Review Your Fave/Recent Documentaries

[Osprey]

Nanook of the North (1922)

Filmed in northern Quebec by an American filmmaker, it's a silent documentary that shows an Inuit named Nanook and his family as they go about their daily lives, trading, building igloos, fishing and hunting walrus and seal. It was the first successful feature-length documentary and proved the commercial viability of the format, so it's historically significant, and was probably the first time that most people saw how the "Eskimos" lived. There's apparently been some criticism that certain scenes were staged, but if you're building an igloo and hunting a walrus because the filmmaker wants to film it, you're still building an igloo and hunting a walrus, and, as Roger Ebert keenly pointed out, the walrus hadn't read the script. It was neat to see real Inuit surviving as they did in a very inhospitable region... and why 90% of you Canadians live as far south as possible. Supposedly, around the time of filming, the Inuit were starting to incorporate technology from the "white man," like rifles, so it also serves as a record of their original ways. Since it's one of the first, it's pretty simple as documentaries go. It's mostly a collection of scenes without much structure or story, and with occasional intertitles instead of narration (because it's silent, though I could almost hear Morgan Freeman, anyways). If you keep in mind that it's 100 years old, pioneered documentaries and must've been a big challenge to film, though, it's impressive, and I'm glad that I got to watch it, especially for its historical significance. Above is the entire documentary.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Jasper Mall (2020)

Slice of life, from a dying shopping mall in Jasper, AL. Brief, personal look at the employees and patrons who are dealing with the demise of a once thriving mall. A situation unfolding with a lot of malls, far past their commercial & cultural primes. It held my attention, and sympathy.. kinda nostalgic too if you grew up in the mall era. Watched it on Amazon.

 

[Babe Ruth]

(Ken Burns) Brooklyn Bridge (1982)

Brief history of the Brooklyn Bridge.. I read the David McCullough book on the bridge about 10 years ago.. but had never seen this documentary, that I think utilized McCollough's research (he was interviewed throughout).
One of my favorite scenes was a nostalgic glimpse into an early '80s NY classroom.. where Gen X students were building their own (block) Brooklyn Bridge. One of the kids had an old Sears catalog' Steelers shirt on.. Good introduction in to the bridge's history.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Power and fame let you get away with almost everything........

 

[kook10]

Power and fame let you get away with almost everything........

Just watched this over the weekend and couldn't help but think it kind of short changed the topic. Most docs of this sort would be 4-6 eps these days. They certainly could have explored the failures or complicity of those around him a good bit more.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Loved this, brought me back to 1980-2000. I went to Tower at least once a week.

 

[Hippasus]

I just finished The Decline of Western Civilization Parts I-III yesterday. These are well-produced music documentaries focused on the borderline underground genres of punk and metal. A lot of these seem to me to be focused on what makes a punk, or a metalhead in the case of Part II. I think Penelope Sheeris was going for realism and intimate interviews. A fair number of songs is also shown.

Part I was filmed around 1979-81. For me, personally, this one has probably the best bands out of the three parts in terms of musical influence (e.g. the band Black Flag).

Part II was filmed around 1986-8. It deals a lot with hair or glam metal bands, but some thrash-type content is also shown (such as individual fans and the band Megadeth). Debauchery and the dominating image of men towards women is a prominent theme in this part of the series.

Part III was filmed around 1997-8 and dealt with the subject of gutterpunks. A lot of punks come from backgrounds of physical abuse, poverty, and substance abuse. Punks can become gathered in small groups where they are better able to survive / do their thing without direct connections from larger society around them. These small groups are like little networks of support, but can themselves fall apart due to the volatility of some of the individuals involved.

Overall, I question whether the theme of "decline" is accurate as these genres and social communities are the underbelly counterpart of contemporary society around them. I'm not sure if these social groups being examples of the decline itself was Spheeris' intention or not, but this is how it seemed to me. I feel underground music such as metal and punk are some of the best aspects of contemporary cultures (mostly in the "west"), in terms of music and lifestyle.

Rating: 425

200: distasteful and pathetic
300: mediocre or subpar
400: average, but decent
500: very good
600: superb
700: transcendental

 

[ViktorBaeArvidsson]

I don’t really like documentaries, but one that definitely left an impression on me was a disturbing one called “Tickled”, learning about a new “sport” that I’ve never heard of was pretty weird. Probably not for everyone, but I didn’t quit half way through like I do with most documentaries. I think I gave it an 4/5 on letterbox.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Loved this, brought me back to 1980-2000. I went to Tower at least once a week.

This looks cool. I used live pretty close to the Tower Records on Sunset (& Horn).. I was in a couple of those long lines for signings, etc. I think that one closed around 2005/6..

 

[riffle]

This one was absolutely riveting. I'm the kind of guy who doesn't like watching trailers to their conclusion and wants as little info as possible about something I'm about to watch, to avoid spoilers.

