about the matrix trilogies and how all the content is really philisophical stuff and mostly based on actual philosophers/religious ideas and stories of the past. It's interesting but I think they had the ending wrong. I think neo knew he had the illusion of choice and he was supposed to pick save the world but he knew he had to make a change or else he was just being the puppet he was supposed to. So he said he had to get trinity not only because his attachment to her but because they didnt want him to.
Great thread. Here are a couple big ones I, surprisingly, didn't see in the previous pages.
Manufactured Landscapes
Briefly, all the parts of our consumer society you never see. The Strip Mined wastelands, the Landfills, the "recycling" fields, the sweatshops, the deforestation- the only thing I think it doesn't show enough of is the Oceans. Anyways, this is a good- not too wordy, picture of what we are doing to the planet.
Not too underground, straight from the BBC, but a great look at advertising and public manipulation and propaganda. How it works, and how our society has become driven by fashionable consumption and how things are sold to us on an emotional level and not a practical one. Actually a good counterpart to the previous.
A fantastic look at subsidized agriculture in America, and why everything we eat has corn it it. Why its so cheap, and what it costs society on the other side. Hits on Monsanto and all the big agribusiness that dominates our food production, and is putting farmers around the world out of work. The Soviets subsidized steel because they were, well, Communist- and the idea was that super cheap steel is great for all manufacturing. Building, Military, infrastructure... actually a very practical premise. This goes in depth to the How and Why the same thing has happened in America. (soviets are never mentioned- just a good analogy imo)
Very important watch for people to understand how democracy works (In the US specifically).
The documentary "Psywar," featuring CMD founder John Stauber, by Metanoia Films — This film explores the evolution of propaganda and public relations in the United States, with an emphasis on the "elitist theory of democracy" and the relationship between war, propaganda and class. Includes original interviews with a number of dissident scholars including Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Michael Parenti, Peter Phillips ("Project Censored"), John Stauber ("PR Watch"), Christopher Simpson ("The Science of Coercion") and others. The film explores corporate and government use of propaganda and public relations to manipulate American people. The movie explores how the U.S. government staged events to manipulate public opinion about the Iraq war, like the rescue of Private Jessica Lynch, the supposedly spontaneous mob that pulled over the larger-than-life statue of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. It also discusses the Pentagon pundit scandal, and the hidden activities of the Rendon Group, a PR firm specializing in spinning war. The film exposes government and corporate activities to blur the lines between real news and fake news, as well as the development over time of public relations misinformation campaigns, strategic corporate campaigns to generate goodwill and the perception of good works, the use of staged photo-ops, and other manipulative PR tools that have turned the land of the free and the home of the brave into a place where citizens are now manipulated with great efficiency, and on a massive scale.
I don't really agree with the sentiment of the description given here tbh. The documentary would lead me to believe that this is how a democracy will always be (or at least something similarly unbalanced).
Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary (1997) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116481/ Twenty-four contestants compete in an endurance/sleep deprivation contest in order to win a brand new Nissan Hardbody truck... What may look like a stupid contest ends up being an epic journey, also very entertaining, and an hilarious twist to conclude this amazing documentary.
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (2010) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1227378/ 100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope... While the first 45 minutes are a bit too "super size me" esk (even if it's interesting, you'll learn things for sure), the last 45minutes are totally heartbreaking. I recommand it.
I want to look like that guy Stuart MacDonald filmed the extreme lifestyle of a body builder / fitness model by becoming one himself. He even entered a bodybuilding contest to see if he could measure up! Once again, "super size me" set the standard, this one is very well done though, almost pure entertainement, also shows what a proper training and diet can do to an average american body type (and maybe hidden suplements?).
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1664894/ Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France, capturing the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind in their astonishing natural setting. The subject may seems a little bit boring but prepare to be amazed. The best documentary of the year imo. Absolutely breathtaking. See it.
Africa Addio, an excellent documentary about the decolonization of Africa in the 1960s. Includes genocide, rebels, riots and poaching, so grab some popcorn.
