Been recently floored by some new documentaries I've seen, some of which literally feel like one of those 50 page count RI threads unspooling with detective work with each person contributing to the layers. The following I feel are all part of those rare 5 star documentaries that have to be seen to be believed.
Resurrect Dead Holy expletive is all I can say. Havent been this enthralled by a doc since Dear Zachary and RFK Must die. Rivetting and gripping in the way it plays out, over what started innocently enough as early forms of modern guerrilla street art. I could definitely envision a 9/11 documentary going into the weirder true crime aspects(like the B-thing-Israeli spy ring-florida hijacker angle)
The Imposter While I have not seen this yet, from all the reviews I've heard it's nothing short of jaw dropping and astonishing.
Shut Up Little Man Saw this recently as well, and like Resurrect Dead, it focuses upon a rather obscure little curiosity and expands into a world that pulls you in
Talhotblonde Saw this last year, devasting yet mesmerizing look into a deception online gone oh so very wrong. Has a kind of vibe that pulls you in similar to Errol Morris' Thin Blue Line
The Anthrax Files(originally aired on PBS last year) Goes into the history of the 2001 anthrax case and the lineage of the blame game...finally centering on the Dr Ivins angle. But was he truly the one who could have been behind it? The film explores it all
A Man Within: William S Burroughs Exceptionally well done documentary on the odd life and times of WSB as well as people he associated with
Marwencol After a man is brutally attacked and suffers terrible brain damage as a result, he soon creates a strange world all his own with toy soldiers. truly fascinating.
The Ballad Of Genesis and Lady Jaye Saw this at a local art house theater, goes into the life of industrial music founder Genesis P Orridge and his transformation both gender wise and life/music wise
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:08 am
by lucky
Some of those look grreeeaat esp the first two. I hung out with Gen in 87-90 in his acid house phase and played keys at some of the gigs (I remember being in Brighton when the gulf war was announced mid set - that was a mind fuck)Weird guy he could be the most boring fuck you could ever wish to talk to or the most charismatic - but he always surrounded himself with excellent musicians.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:27 am
by Luther Blissett
Here's "Until the Light Takes Us" about Norwegian black metal in its entirety.
Also made me realize that I titled it wrong in the Chappaquiddick thread.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:42 am
by DrEvil
Just watched "Until the Light Takes Us". I grew up with this stuff, but I had completely forgotten how creepy some of these people are. It felt like I was watching a David Lynch movie at times.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 9:29 am
by Luther Blissett
DrEvil wrote:Just watched "Until the Light Takes Us". I grew up with this stuff, but I had completely forgotten how creepy some of these people are. It felt like I was watching a David Lynch movie at times.
The fellow from Darkthrone was Lynchian.
What do you think the point of this film was? I got the impression that the filmmakers were fans of black metal and wanted to communicate that "it isn't Satanic, just Odinist and nationalist is all."
The artist is even portrayed ever-so-subtly as a villain.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 2:02 pm
by DrEvil
Luther Blissett wrote:
DrEvil wrote:Just watched "Until the Light Takes Us". I grew up with this stuff, but I had completely forgotten how creepy some of these people are. It felt like I was watching a David Lynch movie at times.
The fellow from Darkthrone was Lynchian.
What do you think the point of this film was? I got the impression that the filmmakers were fans of black metal and wanted to communicate that "it isn't Satanic, just Odinist and nationalist is all."
The artist is even portrayed ever-so-subtly as a villain.
I got the same impression as you, but I can't say I felt any kind of sympathy towards them after watching it. Racist homophobic scum is racist homophobic scum, whether they worship Satan or Odin. I went to school with a few people who now play in a "mid-range" black metal band, and to put it mildly, they weren't exactly straight-A students. Their idea of fun was beating up the handicapped kid in our class.
Edit: But they were a lot of fun to mess with. A typical conversation would go something like this: Idiot: Why are you wearing suspenders? Are you gay?! Me: Why, yes I am. Would you like to dance? Idiot: RAAAWRGGH!