Three Identical Strangers (2018) ⭐ 7.6 | Documentary, Biography, Drama

1h 36m | PG-13

www.imdb.com

 

[Babe Ruth]

Ruta 40 Argentina (Globe Trekker)

A guy drives the full north-south length of Route 40 in Argentina (with some lateral detours along the way).
Lots of cool scenery and culture from rural Argentina. Watched it on a DVD, that had two 50 minute segments. Pretty good, my only complaint was they showed too much of the actual driving. The pit stops were more interesting..

 

[John Price]

Navalny (2022) is an astounding real-life spy thriller about a Russian dissident who was poisoned and moved to Berlin where he recovered and launched an investigation into who attempted to poison him. Would strongly recommend this movie.

 

[Babe Ruth]

The Brendan Voyage.

Back in the 70s, a guy set out to recreate the sea voyage of St Brendan. He used a replica boat, and took a small crew similar to Brendan's. A lot of Brendan's voyage has mythic elements, so this was an effort to prove the voyage was factually possible. And could Brendan have made it from Ireland to North America 900 years before Columbus(?)
Because of the '70s film quality, & it's subject matter.. reminded me of an old episode of 'In Search of..' It's uploaded in 2 parts on YouTube.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Watched a bunch of documentaries at DOXA (film festival in Vancouver that went virtual in recent years).

Standouts to me were Children of the Mist that follows a teenage girl in rural Vietnam and the bizarre cultural issue of men kidnapping women to make them their bride. It’s strange because its not out of the blue, the families talk about it prior to the kidnapping happening. I won’t go into any more detail though as I don’t want to spoil it.

I also saw Ron Howard’s We Feed People which follows a world renown Spanish chef who does charitable work by cooking food for people in distress from things like natural disasters. The film follows him around to different countries like Haiti and Puerto Rico. Aside from his bubbly personality, the film wasn’t that interesting as it’s more or less the same thing over and over.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I don’t really like documentaries, but one that definitely left an impression on me was a disturbing one called “Tickled”, learning about a new “sport” that I’ve never heard of was pretty weird. Probably not for everyone, but I didn’t quit half way through like I do with most documentaries. I think I gave it an 4/5 on letterbox.

Yeaaaaaaa....def not for everyone for sure.

 

[Hivemind]

I don’t really like documentaries, but one that definitely left an impression on me was a disturbing one called “Tickled”, learning about a new “sport” that I’ve never heard of was pretty weird. Probably not for everyone, but I didn’t quit half way through like I do with most documentaries. I think I gave it an 4/5 on letterbox.

Saw that in theaters when it came out. Part of the story happened at my University.

 

[Osprey]

The Atomic Café (1982)

This 86-minute documentary is composed entirely of U.S. archive footage--mostly news pieces, TV interviews, military training films and propaganda--from 1945 through the 1960s about the use and fear of nuclear bombs. It starts out rather serious, educational and unsettling as it briefly documents the dropping of the bombs on Japan and the red scare back home, but becomes darkly humorous as it gets to the efforts in the 50s and 60s to educate the public and allay fears, often by misrepresenting the danger or chance of survival, with things like the "duck and cover" clips. Animations and upbeat nuclear-themed songs from the era contribute even more to the tone. If you're a fan of Dr. Strangelove or the Fallout series of games, the last hour, especially, might be up your alley. I really enjoyed it. Documentaries made entirely of archive footage are my favorite, and this one doesn't even have narration. It's like watching every old clip from the early nuclear age back to back, but nicely organized. I had seen a lot of the footage before, but some of it was new and fascinating, especially some of the nuclear explosions. I learned a thing or two and was unsettled a few times, but I was mostly amused by the overall tone and editing. Nearly everything in it was very serious back in the day, but a lot of it is amusing in retrospect, and apparently was so even in 1982, while the Cold War was still going on. If you like history and dark humor, I recommend it. Above is the entire documentary.

 

[illegalsmile]

This was the last documentary I watched, a few nights ago...

The Allins (2017)



The truth is, you wouldn't be watching this if you wasn't already familiar with G.G. Allin, but If you watch this expecting something akin to, "Hated: G.G. Allin and the Murder Junkies," then be prepared to be disappointed. This is far better! The documentary is set around those who G.G. left behind, namely, his Mother, Arleta (who is awesome), his Brother, Merle (best brother ever!) and, to a lesser extent, the drummer of the Murder Junkies, Dino "Sex" Sachs. (If he offers you his drumsticks, politely decline.)

