# 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:** 4
### Author:  [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2010, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/61 "2010-06-23T12:34:06Z")
> [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](#):
>
> “This Film Not Yet Rated” - about the MPAA ratings system, very interesting.
I’ll second this one–it was way more interesting than I expected.
I’ll add: **[Surfwise](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479547/)**
Summary from the director: _The inspiring and tumultuous story of 85-year old surfer, health advocate and sex guru, Dr. Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, his wife Juliette, and their nine children who were all home-schooled and raised in a small camper on the beach, where they surfed and had to adhere to the strict diet and lifestyle of animals in the wild._
This family is one of a kind.
The interviews with the kids (8 boys, 1 girl) are riveting.
---
### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/62 "2010-06-23T13:57:20Z")
> [@scamartistry](#):
>
> … **The Trials Of Henry Kissinger** Based on Hitchens book.thoughtful re-examination of Kissingers career. Kissinger is depicted as sly, manipulative Machiavellian figure that even his former aides speak out against…
Seymour Hersh’s _The Price of Power_ is a great book about Kissinger in the White House, if you’re interested in reading more. He really comes across as a scheming, power-mad prick, cruel to his subordinates, and both obsequious to and scathingly contemptuous of Nixon.
---
### Author:  [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/63 "2010-06-23T14:23:32Z")
_[Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control](http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/fastcheap/)_ - a fascinating look at several eccentrics.
_[Project Grizzly](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Grizzly)_ - no description will suffice.
_[Trekkies](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120370/)_ - no cheap shots, just insights.
Regards,
Shodan
---
### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/64 "2010-06-23T14:47:17Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#):
>
> You have to add [Ghengis Blues](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187859/) to your list. Definitely the best documentary on Tuvan throat singing ever made.
Yes, **Genghis Blues** was great. I picked up Paul Pena’s album after watching it and it’s great.
Along those same lines would be **Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues**. Very long at 7 parts, 90 minutes each, but excellent viewing.
Also great was **Beer Wars** , about my other favorite subject.
The Discovery Channel show **Everest: Beyond the Limit** was really good. I think it may still be VOD on Netflix.
---
### Author:  [@scamartistry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scamartistry)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/65 "2010-06-23T21:46:27Z")
Dont miss out on this one: “The Staircase”
One of the best docs IMO:
“The Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, presents a gripping courtroom thriller, offering a rare and revealing inside look at a high-profile murder trial. In 2001, author Michael Peterson was arraigned for the murder of his wife Kathleen, whose body was discovered lying in a pool of blood on the stairway of their home. Granted unusual access to Peterson’s lawyers, home and immediate family, de Lestrade’s cameras capture the defense team as it considers its strategic options. “The staircase” is an engrossing look at contemporary American justice that features more twists than a legal bestseller”
Can be seen for free here:
[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5188227902435442973#](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5188227902435442973#)
---
### Author:  [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/66 "2010-06-23T22:13:33Z")
> [@Shodan](#):
>
> _[Project Grizzly](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Grizzly)_ - no description will suffice.
Hell yeah, I forgot about this gem!
MtM
---
### Author:  [@JuliaSqueezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JuliaSqueezer)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/67 "2010-06-23T22:28:17Z")
Some really good recommendations here. Can’t wait to check some of them out!
One of my favorites this year was **Mine** shown on PBS and in some theaters in the US. It’s about what happened after the rescue of hundreds of animals following Hurricane Katrina, and follows four people who want to be reunited with their pets. The pets are scattered across the country, and have been adopted by new families. What happens when 2 families love the same dog?
---
### Author:  [@scamartistry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scamartistry)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/68 "2010-06-24T02:02:00Z")
> [@JuliaSqueezer](#):
>
> The pets are scattered across the country, and have been adopted by new families. **What happens when 2 families love the same** dog?
anarchy in the UK?
btw, two good docs on religious hucksters:
**The Eyes of Tammy Faye** About the wife of Jim Bakker. The rise and fall of the popular televangelist duo.
**The Trials of Ted Haggard** Ted Haggard post scandal.
---
### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/69 "2010-06-24T05:00:30Z")
Ah, I just remembered another great one, especially if you are a Woody Allen fan: [Wild Man Blues](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141986/) (1997).
It’s Woody on a European tour with the jazz band he plays in. Accompanied by the mayor of one Italian city, he views the ruins of the hall the band would have played in except it had _just_ burned down, like a day or two before. I recall several months after the film came out, that same mayor was indicted for being behind the arson! At the end, back home in New York, Woody and Soon-yi chat with Woody’s parents – that’s right, his parents – and it’s easy to see where he got his inspiration for all of the Jewish parents in his films. (His mother is still disappointed that he never became a pharmacist. Really. :D)
---
### Author:  [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/70 "2010-06-24T05:08:38Z")
I didn’t post earlier, but I didn’t realize how many documentaries I watch. Pretty much anything and everything by NFL Films is awesome. Right now I’m working my way through the “Greatest Games” series on Hulu.
---
### Author:  [@Oscalo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oscalo)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/71 "2010-06-24T14:18:40Z")
A lot of good ones here.