"A documentary of the 1974 heavyweight championship bout in Zaire between champion George Foreman and underdog challenger Muhammad Ali"
What more can be said about Ali? Truly incredible and inspirational. + Show Spoiler +
Transcendent Man
"Transcendent Man is a documentary film by American filmmaker Barry Ptolemy about inventor, futurist and author Ray Kurzweil and his predictions about the future of technology in his 2005 book, The Singularity is Near"
An absolutely fascinating and optimistic view of the possible near future predicted by a real modern day genius, loved it. + Show Spoiler +
To Mars By Bomb Its about the project in the 50's to make space ships powered by dropping nukes out the bottom of them. Orion page on wiki. Its a BBC production that i caught randomly one night and was pretty interesting. It was military funded and only cancelled when the president saw the plans to use it to rain down thousands of mini nukes on the planet bellow.
I agree that one was fucked up! It would be interesting to see a follow up though, to see if those kids are still biblefreaks (no offence to religious people intended, but this documentary was a freakshow)
The drunk animals are just one part of the movie, its filled with awesome things
that scene is from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071143/ I believe. might be they borrowed it but the voice over tells me it is definitively Jamie Uys' "Animals are beautiful people"
m a HUGE documentary addict,and i finally got to watch some of those found in this thread.
Man on wire:guy is awesome and ballsy,documentary is heartwarming.
Exit through the gift shop:you guys were underselling it by only saying it was about street art.sure the first half hour is,the last hour is a big twist.
Currently watching catfish:weird,really really weird one hour in. + Show Spoiler +
after finishing it,if this is not a fake,which im pretty sure it is,im amazed at ow a woman as smart as angela(shes a really bad painter btw)falls for a guy as shallow as nev.give her good looks and shed be a lot of guys dream.too bad for her she got screwedat birth;o btw i hope nev gave her a pity fuck,and not just sat in his chair trying to be the cool guy saying:ill be fine to someone who just said she had cancer(which was a lie too). moral of this fake documentary for me:only blind people know true love.yes im cheesy as fuck,fuck you.
My selection:Man bites dog,greatest *documentary* youll ever see.If youre not convinced just google it and read the first three lines and stop there,as not to spoil it.
ANything by werner herzog,but i absolutely love encounters at the end of the world,being a traveller myself,it gave me one more place to add on my to see list.
I absolutely loved The Smartest Guys in the Room, it's a must-see for all those uninformed of white collar, corporate crime and exactly how Enron used terror tactics to make their stock price soar.
This is a very eye-opening film from a first-person perspective of someone who stayed home during the Katrina hurricane from a low-income area of New Orleans. http://www.troublethewaterfilm.com/
On February 22 2012 11:17 clementdudu wrote: m a HUGE documentary addict,and i finally got to watch some of those found in this thread.
Man on wire:guy is awesome and ballsy,documentary is heartwarming.
Exit through the gift shop:you guys were underselling it by only saying it was about street art.sure the first half hour is,the last hour is a big twist.
Currently watching catfish:weird,really really weird one hour in.
My selection:Man bites dog,greatest *documentary* youll ever see.If youre not convinced just google it and read the first three lines and stop there,as not to spoil it.
ANything by werner herzog,but i absolutely love encounters at the end of the world,being a traveller myself,it gave me one more place to add on my to see list.
Man bites dog is the best mockumentary, especially if you like extreme black humor. Catfish is a mockumentary too, i dont know if you're aware of it. It's quite good too tho. All Werner Herzog documentaries are fascinating, if you dont know what to watch just pick one of his documentary. My favorite being this one:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162941/ Its about a bloodthirsty african dictator (bokassa) who crowned himself emperor, it's both hilarious and extremely frightening.
After going through 15 pages of this thread, I can't believe this wasn't posted here(unless i'm really blind)
There is a series (yes, series) of 45minute documentaries narrated by Morgan Freeman called Through the Wormhole.
A must watch for anyone who is a fan of scientific documentaries, and morgan freeman's voice.
I believe it aired on TV at some point, and there are two seasons of it, (19 episodes in total)
There are some recurring themes (mainly string theory, and quantum physics, if you can call those themes) but each episode asks a question like "Does Time Exist" and goes about answering that.
just watched it after watching pretty much all of those listed in this thread.First hour was really cheesy,and i was really disappointed due to all the hype it got in this thread.Last half-hour blew me away,i was actually shaking from anger.
