# Top documentary movies…
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 5, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234 "2004-12-05T17:18:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/1 "2004-12-05T17:18:06Z")
I’m sure everyone has their favorites documentaries, and I’m guessing
that most of them would be well-known ones such as “Fahrenheit 911”
or “Schindler’s List”. About a month ago though, I caught a film at the
Hamptons Film Festival that really moved me and was hoping to make it a
point of discussion here. It’s called “The First Amendment Project”.
Has anyone heard or seen this movie before?
In short, it exposes a case in which the Fox News Channel tried to stop
the publication of a book that exposed the wrongdoings of major news
organizations. Fox lost the case. Now, it might seen pretty simple, but
to think about how many people these news channels influence daily, and
then to see how they are trying to limit what people know and hear
about them, is pretty frightening.
I’m not an actress, director or anything associated with the film, but
I am an advocate of exposing the truth, and this film does just that.
In case you are interested, you can [google.com](http://google.com) the film to learn more,
or if you want to see if for yourself, I know that Court TV bought the
rights to air it next Tuesday (12/7) at 10pm.
Bob
* * *
Administrator’s note: I believe this to be a spam. I’m leaving it up because it’s generated interesting discussion. If the poster is, in fact, a legitimate poster, he should email me and I’ll be glad to reverse the ban. However, in the absence of other information, I’m assuming this is a simple promotion of this TV show. – CKDH
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### Author:  [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/2 "2004-12-05T21:44:08Z")
Um … _Schindler’s List_ is based on true events, but is not a documentary.
I haven’t heard of _The First Amendment Project_ before, but I might check it out this week.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/3 "2004-12-05T21:51:29Z")
My favorites I can think of off the top of my head are _Spellbound_, about the national spelling bee and several kids trying to make it there, _Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea_, about the creation and deterioration of the Salton Sea, _The Art and Crimes of Ron English_, about an “illegal artist” who makes mostly anti-corporate art and pastes it over other people’s billboards, and _The Take_, about the fall of the economy in Argentina, and all the people fired from factories who took the factories back over and are running them successfully.
_Spellbound_ you can rent from most video stores now, the other three are still all on the film festival circuit I believe, but I would highly recommend all of them.
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### Author:  [@START](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/START)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/4 "2004-12-05T22:02:47Z")
“Farenheit 9/11” was responsible for my mother changing from wanting to vote for Bush to wanting to vote for Kerry.
But my favorite documentary was [Say Amen Somebody](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086245/) it came out before I was born but it was a really great documentary, we own it on DVD. Lots of great singing and the critics say even a “tone deaf athiest” will like this documentary :).
Also if your into music history this will help you understand some of the begginings of Gospel music which has influenced many other different musical styles such as R and B.
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### Author:  [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/5 "2004-12-05T22:23:41Z")
The best documentary I saw this year was _Control Room_. Simply fantastic.
_This is Spinal Tap_ is a fascinating older documentary, as well. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/6 "2004-12-05T22:36:28Z")
_Nanook Of The North_ (Robert Flaherty, 1922)
_Gates Of Heaver_ (Errol Morris, 1978)
_That’s Entertainment! III_ (Various, 1994)
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### Author:  [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/7 "2004-12-05T22:37:06Z")
> [@Neurotik](#):
>
> The best documentary I saw this year was Control Room. Simply fantastic
I have a friend who is somewhat of an expert on documentary and he absolutely raves about this movie as well. I haven’t had a chance to see it yet though. I hope to very soon.
My favorite documentary is _Step into Liquid_. It is my curse to have been born in Ontario (I love Canada, don’t get me wrong). I just love the idea of surfing but have never had a chance to do it. I also like _Winged Migration (Le Peuple migrateur)_ very much. Whether one agrees with how they made the movie is beside the point. It has some of the most beautiful shots you’ll ever see.
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### Author:  [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/8 "2004-12-05T22:43:47Z")
[_Capturing the Friedmans_](http://www.capturingthefriedmans.com/main.html). One of the most compelling films in my recent memory, regardless of category.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/9 "2004-12-05T22:52:25Z")
[Crumb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0109508/)
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### Author:  [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/10 "2004-12-05T23:31:59Z")
Second for Crumb.
