Documentaries - Best and Worst

Skinfull

I've been on a documentary kick lately. Have almost dried up my source on netflicks, hopefully they will add more soon! So will be turning to alternative sources.

Some of the Best that I've seen are:

The Bridge: where film makers filmed the Golden Gate bridge in SanFran for a year and traced back then interviewed the family members of the jumpers. Amazing.

The King of Kong: Following the attempts of a regular family man who tries to beat the world record of Donkey Kong. Compelling viewing.

Dear Zachary: is a tough one to explain without ruining it. Basically its the letter that a man writes to his godson, telling the story of life. Very emotive and takes some turns I didn't see coming.

Sound and Fury: This movie talks about deafness and cochlea implants. Two families (fathers in each are brothers) have deaf kids, one family opts to get implants so their child can hear, the other refuses stating it will destroy the deaf culture. I found this particularly compelling as I have a niece who is deaf and will soon be getting an implant. This movie made me so mad... not many movies had that effect on me.

And the worst...

Well anything by Michael Moore. I'm not a gun toting republican but I find his lack of objectivity insulting. His editing and interviewing process is a joke and I think it does more harm to the subject matter than good.

Okay guys... what you got?

charlie_says

Rather than to go through a load of my favourites, check out the thread I made albeit some time ago.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=57115169

Exit Through the Gift Shop is a mad brilliant film I have seen since.

Duggy747

Predator

A bunch of highly-trained mercanaries who were supposed to be on a rescue mission but instead end up being hunted by a mysterious, yet technologicaly advanced figure. Only 2 survivors ever made it and claim it wasn't of this world.

:pac:

In The Shadow Of The Moon

I found this thoroughly enjoyable and you can watch it on 4oD. The surviving Apollo astronauts give their stories and details on the whole space exploration during the 60s and 70s. Only person missing, unfortunately, is Armstrong since he's quite the recluse these days.

e_e

This Is Not a Film, currently playing in the IFI. Covers so much ground in 75 minutes while appearing to do so little. I loved it.

diddlybit

@Skinfull Decided to kill an afternoon and watch The King of Kong. It's epic (and very, very bizarre).:)

Skinfull

diddlybit wrote: »

@Skinfull Decided to kill an afternoon and watch The King of Kong. It's epic (and very, very bizarre).:)

Its so strange! I mean the guy wa just a normal guy and he just becomes obsessed!

Today I watched Jesus Camp and its not the first time I've seen it. It follows three children who attend bible camp but without narration, as the footage speaks loud enough, you see how these children are imprinted with the belief that global warming is a political conspiracy among other things. Again, compelling viewing.

charlie_says

Waste Land 2010
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1268204/

Workers of a Brazilian dump create works of art made out junk, the pieces are huge scaled up version of pictures of them working in the dump. Another good art documentary.

Century of Self (not a film but worthy of a mention, 4 part TV series - about the psychology of marketing and PR, can be watched on youtube/google video)

Tilman Story
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568334/

Story of an all American hero football player who dropped all the money to fight against terrorism. Became a poster boy for US military recruitment, until he died in mysterious circumstances in combat.

I will post some more later.

mikemac1

BBC Heroes and Villians
They do six different historical figures but the best was Napoleon and it was in his very early days when he was a junior officer and pretty much a nobody.
Welsh comedian Rob Brydon is the local governor type person and he's pretty terrifying at it, there are executions in the very first few seconds of this program.

An hour long, up on youtube


BBC documentary about Nero
It's Michael Sheen's finest work imo
It's scary watching him descend into madness

Also up on youtube

krudler

Duggy747 wrote: »

Predator

A bunch of highly-trained mercanaries who were supposed to be on a rescue mission but instead end up being hunted by a mysterious, yet technologicaly advanced figure. Only 2 survivors ever made it and claim it wasn't of this world.

:pac:

I was a bit wary of it as it seemed to be pretty one sided, probably down to some clever editing, the follow up is worth a watch just to see how the sighting wasnt confined to one area either, its also nice to see a documentary where a black guy is the main focus.

