Documentaries

Incredible film that mixes up documentary with fiction well before it became fashionable. Though it may not deal with hard, solid facts, it sure is damned entertaining. I love this film and thank you Criterion for putting out an amazing special edition.

Fascinating doc. I thought the film was going to be about underground comic book artist Crumb's work and how it revolutionized the comic world, so I think everyone was shocked when viewing the life of his very disfunctional family. Robert Crumb art itself is a great subject matter but when his whole background and family are added it becomes a classic documentary far outdoing what could have been a fan film. One of the best documentaries ever.

Really funny, entertaining and informative doc about Australia's problems with the wacky Cane Toad. Everything from the toads history to it's use as a drug to the folks who love it and swerve to hit them is here and very well done. Also watch the director's fantastic doc Rat.

A documentary that plays like a really good drama. Watching the two boys grow up is fascinating and at times depressing but definitely essential viewing. An incredibly well made documentary.

Morris cemented his place as one of the greatest documentarians of all time with this amazing work that actually got a man freed from prison. Must see.

Astonishing. Bunuel messes with the documentary with very entertaining and surreal results. One of my favorite directors of all time.

Amazing doc that is hilarious and touching throughout.
You never feel like you're being manipulated in this fantastic film, and whether you like their music or not, you'll feel like buying an album just to help these nice guys out.
I can't recommend this one highly enough, a must see.

When this came out it was one of the most exciting docs I had seen. It was great to see a doc that dealt with important issues while being constantly funny and entertaining. Granted, I'm sick to death of the "editorial" doc where the filmmaker feels compelled to add himself to the mix now, but back in the day this was very refreshing.

Touching and funny, Ira Wohl documents the life of his mentally challenged cousin. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to love this one. I lent this one to my film teacher 8 years ago and still haven't gotten it back. Maybe I should give up at this point, but I believe it's still tough to find. Damn you film school!

Fantastic! Morris looks at death through the eyes of people who have recently lost pets. It's heartbreaking and hilarious, even though unlike modern doc filmmakers, Morris doesn't in any way mock his subjects. Very highly recommended.

Riveting doc about two "simple" farmers. When one passes away, the other is accused of his murder. What happens next is amazing, when it becomes the townfolk vs the cityfolk with the simple farmer stuck in between. Amazing.

Amazing look at an outsider, and the choices he makes to be accepted, no matter by whom. Disturbing and sad, this is a truly great film about lonliness and what it drives people to do.

Amazing doc chronicling the making of Apocalypse Now. What's so incredible is the viewer gets to see one of the toughest shoots to create one of the greatest films of all time. If you're an Apocalypse Now fan you must see this ASAP.

Thanks to a wonderful birthday present from my wife I was lucky enough to see this great documentary with narration from Guy Maddin himself. The problem is, will it ever be able to live up to the first viewing? I'm willing to give it more than one shot.
A documentary in the style of Bunel's Land Without Bread mixed with Maddin's amazing, dreamlike narration shows Winnipeg as it's never been seen before. Maddin has always considered Winnipeg a magical place worthy of mythical stories and this film makes the audience fall in love not only with Winnipeg but Maddin's bizarre memory of his childhood. A great film told with incredible style and humour and one of my favourite movie going experiences. Excellent. Plus the editing was fantastic.

A fantastic portrait of one of my favourite artists. At first I was afraid it was only going to focus on his bizarre antics, some of which I find kind of silly (though he explains them well) like biting the heads of live mice, blowing himself up and other acts of performance art. But shortly into the movie Coleman starts coming off as a fairly normal guy (maybe because I'm Catholic too) and fairly respectable. Sort of a reverse version of Crumb.
It's great to see an extremely talented artist at work and explaining his inspirations, but it's amazing to see a great artist as a human being. Fantastic stuff.

Great doc. Remember those fun haunted houses you could go through at fairs and carnivals and get scared silly by people jumping out at you, things dropping from the ceiling and eerie sound effects. Well, the Trinity Assembly of God Church had an even better idea. Instead of ghosts and goblins, why not scare kids with the consequences of homosinuality (thanks Mr. Show), abortion and school massacres. A great look into the construction of this House and the grand opening.

