I noticed that there was a discussion string like this in the Foreign Film section, so I thought I'd start one here.

I recently saw Wordplay and would highly recommend it to anyone who was a fan of Spellbound or enjoys crossword puzzles.

Has anyone else seen a good documentary recently?

I usually don't go to see documentaries in a theatre unless they are directed by Michael Moore and Errol Morris.

The most recent doc. I watched was that documentary about Sebastian Telfair, who jumped from high school to the NBA. He was unique in that he was the first "small guy" to try to do that. The film documented his senior season in high school up to the NBA draft. It did receive a brief theatrical release in NYC before screening on ESPN. It proved to be an interesting documentary,

How would you say it compared to something like Hoop Dreams? There's another doc about women's high school basketball that I recently saw a preview of called The Heart of the Game that looks worth catching too.

Moore and Morris are favorites of mine as well -- they've obviously driven the genre more into the mainstream along with Ken Burns -- but there are a ton of other documentary filmmakers out there.

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Originally posted by NButler11:
How would you say it compared to something like Hoop Dreams?

THROUGH THE FIRE is nowhere near as ambitious as HOOP DREAMS nor is it anywhere near as good. That said, THROUGH THE FIRE is worth a look for its sociological aspects as much as for the hoops. You take these young kids with nothing -- they live in public housing -- and getting drafted by the NBA is like winning the lottery. One day you have nothing, the next door you are buying a Bentley for your brother. Kind of a weird juxtaposition to see a guy who lives in NYC public housing driving a Bentley. I kept thinking you don't see many of those parked in NYC Housing Authority parking lots.

Meanwhile, another documentary I took another look at on video after not seeing since its original theatrical release in the 1980's was Michael Moore's ROGER & ME, the doc. that put him on the map. It holds up surprisingly well as he takes a left-of-center look at his home town of Flint, Mich. and the devastation caused by the contraction in the auto industry.

I kept thinking about how the Rogers, Moore the director and Smith, the then head of GM that Moore stalks, would think today as the auto industry continues to contract and the future survival of GM is in question. It was kind of sobering to view it again in light of what is happening with the current wave of auto layoffs.

Of Michael Moore's films to date, Roger & Me is probably my sentimental favorite because I'm originally from Michigan and most of my family is associated with GM, so I'm a bit biased like Moore on the issue; although, I've also seen the positive effects of what such companies can do. The last I heard, Moore's next film is going to be 9/11 1/2 which bothers me a little. I mean, I appreciate what he points his camera towards, but it sounds like he's starting to sell out a bit.

I hope that Herzog's next film isn't Grizzly Man Strikes Back or that Morris makes 11 More Lessons from the Life of Robert McNamara.

Through the Fire sounds really interesting to me. There have been a few of reality shows on up-and-coming basketball players on television recently and I've enjoyed catching episodes of each. No longer is basketball merely a sport -- it's a full-blown lifestyle apparently.

Something else I've been meaning to try and get a hold of is the Up Series. A friend of mine was telling me about how the films document the lives of children born around the same time and how they are revisited every 7 years to see what they're up to. I guess they're in their forties now -- has anyone else heard of this series or seen it?

Yeah that 7 UP series directed by Michael Apted is well worth a look. Start with the first one, though. It is fascinating how pre-ordained the lives those kids led. It doesn't say much for social mobility in Britain, that is for sure.

Meanwhile, the last non-musical documentary I caught in a theatre was DARWIN'S NIGHTMARE, which actually was released theatrically, to good reviews, in '05. I missed it, but it popped back up in '06 and I took a look at it, but must say I was disappointed. It is inadvertently funny as it profiles this lake in Africa where a fish -- the Nile Perch -- was introduced for its commercial possibilities.

Well, it proceded to eat all the indiginous species in the lake and has caused an environmental nightmare. The film profiles this and kind of somehow weaves in gun running on the empty planes that fly in to take the fish out. I didn't quite buy it. Not bad for TV viewing, but not worth a look in a theatre.

Four Days in November [Mel Stuart, 1964, Grade: B]

This is a straightforward documentary detailing the days just before JFK's assasination up through his funeral. There are no conspiracy theories presented, just what was known at the time and shortly thereafter. If you aren't completely familiar with all the events, it's a great place to learn them. I can still remember all the stuff on TV with Oswald AND Ruby. [Yes, believe it or not, Ruby killed Oswald on live TV in front of the whole non-cable TV country...I saw it, and I was only seven! (Mind-boggling.)] Elmer Bernstein's score and Richard Basehart's narration are equally memorable, and it will most likely provoke a tear from any warm-blooded Americans.

I guess I'm just in a documentary mood lately. I've seen multiple posts about The Corporation on the site, so I was happy to finally see what everyone was talking about. In many ways, The Corporation reminded me of the style that Enron was done in. It was pretty dense too -- they just kept coming with heaping spoonfuls of information that nearly overwhelmed me. I felt that the film was a bit broad at points and that the filmmakers may have overstrecthed the scope of their point a bit, but overall I thought it was excellent.

I also caught Slam Nation last night too, which I really enjoyed. I've never actually been to a poetry slam, but I've read a number of books by the artists in the film and own the movie Slam, with Saul Williams -- which is incredible. So, I don't know what took me so long to see this documentary, but if there's anyone else out there like me with an interest in poetry, I'd highly recommend watching Slam Nation.

