Movies and TV Late night bullshit: Your favorite documentary. - Page 7

Direckshun · 10-24-2013, 11:10 PM

I've been on a documentary bender the past few days. I've started threads about documentaries I've seen in the past, and I'm on record saying that Planet Earth and WWII in HD are the best things ever put on television.

I've seen a couple documentaries recently that really left a profound impact on me. Maybe you've seen some you'd like to talk about? Or maybe you just want to piddle around late at night. This is your thread.

1. I saw "Crisis: Behind A Presidential Commitment" on some channel called Pivot a few days ago, about John F. Kennedy enforcing the integration of the University of Alabama over the segregationist civil disobedience of its then-governor, George Wallace (almost certainly at the behest of his constituents).

This was pretty okay. The story it told didn't have a lot of chapters to it: the federal court decision that mandated integration isn't discussed, nor is any of the other fallout surrounding school integration in the south. This confrontation was entirely civil; there was no violence or use of force. Here's the entire movie: Kennedy wonders if Wallace is going to stand in the way of school integration at U of A, Wallace does, so Kennedy nationalizes the Alabama Guard and there you have it: school integrated.

What's really awesome about this documentary (and it's really old, made in 1963) is it has almost zero voiceover commentary. You are seeing everything happen as history unfolds, as cameras tape Kennedy sweating bullets in the Oval, and Wallace mouthing off to a federal representative as he stands in front of the entrance to his school, blocking it off.

This happened about 50 years ago. That is absolutely ****ing insane, that we've gone from segregation to total integration in such a small amount of time. A public divided on an issue so important became a public overwhelmingly in support of it. So much can happen in such a small amount of time. These were people that mostly look like us, dress like us, and talk like us. This is not ancient history. And we're at each other's throats over increasing gas mileage standards for cars. These people were talking about treating black people equally. Makes our fights seem small by comparison, if you ask me.

2. I saw "Blackfish" tonight on CNN, after months of wanting to see it at my local arthouse theater but never getting a chance to. This movie's about the gross negligence of aquatic amusement parks (SeaWorld, SeaWorld, and SeaWorld) for their criminally negligent treatment of killer whales.

I think the most amazing thing about this documentary is how ****ing amazing orca are. These are creatures that are the sizes of school buses, the intelligent capacity of humans, and what seems like an emotional capacity that far exceeds humans. It's really stunning, the things this documentary reveals about these gigantic mammals.

Mainly it follows the exploits of this one orca they call "Tillicum" from his capture at sea to his confinement in a tank that's simply impossibly small for a creature of his size. The fact that they store a ton of these things together in the same tank is revealed as absolutely insane: they're a lot like people from all over the world, and when you just cherry pick them, separate them from their families, and throw them into what must feel like a bathtub to them with a bunch of others who they can't talk to, can't understand, and don't trust, bad things happen.

Namely, trainers get attacked, mutilated, and occasionally even killed. And of course you see all the deliberate actions from SeaWorld to keep churning out product even in light of this danger.

Mostly, for me, this film really illustrates what it's like for us to abdicate our responsibility to take stewardship over the earth. Humanity simply does not have the resources to adequately care for these creatures: they span hundreds of miles a day, and require more stimulation and social interaction than we are capable of providing. These are incredibly social creatures apparently, and we are placing them in underwater jail cells.

I'm a religious person, and I can't help but think of this as a sin. I don't think you have to be religious to feel like the animals that share our world deserve moral treatment, and that aquatic amusement parks like SeaWorld are absolutely abdicating this responsibility with killer whales.

Anyway.

That's my rant. What kind of mind-expanding documentaries have you seen recently?

Dallas Chief · 10-25-2013, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Molitoth

The Zeitgeist series really opened my eyes.

Whether or not it is believable, it is supposed to make you ask QUESTIONS and think for yourself, which was really what I needed at the time.

