I must admit, I love me some documentaries. I've been on a kick the last couple days, too, so I'd love to hear your favorites. Some of mine: Paradise Lost 1,2, & 3; West of Memphis; Devil's Knot --About three teen boys (falsely, in my opinion) accused of the grizzly murder of three young boys. The Woman Who Wasn't There --A woman claims to have been a survivor of 9/11; she starts survivor groups, heads them up, and becomes close to everyone involved, only to find out she made up her entire experience There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane --A loving aunt picks up five children from camp, and hours later, it's reported they have all been in a deadly car accident. The ME says her blood alcohol level was through the roof -- but the people who love her believe she had a medical emergency while driving because she would've never drank while driving. Valentine Road --An eighth grade mixed race transgender boy is shot and killed in his classroom by a possible white supremacist. They of course try to make the argument that the victim was sexually harassing the murderer by asking him to be his Valentine. Talhotblond --An internet relationship gone so, so wrong... It gets more and more twisted the further in it gets. Citizenfour --All about Edward Snowden. Before he came out with his information, he reached out to a reporter. The entire ordeal, from before he came out to after he ran to Russia, is documented there. For the Bible Tells Me So --Christian gays and lesbians speak about their orientation and how hard it was for them to accept themselves surrounded by people who think it's a sin. I sent this documentary to a friend of mine who is struggling with the same thing, and she cried as she thanked me for showing it to her. It's a very moving documentary. There's many, many more... I just can't remember the names. So what about you? Do you have any favorites?
I'm quite pro-die with dignity so this list is skewed in that direction. Terry Pratchett - Choosing to Die. When author Sir Terry Pratchett learns he has Alzheimer, he researches assisted suicide How to Die in Oregon Assisted Suicide is legal in Oregon Blackfish About the conditions of whales in Seaworld Dear Zachary A little boy's father is killed by his mother. His father's best friend makes a movie so he would know his father. Pink Ribbons Inc About the commercialism behind the pink ribbon and breast cancer. Mortified Nation Adults go on stage and read from their childhood diaries. Side By Side History of film, hosted by Keanu Reeves. You haven't lived until you've heard DAVID LYNCH say "Keanu". CleanFlix A person edits movies to remove all the violence and sex and swearing then re-sells them. Never Sleep Again 4 hours of Nightmare on Elm Street retrospective. It doesn't feel like 4 hours. The Corporation Creepy doc about corporations, advertising, and marketing. 6 Days to Air How an episode of South Park is made. Metal: A Headbanger's Journey Metalhead documents Metal. He manages to spin this one film into a career documenting Metal. Dreams with Really Sharp Teeth Author Harlan Ellison on Harlan Ellison. Sicko Michael Moore investigates the USA health care system. Yes it's skewed, but it's informative too. Jesus Camp Kids go to Jesus Camp. It's disturbing. Saving Face Women in Pakistan who were mutilated with acid get reconstructive surgery. 102 Minutes that Changed America Eye witness and immediate civilian footage of 9/11 and the aftermath. The Sweatbox The making of Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. It was not a groovy experience. Erasing Hate A former Neo Nazi has white power tattoos all over his face and body. This is his process getting them removed. It's somewhat cathartic to watch his pain, a sort of penance for all the horrible things he did in his youth. Evocateur Morton Downey was Jerry Springer before Jerry Springer 65_Redroses A young woman has cystic fibrosis. Sound and Fury The family of a young deaf girl go to war over cochlear implants and if it will erase the girl's "deaf identity". From one Second to the Next Essentially an extended "Don't text and drive" commercial. Families of people affected by those who text and drive.
Ooo some of those are really good. Blackfish made me cry, and Jesus Camp made me scared. I keep meaning to watch How to Die in Oregon and Dear Zachary, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll have to start searching my Netflix for these! lol
Blackfish was heavy - there's another similar documentary called The Cove, but about dolphins in captivity. I've yet to watch The Cove but been meaning to. I'd love to watch For the Bible Tells Me So and Jesus Camp. Being a Christian myself, I seem to have a morbid fascination with these things. I wonder if your friend @Lea`Brooks might find this useful: https://www.gaychristian.net/aboutgcn.php The founder of the Gay Christian Network also wrote a book called Torn, on his experience of being a Southern Baptist and realising that he's gay, how the Christians around him treated him when they found out, and his theory on why he thinks the Bible doesn't condemn loving relationships between gays. It was a very interesting read.
