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