Before watching this, I was a Christian who believed everything CNN/FoxNews told me and had complete trust in our government. I laugh now at how silly my beliefs were, but that is how I was raised.

I watched them too and it moved me a bit in a certain direction, briefly. I will say this though, some further individual research may shed light on the truth of some of the claims the films make. I'll leave it at that...

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-25-2013, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

My friend was all "HERMA-GHERD, IT'S A GARAGE RECORD AND GRAMMY DERP-DERP-DERP"!

I was expecting something along the lines of Garage Days, but maybe even dryer. I listened to that shit and just laughed at her.

I really like Dave. He's a true musician, songwriter, entertainer and a very nice guy. His docs have been really good and the guy will be a successful entertainer for as long as he chooses.

But I cannot understand why he went down this path of promoting the last Foo Fighters record. I know he was drunk at the MTV Awards, when he went off on non-rock artists, but he should have recanted immediately. Anyone that has an "ear" can tell this record wasn't recorded as a typical, lo-fi, live, garage record. And his own documentary disproves his claims, which makes this even more ridiculous.

And no, the next time I see him (whenever that may be) I will not ask him, just as I chose not to the last time I saw him. The guy gets a pass for being a good dude and for the joy his music brings worldwide.

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-25-2013, 11:20 AM

"The World According to Dick Cheney" was very interesting.

Whether you agree or disagree with his views and actions, he certainly has has conviction and is dedicated to his beliefs.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 10-25-2013, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I really like Dave. He's a true musician, songwriter, entertainer and a very nice guy. His docs have been really good and the guy will be a successful entertainer for as long as he chooses.

But I cannot understand why he went down this path of promoting the last Foo Fighters record. I know he was drunk at the MTV Awards, when he went off on non-rock artists, but he should have recanted immediately. Anyone that has an "ear" can tell this record wasn't recorded as a typical, lo-fi, live, garage record. And his own documentary disproves his claims, which makes this even more ridiculous.

And no, the next time I see him (whenever that may be) I will not ask him, just as I chose not to the last time I saw him. The guy gets a pass for being a good dude and for the joy his music brings worldwide.

Dave and the band aren't the worst musicians to ever come down the pike. I've enjoyed most of the Rock Honors stuff they've done, particularly the obscure Who cover. They "get it", they sell, but I don't pay too much attention.

Pablo · 10-25-2013, 11:28 AM

Back and Forth is most definitely worth a watch. I'm a FF fan; but I imagine your casual rock music fan would appreciate and enjoy it.

I watched 'Fearless' on Jeb Corliss a couple of nights ago. Pretty entertaining.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is great.

chiefzilla1501 · 10-25-2013, 11:29 AM

A more recent documentary made more Hollywood is Sarah polleys 'the stories we tell.' She's the lead actress from Go! but has become a pretty brilliant filmmaker and screenwriter.

Groves · 10-25-2013, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

A more recent documentary made more Hollywood is Sarah polleys 'the stories we tell.' She's the lead actress from Go! but has become a pretty brilliant filmmaker and screenwriter.

We watched that one last week. Stupendous.

Can't forget these, don't think they've been mentioned:

Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
March of the Penguins
Smartest Man in the Room
Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control (or anything by Errol Morris)
Riding Giants
Into Thin Air
A really great rockumentary about Tom Petty, can't remember the name
Serving Time
Word Wars
Thunderball
Flesh of my Flesh
Sound and Fury
Trekkies

ReynardMuldrake · 10-25-2013, 12:18 PM

Hands on a Hard Body is another great one.

L.A. Chieffan · 10-25-2013, 12:18 PM

Another sports doc: When We Were Kings

rico · 10-25-2013, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

I'm sorry, I meant "Control".

Movie, primarily centering around Ian Curtis.

They should make another biopic about Ian Curtis/Joy Division. And you know who should play Ian Curtis???

This guy right here:

Seriously...

Now...if he were actually capable of channeling Ian Curtis's voice...that would make it an even more perfect fit.

