# Great documentaries ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2000, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505 "2000-07-23T01:26:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/21 "2000-07-23T11:01:52Z")
**Trials of Life** and **Birds of Paradise** by David Attenborough are my favorite nature documentaries. I gave my copy of Paradise to someone and never got it back. I’ll never do that again (hasn’t been on TV since and it’s only available in PAL format). They both contain incredible photography and Attenborough’s enthusiasm for the subject is obvious. His **Life of Birds** is also excellent. **Thin Blue Line** and **Roger&Me**. **Heart and Minds**. This movie invoked one of the strongest reactions I’ve ever had to film. It’s about the Vietnam War and in one scene, General Westmoreland is saying something about how the Vietnamese view death differently from Westerners, that they were more stoic. His words were played over a scene where an hysterical mother tries to climb into the grave of her eldest son. **The Olympics** series by Bud Greenspan (I think that’s who did them). Films by **Eric Wiseman** Evibeth, when you listed his **Titicutt Follies** , the scene that flashed through my mind was the feeding of a patient with a tube and funnel. The director is talking about why they have to do it, and slurping food down the funnel _while holding a cigarette over the it_. I was waiting for the ashes to drop in like one waits for the other shoe. Wiseman’s films are truly captivating considering that he uses no narration. > [@](#): > > _silent-rob asks_: There was a series of documentaries made by one director that focused on institutions. He did a movie on a school, a movie on a mental institution, etc… They are superb, but I can’t remember the director or the movies. They’re from a ways back. Anybody remember these. He tried to be impartial as well, but as I remember he sometimes used the editing to bring out his views. I think it’s Wiseman. I have been looking forward to **Hands on a Hard Body** (a contest to win a Nissan truck where the contestants place their hands on the truck and the last one touching it wins it). ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/22 "2000-07-23T11:49:09Z")
Evilbeth is right in calling him **Frederick** Wiseman, but you are right in responding to silent-rob. Unfortunately, most of Wiseman’s films are hard to find (usually they get shown on PBS instead of getting any theatrical distribution). For more on each film: [http://www.acejapan.or.jp/artg/filmg/wiseman/index-e.html](http://www.acejapan.or.jp/artg/filmg/wiseman/index-e.html) ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/23 "2000-07-23T12:07:56Z")
Yes, he’s a Frederick. I have no idea where Eric came from. Bad brain. Bad bad brain. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/24 "2000-07-23T15:45:16Z")
Oops. “Hard” not “Hot”. Freudian slip. How could I forget “Crumb”? And “Paradise Lost”. (it was on HBO. I think it’s rentable now.)Free the West Memphis Three! “Pets or Meat” has some good moments, but it’s not as good as “Roger and Me”. Still worth seeing though. “Paradise Lost” also has a not-as-good sequel, but if you see the first one you’ll want to know what’s happening to them. I would love to see “Manufactured Consent” AND “Titicut Follies”. There’s an all GOLF channel, where is the all documentary channel? ---
**Author:** ![jayron\_32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jayron\_32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayron_32)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/25 "2000-07-23T19:10:22Z")
_Hoop Dreams_: About the effect basketball has on minorty youth in America… follows the story of two high school basketball players in Chicago in the Early 1990’s. _Paris is Burning_: About the underground transvestite scene in Harlem in the 1980’s. Facinating documentary. _Liberty_: The six part PBS documentary (forget teh director) about The American Revolution. Excellent show that tends to play all day on WTTW every year in Chicago, and has become one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/26 "2000-07-23T19:25:00Z")
I’m going to be busy for a while looking at or trying to find some of these titles . Some that I have seen that have been mentioned Hoop dreams : Really liked it , what a huge effort it took to spend so much time following those boys . When we were Kings : Norman Mailer was brilliant in this . I could listen to him all day . Liberty : Channel 4 in Britian showed this . It was really good . Anything that was mentioned that was a BBC production you can take as read that I’ve seen . The Memphis Belle : Way better than the feature film . Trinity And Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie : Max said it all really “Truly frightening, and fascinating at the same time” Crumb : That had to one of the most disfunctional families in history . I love his narration of one of his strips . Now I’m going back to taking note of all the rest 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/27 "2000-07-24T00:45:33Z")
Well, thanks to this thread, I just finished watching **Hands on a Hard Body**. A very impressive mix of American truck culture and tenacity. As I mentioned before, it’s an annual contest held in Texas to win a Nissan truck by being the last one touching it. A real mix of folks participate, with many reasons, but mostly because they all could use transportation (one woman signed up each day by biking over to the dealership). I won’t give away the ending, but I’ll just say that cause for the second to the last person’s ending the contest was rather ironic. Definitely worth renting. Be prepared to feel very tired after watching this. ---
**Author:** ![Hunsecker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d78d45/32.png) [@Hunsecker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunsecker)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/28 "2000-07-24T00:59:21Z")
Aargh, I can’t believe I forgot to mention CNN’s _Cold War_ series. It had interviews with all the key players in the cold war - Bush, Gorbachev, Castro, etc. The whole series is 24 hours long, but each episode focused on one particular aspect, like e.g the Cold War in Central America, or deterrance, and they can each stand on their own pretty well. **ArchiveGuy** : Thanks, I couldn’t remember Resnais’ name. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/29 "2000-07-24T01:16:30Z")