The 1 hour 14 minute documentary, explores the differing ways both Merle and his Mother remember G.G., with G.G. himself being the main subject matter. It examines how his mother (now sadly deceased) just wished to remember her son, without the G.G. legend, to Merle keeping the myth alive by selling G.G. merchandise. A particular moment that stood out, was when Arleta was showing her canvas paintings and exclaimed, "I can't sell them. People wouldn't buy them because they like the picture, they'd buy them because I'm G.G.'s mother." On the subject of painting, Merle paints... Not with paint! I won't say what he uses, instead, I'll just advise you don't eat, should you choose to watch this. The running theme throughout, is, of course, G.G.'s life. From his poor upbringing with an abusive father, through his musical career, his on and off stage shenanigans and, of course, his untimely, but not completely unexpected, death.

If you're interested in the subject matter to begin with, then I highly recommend this documentary. Those unfamiliar with G.G. Allin, (or more likely those who have heard scattered things from random, "Top 5 Most Outrageous Rock Stars," YouTube videos), who decide to give it a look, might see it as a heartwarming tale. A documentary about the family of a "unique individual," with some "interesting" character traits, who chose his own path in life, regardless of what society, or even his chosen genre of music, dictated... But, honestly, I doubt it. This is, however, a must watch for all Scumfuc Punks, everywhere.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Jesus' Female Disciples: The New Evidence

A documentary exploring New Testament references to Jesus' female supporters. I think most of these passages are well known.. but a pair of female Biblical archaeologists do a deep dive in to the evidence left, that puts the female disciples & patrons lives in to first century context. They specifically expand on the lives of Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Salome. The one archaeologist has an interesting theory on the (nick)name Magdalene, that I had never heard before. Pretty good watch, it's on the Roku channel.

 

[Osprey]

Jesus' Female Disciples: The New Evidence

A documentary exploring New Testament references to Jesus' female supporters. I think most of these passages are well known.. but a pair of female Biblical archaeologists do a deep dive in to the evidence left, that puts the female disciples & patrons lives in to first century context. They specifically expand on the lives of Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Salome. The one archaeologist has an interesting theory on the (nick)name Magdalene, that I had never heard before. Pretty good watch, it's on the Roku channel.

I'm not sure if I'll watch it, but my mom will be thankful to hear of it and I'll gladly take the credit for recommending it to her. Thanks.

 

[Osprey]

Culloden (1964)

This is a BBC documentary about the 1746 Battle of Culloden, which determined the fate of Scotland. It's unique in that it's done as if a film crew was embedded with the troops, even though that's anachronistic for the 18th century. The budget is low and it's like watching re-enactments that don't come close to representing the size of the real battles, but there's a gritty realism to it, nonetheless. It starts out shortly before the battle, with the narrator identifying and giving a little backstory for many of the historical people involved in it and having them say a thing or two to the camera. Supposedly, none were played by professional actors, and I can believe it, since they look like some of the most real people that I've ever seen. For one, most don't have teeth that even a hockey player would trade for. Eventually, the battle starts and the narrator gives a record of how the battle went down as we watch it. I found it interesting that we know so much about what transpired over the course of one hour in such an old battle, even down to the minute. It's the last half hour, the aftermath of the battle, that really grabbed me, though. It focuses on the atrocities of war and is rather raw and brutal, at least for 1964. It was a little disquieting, even though it's a dramatization of something that occurred 276 years ago on another continent. It was educational. I knew a little about the battle, some from watching the series Outlander, which featured it, but I feel like I know a lot more now about probably one of the most consequential battles ever fought. Above is the entire documentary.

 

[Unholy Diver]

Closed for Storm

Covered the story of Six Flags New Orleans, and it's abandonment and deterioration. Pretty interesting, touched on the parks origins as Jazz Land thru it's eventual ruination by Katrina and the years since with the local government struggling to figure out what to do with the destroyed theme park.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Finding Big Country.

This was really good.. it's about a lady who was a young Grizzlies fan, during their early years in Vancouver. She idolized 'Big Country' Reeves, and wanted to see how his post-NBA life was going.. Nice story about the positive life impact sports can have on both players & fans. I watched it free on the Roku channel.

 

[kook10]

The US and The Holocaust (PBS)

This is the latest Ken Burns doc, and is for him relatively short at 3 x 2hrs (ish). I think it was very good and had a lot of stuff, particularly in the first episode that I hadn't known or seen before and I have watched quite a bit of WWII material.



Sins of Our Mother (Netflix)

An entertaining 3 part doc about Lori Vallow who a few years ago killed a couple of her children in after going off the deep end with fringe Mormon cult craziness. I think if you liked Under Banner of Heaven you'd like this too.

 

[Babe Ruth]

The Woman Who Wasn't There (2012)

The account of a Spanish woman who told a dramatic tale of her 9/11 survival. She also became a leading activist for a 9/11 survivors group. But it turned out, her entire story was fake.
The documentary was kinda slow, but I think it did a fair job at the end offering possible insights in to the lady's psychological/emotional motives. It was cool hearing the range of responses from other survivors, running from anger to unconditional forgiveness, toward the fraud. The movie also points out, there was no financial gain from the hoax.. it was just a strange tale. It's free on Tubi.