Really sad and disturbing film about Bob Flanagan's attempt to deal with cystic fibrosis. A doc that starts like a freakshow and becomes one of the saddest I've ever seen. Highly recommended if you have a strong stomach.

As a fan of wrestling, I found this doc incredible. It's a fascinating look into the folks who chose to wrestle for a living and their trials and tribulations. I've recommended this to people who hate wrestling and they've enjoyed it as well.

A perfect balance of music and visuals. Awesome and thought provoking.

If there were a drug called "depression" this film would be like having an overdose. Still, it's a very, very important work that changed the public's opinion on mental institutions. Hard to watch yet just as hard to turn away. A great work.

One of the sweetest and most endearing docs I've ever seen. I really can't think of one negative thing to say about this incredibly charming film.

Great doc from the maker of Brother's Keeper that once again asks the viewer to look deeper into an open and shut case. The boys who are found guilty of murder under dubious circumstances angle is very good, yet I worry that Berlinger is playing on emotions rather than hard facts.

The Hells Angel put an end to the love era at a Rolling Stones concert. Watching an accident just waiting to happen.

Great pioneering documentary on the legendary Bob Dylan. Pennebaker made a masterpiece sure to be enjoyed by Dylan and non Dylan fans alike. Remember when documentarians let the subjects speak for themselves?

Watch along with the masterpiece, The Demon Lover, to see all the hard work and incompetence that went into making that masterpiece. In the filmmaker's defense though, it had to be a drag having these documentarians on your team when they think the movie is such a joke. It almost makes it forgivable that the filmmaker's chased them off the set firing Ted Nugent's guns.

Unbelievable! Almost a portrait of madness, but what an entertaining portrait it is. Some of the strangest folk ever put in front of a camera.

If even half this film is true, it makes one wonder just exactly how much the American government is lying to it's people and just what other awful things it could be covering up. Perhaps if Michael Moore was in this more would have seen it, but people should really give this a watch.

A great doc. Both this and Best Boy are amazing in the way Wohl makes the viewer absolutely love his subjects. I was worried that there wouldn't be the family aspect, but did I ever get a kick out of Fran, it was like seeing Pearl all over again. A truly great film and very important in showing people who may not know about the mentally handicapped what it's really like and how Philly has lived a truly wonderful life.

I really liked the first doc, but this one is amazing. Showing metalheads around the world is a fantastic idea, plus the viewer is given insight into some countries he/she may have never looked into themselves. One of the things I love most about both these documentaries is rather than choose the outrageous or over the top people to showcase (which would be the easy choice) the filmmakers interview what seem to be genuinely nice people who are well spoken and seemingly intelligent. Granted, I love Heavy Metal Parking Lot, but it's great to hear how metal affects folks around the globe. A great doc that fans and non-fans of metal should enjoy.

Charming and fascinating doc on various kids' preparation and competition in a spelling bee. All the kids are excellent, worthy of a documentary on their own, and the non-intrusive direction is excellent.

Get ready to cringe uncomfortably as you get to experience those awful, awkward teen years all over again. God, 15 was a tough age.
Billy, the subject of this fantastic documentary, may be a tad strange and angst ridden (what teen isn't?) but all in all he's a sweet kid with a weird way of expressing himself. The moments when he's trying to strike up conversation with Heather, the girl he has a crush on, should have folks running out of the theater screaming. This is uncomfortable viewing.
But in the end, the audience is right there with him, suffering his failures and feeling his sadness. A great documentary, and make sure to watch the short follow up doc included on the DVD.

Entertaining doc that taught me a lot about a whole country's films that I did not know much about. I'm always happy whenever a doc makes me want to look further into a subject and this one did just that. I'm sure I'll see quite a few doozies in the future thanks to this film.

Awesome look at some great underground comic creators. Great double bill with Crumb.

Great and hilarious doc about a struggling amateur filmmaker. I'm sure the filmmakers were inspired by Ed Wood, showing the director as someone with tons of heart and half a gram of talent. Still, a compelling story. It's only weakness is that it makes me and a couple other aspiring filmmakers I know sad because we don't like to think of ourselves this way.

I don't like boxing at all, not even a little, yet I found this doc completely engrossing and I still remember the Ali/Foreman fight as one of the greatest sports moments ever, however if I'd never seen this I wouldn't have cared less about it. Also, I like run on sentences.