Yeah.... She's since gone back to dating men. I don't know if it's because she's bisexual and is actually attracted to me, or if she's too ashamed of being a lesbian. She had her first boyfriend a couple years ago. They were together for a while, but she was never satisfied. She confessed to me right before I moved to Virginia over a year ago that she was a lesbian. The thought of men repulsed her, she enjoyed relationships with women much more than men, etc... But now she has a boyfriend. So who knows? She's like a sister to me, so all I can do is support her and her choices no matter what she decides. If it comes up in conversation again, I'll definitely give her that link though! Thank you. Jesus Camp... It's very scary. lol There are children speaking in tongues, crying during prayer. Im not a Christian myself, but I accept all religions. I don't believe any religion is superior to another. But this documentary truly scared me. I Escaped A Cult is another documentary I watched recently about Christian "cults." It was also pretty terrifying, especially because at the end, it said one was still in operation. And the way they treated people (beat infants with belts for cooing during church, locked toddlers in closets and made them sleep and eat in there, turned people going against their teachings into slaves) is truly heartbreaking.
Afraid of the Dark, a History and the Walking with series: Monsters, Dinosaurs, and Prehistoric Beasts. So, yes, I know where Hynerpeton Bob came from...
Sounds like she's just ashamed of being a lesbian, in all honesty. Maybe got caught in the ex-gay movement. Well, I hope she finds peace somehow. Speaking in tongues and crying during prayer is fairly standard - nothing to be worried over really, depending on the type of church you go to. Those things in and of themselves are harmless. However, I would not want to take a non-believer or even a more conservative or new Christian to a charismatic church like that - I can understand why it looks disturbing. That Cult documentary sounds terrifying... I have a 3-year-old nephew who's bubbling with laughter and energy and a newborn nephew I haven't met yet, and am expecting my own first child. I can't imagine any of them being locked up in closets and beaten with a belt for cooing. That's just inhumane.
I watched Frontline: Death By Fire (Update) the other day. That one was equally terrifying. It was about.... Spoiler A father was asleep in his home when a fire broke out. His three daughters were still inside, and all three were killed. The initial investigation called it arson because of burn patterns that looked like an accelerant had been poured. The dad was accused, convicted, and sentenced to death. Four days before his execution, a fire science expert (it had been a long time, once fir experts had better knowledge and training) reinvestigated the photos and proved that it wasn't arson. It was a simple electrical fire. The burn patterns that looked like a liquid pouring was just from a blast fire, which happens with the fire is quickly fueled by oxygen. They submitted a delay of execution to reopen the case and acquit the dad of murder. But it was denied. And an innocent man was put to death. They did an episode on Law & Order: SVU inspired by this story, but the outcome was quite different. It was a very sad story about poor investigation, and it really makes you question the government.
This reminds me of those articles I've seen where innocent people were finally released after 20 years in prison... it's horrifying - and what could ever put something like this right? Even though some of these people found justice in the end, you can't get back 20 years of your life...
It's so true. In the case of this man, I think he was okay to go. He said he didn't want to live without his children anyway. Especially because his wife, who originally believed him, turned against him and actually believed he murdered his children. His last words were to her-- "I hope your burn in hell." Or something along those lines. I watched another one, Crime after Crime, about a woman forced into prostitution by her boyfriend. She got beat, raped, all of that by him. She finally got away, but he followed her, threatening to kill her. She asked a friend (who happened to be in a gang) to make him leave her alone. And the guy accidentally killed her husband. So she got sentenced to 25 to life in jail for conspiracy. She had two lawyers working with her, trying to get her out. After 27 years in jail, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She finally got out on compassionate release and only lived 10 months on the outside before she died. Or like the West Memphis 3 kids. In my opinion, they are innocent because there is absolutely zero evidence against them. They went into jail when they were under eighteen. They spent 19 years in jail before they were able to get out. They spent more time in jail than they did free. It's really awful.
These are all 'must see'. The Act of Killing - Extended Edition: Focuses on the Indonesian killings of 1965–66, an ostensibly anti-communist purge in which more than 500,000 people were killed. Gangsters Anwar Congo and Adi Zulkadry were promoted from selling black market movie tickets to leading the most powerful death squad in North Sumatra. They also extorted money from ethnic Chinese as the price for keeping their lives. Anwar is said to have personally killed 1,000 people by methods such as strangulation with wire. Dreams of a Life: (My Personal favourite) Tells the story of Joyce Carol Vincent, whose body was found in January 2006 decomposing in her bedsit in Wood Green, North London, after she apparently died unnoticed in December 2003, surrounded by unopened Christmas presents with her TV still switched on. Restrepo: Explores a year by journalists spent in Afghanistan embedded with the Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. Army in the Korangal Valley. Children Underground: Follows the story of five street children, aged eight to sixteen who live in a subway station in Bucharest, Romania. The street kids are encountered daily by commuting adults, who pass them by in the station as they starve, swindle, and steal, all while searching desperately for a fresh can of paint to get high with. In the Realms of the Unreal: An obscure janitor during his life, Darger is known for the posthumous discovery of his elaborate 15,143-page fantasy manuscript entitled The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, along with several hundred watercolor paintings and other drawings illustrating the story.