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:52 pm
by Luther Blissett
I just watched "If A Tree Falls." It's not exactly new, but I cried at the part when the cops repeatedly ask the female activists of a sleeping dragon if they will release; all decline and get pepper spray applied to their eyes repeatedly with cotton swabs but don't give up.
Wombaticus, I'm sure you've seen it, but just in case, I don't recommend it. David McGowan is in the way and absolutely no time is given to the direness of the environmental crisis. The filmmakers practically leave it open for debate.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:11 am
by Wombaticus Rex
Right, but he was the point of that story, not a device. "Justin" from Resurrect Dead wasn't the story, he was an available device. David is the actual story here and the film couldn't have been about anything else. Perhaps if they'd focused on a blogger who'd been covering the case and was really passionately involved with it despite never having spoken to David? I appreciate the dig but I think they are very different films.
Also: If you think my problem with Resurrect Dead was that it didn't tell me what to think, I don't really appreciate that much.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:53 am
by Luther Blissett
Wombaticus Rex wrote:Right, but he was the point of that story, not a device. "Justin" from Resurrect Dead wasn't the story, he was an available device. David is the actual story here and the film couldn't have been about anything else. Perhaps if they'd focused on a blogger who'd been covering the case and was really passionately involved with it despite never having spoken to David? I appreciate the dig but I think they are very different films.
Also: If you think my problem with Resurrect Dead was that it didn't tell me what to think, I don't really appreciate that much.
No, the opposite. I see what you're saying, I guess I wanted "if A Tree Falls" to be more about the players' motivations than about David's struggles. I felt like it was working from a position that the majority of the public is naturally disinclined to believe. Without really presenting many facts, it wasn't even paving the way for the audience to weigh their thoughts.
Not a dig. I took the unspoken spectre of anthropogenic climate change to be analog for the unmet Sevy (and was annoyed by David). Though I guess I might be missing the point – this film was supposed to be more about defining terrorism than about environmentalism. I could see how most people could walk away from "If A Tree Falls" thinking that David should have spent life in prison.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:03 pm
by Wombaticus Rex
Gotcha, thanks for the clarification.
I would have definitely liked more ELF history and other members in the mix, yeah.
Still, at least we have "Better This World" which I thought was pretty close to flawless, for something as inherently flawed as a documentary film. Brandon Darby is a fascinating cat.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:12 pm
by Luther Blissett
Wombaticus Rex wrote:Gotcha, thanks for the clarification.
I would have definitely liked more ELF history and other members in the mix, yeah.
Still, at least we have "Better This World" which I thought was pretty close to flawless, for something as inherently flawed as a documentary film. Brandon Darby is a fascinating cat.
I'm watching that one next week.
Has anyone seen Black Power Mixtape?
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:04 am
by wetland
Luther Blissett wrote:
Wombaticus Rex wrote:Gotcha, thanks for the clarification.
I would have definitely liked more ELF history and other members in the mix, yeah.
Still, at least we have "Better This World" which I thought was pretty close to flawless, for something as inherently flawed as a documentary film. Brandon Darby is a fascinating cat.
I'm watching that one next week.
Has anyone seen Black Power Mixtape?
Black Power Mixtape is great, and makes a fine double feature with Magic Bus.
Boogieman:The Lee Atwater Story is a must see
The Man Nobody Knew (Carl Colby's 2011 doc about his father Wm Colby) is fascinating for what it is.
All are Netflixable
Better This World should be mandatory viewing for all baby activists to the left of Fox News.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:08 am
by Wombaticus Rex
Yeah, Black Power Mixtape was fucking awesome. Really solid piece of work, definitely an eye-opener for this hick.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 3:08 am
by 8bitagent
Does the Colby doc go into his mysterious drowning at all? I always felt it was tied to Franklin loose ends.
Re: Some Absolutely Fascinating New Documentaries
Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 2:13 pm
by wetland
8bitagent wrote:Does the Colby doc go into his mysterious drowning at all? I always felt it was tied to Franklin loose ends.
Somewhat, but the film is, finally, a son's tour of empire and pulls a lot of punches. The denouement (and focus of subsequent controversy among the Colby family) is that he was to the end of his days consumed with guilt over the death of his daughter from an eating disorder.