Raekwon

Murderball: Great documentary about Wheelchair Rugby, a game created by quadriplegic athletes that is every bit as aggressive as the name suggests.

Hoop Dreams: A documentary following the lives of two inner-city African American teenage basketball prodigies as they move through high school with long-shot dreams of the NBA, superstardom, and an escape from the ghetto.

Overnight: Witness the rise and fall of Troy Duffy, the bartender-cum-filmmaker who was swept up by Miramax's Harvey Weinstein to turn his script for The Boondock Saints into a feature film.

The Four Year Plan: A behind the scenes look at the running of QPR football club in their bid to gain promotion into the English Premier League within a four year time period.

mikemac1

Four days in October

ESPN documentary on the Boston Red Sox in their attempt to win the World Series and bring the curse of the bambino

New York fans being brash and classless as expected

Don't let a lack of baseball knowledge put you off, it doesn't matter

Do I not like this
Follows England manager Graham Taylor on the qualification trial
Felt sorry for him by the end, the abuse he took went waaaaay too far

Goldstein

Collapse must be one of the worst I've ever seen. Populist, over simplistic, conspiratory, apocalyptic, sensationalistic nonsense. All it's missing is a red banner and a fox logo in the corner.

latenia

Catfish is just utter bollix from start to finish but perhaps useful as an insight into the minds of obnoxious manipulative young New Yorkers today...

That_Guy

Watched Into The Abyss last night. Outstanding yet quite stirring documentary about an inmate on death row and the families/friends affected by his actions.

Really really excellent and will grip you throughout. Werneg Herzog is an incredible director. Highly recommended.

saintsaltynuts

I loved Man On Wire.

Turtyturd

King of Kong is one of the best ones I have seen. Hard not to root for Steve as he seems to get screwed over in every way and is married to a b*tch.

Superize me is ok if you can tolerate Spurlock.

Worst I have seen lately is Kurt and Courtney, watched about 40-45 minutes of it and the highlight has been the security guards complete over reaction to the film maker attempting to ask her some questions. I doubt it will get any better.

Renn

Goldstein wrote: »

Collapse must be one of the worst I've ever seen. Populist, over simplistic, conspiratory, apocalyptic, sensationalistic nonsense. All it's missing is a red banner and a fox logo in the corner.

WRONG

Excellent doc, recommended. Unless you're feeling down and depressed that is.

Auvers

don't think these two where mentioned

When We Where Kings

great documentary about the fight between Ali V Foreman in Zaire

oh and

Senna is well worth a watch also

Tipsy McSwagger

I love John Pilger and just watched 'The War You Don't See' yesterday. Its about the role that the media play in wars and especially the the Iraq/Afghanistan war. Basically the media are fed what to report by the american government and if they don't play along they don't get access to the military personnel, or in the case of al jazeera reporters their office was bombed. No TV station actually reported that the WMD reason for invading Iraq was a load of bull.

bullpost

Bill Cunningham New York

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1621444/

About a New York street photographer. Very old and eccentric. Lives among a community of equally eccentric people who were once very influential in the America arts scene.

Its a very entertaining film, well worth catching.

spankmaster2000

Project Nim and TT: Closer to the Edge.

Both wonderful!!

fluke

Grizzly Man – For me easily the best documentary of the last decade. A must see. Werner Herzog’s odd commentary adds to the film where it could have taken away from it.

Some Kind of Monster & Anvil – two rockumentaries worth checking out even if you’re not a rock fan. The two films actually complement each other in their differences – SKOM is all about one of the biggest metal bands in the world, Metallica, and how they try to get out a new album despite issues internally. Anvil is about a Canadian metal band that never hit the big time.

9/11 – The documentary which was supposed to be a fly on the wall doc about a Trainee Fire-fighter filmed by two French brothers on the fateful day.

As others have said King of Kong is great and ye end up really feeling for the guy.

None I can think of that I really dislike.