An engrossing and entertaining doc on some very likable people who obsess about movies more than your average joe. I imagine most, if not all of the subjects have some form of compulsive disorder, so being a film fan myself (though not anywhere in the realm of where they are), it is nice to see them obsess about something as wonderful as film rather than how many footsteps to the door or how neat their apartment is (it seems like that isn't a particular problem for any of them). Still, it is heartbreaking to see people who "need" to see films, they all seem very nice and good hearted, though in one case, occasionally violent, and the audience can't help but hope that they are really happy and films aren't simply the drug to appease them while they are viewing them and they are miserable all other times. Still, great subjects and subject matter.

Fascinating doc on bugs that has just as fascinating photography.

Boy oh boy, watching Herzog and Kinski go at it is like watching two rival wrestlers screaming into the mic. Sure they hate each other, but they need each other to co-exist. Like Batman and the Joker, except there is no light and dark... only darkness. Scary, scary darkness.

Disturbing look at the Japanese host clubs and the messed up hosts and clients. Horrifying look at peoples search for happiness.

Great doc that had me on the edge of my seat rooting for... someone trying to get the high score on Donkey Kong. What would seem like a joke in a Seinfeld episode is genuinely intriguing and you find yourself really rooting for "good guy" Steve Wiebe. And on a more hilarious note, Billy Mitchell and his little buddy are like nerdier, real life versions of Michael and Dwight from The Office. When Billy talks about his cellphone or his 3 letter handle it sounds exactly like something Michael Scott would say. An amazing documentary. You'll believe a man can play Donkey Kong.

Awesome doc about the artist as asshole. God, Troy Duffy is one of the most unlikable, egotistical and hilarious people to ever walk the face of the earth. I went to film school with people just like this guy.

Fun propaganda, the film where I really noticed that Moore made editorials and not documentaries. Despite that, he's a damn fine filmmaker.

Chomsky is very engaging yet it takes a keen mind to keep up with what he's saying. A view of the media which is more common now than when Chomsky was first saying it.

A well made doc that was supposed to be about clowns, but through unfortunate circumstances became about a family, through terrible allegations, begins to come apart. I have my doubts that the allegations are true, that leap frog game sounds physically impossible.

Offensive, stomach turning and untalented little G. G. Allen tries his best to be the most hated punk singer of all time. I think he succeeds. Hats off to Todd Phillips who follows this lunatic around with a camera (something I'm sure Allin loved). Still, a fascinating look into someone living a truly alternative lifestyle.

Like a character from a Wernor Herzog film, the audience watches as the Pastor of a church decides to make a big budget mash up of The Ten Commandments and Star Wars called Gravity: The Story of Joseph. Like Kinski at the end of Aguirre, you truly witness madness at the final congregation. It's actually kind of chilling, I can honestly say my jaw was hanging open.
Still, up until that point it's a fun film about a guy who dares to dream bigger than he has any right to. Also, it's an ode to Star Wars in the fact that the pastor hadn't seen any movies until he was 40 until he saw Star Wars, which it's awesomeness I'm certain drove him on this crazy mission.

For years I thought I basically had an idea of what Tammy Faye Baker was like. As usual, i simply thought what the media wanted me to. Here is a doc showing her for what she really is, a human being. Great stuff, it's nice to be reminded that the people who are portrayed as caricatures by the media are just as real as you and me, assuming you're not a robot.

Having watched this and Hard Gun within a couple weeks people may think, "Man, that Chris sure has gotten into hardcore gay pornography". Well, they're wrong. How do you like them apples?
This is a great doc about a contest in Texas where the contestants need to remain standing with their hands on a Nissan truck until everyone else gives up or goes crazy. The filmmakers introduce you to this group of contestants individually and then follows them through the contest. What struck me most is the goodwill they had towards their competition while trying to outlast them. In today's world of reality TV it is almost expected that when you compete against someone you badmouth them, try and psych them out or just regard them as the enemy. This doc is certainly refreshing after all the crap competitions we see played before us on TV daily, and the people are a lot more relatable. Also, the way the filmmakers use the contest as a metaphor for life in general is great.
An excellent documentary. Now I got to get back to my gay porn.

