Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with documentaries

Best B-movie docs

lhall — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:00:42 -0800

What are the best documentaries about b-movies, fandoms, and weird or niche interests which often involve a widespread community, such as zombies? I'm looking to fill in the gaps of my knowledge while also watching the original films...or at least the MST3K versions.

Stuff like Trekkies (fandom-related), a non-fiction Shadow of the Vampire perhaps (film-specific), or documentaries such as The Boy from Out of This World or Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (neither of which I've yet seen, but which appear to deal with the history of b-movie productions as well as specific films).

Also great would be stuff like Zombie Girl (though not about the making of a b-movie per se, there's still the fandom and weirdness elements).

Thanks!

What movies or documentaries about motorcycles would my boyfriend like?

MaryDellamorte — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:41:44 -0800

What movies or documentaries about motorcycles would my boyfriend like? Details inside. Things he's already seen that I know he likes:

On Any Sunday
World's Fastest Indian
Brittown
Choppertown
Easy Rider

Other factors:

He likes old Triumphs.
He pretty much hates most motorcycles post 1975.
He doesn't like Harleys even though he likes the movie Easy Rider.
He's not too much into BMWs either although he doesn't hate them.
Don't suggest Motorcycle Diaries.

Good books / Documentaries on the Middle East?

happydude123 — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 11:09:58 -0800

Good books or documentaries about the middle east Hi all,

I am planning to do an independant research project for my political science class on the middle east. I need a topic and a general direction so that I can start researching for a thesis. I was wondering if you guys could recommend any good documentaries, books, or anything that would help me get started. I would like to talk about some aspect of the effects of US presence / policy in the region. Maybe some clash of civilizations, but any suggestions would be helpful

Thanks

Documentaries on the Israel/Palestine conflict?

tybeet — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:03:37 -0800

Documentaries on the Israel/Palestine conflict? My partner is making her birthright trip to Israel soon, and she wants to know more about the conflict there: what it's like, the history of it, the politics, etc...

Have you seen any documentaries that you would recommend to someone who may already sympathize with the Palestinians?

Recommend some douchebag documentaries

pollex — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:20:12 -0800

Please recommend some documentaries about douchebags. We're on a bit of a "Douchebag Documentary Series" kick. It can be fascinating to watch the different ways douchebag can exhibit itself and the fates (both positive and negative) that can befall the douche. Movies that we've already watched and that fit the bill include:

-Overnight (possibly the highest achievement in this field)
-Project Grizzly
-King of Kong

More recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Help a workaholic have a productive break.

nosila — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:15:45 -0800

I am working on a PhD in music theory and cognition. I hate wasting time, but sometimes my brain needs a break from reading/writing/listening/analyzing. Help me create a list of films and documentaries that relate in some way to my field so that I can stare at a screen sometimes and still feel like I'm feeding my unquenchable desire to learn about music and mind. Some specific topics that are germane to my research:

memory
neuroscience
emotion and meaning
creativity
compositional practice
cognitive science

I'm interested both in documentaries that address these (or related) issues directly and in films that address them in their own sundry ways.

I mostly work on Western Art Music (ugh I hate that name), but I'm into a little bit of everything, so go crazy. I know there are tons of films and documentaries about popular musicians, so unless there's one that's extra, extra good, those are probably not quite what I'm looking for.

If I can watch on the internet, that's extra plus good, but that's no big deal. Thanks a bunch!

Quien Es Mas Macha?

The corpse in the library — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:28:04 -0800

While on my nice, safe treadmill at the pleasant, well-lit gym, I like to watch dramatic, character-driven documentaries like Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, and Carrier. Any suggestions for other nonfiction TV shows like that, with women in the starring roles? Preferably the shows would be available on iTunes or DVD in the US. I want danger, adrenalin, good stories, interesting locations, dramatic weather, adventure. The cast doesn't have to be entirely female, but there should be a significant female presence.

Documentaries for fledgeling documentarians?

dortmunder — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:27:26 -0800

Which documentaries to watch? A friend and I recently, through a bullshit session, hit on an idea for a documentary film. All of the prerequisites, like access, relevance and an audience are there. It's entirely doable. I know where to start with research of the actual topic. Research is my deal. I know how to get that going. What I want to know is, what documentaries should I watch to get a good feel for what makes a good documentary? What films do I need to watch to learn to get a good feel for how to drive the narrative and reach the audience emotionally?

What is the Name of This Tornado Doc?

LeeJay — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:33:09 -0800

Inspired by this thread, I am trying to remember the name of a tornado special that aired, I think, on HBO several years ago. Around six or seven years ago (I believe, it might be older) I saw a documentary on HBO (again, I could be wrong about the channel but it definitely aired on a premium, no-commercials movie channel) about F4 and F5 tornadoes in the United States. It was made up mostly of interviews with eyewitnesses, rescuers and survivors and almost all of the storms profiled were relatively recent. There are several bits that I remember clearly but the story that stands out most is the story told by a rescuer who found an elderly woman in wreckage. He had a cell phone on him and was able to contact the victim's family so she could speak to them one last time. There was also a story about a nurse who lost her son and a church that was totally destroyed except for one hallway which was where the church's occupants chose to ride out the storm.

Thinking about it now, it could have been originally produced for public television but if memory serves there was plenty of language that wasn't censored so I'm thinking it really was a cable production.

I've searched and searched but I cannot for the life of me seem to find it. Anyone remember what it was called?

Documentastic!

LSK — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:23:32 -0800

Free, _downloadable_, science documentaries? I'm looking for free, downloadable science documentaries, to watch when I'm not near an internet connection. Whereabouts would I find one?