Marty McFly

The Two Escobars: Telling the story of Columbia during the period of Pablo Escobar and Andres Escobar a proffessional footballer who was murdered after the 1994 World Cup, it shows how the effects of Pablos Escobars money and power effected Columbia before and after his death, and how it intertwined with the Columbian football at the time.

Even if you have no interest in sport or Pablo Escobar on a whole its still a fascinationg watch.

CountryJoe

DIG: Follows two bands (Brian Jonestown Massacre & The Dandy Warhols) for seven years. Absolutely fascinating and at times a bit disdurbing. The BJM's Anton Newcombe comes across as a violent sociopath. Although nobody in the movie comes out of it really well, aside from the tambourine player Joel, whos so off his face it renders him harmless. Absolutely essential viewing.

Skinfull

Strictly Background follows 10 people as they live their lives being background actors. It was quite strange to see these people some of them realizing they were just fillers, some of them thinking they were stars! O_o

flanree

Dear Zachary is the best AND the worst doc I've ever seen. Best because the events are very engrossing and escalate to an unforeseen level. Worst because its sheer impact by virtue of the fact that these were real events is cringingly sensationalized by unnecessary dramatised scenes and narrative to 'add' atmosphere.

Chuck Stone

The Coconut Revolution.

These guys ran a mining company off their island, took on the army sent by Papua New Guinea, and survived a blockade. They used Coconut oil to replace diesel that was being denied them by means of the blockade.

Awards.

Winner
Grand Prize, FICA Festival of Environmental Film, Brazil
BEMA Richard Keefe Memorial Award - WWF
Golden Kite, Best Documentary, Mar del Plata, Argentina
Silver Kite, Best Film for Young People, Argentina

Runner-up

BEMA Best Documentary
Amnesty International Awards, Best Documentary
One World Media Awards 2001, TV Documentary

Trailer here.

Riddle101

Best
Paradise Lost- great documentary that leaves you baffled as to how the West Memphis 3 were sentenced to prison. They only got out last year.

Some King of Monster- Same guys who made Paradise Lost, if you're a Metallica fan like me then you proberly liked it. But yeah I loved it so much, really changed my opinion on all the members of the band.

Don't have any bad ones.

Enron: Smartest Guys in the Room

Actually surprised this hasn't been mentioned. It charts the collapse of Enron from a Fortune 500 company to nothing in mere months. What they were getting away with was just .. insane!

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Also surprised nobody has mentioned this. Great documentary about the military coup in Venezuela to try and overthrow Hugo Chavez. Done by two Irish guys who happened to be there making a documentary on Chavez as the coup happens. The insight they get in to the goings-on is incredible.

p to the e

Raekwon wrote: »

Murderball: Great documentary about Wheelchair Rugby, a game created by quadriplegic athletes that is every bit as aggressive as the name suggests.

Overnight: Witness the rise and fall of Troy Duffy, the bartender-cum-filmmaker who was swept up by Miramax's Harvey Weinstein to turn his script for The Boondock Saints into a feature film.

Thanks man. Have been trying for ages to remember the name of this documentary. I'll have a look at it over the weekend.

That_Guy wrote: »

Watched Into The Abyss last night. Outstanding yet quite stirring documentary about an inmate on death row and the families/friends affected by his actions.

Really really excellent and will grip you throughout. Werneg Herzog is an incredible director. Highly recommended.

If you liked this he also interviewed a few more people on death row. He eventually focussed on the crime that became the documentary but the others are turned into TV shows. Available on 4oD if you're interested. Just like the documentary it's tough watching.

I love seeing a documentary about some benign subject can turnout to be fantastic. Saw a documentary years ago about the Maths Olympics and it was addictive watching even if the subject matter seemed out of reach. Inside Job is a good one about the cause and major players involved in the financial crisis.

marienbad

Lake of Fire , a 2006 documentary on boths sides of the abortion question in the USA. Distubing,graphic, lets the participants speak for themselves and without any editorial content. Essential viewing (imho) no matter what your views on the issue itself.

zenno

Skinfull wrote: »

I've been on a documentary kick lately. Have almost dried up my source on netflicks, hopefully they will add more soon! So will be turning to alternative sources.