For film buffs - Hearts of Darkness. This doco on the making of Apocalypse Now blows away the movie it’s about, and works great in tandem with both AN and the novel Heart of Darkness, which AN was loosely based on. I have to agree with American Movie - I found it completely inspiring. I have watched and loved dozens of history and nature documentaries, but of course can’t remember any of them now. I’ll try to come up with a list when I get a moment to think. HenrySpencer. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/30 "2000-07-24T01:34:28Z")
Anything by Ken Burns is worth a look. Let’s add the Huey Long bio as one of 'em. If you’ve seen all the BBC documentaries that includes all the Thames Productions, too? I ask because the 1980 “Hollywood” series narrated by James Mason was a fun way to follow the history of the silents. ---
**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/31 "2000-07-24T06:00:18Z")
Thanks for the link ArchiveGuy. I was thinking of _High School_, an excellent movie. You’re right though, they are hard to find. Those of his that I have seen I have borrowed from my University’s film collection. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/32 "2000-07-24T06:11:34Z")
Regarding the Brothers Burns, I generally prefer Ken’s work to Ric’s. But in “The Donner Party” Ric acquitted himself very, very nicely. I recommend it. My favorite quote: “It snowed. And it snowed. And it snowed.” Ken’s “Brooklyn Bridge” is certainly worth the time, too. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/33 "2000-07-24T06:57:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by betenoir \* > \*\* > And “Paradise Lost”. (it was on HBO. I think it’s rentable now.)Free the West Memphis Three! > > “Paradise Lost” also has a not-as-good sequel, but if you see the first one you’ll want to know what’s happening to them. > \*\* I can’t believe I forgot about these two. We have had a thread or two about these cases but we don’t ever seem to get much response. I am very intrigued by them. ---
**Author:** ![Mikedog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@Mikedog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikedog)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/34 "2000-07-24T07:24:48Z")
If I may add a few docs to the list… Black is, Black Ain’t … by Marlon Riggs SilverLake Life, The View from Here … really opened my eyes to the ravishes of HIV and AIDS. The Human Animal by Desmond Morris…He sure knows his monkey stuff. The “Connections” series…“Pole to Pole” with Michael Palin. Maysles’ “What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA” chronicles the mop-tops as they arrive in America for the first time. and of course “Woodstock”. Just about anything on HBO…A&E"s 100 most influential people of the last 1000 years was an interesting undertaking. And the short “King Gimp” Concerning Ken Burns: The Civil War was one of the best film projects ever undertaken. I found “Baseball” to be rather one sided (Some suggested East-Coast centric). I think the subject was more than he could handle. His 17 hour “Jazz” doc will be out soon. “He likes peanuts” - Homer Simpson ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/35 "2000-07-24T13:41:38Z")
I’m a fan of those long (4 hr++) documentaries too, especially military history. Some of my favs: The aforementioned Ken Burn’s _Civil War_ and _Baseball_, each of which I’ve watched at least 3 times. I also thought his Lewis and Clark documentary was excellent. _Russia’s War: Blood Upon the Snow_ is excellent, though one of the most depressing things I’ve ever seen. Makes you realize what living in fear really means. _The Great War and the Shaping of the Twentieth Century_ is similar in both respects. The TLC documentary _War and Civilization_ was quite interesting, seemingly based on Keegan’s book _A History of Warfare_. The _Battlefield_ series on WW2 and Vietnam are very detailed, and have the added benefit of being able to put most people to sleep so they won’t keep asking you if they can watch something else. I’m also a frequent watcher of Nova and Frontline, which are usually well done. Anybody remember these: _Top Gun and Beyond B-29: Frozen in Time The Real Jurassic Park Shootout in Mogadishu The Man Who Built the Supergun Gulf War The Farmer’s Wife_ ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/36 "2000-07-24T14:19:22Z")
Check out a film called ‘Marjoe’. Info here [http://eonline.com/Facts/Movies/0%2C60%2C10922%2C00.html](http://eonline.com/Facts/Movies/0%2C60%2C10922%2C00.html) Marjoe Gortner is now a fairly cheesy b-movie actor, but he was once an evangelical preacher/con man. When he wanted to quit that racket and go legit, he invited a film crew total access to film him fleecing the flock. Great documentary. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/37 "2000-07-24T15:15:56Z")
I will also chime in for _Roger & Me_, _The Civil War_, and _Liberty! The American Revolution_. There is often great stuff to be found on PBS and The History Channel. No one has mentioned _28 Up_ (I have not seen the follow-ups _35 Up_ and _42 Up_). This was originally aired on British television. They found a group of 7-year-old English children from different backgrounds and interviewed them every 7 years, and we see how they have changed over time, as well as how they have stayed the same. The spooky thing is how much of their personalities seem to have been set by the time we first meet them at age 7. ---
**Author:** ![Hunsecker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d78d45/32.png) [@Hunsecker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunsecker)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/38 "2000-07-24T15:34:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mikedog \* > The “Connections” series…“Pole to Pole” with Michael Palin. Actually, I liked Burke’s _The Day The Universe Changed_ better than _Connections_, there was more of a goal to them, and I think the connections were a little more meaningful. And on the subject of sciency documentaries, you can’t do much better than _Cosmos_. ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/39 "2000-07-24T16:17:39Z")
_The Day The Universe Changed_ was quite good, at least what I saw of it. I recently bought the book off Amazon. Another one I forgot: Clive Jame’s _Fame in the 20th Century_. I loved his sarcastic wit. ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505/40 "2000-07-24T16:21:26Z")
Oh, and the _Great Books_ series on TLC… _Story of the Gun_ and _Titanic_ on A&E… _The American Experience_ on PBS… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-documentaries/26505.md?page=3)