Here's a light hearted one, Best Worst Movie. It follows the cast of Troll 2 years later when the film experienced somewhat of a revival due to its epic shitness. It should be bad, but the mesmerizing self-delusion amongst a couple of characters and the inherent niceness emanating from another (who is the star of the piece for good reason) make it compelling viewing.
The World at War is my personal favorite. It's a 26 part documentary that thoroughly covers World War 2; from when Hitler first came in to power to the very end.
I love WWII documentaries. For some reason, I'm incredibly fascinated with WWII so I watch as many documentaries and movies about it as I can. I just recently watched that new documentary that Alfred Hitchcock worked on called What the Night Knows. It was very, very sad. My husband always gives me shit for watching such sad documentaries. I really like the true crime stories -- people who are falsely accused, unknown murders, etc. He doesn't understand the fascination. And honestly, I guess I don't really either. But if I'm going to watch a crime drama, I guess I'd rather watch one thats true and learn about a real injustice and be entertained at the same time. Maybe.. I don't know why.
The Fog of War about/with Robert McNamara - an old man trying to come to peace with his life and his atrocities. Cant recommend it enough. The First World War (based on the book by Hew Strachen) - Great job at illustrating some of the nuances of the war. Also highlights how it was the link between the 19th century and modern society. An American Movie - Two guys try to make an indie horror movie. They technically know what they are doing but are not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed. Never quite sure to laugh or cry when I watch this. Or both. Hoop Dreams - I went to college with William Gates, one of the subjects The Civil War by Ken Burns - its flawed and been watched by many. But I love it anyway.
I'll add a couple more I haven't seen listed yet (apologies if I missed them and someone already mentioned them) The Smartest Guys in the Room. (About Enron -- they still show this occasionally on some of the cable channels. Really great. The book is excellent, too.) Fed Up - about our food system. Food, Inc. is another good one. Client 9 (about Eliot Spitzer)
BBC4. I need to get Xpat Shield sorted out so I can watch it again, but it just had many, many very good documentaries on all manner of subjects.
The Larkin documentary is good...for a writers' site, and a gift for @Chinspinner. It has 'Aubade' in it, mmmmmm. I couldn't find the 'Trawler Skipper' doc from the 50s. '17 Days in May' is too depressing for a forum, it's available on Youtube: death row stuff. Tristhan Da Cunha docs are always good, as are: 'Trawler sinks in 19 seconds,' 'How to cook a crab' and also 'NY Police Shoot Dog' - all available, again on Youtube. Here's the fishing one:
Thanks for these: several I've had queued up on Netflix but not got around to and a few I haven't heard of but definitely want to watch- the pink ribbon one and Larkin one are ones to look out for me. I found Blackfish really interesting, although I know people have accused it of bias. I gave up on Michael Moore after watching sicko- it was just too skewed for me. Best documentary I've seen that hasn't been mentioned was something with a terrible title like "I can't stop masturbating" It followed two men who had a psychological addiction to masturbation and their very different journeys to try and overcome it. It seems like it would be titivating or crass but I actually found it moving to hear about the underlying problems they had both had in their past and the way their lives and relationships were affected as adults. Obvious adult themes so be aware of that if you're underage or would prefer to avoid.
I need to go back through this list! More I've watched since posting: -- The Jinx! (But who hasn't watched that one, right? lol): An HBO series about Robert Durst and the murders he's the main suspect in. He was arrested the day before the last episode aired. -- Going Clear: Ex-Scientologists speak out about the corruption inside the Scientology church. Truly disturbing. -- Hot Girls Wanted: a new Netflix documentary about amateur porn stars. They go into it thinking it'll be fun and make them rich. Then they realize it isn't as glamorous as they thought. This one I found interesting, but it has a pretty slow build up. It also wasn't as disturbing or as insightful as I thought it would be. It's pretty much common knowledge that porn stars, amateur or famous, are going to have to do some pretty horrific and unsatisfying things. Still, it was a good watch. Currently watching an Auschwitz series on Netflix (can't remember the name... I think it might just be Auschwitz). I'll probably pick one off this list when I'm finished!
Grizzly Man. In fact, pretty much anything by Herzog: Idi Amin Dada. A fly-on-the-wall documentary with an African dictator: In The Shadow Of The Moon: Sad to think that, very soon, there will be no-one left alive who's walked on the Moon. Marwencol:
I watch an endless loop of plane crash documentaries, disasters and serial killers so no doubt one of them!
I really love sports documentaries. My favorites are Four Days in October, Catching Hell: The Steve Bartman Story, and Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals. I also like watching documentaries on hip-hop history, or really any form of entertainment.