Some of the Best that I've seen are:

The Bridge: where film makers filmed the Golden Gate bridge in SanFran for a year and traced back then interviewed the family members of the jumpers. Amazing.

I seen that one a fare few years ago and it was a very sad documentary but it gave a detailed account of those poor souls sometimes coming back to the bridge day after day to jump off it, i'll never forget that documentary.

johnny_ultimate

flanree wrote: »

Dear Zachary is the best AND the worst doc I've ever seen. Best because the events are very engrossing and escalate to an unforeseen level. Worst because its sheer impact by virtue of the fact that these were real events is cringingly sensationalized by unnecessary dramatised scenes and narrative to 'add' atmosphere.

Have to agree with this. It's a fascinating, heartbreaking story without a doubt. But as a documentary it has serious issues with audience manipulation and a slightly disturbing lack of subjectivity to the point where one individual is almost cartoonishly vilified. No doubt said individual committed horrific deeds, but the film's refusal to dive into any depth on the matter is unfortunate.

I liked the docu alot, but I think some of the reactions to it border on the hyberbolic. It's an upsetting watch, no doubt, but as a 'film' there are flaws I do think are worth flagging.

Jimmy Iovine

Auvers wrote: »

don't think these two where mentioned

When We Where Kings

great documentary about the fight between Ali V Foreman in Zaire

I came into this thread to recommend that. It's a brilliant documentary. Well worth the watch.

blatantrereg

Some good ones not mentioned so far:

Capturing the Friedmans (sp?) - Was going to be about clowns in NY apparently. Filmmaker took an interest in the background of one particularly sad clown.

His father and brother were arrested on multiple counts of paedophilia when he was a child.

They made a lot of home movies around the time, and the specific event was filmed if I remember correctly.

Catfish. A young man goes to meet the attractive young woman he's formed an online relationship with...

Mr Death. About a man who rose to prominence for constructing more humane machines to administer capital punishment. His life collapsed around him when he became highly active in the holocaust denial movement. A bizarre man.

Exit Through the Gift Shop - Was going to be about Banksy. Turned out being by Banksy about the man who had been filming him. Big twists I won't spoil. Excellent film.

Tabloid: An all-American beauty queen enlisted the help of a couple of sex slaves to kidnap her chubby Mormon ex bf who had gone to England on a mission. She tied him up in a cabin in the woods and had sex with him a lot, before he managed to get away. She did other odd things too.

Religulous: It's funny and about religion.

Freakonomics: Four parts based on different parts of the book. Different film makers in each one, and subjects of differing levels of interest. Interesting and clever overall, though a bit of a mixed bag. Pretty compelling case in favour of abortion legalisation in one part.

General Idi Amin - A self Portrait: Two versions of this film were made by agreement. One to show in Uganda, one to show everywhere else. Amin wasn't happy when he managed to get hold of a copy of the latter. He detained 200 French citizens in Uganda in a hotel guarded by soldiers. He gave them the filmmaker's phone number and explained he would release them when the cuts he wanted were made. This succeeded. Nowadays the full film is available.

Senna - about Senna. Really good.

Zillah

Most have been said, but I'll add a +1 for a few:
- Capturing the Friedman's. Really great for that whole "I have no idea who to believe" feeling.
- Grizzly Man. Watched this yesterday, still haunting me. So strange, so conflicting. I love Herzog.
- King of Kong. I don't care if its about people obsessed with computer games, it's utterly and bafflingly compelling.
- Dear Zachary. Just watched this now. I won't say anything other than it is definitely worth a watch.
- The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Completely and utterly different to the ones above, and Spurlock is just a bit too...I dunno...Hollywood? for me, but it's still a very very clever film.


Docs I heard a lot about but wasn't impressed:
- Senna. I watched the first third and I was so bored I gave up. I think you really need to be a F1 fan to enjoy this.
- Man on Wire. It's fine, not worth the hype at all, I found it a little dull.
- An Inconvenient Truth. The message is right, and I like Gore, but the whole thing just comes across as rather bland.