DJJasonp · 10-25-2013, 01:39 PM

Control was great

I highly recommend "the woman who wasn't there" (about a woman who faked that she was in one of the twin towers on 9/11....and faked her boyfriend dying,etc etc)

All of the zeitgeist films are interesting.

Too big to fail

Wake up (about a guy who one morning woke up with the power to see ghosts, etc)

Food, inc

King of kong

Freakonomics

In debt we trust

My amityville horror (interviews with the actual kid, now grown, who survived the house, and who the story was based off of). Very interesting.....and very sad....as the guy is a mess now psychologically.

Direckshun · 10-25-2013, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

"The World According to Dick Cheney" was very interesting.

Whether you agree or disagree with his views and actions, he certainly has has conviction and is dedicated to his beliefs.

This was a fascinating documentary.

L.A. Chieffan · 10-25-2013, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Right now, "Sound City".

I thought the first 2/3 of it was amazing surrounding the studio itself and the history of it. (admittedly im a huge fan of pretty much everything recorded there) but I couldve done a little less of the recording session with Grohl and all his pals for the last 30 minutes or whatever. Still, very good movie and makes me want to bust out my mac vinyls

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-25-2013, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.A. Chieffan

I thought the first 2/3 of it was amazing surrounding the studio itself and the history of it. (admittedly im a huge fan of pretty much everything recorded there) but I couldve done a little less of the recording session with Grohl and all his pals for the last 30 minutes or whatever. Still, very good movie and makes me want to bust out my mac vinyls

Yeah, the last one third devolved into a promotional video for the Sound City Sessions record. The worst part was that while the new songs with those artists were sonically phenomenal, the songs (outside of Rick Springfield's), IMO, were lame.

But otherwise, it was great that Dave captured the spirit of Sound City with this doc. And yes, it truly was a shit hole.

**DaneMcCloud** · 10-25-2013, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

This was a fascinating documentary.

What was mindblowing to me was that he was completely and utterly unapologetic for his actions.

Whether you agree or disagree, he's certainly a man that stands behind his convictions.

10-24-2013, 11:10 PM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4433447	Late night bullshit: Your favorite documentary. I've been on a documentary bender the past few days. I've started threads about documentaries I've seen in the past, and I'm on record saying that Planet Earth and WWII in HD are the best things ever put on television. I've seen a couple documentaries recently that really left a profound impact on me. Maybe you've seen some you'd like to talk about? Or maybe you just want to piddle around late at night. This is your thread. 1. I saw "Crisis: Behind A Presidential Commitment" on some channel called Pivot a few days ago, about John F. Kennedy enforcing the integration of the University of Alabama over the segregationist civil disobedience of its then-governor, George Wallace (almost certainly at the behest of his constituents). This was pretty okay. The story it told didn't have a lot of chapters to it: the federal court decision that mandated integration isn't discussed, nor is any of the other fallout surrounding school integration in the south. This confrontation was entirely civil; there was no violence or use of force. Here's the entire movie: Kennedy wonders if Wallace is going to stand in the way of school integration at U of A, Wallace does, so Kennedy nationalizes the Alabama Guard and there you have it: school integrated. What's really awesome about this documentary (and it's really old, made in 1963) is it has almost zero voiceover commentary. You are seeing everything happen as history unfolds, as cameras tape Kennedy sweating bullets in the Oval, and Wallace mouthing off to a federal representative as he stands in front of the entrance to his school, blocking it off. This happened about 50 years ago. That is absolutely **ing insane, that we've gone from segregation to total integration in such a small amount of time. A public divided on an issue so important became a public overwhelmingly in support of it. So much can happen in such a small amount of time. These were people that mostly look like us, dress like us, and talk like us. This is not ancient history. And we're at each other's throats over increasing gas mileage standards for cars. These people were talking about treating black people equally. Makes our fights seem small by comparison, if you ask me. 2. I saw "Blackfish" tonight on CNN, after months of wanting to see it at my local arthouse theater but never getting a chance to. This movie's about the gross negligence of aquatic amusement parks (SeaWorld, SeaWorld, and SeaWorld) for their criminally negligent treatment of killer whales. I think the most amazing thing about this documentary is how **ing amazing orca are. These are creatures that are the sizes of school buses, the intelligent capacity of humans, and what seems like an emotional capacity that far exceeds humans. It's really stunning, the things this documentary reveals about these gigantic mammals. Mainly it follows the exploits of this one orca they call "Tillicum" from his capture at sea to his confinement in a tank that's simply impossibly small for a creature of his size. The fact that they store a ton of these things together in the same tank is revealed as absolutely insane: they're a lot like people from all over the world, and when you just cherry pick them, separate them from their families, and throw them into what must feel like a bathtub to them with a bunch of others who they can't talk to, can't understand, and don't trust, bad things happen. Namely, trainers get attacked, mutilated, and occasionally even killed. And of course you see all the deliberate actions from SeaWorld to keep churning out product even in light of this danger. Mostly, for me, this film really illustrates what it's like for us to abdicate our responsibility to take stewardship over the earth. Humanity simply does not have the resources to adequately care for these creatures: they span hundreds of miles a day, and require more stimulation and social interaction than we are capable of providing. These are incredibly social creatures apparently, and we are placing them in underwater jail cells. I'm a religious person, and I can't help but think of this as a sin. I don't think you have to be religious to feel like the animals that share our world deserve moral treatment, and that aquatic amusement parks like SeaWorld are absolutely abdicating this responsibility with killer whales. Anyway. That's my rant. What kind of mind-expanding documentaries have you seen recently?
Posts: 59,250

