# Documentary fans: What documentaries do you recommend
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 20, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843 "2010-06-20T04:47:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/21 "2010-06-21T01:31:54Z")
Echoing the praise for **Crumb** , and also suggesting:
[**Harlan County, U.S.A.**](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCiVMngILEI)
and
[**Bigger, Stronger, Faster** \*](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8nOKJTL6Tg)
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/22 "2010-06-21T02:17:19Z")
You mentioned Herzog, have you seen [Little Dieter Needs to Fly](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145046/) ?
Louis Malle’s [Phantom India](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063914/) is definitely worth checking out.
For those in a head-banging mood, there’s [Air Guitar Nation](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0799915/) .
A couple making the festival circuit right now; hopefully, they’re destined for wider release:
[Restrepo](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1559549/)–about US soldiers in the Korangal Valley (companion piece to Sebastian Junger’s [War](http://www.amazon.com/WAR-Sebastian-Junger/dp/0446556246/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277086825&sr=8-1)) .
[Do It Again](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1478480/)–the story of one man’s attempt to reunite The Kinks.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/23 "2010-06-21T03:31:50Z")
Another fun one is _Year of the Yao_ (2004), about the Chinese basketball player Ming Yao.
And speaking of Werner Herzog, his recent _Encounters at the End of the World_ (2007) was good.
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### Author:  [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/24 "2010-06-21T03:41:45Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> Another fun one is _Year of the Yao_ (2004), about the Chinese basketball player Ming Yao.
>
> And speaking of Werner Herzog, his recent _Encounters at the End of the World_ (2007) was good.
You wouldn’t happen to know of any interesting and/or notable English-language docs about Thailand, would you? I’m sure someone must have made something (or is in the process of making something) about the recent unrest.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/25 "2010-06-21T04:02:59Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#):
>
> You wouldn’t happen to know of any interesting and/or notable English-language docs about Thailand, would you? I’m sure someone must have made something (or is in the process of making something) about the recent unrest.
Not really. I have to say the Thai film industry is a complete and total embarrassment. Even the wife won’t watch a Thai film, documentary or otherwise. And the recent troubles are so politically charged that I doubt any outsider would be given permission to work on that, or at least cooperation.
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### Author:  [@PeacePlease](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeacePlease)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/26 "2010-06-21T04:32:45Z")
I recently re-subscribed to Netflix basically because I could stream to my computer and have been avidly going through all the documentaries as this is my favorite film genre. I would highly recommend the following:
**Into the Arms of Strangers**
Story of the Kindertransport that got Jewish kids out of Eastern Europe during WWII
**The Education of Shelby Knox**
About a girl in Lubbock, Texas that bucks the system by trying to update sex education to include not only abstinence only programs.
**Girl 27**
About a Hollywood scandal back in the ‘30s that is mostly fascinating because the woman involved (girl at the time) is very reluctant to discuss the incident and her bond with the filmmaker is very touching.
**Crips and Bloods: Made in America**
Very insightful history of African Americans in L.A. Goes much deeper than your ‘typical’ gang doc
**Inside Deep Throat**
Fascinating look at the making, distribution and complications related to this classic porn film.
**Waco: The Rules of Engagement**
Excellent doc about Waco and what really happened there.
\*\*A Family Undertaking: POV \*\*
Beautiful explanation of alternatives provided by home burial.
\*\*One Nation Under God \*\*
Religion vs. homosexuality and the programs that are supposed to ‘cure’ this ‘condition’
**Very Young Girls**
Stories about young girls who have gotten involved in prostitution through virtually no choice of their own and their struggles.
**Jesus Camp**
Already mentioned: a CLASSIC.
**Hell House**
I didn’t like this one as much but it is interesting how over-the-top this Hell House thing goes and how many people buy into this shite.
**The Last Word**
Mentally retarded man convicted and executed in…shocker…Texas.
**Second Skin**
Great doc about computer games (especially WoW) and the effects it has on several lives.
**Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon**
The making of DSOTM. What could be better?
**After Innocence**
What happens to some men who have been exonerated by DNA evidence after serving years and years in prison for crimes they were innocent of.
**Harlan County, U.S.A.**
One of the best docs EVER. Very tense story of a coal miner’s strike in Kentucky. I was most impressed with the women. They ROCKED!!!
**Trumbo**
Writer exiled by HUAC and his story.
**Lord, Save Us from Your Followers**
All around interviews about peoples views on religion
**Every Little Step**
Casting A Chorus Line for a national run. Great look at the inside and how long the process takes!
**Nuyorican Dream**
Puerto Rican family and their issues in NYC.
**A State of Mind**
North Korean children prepare for a show! Scary place, North Korea!
