documentaries

a strange, fascinating and ultimately tragic look at various levels of the japanese sex industry. it's not pornographic but it is disturbing. and very well done. highly recommended for anyone interested in japanese culture...or odd documentaries

deeply researched and highly disturbing look at how the american government subverted the constitution and our highest principles as well as the geneva convention and international law by condoning torture of detainees at bagram, abu ghraib and gitmo. a few front line soldiers were scapegoated while the brass protected their ass as usual. alex gibney, who also made the excellent enron: the smartest guys in the room, traces the breakdown of command back to the highest levels of the bush administration. the way justice has been perverted in the name of national security in this country is shameful. that's all i have to say

"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country." Hermann Goering

a fantastic doc about the young filmmakers who stormed hollywood in the seventies, producing a huge number of startlingly original films. directors like altman, hal ashby, scorsese and coppola along with so many others changed the way we watch movies forever in a decade when for once art ruled over commerce; a happy consequence of the breakup of the studio system, the meltdown of the sixties, and the influence of a generation of foreign filmmakers. it's sad we seem to be stuck in a decade of endless remakes and sequels that's all about the box office...

amazing short film though difficult to watch. i may be a vegan after this.

outstanding overview of the genesis of chaos in iraq. important viewing esp for americans in an election year. yes it will make you angry. history will take a dim view of all this i'm afraid. this film is nominated for best documentary feature

a joy to watch. scorsese is an encyclopedia of film knowledge and believes that cinema fulfills a spiritual need. his passion and intelligence make this fascinating viewing for film buffs. it's not meant to be a complete history, just a catalog of some mostly lesser-known films that made a lasting impression on him, beginning with duel in the sun, age 4! he could've easily gone on for four more hours with no complaints from me; in fact i wish he had :D

well done documentary with interwoven stories illuminating crime and corruption in sao paulo, where someone is kidnapped every day; the rich travel with bodyguards in armored cars and heliocopters, while a huge underclass struggles for survival and certain politicians are no better than gangsters. the roots of this corruption are traced back to colonial days. this film is banned in brazil. i'm surprised more people haven't seen it. currently streamable on netflix.

'when the rich steal from the poor, the poor steal the rich'

L O L what a prick~ i need to watch fitzcarraldo again

a powerful documentary about a group of homeless people living in an abandoned stretch of amtrak tunnel under nyc, some of them for years. first time filmmaker marc singer lived underground for several months, then decided to make a film to raise money to help his friends. using loaned equipment and the homeless as his crew, he recorded their strange life in this moving film. during this time amtrak sought to forcibly evict them from the tunnel. a fascinating story and amazing work by a group of non professionals, with a fitting soundtrack by dj shadow

supremely geeky and very entertaining. nerdiest film ever? quite possibly

stunning. the story of how the nazis smashed and looted the art treasures of europe and the struggle to find and restore them.

moving documentary on the mad poet bukowski who never compromised his work. a powerful portrait of a brave yet fragile man who some would call an asshole

it's amazing that this actually happened and it's alot of fun to watch! if there wasn't documentary evidence i doubt anyone would believe it :D

great document of the paranoia of the nuclear age with some of the blackest humor possible. made entirely from archival footage of atomic blasts, scary news reports and pretty hilarious civil defense propaganda full of misinformation. there are some upsetting scenes of blast victims as well. this would make a great double bill with strangelove

some may be put off by the subject matter but it's a remarkable and really touching film. this is the true story, as told by the survivors, of the uruguayan rugby team that crashed in the andes in 1974, lost for more than two months and forced to resort to cannibalism

a fairly engrossing account of the life and times of the eccentric writer, especially his glory days of the late 60's, early 70's. here was a man who sadly became trapped by his image and by his own estimation, lived more than 30 years of his life on borrowed time. interesting variety of guest stars, from pat buchanan to jimmy buffet. johnny depp's narration annoyed me but this is highly watchable for those with an interest in hst or the counterculture movement

a fun doc about the birth of cult film in the 70's. focusing on 6 influential 'midnight' movies including 2 of my all time faves, night of the living dead and rocky horror, it shows how the phenomenon changed film and helped bring about our ironic post-modern culture. makes u wish you'd been there at the start *sniff* i've yet to see the infamous pink flamingos and jodorowsky's mystical 'eastern,' el topo, but i'm sure i will just to say i did lol

it's not another film about penguins. it's a most unusual look at the bizarre land at the bottom of the world and the vagabond dreamers who end up there. much of the film is deeply moving. herzog has a poetic way with such material

scorsese's impassioned overview of the landmarks of postwar italian cinema
on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fgqoq3OIsI&feature=channel_page

i've never seen deep throat but from the clips shown here it doesn't look like a masterpiece. however this is an enlightening documentary on the first porn film to go mainstream and be prosecuted for obscenity, ultimately becoming the most profitable film of all time. the early 70s was a more innocent time for so-called 'blue movies' and the director, gerard damiano, reminded me of burt reynolds' character in boogie nights, with his ambitions of merging hardcore with hollywood. things took a turn with the invention of the vcr and, almost 40 years on, the internet may kill the adult film industry altogether. it becomes ever more extreme and misogynistic in search of an audience. interesting sidelights include the mob's investment in the film and the feminist crusade that turned its' star against it. the first amendment issue is still relevant as the laws under which it was prosecuted are in place in america and the religious right is never far away