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Have to agree with this. It's a fascinating, heartbreaking story without a doubt. But as a documentary it has serious issues with audience manipulation and a slightly disturbing lack of subjectivity to the point where one individual is almost cartoonishly vilified. No doubt said individual committed horrific deeds, but the film's refusal to dive into any depth on the matter is unfortunate.

I liked the docu alot, but I think some of the reactions to it border on the hyberbolic. It's an upsetting watch, no doubt, but as a 'film' there are flaws I do think are worth flagging.

Nope, I completely disagree. Serious spoilers below:

Yes she comes across as cartoonishly evil. She was an obsessive stalker with multiple restraining orders against her, who murdered her ex-boyfriend, fled the country, had his baby, tormented his parents and then drowned the child to stop anyone else having him. She was a child murdering sociopath...what "balance" do you want portrayed there exactly? There is such a thing as false balance, if someone is an asshole, feel free to portray them as an asshole. People don't go to great lengths to show Himmlers affection for his cat when they're talking about the planning of the holocaust. As for "audience manipulation" - all documentaries go out of their way to manipulate their audience, this is a good thing, you're trying to create a reaction in them. Take offence to the clumsiness of some of the editing or effects if you like, they were a little amateurish, but realise that your problem is with their poor execution not their presence, otherwise you'd have problems with all powerful docs.

johnny_ultimate

Zillah wrote: »

Yes she comes across as cartoonishly evil. She was an obsessive stalker with multiple restraining orders against her, who murdered her ex-boyfriend, fled the country, had his baby, tormented his parents and then drowned the child to stop anyone else having him. She was a child murdering sociopath...what "balance" do you want portrayed there exactly? There is such a thing as false balance, if someone is an asshole, feel free to portray them as an asshole. People don't go to great lengths to show Himmlers affection for his cat when they're talking about the planning of the holocaust. As for "audience manipulation" - all documentaries go out of their way to manipulate their audience, this is a good thing, you're trying to create a reaction in them. Take offence to the clumsiness of some of the editing or effects if you like, they were a little amateurish, but realise that your problem is with their poor execution not their presence, otherwise you'd have problems with all powerful docs.

I am not for a second doubting that the individual in question was more than likely a horrid human being who tore apart many people's lives. But there's absolutely no attempt in the documentary to explore why this might have happened, instead favouring yet more 'telling' the audience that she was a horrid human being. As a film it's clearly an emotionally involving one, where all but the stoniest heart wouldn't be in some way affected: this I am not denying, I was often shaken when watching it. A cheesy soundtrack, a blunt voiceover: yes I did have issue with the execution, but ultimately I also felt it lacked the persuasive, carefully considered voice of the best documentarians.

Take some examples above. Tabloid: a film about a truly loopers woman who is (if we're to believe everyone's opinion but hers) a pathological liar. Yet what emerges is a portrait of how she got that way, and ultimately a sad, lonely person who was harshly rejected by society. Multiple opinions and voices help Morris create this. See also: The Fog of War, where through only one voice Morris creates an extraordinary and balanced documentary about one man who did terrifying things. Similarly, it's unlikely anyone who has seen Into the Abyss will doubt the suspect's guilt. But Herzog creates a much more rounded, powerful image than that of a mere cold-blooded killer: as a documentarian, Herzog is consistently unwilling to ignore the humanity lurking underneath even the most eccentric or unlikeable people. Both Morris and Herzog also have the courtesy to allow us to form our own opinions about their subjects, even when Herzog's unusual Germanic tones are making deeply peculiar observations. They can thoughtfully manipulate without the need for bluntness.

As a once-off, and a deeply personal work from the filmmaker, Dear Zachary is indeed powerful, heartbreaking viewing. I just don't think it's a great 'documentary' in the sense that many of the others listed here are. The story is an astonishing one, well worth telling. I just don't think the viewer should watch it without realising that, on a number of occasions, we're being told exactly what to think and feel, and there's no room for interpretation. There's another potentially fascinating story hidden in Dear Zachary, but the director chooses (for admittedly obvious reasons) to ignore it. IMO, that's just a shame.

