The Documentary Film Thread

[t8yman]

yeah, i felt a bit cheated by the doc. it implied that he was blissfully unaware of his success for 40+ years....

[sifi]

Agreed, it does. Call it poetic license?

[t8yman]

yeah, its undeniably an incredible ride watching the movie.

I was weeping a bit when he took the stage for the "first time" in South Africa

[sifi]

I'm not sure it's easy to be objective about the music after watching the film either. It all gets a bit blurred.

[sifi]

I'm ploughing my way through the ascent of man. It's a bit dated visually, and some of the theory is out of date, but in terms of message and pure information, it's amazing!

And I can't think of many docs that feature Floyd on their soundtrack either ...

Edited February 14, 2013 by sifi

[t8yman]

I watched "Room 237" on saturday, loved it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2085910/?ref_=sr_1

Its an in depth study into the themes and subliminals in Kubricks "The Shining". You have to suspend your cynicism a little at times, but there are some great studies into the "impossible architecture" and the hidden meanings in the movie.

Its important to note before you watch it that Kubrick was very interested in subliminal messages, he worked with a number of advertising agencies to learn their techniques on framing and set design, sight lines and symmetry etc, and that NOTHING in a kubrick scene is there by accident - right down to artwork in the rooms, props on shelves in the background.

Whilst Kubrick may have made a few minor continuity errors in the layman's eyes, he deliberately moves furniture between shots, changes actors clothes etc. To tell you any more would spoil the experience for you.

It was fascinating.

(and if this piques your interest a little - check out Rob Ager's work on youtube - he does some very in depth analysis of most of Kubricks work, as well as lots of other fascinating stuff on different movies hidden themes etc)

Edited April 23, 2013 by t8yman

[t8yman]

busy in here aint it?

watched Mission To Lars, wept like a baby. Dunno whether it was the old school Metallica fan in me, or just my humanity - but I couldn't hold back. Highly recommended.

[Steve P]

I mentioned this in the main film thread but check out The Interuptors. About a group of former gang members who now go in to try and diffuse arguments between gangs in Chicago. Kind of like watching The Wire played out for real. It's both uplifting and depressing at the same time, very much worth a watch

[Dead throne]

Frozen Planet by Sir David Attenborough.

[lost]

Not really a film but enjoying Oliver Stones untold history of the US on Sky Atlantic

[t8yman]

watched "The Four Year Plan" last week, its a doc about when Salvio Briatore and a few others bought QPR and saved them from extinction. You don't even need to like football to enjoy it. It was awesome. Its a little hard to track down, but there are versions of it out there in "the usual places".

A really enjoyable watch.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2006869/

[t8yman]

Just me in here then?

Watched "Beware Of Mr Baker" about Ginger Baker - a man I knew very little about, and a very very interesting story it is too. Definitely worth a watch.

[The Nal]

Just me in here then?

Watched "Beware Of Mr Baker" about Ginger Baker - a man I knew very little about, and a very very interesting story it is too. Definitely worth a watch.

Ooh been looking for that every day for the last week. Is it "available"?

[t8yman]

yup - "the usual places"!

I got a dvdrip mp4 of it. proper quality.

[The Nal]

yup - "the usual places"!

I got a dvdrip mp4 of it. proper quality.

Fantastic! Really looking forward to this. Have been going through a big Cream phase over the last year or so.

[The Nal]

Watched a couple of docs over the weekend.

Watched Beware of Mr Baker. Can highly recommend it. Such a unique character.

Also watched The History of the Eagles. Good documentary, very honest. Warts n all. It reminded me of what a limited back catalogue they have though for one of the "biggest bands of all time". They really only have a handful of tunes. Also reminded me of how weak a lot of their music is.

[When Jokers Attack]

Recently watched 'Collapse'

I remember it getting recommended in here well over a year ago. Thought it was very good.

This looks like it could be worth a viewing...

[zero000]

I really recommend the everything is a remix documentary. It's only half an hour long in total, but it's a really interesting take on ideas, human progress and culture over time and how essentially nothing is truly original. It may seem trite but it's a really worthwhile watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coGpmA4saEk

[The Nal]

"The Armstrong Lie" looks very interesting.

[modey]

Watched Blackfish at the weekend, very good documentary about the orca's at sea world http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2545118/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[t8yman]

Watched "Made Of Stone" - The stone roses movie last night. Disappointed TBH. As a real fan of Shane Meadows work, and a lover of music documentaries (the BBC film "Blood on the turntable" was the very best doc I have ever seen on the roses, and possibly the most interesting music doc I have seen), it just didnt tick all of the right boxes.

What little history of the Roses that was in there was really well done, and interesting to watch, but then the film descends quickly into a far too long segment about the Warrington gig announced just after they reformed, which basically focused on the queue and the people in it for far too long. It then moved onto the subsequent UK tour and culminated with the Heaton Park gig(s). The heaton park footage was badly suited to the movie, because it was neither "documentaryised" - nor the best example of performance footage.

Overall I found it did neither of the 2 jobs it appeared to set out to be (a documentary and a performance film) IMHO.

for those that havent seen it

Edited October 26, 2013 by t8yman

[modey]

I was really looking forward to that too, going to stick it on tonight . I was hoping for more footage from the heaton park gigs but apprently there's only an extended version of fools gold?

Hopefully they might release that sometime as a standalone concert, i went to the second night and it was one of the best gigs ive been to, would be great to see it all again.

Haven't see that other one so i'll have a look at that too this weekend, cheers

Edited October 26, 2013 by modey

[The Nal]

Watched Blackfish at the weekend, very good documentary about the orca's at sea world http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2545118/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Watched this at the weekend. Wasn't enough footage of people being eaten for me to be honest.

[t8yman]

Watched "The Tillman Story" last night

http://youtu.be/Ad2WOOOojyg

incredibly well made doc about a story I was vaguely familiar with, i'll spoilerise this, even though this is what I knew before watching it

Pat Tillman was an NFL star, with a multi million dollar contract, the day after 9/11 he quit his contract and signed up to serve in the military, feeling an incredible sense of duty to his country. He was killed in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan on his second tour, the Military and the government tried to turn his death into a hero story and ultimately a piece of recruitment propaganda. Initially they said he was killed saving his comrades in an ambush - what happened was far from that, and when his family learned about the lies, and the threats made to his squadmates to keep quiet, the story blew up. His mothers' tenacity in seeking the truth is amazing to see.

Apart from anything, Tillman was an incredibly humble man, with a surprising sense of loyalty and duty, proven by his wishes written down before he left the US, and some of the promises he made to those closest to him. He looked like a "dumb jock" in some respects, but he was more of a man than most of us could wish to be.

Highly, highly recommended.

Edited January 24, 2014 by t8yman

[The Nal]

Watched "The Tillman Story" last night

Excellent. Will check it out.

20 Feet from Stardom is "available". Really good.