10-25-2013, 11:20 AM	#93
DaneMcCloud Supporter Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Hollywood, CA Casino cash: $10053648	"The World According to Dick Cheney" was very interesting. Whether you agree or disagree with his views and actions, he certainly has has conviction and is dedicated to his beliefs.
Posts: 88,960

10-25-2013, 11:28 AM	#95
Pablo Ultrabanned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $2079356	Back and Forth is most definitely worth a watch. I'm a FF fan; but I imagine your casual rock music fan would appreciate and enjoy it. I watched 'Fearless' on Jeb Corliss a couple of nights ago. Pretty entertaining. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is great.
Posts: 40,229

10-25-2013, 11:29 AM	#96
chiefzilla1501 In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2008 Casino cash: $2164497	A more recent documentary made more Hollywood is Sarah polleys 'the stories we tell.' She's the lead actress from Go! but has become a pretty brilliant filmmaker and screenwriter.
Posts: 47,987

10-25-2013, 12:18 PM	#98
ReynardMuldrake 2 Legit 2 Colquitt Join Date: Sep 2010 Casino cash: $4565754	Hands on a Hard Body is another great one.
Posts: 4,693

10-25-2013, 12:18 PM	#99
L.A. Chieffan PLAY GOOD FOOTBALL Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: American Gardens Building Casino cash: $4098654	Another sports doc: When We Were Kings
Posts: 17,367

10-25-2013, 01:39 PM	#101
DJJasonp My work speaks for itself!!! Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: So Cal Casino cash: $2035200	Control was great I highly recommend "the woman who wasn't there" (about a woman who faked that she was in one of the twin towers on 9/11....and faked her boyfriend dying,etc etc) All of the zeitgeist films are interesting. Too big to fail Wake up (about a guy who one morning woke up with the power to see ghosts, etc) Food, inc King of kong Freakonomics In debt we trust My amityville horror (interviews with the actual kid, now grown, who survived the house, and who the story was based off of). Very interesting.....and very sad....as the guy is a mess now psychologically. __________________ Its easier to fool a man, than to convince a man he's been fooled.
Posts: 11,960