Elessar

The Death of Yugoslavia

A BBC documentary first broadcast in 1995 about the war in Bosnia, the collapse of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic's rise to power and his attempt to overthrow the rest of the former yugoslavia by force. The atrocities and the UN's failure to act quick enough.

Absolutely brilliant documentary, incredibly tight, solid and instantly watchable. Be advised, it's addictive. If you're like me you'll watch the first part and get sucked into watching the rest. I unwittingly spent an entire saturday afternoon watching them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4bI3iLoZkc

marienbad

Elessar wrote: »

The Death of Yugoslavia

A BBC documentary first broadcast in 1995 about the war in Bosnia, the collapse of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic's rise to power and his attempt to overthrow the rest of the former yugoslavia by force. The atrocities and the UN's failure to act quick enough.

Absolutely brilliant documentary, incredibly tight, solid and instantly watchable. Be advised, it's addictive. If you're like me you'll watch the first part and get sucked into watching the rest. I unwittingly spent an entire saturday afternoon watching them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4bI3iLoZkc

Agree 100% - one of the best if not the best in the last 20 years, even knowing what we now know the inevitability of the whole tragedy is still just incredible to watch unfold.

the_syco

Latest decent doc that I've watched: "Madness On Wheels Rallyings Craziest Years"

Info: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01fcncc

=-=

Also, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" was one I enjoyed, and you'll wonder how far the latest batch of electric cars will go, or if they'll die out like those that were around in the early 1900's?

amacachi

Stevie - A guy tracks down a kid he was "big brother" to while in college. It makes for some pretty grim viewing.

Kylo Ren

King of Kong

More Than a Game

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Dear Zachary

Hoop Dreams

Paradise Lost

kowloon

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

As a once-off, and a deeply personal work from the filmmaker, Dear Zachary is indeed powerful, heartbreaking viewing. I just don't think it's a great 'documentary' in the sense that many of the others listed here are. The story is an astonishing one, well worth telling. I just don't think the viewer should watch it without realising that, on a number of occasions, we're being told exactly what to think and feel, and there's no room for interpretation. There's another potentially fascinating story hidden in Dear Zachary, but the director chooses (for admittedly obvious reasons) to ignore it. IMO, that's just a shame.

Not sure Dear Zachary even tries to examine anything, it's also something derived out of a different project. I'd watch a documentary about the events described, one that maybe went into a bit more depth about the issues involved as opposed to that particular case.

Andre80Johnson

Deliver us from Evil: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814075/

Some bits were shot in Ireland. Amy Berg (Director) went on to direct West of Memphis, a documentary on the West Memphis Three case.

The film chronicles O'Grady's years as a priest in Northern California, where he committed his crimes. After being convicted of child molestation and serving seven years in prison, O'Grady was deported to his native Ireland, where Berg interviewed him in 2005. Additionally, the film presents trial documents, videotaped depositions, and interviews with activists, theologians, psychologists and lawyers which suggest that not only were Church officials aware of O'Grady's crimes, they actively took steps to conceal them

William Kuntsler: Disturbing the Universe: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1074194/

William two daughters directed this interesting and fascinating documentary, which gives an insight into his life, and their life as daughters of a hated lawyer.

William Kunstler was one of the most famous lawyers of the 20th century. The New York Times called him "the most hated and most loved lawyer in America." His clients included Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Phillip and Daniel Berrigan, Abbie Hoffman, H. Rap Brown, Stokely Carmichael, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., and Leonard Peltier. In Disturbing the Universe: Radical Lawyer William Kunstler, filmmakers Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler explore their father's life, from middle-class family man, to movement lawyer, to "the most hated lawyer in America.

Bus 174: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0340468/

Sandro do Nascimento, a young man from a poor background, bungled a robbery and ended up holding the passengers on a bus hostage for four hours. The event was caught live on television. The movie examines the incident and what life is like in the slums and favelas of Rio de Janeiro and how the criminal justice system in Brazil treats the lower classes. Within the film, Padilha interviews former and current street children, members of the Rio police force, the highly regarded Rio BOPE police team, family members, and sociologists in order to gain insight about what led Nascimento to carry out the hijacking.