Check out **“For All Mankind.”** It consists of nothing but footage of the Apollo moon missions, with narration from the Astronauts themselves and a Brian Eno score. No talking head interviews here. Very beautiful.
Also I liked **“American Teen”** , about a high school in rural Indiana. Yeah, it’s pretty apparent that the kids are just hamming it up for the cameras a lot of the time, but I thought it was a pretty good representation of the sort of cliqueshness and petty cruelty you’d find in a typical American high school.
And there’s **“Office Space.”** What, you say that’s a fictional movie and not a documentary? Well, you must be mistaken as I could have sworn it was shot at my former work place.
---
### Author:  [@scamartistry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scamartistry)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/72 "2010-06-24T14:30:08Z")
This is a great one from the VBS/Vice team:
**Heavy Metal in Bagdhad**
in the middle of the insurgency two reporters go to Baghdad to meet the only heavy metal band in Iraq. It is the story of young Iraqis whose lives have been distorted and displaced by years of warfare in their homeland. The filmmakers have collected glimpses into the struggles as they try to stay together and stay alive. Their struggle is the untold story of the hopes and dreams of an entire generation of young Iraqis.
GREAT!
---
### Author:  [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/73 "2010-06-24T15:06:05Z")
Errol Morris, Errol Morris, Errol Morris. Especially **The Thin Blue Line** and **Gates of Heaven**.
**Dogtown and Z-Boys** is remarkably well made and captivated me despite my complete indifference to its subject matter (surfing/skating)
---
### Author:  [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/74 "2010-06-24T15:25:20Z")
> [@Oscalo](#):
>
> A lot of good ones here.
> Check out **“For All Mankind.”** It consists of nothing but footage of the Apollo moon missions, with narration from the Astronauts themselves and a Brian Eno score. No talking head interviews here. Very beautiful.
> […]
Good one! Breathtakingly beautiful and very, very interesting.
---
### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/75 "2010-06-24T15:33:38Z")
> [@Panurge](#):
>
> Good one! Breathtakingly beautiful and very, very interesting.
Definitely. _For All Mankind_ blew me away when I saw it during its initial release. The IMAX documentary _Destiny in Space_ is also very, very good. Both will rekindle your sense of wonder and make you proud to be a human being.
---
### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/76 "2010-06-24T15:52:28Z")
For rock music fans, Eagle Rock’s series of DVDs, [Classic Albums](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_Albums) are worth checking out–a cut above other “Behind The Music”- type shows. The ones I’ve seen have interviews with the performers and producers–done for the programs themselves, not just clips from other sources. The one on [Who’s Next](http://www.amazon.com/Who-Whos-Next-Roger-Daltrey/dp/B000I5XD24) has Pete “unplugged” in the studio and a segment with their sound man in the mixing room dissecting \*Going Mobile \*track by track.
Dopers might be particularly interested in the DVD of [Rio by Duran Duran](http://www.amazon.com/Duran-Classic-Albums-Rio/dp/B001G7EGOM/). 😛
---
### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/77 "2010-06-24T16:16:50Z")
I’m a documentary freak as well.
Already mentioned, but if I may pile on:
**The Bridge** - A must see. I saw it well more than a year ago and it is with me still.
**The Last Waltz** - Even if you’ve never heard of The Band, you’ll love 'em after seeing this.
**Paradise Lose 1 & 2** - PL1 is much better, but both are gripping.
Not previously mentioned, all well worth viewing:
[Brother’s Keeper](http://allmovie.com/work/brothers-keeper-7251)
[Murderball](http://allmovie.com/work/murderball-318807)
[My Architect: A Son’s Journey](http://allmovie.com/work/my-architect-a-sons-journey-283285)
Also, how did we get this far athread without someone mentioning [Religulous](http://allmovie.com/work/religulous-415417) ?
mmm
---
### Author:  [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/78 "2010-06-24T20:31:17Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#):
>
> Also, how did we get this far athread without someone mentioning [Religulous](http://allmovie.com/work/religulous-415417) ?
>
> mmm
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that it’s because the OP specifically contraindicated Michael Moore “docs” (note use of quotes), and if there’s any movie wherein someone out-Michael-Moores Michael Moore, it’s Bill Maher’s **Religulous**.
(And just so you know: I’m pretty goddamn liberal and an agnostic to boot, and I used to be a big fan of Maher [and, to a lesser extent post **Roger & Me** , Michael Moore as well].)
---
### Author:  [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/79 "2010-06-24T20:46:32Z")
I consider a documentary good if it keeps me involved in something I never thought I’d be interested in.
King of Kong
Word Wars
Confessions of a Super Hero
Paris is Burning
---
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843/80 "2010-06-24T21:01:37Z")
[_Making Sense of the Sixties_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318906/) – PBS documentary, 1991.
[_Hearts and Minds,_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearts_and_Minds_(film)) 1974, about the Vietnam War.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843.md?page=3)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documentary-fans-what-documentaries-do-you-recommend/543843.md?page=5)