I will post some of my favourites even though i watched them years ago and barely remember whats in them. i just remember loveing them ^^ so here you go!
Nova- Magnetic Storm -Earths invisible shield title says everything i remember + Show Spoiler +
Planet Earth Oh my god, its just the best! buy it, its totally worth it. Every region of earth being presented from the most beautiful side and pictures. heres a small clip out of jungle worlds. + Show Spoiler +
And last but not least.... ANTS!!! i love ant documentary, everytime i watch one im fascinated about them even more! im a total ant fanatic and there is tons of materials on youtube. Heres an example. + Show Spoiler +
Grizzly Man documentary about a guy living with grizzly bears done by werner herzog. so basically its a documentary about a weirdo done by another weirdo. fun and interesting stuff!
Exit Through the Gift Shop what was supposed to become a documentary about the underground street artist banksy became essentially a documentary about the guy who was supposed to do the documentary about banksy. very entertaining and thought-provoking
Baraka simply one of the most beautiful movies of all time, chances are even if youve never seen it you saw some of its footage somewhere, its legendary. no speech, only music, but it conveys its topic well even so. best to watch really stoned
The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert McNamara very interesting and well-done documentary about the former US defense minister. the only thing i don't like is how someone with as much blood on his hands as mcnamara can come across so self-pitying in his regret in old age, it seemed to me that he should have tried to take more responsibility for his actions. whats next? kissinger doing an apologetic documentary about his life?
When we were Kings documentary about the legendary 'rumble in the jungle' fight between muhammed ali and george foreman. im not a fan of boxing (i didn't even know who would win at the end, which made the documentary all the more entertaining), but this is a really great documentary
So in the last year I have watched quite some great documentaries I found through this thread and after watching two new ones yesterday and rewatching some old favorites today I need some new blood so to speak.
The two new ones I watched today and that I can recommend are: Being Elmo: A puppeteers journey & Indie game: The movie
Being Elmo: A puppeteers journey (October 2011) is about the guy behind the puppet. Who is he. What motivates him. How did he become what he is. A beautiful and very emotional documentary at times. There is this scene where he tries to comfort a sick girl and is standing next to her but she stays sad and the moment he puts the Elmo puppet on his hand and begins to talk in Elmo's voice the girl lights up and it's as if she doesn't see him anymore but only the puppet. Very emotional scene for me.
Indie game: The movie (June 2012) follows two guys who try to make their own independent game. It follows them through their tribulations and takes away something of the glamor and perhaps even myth that hangs around working in the gaming industry. The film shows the high level of personal expression that typically goes into independent games, through the story of three games: Braid (released in 2008), Super Meat Boy (in preparation for its 2011 release) & Fez (still struggling with development).
So what are the new good documentaries out there that I need to see?
ps. please no discovery stuff or things that are part of a serie like Louis Theroux or Ross Kemp. Louis Theroux I have seen, Ross Kemp I really don't like and most of the discovery stuff mentioned up to now in this thread is not really a documentary but just a science program.
Watched a food documentary about 85-year-old sushi master and his son(s) in Japan. Can be found on Netflix.
Excellent watch.
A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his business in the basement of a Tokyo office building, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
One of the best documentaries about my personal hero, romeo dallaire. canadian general in rwanda trying everything he can do to stop the genocide while getting no help from the foreign community. a really sad and depressing story, but the things this guy went through and now dedicates his life to ending genocide and child soldiers is just inspiring. truly one of the greatest canadians to ever live. (imo)
That was brutal, absolutely gut wrenching for me to watch. I'm apparently not as strong as I thought...
I like how they describe the assisted dying as ~"he died singing a song with me" and then when the guy dies at the end his last act was begging for water. Dying sucks so much.
This is a video about the cover-up at the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor (government basically downplayed it as nothing for quite sometime until it was investigated).. And about the people that basically went into the reactor to face certain death from radiation exposure in order to try and seal the place up so it wasn't streaming out radiation. One part later on in the movie that sticks out the most is the guys shoveling pieces of metal off the top of the reactor that were completely saturated with radiation (enough that would bring death within minutes if you even touched it, or didn't have a lead suit on).. They had on nothing but a make-shift lead suit. Most of them died years later of cancer from the exposure, or had long-term permanent health problems. Its absolutely chilling to watch them while they're actually on top of the reactor in the midst of massive amounts of radiation.