Crumb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109508/

This movie chronicles the life and times of R. Crumb. Robert Crumb is the cartoonist/artist who drew Keep On Truckin', Fritz the Cat, and played a major pioneering role in the genesis of underground comix. Through interviews with his mother, two brothers, wife, and ex-girlfriends, as well as selections from his vast quantity of graphic art, we are treated to a darkly comic ride through one man's subconscious mind. As stream-of-consciousness images incessantly flow forth from the tip of his pen, biting social satire is revealed, often along with a disturbing and haunting vision of Crumb's own betes noires and inadequacies. As his acid-trip induced images flicker across our own retinas, we gain a little insight into this complex and highly creative individual.

If you can check these out, then do so.

e_e

Crumb is absolutely brilliant. Not only a great documentary but one of the best and most underrated movies of the 90s.

Possibly the most fecked up family I've seen in a movie too.

breakfasttime

I watched American Movie last night and really enjoyed it. The people in this documentary are what make it - very endearing and interesting characters.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181288/

TheIrishGrover

Mine?

Best: Hoop Dreams. I just love that show. Understated, exhaustive (Filmed over four years) unbiased, heartbreaking at times.

Worst: Fahrenheit 9/11. Biased, agenda-driven, sensationalist, pandering. I loved Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. I knew what to expect from Moore, I liked TV Nation on television. I knew his brand of documentary and entertainment. But I don't really think anyone can think that Fahrenheit 9/11 was in any way a documentary. A documentary should be about presenting the facts and letting you come up with your own opinions. You think one thing? Fair enough, that's valid. You think the opposite? Fair enough, that's also valid, I'm just giving you all the facts I have gathered. In NO WAY was F9/11 a balanced "documentary" and it's actually what put me off Moore altogether. Don't get me wrong, I found George Bush and his administration just as abhorrent as the next man. But two opposing forces do not cancel each other out. they just make more spin!

Bobby Baccala

Best: Dogtown and Z-Boys, i dont even like skating or surfing but this is one of the greatest things I've ever watched, must have seen it about 20 times in the past 6 months.

I cant think of a worst at the moment.

johnny_ultimate

Last Train Home is my new benchmark for feature documentary. Loved everything about it. Heartbreaking, insightful, beautiful, intensely personal yet on a grand scale. The camera and editing styles are thoughtful and engagingly inobtrusive. As close to documentary perfection as I have yet witnessed.

ziedth

Spellbound is an oldie but is still a great watch. Follows 8 kids at the national spelling bee in America, it won't change your life but i really enjoyed it.

King of Kong has been mentioned a few times and it is bizarrely my favorite documentary by some distance. For such a wired subject to follow I sound myself genuinely really routing for the star.

Jesus Camp was also good but actually annoyed me watching it and one part in particular made me cringe more then anything I have ever seen. But again, still worth a watch.

briany

Renn wrote: »

WRONG

Excellent doc, recommended. Unless you're feeling down and depressed that is.

It was a very good documentary. Ruppert states his points of view with a lot of conviction and he seems to be coming from a background of integrity. Peak oil and the rising costs that arise from that doesn't seem to be a thing that a lot of people know about, at least none that I've spoken to whenever the rising cost of petrol comes up in conversation.

There's lots of great suggestions for good documentaries here. I'd like to add,

Hands on a Hard Body: A fairly amateurish looking but compelling documentary about an annual contest at a Texas car dealership where a group of contestants compete to win a pickup truck by being the last one with their hand or hands on it. A sort of endurance contest.

Heavy Metal Parking Lot : This is only about 17 minutes long but it's 17 minutes of quotability and wistful 80s nostalgia. Basically some bloke got into his head to head down to the local concert hall where Judas Priest were due to play, one early evening in 1986 with his camcorder and 'interview' some of the kids who were hanging out there before the night's show began. We see the results.