**Witch Hunt**
Another story of a community gone crazy with child sexual abuse charges.
**A Certain Kind of Death**
Great doc about a man’s quest to euthanize himself.
**Fall from Grace**
The story of the Phelps clan. Ew. Creepy.
\*\*Go Tigers! \*\*
Crazy high school footballers and their fans in Ohio.
\*\*Deliver Us from Evil \*\*
Pedophilic priest. Who always has this bizarre smile on his face. Another slap in the face of the Catholic church.
**Word Wars**
Scrabble fanatics! So much fun!!!
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### Author:  [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/27 "2010-06-21T05:00:05Z")
**Dear Zachary**
A heartbreaking tale of a nutso woman who causes unbelievable grief for her husband, son and in-laws. Warning: not for the faint of heart.
\*\*
Old Partner\*\*
A touching tale of an old Korean farmer and his trusty ox.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/28 "2010-06-21T05:07:59Z")
Simon Schama’s done a couple of excellent documentary series: _A History of Britain_ and _The Power of Art_. He’s also done a couple of others, _The American Future_ and _Rough Crossings_, which I haven’t seen yet.
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### Author:  [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/29 "2010-06-21T06:03:34Z")
Can’t believe I’m the first to suggest [Street Fight](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Fight_%28film%29).
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### Author:  [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/30 "2010-06-21T06:07:08Z")
The Up Series, starting with 7Up, is pretty interesting. It follows a group of kids growing up in Britain, starting in the 60s. The filmmaker goes back every 7 years and interviews them again, I believe the last instalment was when they were 49. It’s an amazing feat just to follow the same people for so long, but it’s also an interesting look at how kids grow up and life in various social backgrounds.
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### Author:  [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/31 "2010-06-21T06:26:52Z")
**[Haynesville](http://www.haynesvillemovie.com/)** is a not bad documentary about how the new shale gas pays in NW Louisiana are affecting peoples’ lives.
Does [**Shoah**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoah_(film)) count for the OP? How about **[Victory at Sea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_at_Sea)**?
I also liked [**Step Into Liquid**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_into_Liquid). Another vote for **The Smartest Guys in The Room**
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### Author:  [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/32 "2010-06-21T06:37:16Z")
I want to get into more documentaries, so I’ll bookmark this thread. Two of the best I’ve seen so far haven’t been mentioned, and both are probably ones that you would either very much want to see or not want to see at all:
9/11 (2002) - famous documentary shot by two French brothers, my jaw was on the floor for most of the film not just because of what they captured but the amazing circumstances that led to them capturing so much on film.
Madonna: Truth Or Dare (1991) - my favourite music documentary, a pretty fascinating insight into one of the most famous women in the world at the peak of her stardom.
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### Author:  [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/33 "2010-06-21T12:50:13Z")
Also, no one has yet mentioned the deservedly iconic [**The Last Waltz**](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rKlkR0B5aw).
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### Author:  [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/34 "2010-06-21T13:22:04Z")
**PeacePlease** , _A Certain Kind of Death_ isn’t the one you’re thinking of - it’s the one about people who die with no family.
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### Author:  [@PeacePlease](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeacePlease)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/35 "2010-06-21T13:35:46Z")
You’re absolutely right. Still an awesome doc though!!!
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### Author:  [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/36 "2010-06-21T13:44:37Z")
i’ll second BBC’s _Planet Earth_.
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### Author:  [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/37 "2010-06-21T14:38:43Z")
_Dancing Outlaw_ is hilarious and slightly disturbing.
_Pumping Iron_ is about obsession and Arnold Schwarzenegger is fascinating.
_The Decline and Fall of Western Civilization Part 2_ is a great portrait of a time and place. The scene with the musician in his pool drinking a bottle of vodka while his mother watches is unforgettable.
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### Author:  [@Anna\_Nimity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anna_Nimity)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/38 "2010-06-21T15:46:34Z")
**The Ritchie Boys** \*\*\*\*-World War II doc about a group of Jewish guys who having escaped from Europe to the US, volunteered to go back (not as soldiers) behind enemy lines and wreak psychological havoc. This was great and remains one of my favorite docs along with Harlan County USA.
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### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/39 "2010-06-21T16:07:06Z")
I don’t know how interested the OP would be in it but I watched “Second Skin” on netflix recently and was very impressed.
It’s about online gaming culture specifically with games like Everquest and Warcraft.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/40 "2010-06-21T16:25:25Z")
It just so happens that there is a documentary on HBO tonight called **GasLand** , which is an expose of the gas drilling companies and the misery they have wreaked on communities across the country. It could be very interesting.
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