An interesting doc that ties in the social events that lead to some of the greatest American horror films of the seventies. For those well versed in the horror genre, there is nothing that new here, but it s a very interesting watch.

A lot of fun for Moore fans, more like his TV show than his more recent documentaries. A lot of fun poking fun at the rich and powerful while following his book tour.

Talk about your disturbing docs. The subjects bury themselves with no help from the filmmakers in this one, but it still is very creepy hearing these pederasts wax nostalgic about molesting boys. It's also hilarious to see whenever NAMBLA decides to picket something, everyone else leaves. If Bush really wanted to stop people protesting the war, he should send out NAMBLA to protest along side them and it's a virtual guarantee all picketers would say, "Fuck this, I'm not with them" and go home.

Maybe I've gotten more cynical in the years since I watched the first film, but I don't necessarily believe the boys as much in this one. However, if they are indeed innocent this is a real tragedy. Plus, for all the arguing Berlinger brings up about the boys being scapegoated, I sometimes feel he's not above scapegoating people himself.

Interesting doc. I had rented a doc called "Black Metal" the night before because I was interested in Norwegian Black Metal (talk about wacky!) but it never worked in my DVD player, so I figured I'd downgrade to just "Metal". Though I don't think it helps those who find metal ridiculous to really see it's merits, it is good justification for those who like their music a bit angry and loud. Plus there was a section on Norwegian Black Metal!

Where wickedness meets awesomeness therein lies this film. From the director of Metal and Global Metal comes another awesome doc about hard rockin'. A fun film that is made even better if you're a Maiden fan. If not, I imagine it's enjoyable as long as you fast forward through the many concert performances.

Did I finally see this doc on the one and only Robert Evans? You'd better believe it.
Did I enjoy it? You bet your ass.
Pretty one sided, but that's to be expected considering it was based on hi autobiography. Still, for those interested in seventies Hollywood (and everyone should be) is this a good watch? You can say that again.

A team of scientists and documentarians search for the great white shark. A great blast from the past, this doc was made in the seventies and it shows, it truly was a different style of filmmaking then. But you do get to know the team and grow to like them as they get closer and closer to achieving their goal. Good stuff.

Interesting look at a borderline madman's attempt to make a grizzly proof suit. Highly entertaining.

Great, yet questionable doc. As much as I enjoy Moore's filmmaking I get upset when I find out someone's lying to me. He's a great documentarian, he changed the face of the genre forever, but the ends do not justify the means.

After seeing the terrible Farenhype 911 doc that was clearly anit-Moore, but did have a few interesting things to say I had no intention of ever watching this one. However, sitting on a plane and not wanting to watch a fictional movie where I'm just not going to get to pay as much attention to as I'd like to, I chose this one. And much to my surprise, even though the video system went down, I went out and rented it the next day to finish it because I found it pretty interesting. Not the best doc ever made, more like the TV special I think it was intended as, this is a great look into Moore's manipulation of facts and media to make himself into what he is today. Politics aside, it's an interesting look at a self made celebrity and the lengths he will go to retain that. Also, it's truly scary watching his brainwashed followers AKA young democrats. Eg:
Moore: Look at those Republicans over there!
Crowd: BoooooO!
Moore: No, let's not boo them. Unlike them we like to hear other opinions!
Crowd: Yaaaaay.

Yikes! I definitely lean more to the left (maybe it's my shoes), but a lot of Moore's speeches remind me of Bob Roberts. I remember feeling tricked when I found out about the untruths in his documentaries, I always considered myself not to follow people blindly, but I seriously feel kinda stupid for buying some of the crap he was dishing out. Did I really think a bank would just hand someone a gun? What the hell is wrong with me? Anyway, because of Moore I now question all documentaries more than I should and take everything said in any "editorial" documentary with a grain of salt, because not only is the view possibly one-sided, but now it could just be a downright lie.

Well done doc about the grandmother of the French New Wave, Agnes Varda. Told like a memoir, the film really picks up steam about the half way mark where it goes beyond her life and into her films. An interesting watch.