80 Blocks From Tiffanies is really great, and previously really rare documentary about a bunch of South Bronx gangs in the 70s. It's full of really memorable characters, highly recommended.
Following the Chernobyl one a couple posts up, I was searching to see if there was a thread like this on Teamliquid so I could share one that I really enjoyed and opened my eyes to a lot, if it hasn't already been posted. Even if it has been, bumping an epic thread, FOR DOCUMENTARIES!
(It's in 6 parts, 10 minutes each (Or 1 hour total))
Oh I posted this in the recent films place, but I watched Conan O'Brien Can't Stop, which deals with his time on the road for his "Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television" tour. I thought it was really cool to see into his life off the air etc, though one has to wonder how much of that personality is contrived as well. We all kind of have a social mask on whether it's in front of a camera or even talking to friends etc.
Holy fack, I can't believe no one mentioned "Alone in the Wilderness". It's about a guy named Dick Proenneke who lived mostly alone in Alaska for a long period of time. Really relaxing and refreshing film. Probably only "awesomely entertaining" to nature enthusiasts.
I'm not really a car guy, but these documentaries are really good. Suspense and entertaining and all the other good documentary stuff too. Best of all, you can probably watch them on YT (assuming they don't get deleted after I post this)
Senna: (About one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time)
32 Hours 7 minutes: (About cannonball runs and beating records)
Director Mads Brügger has some interesting documentaries. What he does is highly questionable but I'm pretty sure I have never seen anyone else do anything like it so everybody should really give it a try.
First one I'm going to recommend is Ambassadøren (en. "The Ambassador"). This documentary is about Mads buying a diplomatic passport from corrupt officials in the Ivory Coast (I don't know if it's illegal to buy them but it surely isn't legal to sell them) and then he goes to the Central African Republic and attempts to set himself up as a guy who can smuggle illegal diamonds out of the country using his status as a diplomat to bypass customs. During all of this he gets to talk to a bunch of interesting people who he secretly films.
Here is the leading sentences from Roger Ebert's review of the movie:
At what point did I realize "The Ambassador" was an actual documentary, and not a fraud? Perhaps when I realized that everyone in the film was just as dishonest, venal and corrupt as they seemed — including the director.
I like this quote because it shows that while "The Ambasador" is a documentary, it's hard to believe it. Both because of the subject matter but also because of how Mads Brügger and his team carries it out. Everything is real and everything is fake and corrupt.
Det Røde Kapel (en. "The Red Chapel") is a movie in which Mads Brügger and two danish comedians of korean ethnicity (one of them a spastic) goes to North Korea (yes, THE North Korea) posing as a theater group on a mission for cultural exchange. It very quickly becomes evident that cultural exchange in North Korea only goes one way.
Mads Brügger does some highly questionably things in this documentary too, it becomes pretty clear that he is actively manipulating one of the comedians and he subtly ridicules everything going on. The official who was supposed to keep track of them while they were in North Korea reportedly went missing after it was revealed that it was all a big joke on North Korea.
On August 12 2013 23:36 prplhz wrote: Director Mads Brügger has some interesting documentaries. What he does is highly questionable but I'm pretty sure I have never seen anyone else do anything like it so everybody should really give it a try.
First one I'm going to recommend is Ambassadøren (en. "The Ambassador"). This documentary is about Mads buying a diplomatic passport from corrupt officials in the Ivory Coast (I don't know if it's illegal to buy them but it surely isn't legal to sell them) and then he goes to the Central African Republic and attempts to set himself up as a guy who can smuggle illegal diamonds out of the country using his status as a diplomat to bypass customs. During all of this he gets to talk to a bunch of interesting people who he secretly films.
Here is the leading sentences from Roger Ebert's review of the movie:
At what point did I realize "The Ambassador" was an actual documentary, and not a fraud? Perhaps when I realized that everyone in the film was just as dishonest, venal and corrupt as they seemed — including the director.
I like this quote because it shows that while "The Ambasador" is a documentary, it's hard to believe it. Both because of the subject matter but also because of how Mads Brügger and his team carries it out. Everything is real and everything is fake and corrupt.
