I'm posting this thread with a hidden agenda As much as I'd like to call myself a "movie buff", I found myself missing on MANY gems, so I guess the lists that will be posted in here will give me an idea

Here're mine in no special order, though:

1. Wattstax
2. Paris Is Burning
3. Grey Gardens
4. Jazz - By Ken Burns
5. Jimi Hendrix
6. The Many Faces Of Lady Day
7. Soul to Soul
8. A One Man Show
9. Standing In The Shadows of Motown
10. When We Were Kings

Whats yours?
[Edited 12/25/09 14:22pm]

I love documentaries, so long as they're about issues or segments of life outside of hollywood or fashion.

I like gritty documentaries (war, poverty, etc. etc.).



I saw one that haunted me when I was younger, but can not remember the name.
It was about Nuclear testing in the south pacific during the WWII era.

I believe it involved the testing on Bikini Island.

At the end of the documentary, one of the guys they were interviewing was revealed to be suffering from some horrendous tumors on his arms due to radiation poisoning that he had received years prior. The camera panned out, and I was completely horrified.


I wish I could remember the film.

I also saw one on asbestos that horrified me.

I'm sure that there are some incredibly outstanding documentaries which I've never seen or watched all the way through, so I'll limit my list to those I have seen.

The War (Ken Burns)
Baseball (Ken Burns)
Fahrenheit 9/11 (Michael Moore)
Woodstock
Bowling For Columbine (Michael Moore)
Hoop Dreams
The United States vs, John Lennon
Spellbound
Anvil: The Story of Anvil

My all-time favorite is Grey Gardens.

Second to that is probably My Architect, which I find amazing on so many levels.

After that, but in no particular order, I would say Paris Is Burning, Modify, and Planet Earth are ones I've really liked.

I've truly enjoyed (and enjoyed learning from) every Ken Burns and every Michael Moore documentary I've ever seen too.

I like Michael Moore's docs...Sicko would probably be my favourite of his.
Worthy mentions go to March Of The Penguins.
Grizzly Man,
Man On Wire

The BBC series World at War is the best I can think of. Of course it's a tv series but as a documentary it's essential.

Land of Silence and Darkness by Werner Herzog about the deaf blind stayed with me long after I watched it.

Tokyo Ga by Wim Wenders about Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu I loved.

I love documentaries (I'm the same may with books - I love biographies). It'd be so hard to narrow them down, but I'll name what comes off the top of my head that I've enjoyed.

Anvil: The Story of Anvil
Super Size Me (Morgan Spurlock being dreamy didn't hurt)
Madonna Truth or Dare
March of the Penguins
Grey Gardens (OMG!)
Michael Jackson This Is It
Company
Rattle And Hum
Who The Fuck Is Jackson Pollack?
Show Business

Free To Choose
Cosmos
Flock of Dodos
Crumb
Jesus Camp
The Root of All Evil
Capturing the Friedmans
No Direction Home
Sick - the life and death of supermasochist Bob Flanagan
Theremin - an electronic odyssey
[Edited 12/26/09 6:09am]

Woodstock -- that was a documentary, right?


Best one that jumps to mind is The Panama Deception.

Harlepolis said:

Great list! And your number one is mine, too. Also anything by Ken Burns in my estimation is fantastic. Add The War, too. Oh, and the documentary about New York's history is fantastic "New York: A Documentary Film." (Ric Burns).

ernestsewell said:

Do you mean that R&H by U2?

I love musical documentaries - Rattle and Hum, Control (it's about singer of Joy Division), Glastonbury, BBC Basement sessions, Abbey Road sessions.. Then I've enjoyed one documentary about Herbie Hancock, but I can't remember the name..

zaza said:

Oh PLEASE, do remember
[Edited 12/26/09 6:58am]

Harlepolis said:

"Possibilities"!

zaza said:

How the hell did I miss it?