Also, [Brother’s Keeper.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103888/)
If you are a fan of Apocalypse Now, [Hearts of Darkness](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102015/) is pretty well essential viewing.
I’m a big fan of documentary, so natch I can’t think of anything now. I may be back…
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### Author:  [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/11 "2004-12-05T23:57:56Z")
**Woodstock**. Hands down. It is not a prerequisite that a documentary be angst-filled. **Woodstock** was well-shot, well-edited ( by Martin Scorcese amongst many others ) and presented a rather complete view of the entire event.
I am a big fan of documentary shooting. It is frequently the most gratifying work to do, and I’ve not had a chance to shoot one in quite a while.
To me, there are two distinct kinds. One is a carefully composed work that makes a statement. ( **Farhenheit 9/11** ), the other is a document ( **Woodstock** ). I try never to confuse the two in terms of quality or impact.
On a more philosophical level, I’ve always felt strongly that there is no such thing as a documentary film. The camera records only what it sees before it. If the stage cameraman at Altamont Speedway had panned a few seconds earlier, the murder by a Hell’s Angels biker at the infamous Rolling Stones concert would not have become such a seminal moment in late 1960’s filmmaking…
Cartooniverse
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### Author:  [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2004, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/12 "2004-12-06T09:39:57Z")
**The Decapitation Of Larry Leadfoot**
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2004, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/13 "2004-12-06T09:47:39Z")
[Marjoe](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068924/), where Marjoe Gortner lets a documentary film crew in on the business of shaking down the faithful for profit.
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### Author:  [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2004, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/14 "2004-12-06T10:57:36Z")
[Mondo Cane (1962).](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057318/) They take shocking images from Asia or some other remote locale, put them side by side with something comparable from America or Western Europe, and pretty much dare you to say which is worse. My favorite segues were from a goose liver pate farm in Austria, to a place in New Guinea where teenaged girls are fattened up so they can marry a local prince (who apparently likes his women large), to a fat farm in California where discarded divorcees in their late 40s are making one last desperate attempt at slimming down and landing a new husband.
Some of the bits were reportedly staged, but it’s still a hugely entertaining documentary.
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### Author:  [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/15 "2004-12-06T14:40:30Z")
The Thin Blue Line. Actually, almost anything by Errol Morris would make my list.
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### Author:  [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/16 "2004-12-06T15:18:42Z")
**The Devil’s Playground** , a documentary about Amish teenagers celebrating “rumspringa” (the running around period). Basically, the Amish teenagers are allowed into the “English” world and it’s during this time that they have to choose to leave the church or stay.
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### Author:  [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/17 "2004-12-06T15:24:21Z")
[Paradise Lost](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117293/) is the best one I’ve ever seen. It’s also the most disturbing.
**Agrippina** , I really liked The Devil’s Playground too. I keep hoping they’ll film a followup so we will know what has happened to them since then.
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### Author:  [@NotWithoutRage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotWithoutRage)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/18 "2004-12-06T15:33:27Z")
I really liked Spellbound, the documentary about the National Spelling Bee.
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/19 "2004-12-06T16:34:14Z")
FRAZETTA: PAINTING WITH FIRE - I saw this on IFC a couple months ago. Great documentary about fantasy-horror-adventure illustrator-artist Frank Frazetta, also quite the young athlete and family man. My only disappointment was the peripheral mention of his work for Warren Publications (CREEPY, EERIE & VAMPIRELLA).
Link to his Gallery site [http://frazettaartgallery.com/ff/](http://frazettaartgallery.com/ff/)
Another vote for CRUMB.
Hey- to what extent do the Sun Productions movies about Noah’s Ark, the Shroud, the Lincoln Assassination & the Bermuda Triangle actually count as documentaries? _G_
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### Author:  [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-documentary-movies/278234/20 "2004-12-06T16:46:33Z")
I love \*\*Crumb \*\* too.
Last night I saw one called **I, Curmudgeon** on TV. It was just interviews with people who hate the world, but it was really good. I only saw the last half but I saw Cintra Wilson for a second.
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