Det Røde Kapel (en. "The Red Chapel") is a movie in which Mads Brügger and two danish comedians of korean ethnicity (one of them a spastic) goes to North Korea (yes, THE North Korea) posing as a theater group on a mission for cultural exchange. It very quickly becomes evident that cultural exchange in North Korea only goes one way.
Mads Brügger does some highly questionably things in this documentary too, it becomes pretty clear that he is actively manipulating one of the comedians and he subtly ridicules everything going on. The official who was supposed to keep track of them while they were in North Korea reportedly went missing after it was revealed that it was all a big joke on North Korea.
Seen both of these and they got me completely hooked and i had to watch them till the end. They are very surreal the both of them and he finds himself in some very strange situations including an in prompto appearance during a North Korean military parade in honour of the great leader.
I finally found time to watch this. It's 3 parts, and I found the first part where they detailed exactly how and why prohibition came about to be the most interesting. I think everyone knows what happened after it was enacted, but few people know of the 100 year+ long chain of events that led to such a crazy thing happening, and the effects and power of alcohol on young America. Very interesting stuff.
That was brutal, absolutely gut wrenching for me to watch. I'm apparently not as strong as I thought...
I like how they describe the assisted dying as ~"he died singing a song with me" and then when the guy dies at the end his last act was begging for water. Dying sucks so much.
Documentary about the New Mexico State Prison Riot, absolutely gut-wrenching, highly recommended. It's not your usual "worst prisons in America"-documentary, but a well researched film with many first-hand witnesses of the highly disturbing events.
Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street: That's a first hand documentary about heroin addicts in San Francisco, followed over a longer period of time. WARNING: hard to watch sometimes, you will see many syringes put into the bodies!
Isle of Flowers (Portuguese: Ilha das Flores) is a 1989 Brazilian short film by Jorge Furtado. It tracks the path of a tomato from garden to dump with the help of a monotone voiceover and a collection of bizarre images. While a very humorous film, the message it delivers about how human beings treat each other is anything but such. The director himself has stated that the film was inspired by the works of Kurt Vonnegut and Alain Resnais, among others.
Normally I'm not that much into animal welfare stuff, but I've been reading about it and greatly anticipating Blackfish. The trailer inspired me to learn more about orcas and I watched a Frontline piece on Sea World from the 90's... it was kind of unsettling. Never been a fan of Sea World to begin with but the more you learn about orcas - how powerful and intelligent and social they are - the harder it becomes to justify their captivity, especially compared to other animals in captivity which are given significantly better conditions and space. It'd be like keeping a lion in a 5m x 5m empty white room. From apex predator to swimming pool.
I am somewhat into history documentaries as of late and I am greatly enjoying PBS' ''Empires'' series.
Here is what they say:
People and Passions That Changed the World Within the long history of civilization are great eras of struggle, triumph, and loss. These periods are reflective of the best and worst of humanity: explosive creativity, ultimate depravity, the use and abuse of power, and war.
I was quite impressed by their documentary on the Renaissance Medici family. That is probably because I knew about all the personalities they presented but never realized how interwoven their lives actually were. It's a 4 part series, each 55 min long and can be seen on their official youtube account.
niiiiice !!! I love watching documentaries ! Especially when i'm a little high..
If some of you guys, are interested in guns and military stuff in general, You should check out a series of documentaries called "Tales of the gun", it's pretty neat, and interesting to watch. The whole series is on YT (it's like 30 or 35 episodes !), so all You need to do is just type the title and that's it !
On September 02 2013 09:32 Shiragaku wrote: I always enjoy Byron Hurt's documentaries. I sadly cannot find his Hip Hop documentary but I found a nice documentary on food. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtNLbbft4vw
On September 02 2013 09:32 Shiragaku wrote: I always enjoy Byron Hurt's documentaries. I sadly cannot find his Hip Hop documentary but I found a nice documentary on food. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtNLbbft4vw
On September 02 2013 09:32 Shiragaku wrote: I always enjoy Byron Hurt's documentaries. I sadly cannot find his Hip Hop documentary but I found a nice documentary on food. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtNLbbft4vw
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