I noticed that it was distributed by Magnolia, I love their films

Thanx a million for the heads up

Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film - Bio.
Religulous - Bill Maher's irreverent look at religion.
Wild Man Blues - Woody Allen tours Europe with his jazz band.
I, Curmudgeon - Curmudgeons (including Fran Lebowitz).
I'm going to tell you a secret. - Madonna.
Eleven Minutes - Follows the very charismatic Jay McCarroll as he puts together his first fashion show.
Being Mick - Follows Mick Jagger in and around the making of Goddess in the Doorway.
Let's Get Lost - Chet Baker.
Mayor of the Sunset Strip - Rodney Bingenheimer
The Up Series (7 Up; 7 Plus Seven; 21 Up; 28 Up; 35 Up; 42 Up; 49 Up)

Harlepolis said:

You're welcome It's a very great documentary - I loved his collaborations with Santana, J.Mayer, Sting, Damien Rice.. I'm sure you'll like it

zaza said:

Is there any other? I like Rockumentaries. I was going to list Some Kind of Monster, but I refuse to give Lars and the gang any credit whatsoever. The best thing about that one is to see how big fucking babies they all are. I have never seen a band praise their own shit so much as Metallica did in that movie. I understand ego w/ rock n' roll, but gheezus. They're ridiculous.

In no particular order:

Born Into Brothels
Grey Gardens
Shine A Light
Valentino: The Last Emperor
The September Issue
Sister Wendy
The Civil War
Mad Hot Ballroom
Eyes On The Prize

ernestsewell said:

SKOM is probably the funniest rockumentary ever Lars is just a big dick and you can see it there. I have 2 DVD edition with some bonus scenes and Kirk is probably the only smart person in that band (well, except Jason who was smart enough to leave the band full off egos and dickheads).

zaza said:

I can see Kirk being the smart one. He's relatively quiet and is just riding the wave of money, which is fine. (Dawn Robinson take note on that, please.) They treated Jason like a cold turd. He was right to leave. Fans REALLY started to dislike them w/ the Napster thing (and it's why Prince started to get a bad rep as well with similar shenanigans).

I can't believe that Lars let the movie out, considering how much of a big fucking baby it showed him to be. He's one of those rock stars who take themselves WAY too seriously, in every regard. "I don't know if I want to PLAY with you right now. I don't know if I CAN play. I just.....you know....." Oh shut the fuck up already. Then that whole thing about "If I want to listen to a song and no one else is here, I'm going to listen to a song." It was the whole thing about "we all work on a song together, not separately" thing. It's one band that I really have ZERO respect for. I can't even listen to old stuff that I liked from them like, and which is pretty much limited to, "Enter Sandman", "Sad But True".

I like so many documentaries that I can´t even come up with a proper list. I love biographical documentaries about artists like Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dali or Picasso but I also enjoy those biographies on the entertainment channel about people who made it from the gutter to the top, like Sly Stallone.
Michael Moore´s films are also interesting but they are not always very factual. Still like his message though. I also love documentaries about countries and stuff like Anthony Bourdain´s No Reservations.

ernestsewell said:

This is true. I don't remember if it was in the book or in the movie, but Jason was the only who hadn't gonorrhoea when Kirk or James said that everyone of them had it (or it was in some Guitar World mag?). It looks like he was the only one who was in the band for the true love of music, not just for money.



Money.

I just watched It Might Get Loud yesterday and loved it

This is not only my favorite documentary of all time, but mabye my favorite filmed production of all time:




[Edited 12/26/09 8:49am]

ernestsewell said:

Harlepolis said:

Some that immediately came to mind:

If You Only Knew - Jimmy Scott
Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll - Chuck Berry
Jazz on a Summer's Day - Various Jazz artists
Crumb - Robert Crumb
Genghis Blues - Paul Peña
Notes from a Jazz Survivor - Art Pepper
Music Is The Weapon - Fela Kuti
A Great Day In Harlem - Various Jazz artists
Buena Vista Social Club - Various Cuban artists
The Atomic Cafe - The dawn of nuclear warfare
Dark Days - NYC subway tunnel residents
Style Wars - NYC hippity-hoppers
The Last Waltz - The Band
Dont Look Back - Bob Dylan
Straight No Chaser - Thelonious Monk
The Miles Davis Story - Miles Davis
The World According to John Coltrane - John Coltrane
Triumph of the Underdog - Charles Mingus


More as I think of them.


Music for adventurous listeners


tA

Tribal Records

theAudience said:

Saw that in the theater, when it came out! Loved it!

theAudience said:

I knew you'd deliver

I've seen couple of them(and I loved them all, esp Style Wars).

Now Dark Days is what I really wanna grab

my fave is probably American Movie...





Super Size Me
Truth or Dare
Paris is Burning

Wow!