The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (Müller, 1993, Grade: B+)

I've mentioned this here before. Apparently, I'm not supposed to mention one of the most original documentaries ever made about the most-original documentary filmmaker ever. Oh yeah, whether you know or care (you REALLY should do both), Riefenstahl is the most famous ("infamous"?) female filmmaker ever. My daughter found this, and we watched all three hours quite easily. If I was in charge of a school, everybody would watch this film.

I caught Martin Scorsese's Bob Dylan documentary NO DIRECTION HOME Sunday when the Film Society of Lincoln Center screened it. It played earlier this year on cable in two parts, but I found the 3 hour and 25 minute running time to go by in about 3 minutes. Just riveting. It focusses on Dylan at the inchoate stage of his career and ends just after his motorcycle accident and his controversial decision to eschew acoustic for electric. Just extremely well done. Rating A.

Watched Capturing The Friedmans recently...it's about a respected family that gets torn apart when the father and one of his sons are accused of horrible sexual crimes against children. The Friedmans had a habit of videotaping, and sometimes audio-taping, their life, so the film includes footage of their good times, as well as wrenching footage of a family coming apart at the seams. It's never certain whether the dad and son are guilty or not...the case against them is solid in some ways, and quite dubious in others.

Anyway, it's a (morbidly) fascinating documentary. Not necessarily "enjoyable" in the traditional sense, but it's great filmmaking and worth watching.

Went to the IMAX theatre in Indianapolis today to see Deep Sea 3D. Excellent film about the relationships between various underwater species. Sponges, squids, jellyfish, turtles, starfish, shrimps- they're all there in gorgeous 3D. Some of the emphasis is on how predator and prey creatures sometimes help one another. Towards the end the narration (by Johnny Depp & Kate Winslet) is a warning about man's upsetting of the underwater eco-systems. Great score from Danny Elfman as well.

The film museum here in Astoria, U.S.A. had a free screening Friday night of AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, the documentary about global warming that features former Veep Al Gore. This film is riveting and a must see. Just a sobering cri de coeur about the damages CO2 gasses are doing to the environment and if we don't get our act together there are going to be some devasting consequences. A lot of the right wingers and fascists (vz the Fox network) kind of pooh-pooh the issue of global warming, but Gore rebuts any kind of argument. This doc. is a must see. A must watch.

The most recent documentary I've watched was Loose Change Second Edition produced by Louder Than Words (www.loosechange911.com).

This is a very tiny independent film which examines the 9/11/2001 terrorist incidents in some detail.

In addition to being very thought provoking, it has a killer sound track.

It is a bit disturbing (but then, most documentaries are to an extent.

Excellent film, highly recommended.

The other documentary I would recommend is Good Night, and Good Luck. The story of Edward R. Murrow's media conflict with Senator Joseph McCarthy.

I've hear reviewers who thought that "the guy who played McCarthy was too over the top." All of the footage of McCarthy was actual news footage.

Produced for B&W release (though shot in color, so there will probably be a color version released some day,) the film does an excellent job of getting the "feel" of going up against a powerful politician who ruined many people in the news and entertainment businesses with little but hype and personal attacks.

Highly recommend it.

I generally don't go to documentaries in movie theatres any more, but there are three currently playing that are supposedly very good. I do plan to see 49 UP, Michael Apted's latest installment in the "7 UP" series. He began filming British kids when they were 7 and continutes revisting them every 7 years. The kids are 49 now and the latest installment has just been released. I do plan to see it.

JESUS CAMP is another one currently in theatres and it received strong reviews. It focuses on a religious camp for religious kids. And, kind of ironic in a way, but Friday DELIVER US FROM EVIL, about a pedophile priest, or de-frocked priest now, opened to strong reviews.

An Inconvenient Truth (Guggenheim, 2006, Grade: B)

I believe everybody should see this flick, but it's a two-edged sword. The global warming stuff I'd probably give an A. The Al Gore is a better human than either President Bush, even though I agree with the message, doesn't build up the Global Warming message.

It's pretty obvious that the Bushes know nothing of "the Internets/the Googles, etc,", but Gore shouldn't use his own dexterity with "what he invented" to score any extra points. Yeah, I feel for his loss of his older sister and the near-death of his son, but let's stay focused on keeping others alive, if possible.

This is still a must-see flick, even if you want to boo-hoo it.

I don't think any of the movie was trying to say Gore's a better human than the Bushes. 90% of the film is directly about global warming, and what little there was about Gore himself was just there to give a context, for why he was doing what he was doing. At least, that's how I saw it.

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but Gore shouldn't use his own dexterity with "what he invented" to score any extra points.

Sorry, but this one's just getting old for me. Gore never said he invented the internet...he made a very broad statement of how he took initiative, while in Congress, to push the creation of the internet. This is very true. It was all taken out of context, a spin was put on it by (of course) some Republicans and the media. I was going to say "you can easily look it up", but actually, I just found a good page with all the info:

Al Gore "invented the internet"

We usually agree. Maybe one of us should figure out a link to Sense of Humor?

I admit I'm not always attuned to the subtleties of forum talk (I'm often in a hurry when I post here). When things are ambiguous I tend to take a stab and run with it...I was wrong. Whoops..