What starts out as a great doc eventually becomes a potential TV special. The doc starts out strong, explaining the beginnings of gang mentality and how oppression brought about the need for disenfranchised youths to band together. Then sadly, it just breezes over the formation of the Crips and Bloods, and what made them what they are.
Lots of interviews with gang members, some who have left the gangs to start community organizations, but it feels more like a anti-gang promo than a real documentary.
After enjoying fictional shows like The Shield and Southland I am really curious to have a real look at South L.A. Unfortunately I don't think this is it.

Interesting documentary that's not as well told as it could have been. I'm getting sick of documentarians injecting themselves into their films and using comedy to talk about a serious subject. Michael Moore is good at it, most people aren't. I can see why they do it, it appeals to a much larger audience, but I miss the days of serious documentaries. That said, it is an interesting subject for those who like film and filmmaking and the filmmaker interviews are great.

Interesting doc on experimental filmmaker Jack Smith. It does make me want to see some of his work... but I don't think I'd have him over for Xmas dinner though.

There's a problem I have with truly selfish, self absorbed people. While Treadwell certainly cares about what "he" thinks, I think there is a lot of selfishness in his acts. The man is constantly thinking of himself and even in the footage he recorded it is obvious he wants to be noticed. Had he not suffered the tragedy that befell him, I'd probably hate this film, thinking there's enough egomaniacs in the world, especially that of film, that I don't need to see another, but as it stands, I was interested in the documentary although I doubt I'll feel the need to see it again anytime soon.

Interesting doc that looks into Henry Darger's amazing artwork. After it was done I thought I would have like to learn more about him and his art, but it works as a film to peak your interest.

Interesting look into underground extreme horror with a bit of a twist. Worth seeing.

Troma's antics at the Cannes film festival. Fun but forgettable.

Not overly informative to anyone even slightly in the know, but entertaining nonetheless.

In terms of it's historical value, this documentary is very good in documenting the whole startup boom, unfortunately I just couldn't keep that interested in the subjects they had chosen.

I remember feeling sick and guilty before my friend hit play on the VCR so many years ago. About halfway through though, it wasn't that bad, and thought it was occasionally disturbing, my friend and I were thinking most of it was fake anyway. Then years later someone showed me some real stuff and I felt exactly how I expected to feel when watching this. Real death sucks, fake death is awesome.

Ho hum doc about someone I really wasn't interested in beforehand and am less interested in after seeing the film. Watch Crumb again instead.

If you don't hate Metallica now, you will after this doc. A bunch of very unlikable and self absorbed gents.

Self indulgent but semi interesting (only because I like the subject matter) documentary.

A couple informative parts but mostly feels like a rebuttal rather than a real documentary.

A fairly dull doc that shines absolutely no new light on the urban legend of snuff film. Skippable.

Such a boring doc for such a fun movie. More of an anti-union piece mushed in with a puff piece. The actual DVD doc on From Dusk til Dawn is way more interesting.

Whitewashing of Jeremy's shady career. Apparently this guy is not the lovable hedgehog he's portrayed as here if you read anything serious about him (Cinema Sewer has an interesting article on his multiple rape accusations). It's sad how desperately this film and Jeremy himself want to make him a pop culture phenomenom.

Boring editorial on how you should hate corporations. It's entirely one sided and shouldn't be taken too seriously. I saw this on my second date with my girlfriend, now wife, and despite a few interesting statements, we felt like it was an attempt to brainwash us. Trust me, I'm not a huge fan of corporations, but I don't need to be preached to by people who obviously want to make me hate them. It's obvious within the first couple of minutes that this film has an agenda, and then you can only sit back as they hit you over the head for the next 2 hours with their one sided arguments. Sure there are terrible corporations out there, but that doesn't meant they're all bad. That's like saying that you know a terrible man, so all men are terrible. Too bad, it would be interesting to see a real documentary on the state of corporations in North America today, the good with the bad.

If this were a sandwich you were served in a restaurant you'd have to send it back because there is too much turd on it. After someone dragged me to see this at the theater no less, I spent most of my time playing the pinball machine in the lobby.

The worst documentary I've ever seen. It has all the sins I hate in docs: the filmmakers pummeling you with their opinions, looking down on it's subjects and becoming unnecessarily political (of course they start referencing George Bush, who couldn't have guessed they were going to do that?) Also, with the flashy editing and multiple inserts they certainly treat their audiences as if they were stupid. Pure, uncut shit.