Topic: Your Top 3 favourite documentaries:

[341gerbig]

#1:Dear Zachary: A man makes a documentary to show his friends infant boy what his dad was like when he was growing up. The documentary quickly takes a evil, twisted, heartbreaking turn.

#2:I want to look like that guy: An average Joe decides he wants to compete in a bodybuilding contest, and look like "that guy" in the fitness model ads

#3:Catfish: A seemingly uninteresting subject, an emerging long distance relationship, takes a turn for the dark and creepy. One of the most beautifully executed docs ive seen.




*Be sure to add short descriptions, so other forum members can easily see docs they might be into*

[T.A.P.O.R.]

In the shadow of the moon

trinity and beyond

[341gerbig]

In the shadow of the moon

trinity and beyond

OOO, what are those about?

[Chew]

Sagan's Cosmos
Ken Burn's Civil War
Idiocracy

[T.A.P.O.R.]

In the shadow of the moon

trinity and beyond

OOO, what are those about?

The apollo program & the A-Bomb

[Johnny Slick]

Hmmm....

1. Capturing the Friedmans, a really good documentary about a family that was all but destroyed by allegations they ran a child molestation sex cult out of their house. I think the director went out of her way to be fair to both sides but in the end a miscarriage of justice is a miscarriage of justice.

2. Grizzly Man, because I love Werner Herzog documentaries and this one is my favorite, although for reasons other than the reasons I like the others. It's really not supposed to be a comedy but... I'm sorry, it is. It's not funny when he gets eaten but the entire incident brings to mind the Jon Krakauer book Into The Wild and its "stupid suburbanite thinks he's better than the sublime outdoors" message.

3. This Film Has Not Been Rated, a chilling look at bigotry and over-censorship on the part of the MPAA.

[Calinthalus]

1. Cosmos.  I don't think I have to give a description of this one.
2. Paper Clips.  This is a great story about a school in rural TN that try a unique method of teaching children about the Holocaust.
3....hell, I'm having trouble with a third.  Food Inc., The God Who Wasn't There, Religulous, This Film Is Not Yet Rated....

[Citizen Skeptic]

1. The Sky above, the Mud below.

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B0CE3D91239E43BBC4851DFB0668389679EDE

AN exciting account of an expedition into previously unexplored wilds of Netherlands New Guinea, accomplished in 1959 by a small team of French and Dutch explorers under the leadership of Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau, is colorfully presented in the ninety-minute documentary film "The Sky Above — The Mud Below." It was put on at the Forum and the Normandie yesterday.
 
Watching its real-life illustration of rugged white men in long dugout canoes, propelled by naked black natives, pushing up a muddy river into the heart of an unmapped tropical region populated by stone-age savages, brings upon one a bold awareness of the incongruities of this world in which we live. Only a few minutes previously one has seen these same men riding high above the Arctic wastes in a 600-mile-an-hour jet plane to New Guinea from France.

I remember watching this when I was in elementary school and having my mind totally blown. It's also the first time I saw anyone bungee jump.

[lukebourassa]

1) Exit Through The Gift Shop - The story of how an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner. The film contains footage of Banksy, Shephard Fairey, Invader and many of the world's most infamous graffiti artists at work.

2) Grass - The history of the American government's war on marijuana in the 20th century.

3) Helvetica - A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.

[EhJayArr]

1. Trinity and Beyond
The story of the USA's nuclear program from its inception through modern times. AWESOME footage (much of it rarely seen), great classical soundtrack, and The Shat narrating.

2. BBC's Planet Earth
Every installment blows my mind. I particularly enjoy some of the "how they shot that" segments at the end of some of the episodes--there was some truly incredible effort put into the camerawork. I prefer Attenborough narrating, but Sigourney Weaver was also very good; I think Attenborough sounds amused at everything, Weaver in awe.

3. Bobby Fischer Against the World
Fascinating person, captivating story. Documentary was extremely well composed between the narration, recent interviews, and old footage/interviews of Fischer.

[lukebourassa]

While I agree with picking Planet Earth, etc, it's not really fair to compare a 6- or 8-part series with a 90 minute documentary film.

[EhJayArr]

While I agree with picking Planet Earth, etc, it's not really fair to compare a 6- or 8-part series with a 90 minute documentary film.

True nuf. I picked it because Trinity and Bobby Fischer are the only docs I've seen in quite some time, and other people were picking Cosmos... 

[MisterMarc]

The Cruise - "A double-deck bus tour guide with the heart of an urban poet, Timothy "Speed" Levitch doles out a fascinating overview of New York City history that's nearly impossible to forget." Very interesting look at a very strange individual, and a very strange city.

The Corporation - "Filmmakers Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott explore the genesis of the American corporation, its global economic supremacy and its psychopathic leanings, with social critics like Noam Chomsky and Milton Friedman lending insight in this documentary." A really interesting take on the concept of corporate personhood.

Deliver Us from Evil - "This unsettling Oscar-nominated documentary from filmmaker Amy Berg investigates the life of 30-year pedophile Father Oliver O'Grady and exposes the corruption inside the Catholic Church that allowed him to abuse countless children." 'Nuff said.

[Plastique]

#1:Dear Zachary: A man makes a documentary to show his friends infant boy what his dad was like when he was growing up. The documentary quickly takes a evil, twisted, heartbreaking turn.

#2:I want to look like that guy: An average Joe decides he wants to compete in a bodybuilding contest, and look like "that guy" in the fitness model ads

#3:Catfish: A seemingly uninteresting subject, an emerging long distance relationship, takes a turn for the dark and creepy. One of the most beautifully executed docs ive seen.




*Be sure to add short descriptions, so other forum members can easily see docs they might be into*

Just watched #2 based on your recommendation, not bad. I wonder if it ends up having the effect of encouraging or discouraging most people.

[341gerbig]

#1:Dear Zachary: A man makes a documentary to show his friends infant boy what his dad was like when he was growing up. The documentary quickly takes a evil, twisted, heartbreaking turn.

#2:I want to look like that guy: An average Joe decides he wants to compete in a bodybuilding contest, and look like "that guy" in the fitness model ads

#3:Catfish: A seemingly uninteresting subject, an emerging long distance relationship, takes a turn for the dark and creepy. One of the most beautifully executed docs ive seen.




*Be sure to add short descriptions, so other forum members can easily see docs they might be into*

Just watched #2 based on your recommendation, not bad. I wonder if it ends up having the effect of encouraging or discouraging most people.

It go me into it, to a much lesser degree of course.