Shine on, you crazy diamonds!

mjao — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:56:58 -0800

Favourite psychedelic / drug / shaman / consciousness related books? My brother met a shaman in South American and has given me his credit card and asked me to order him a bunch of books. Think Terence McKenna, Alex Grey, Alexander Shulgin, Carlos Castaneda, DMT, Ayahuasca... *Documentary/DVD recommendations welcome as well. Out of the authors listed above, I'd like to know which are the best works of each, or the best ones to start with. Particularly Castaneda, I don't know where my brother should begin. Which books are the most interesting?

Further info: he also has budding obsessions with Zeitgeist, Jacques Fresco, George Carlin and Bill Hicks so anything even loosely related is good - lateral thinking is encouraged here!
He's also suddenly into dreaming and sensory deprivation tanks and quantum physics.

Please give me the titles of anything related to these topics - please only recommendations of books you've personally read and liked :)

Thanks for helping my brother :)

Where's best on the net to get information about new documentaries (in order to interview their makers)?

colinmarshall — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:46:24 -0800

Where are the best places on the web for news, information — and, if available — streaming versions/trailers of new indie documentaries? (I'm interested in interviewing their directors on the radio and thus promote the films.) Some additional background: I do an interview radio program (and podcast) on which I talk mostly with authors, but I'd like to branch out and interview documentarians as well. I have a decent stable of places to find out what's up with new books, but it's tougher to get a line on indie docs that don't have studio backing or wide distribution, much less contact info for the filmmakers themselves.

What documentaries should I "Watch Instantly" on Netflix?

TochterAusElysium — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:13:26 -0800

What are some of the best documentaries available to watch instantly on Netflix? Now that I have the ability to watch streaming movies on my Mac via Netflix, I am addicted to rainy weekend afternoons drawing and watching documentaries. What films can you recommend in that genre, which are available on Netflix' "Watch Instantly" system? I most like movies about interesting and unusual people, and about people obsessed with one thing, but will watch a quality film about just about any subject.

Some that I've already seen and enjoyed (not necessarily on Netflix):

King of Kong
Darkon (about live RPG enthusiasts)
Wordplay (about crossword enthusiasts)
Deliver Us From Evil (pedophile priest)
Enron, Smartest Guys in the Room
The 7-Up series
Word Wars (scrabble players)
Bookwars (NYC booksellers)
The Notorious Bettie Page
Winged Migration
Some whose names I can't remember about people who raise and show ferrets/put their daughters in beauty pageants/go to to Star Trek conventions

Thanks in advance for your recommendations! If you love a documentary that I've missed and is NOT available to watch instantly, I'd still be interested.

Is there anything like Salt or Duke's Center for Doc Studies in the Mid-Atlantic region?

melodykramer — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:11:01 -0800

Is there anything like Salt or Duke's Center for Doc Studies in the Mid-Atlantic region?

Documentary equivelants of informative history/science books?

the other side — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:10:01 -0800

Looking for good documentaries that are truly informative (i.e. a kind of textbook in movie format). What are the best documentaries you've seen that left you much more informed about basic history and human knowledge? I'm talking about really good, but also highly informative documentaries somewhat (or perhaps exactly if you were lucky) like the ones you'd watch in school. Kind of like a history or science* book condensed into a movie format.

What I'm not looking for are documentaries like Wordplay, Spellbound, or other "human interest" kind of movies, or documentaries with an excessively esoteric subject matter. I'd also like to avoid movies that try really hard to push a specific agenda.

*Note: I say history/science, though this could include things like economics, law, art, etc. (as long as it's sufficiently informative and not too esoteric).

Giving back to directors who need it?

aschwa5 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:50:10 -0800

I often download documentaries, and generally love them, and frequently feel like I want to give back to the director. Monetarily-wise, that is, as perhaps I didn't pay for them. What do you think of a service that allowed for paypal or such donation to individual directors? Could it work? Alternately, directors of small films could set up a link on their websites, and one could spread the idea memetically. I'm not looking to cash in on this, just to get feedback on an idea of how to assuage my guilt and help support those who make films worthy of support.

War Room?

jca — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 08:58:40 -0800

ID this (Bill) Clinton campaign official in the documentary The War Room? In the documentary movie The War Room about the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign, a large group of Clinton campaign officials are meeting around a large table just before a convention talking about the size of their Clinton signs.

Who is the man standing at the end of the room, somewhat annoyed, saying things along the lines of: "Now wait a minute Bob." "Let's get a decision on this." "I know this isn't the greatest policy decision ever..."

Books about Down Under

Jimbob — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:42:42 -0800

Can anyone reccomend good books, or documentaries, about Australia (history, culture, politics) written by people from outside Australia? I'm interested in how we look from an international perspective - not from people who've spent a significant part of their lives here, or ex-pats, but people who are really writing from the outside, or who have only visited for a short time and grabbed a glance at the place.

Academic or humorous, either would be good. I've read Chatwin's "Songlines", enjoyed Bill Bryson's efforts, and even Billy Connolly's touring TV show was pretty good. What else is there that people can reccomend?

DocumentaryFilter: In search of BBC's "What is Religion?"

mjklin — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:15:24 -0800

DocumentaryFilter: In search of BBC's "What is Religion?" In college, I had a philosophy professor who mentioned several times a documentary that surveyed world religions. He was under the impression that it was made by the BBC and was entitled "What is Religion?", though this may be inaccurate.

The salient point he always mentioned was that, in introducing Buddhism, the filmmakers went not to India or Tibet but to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in California. Apparently a lot of the scientists had been "converted" to Buddhism through its resonances with their scientific work.

The professor said the documentary was readily available and that the school library would probably have it. In fact, I haven't been able to find it anywhere, on or off the internet. Naturally the next step is a Hail Mary pass to the hive mind...

Looking for books, articles, podcasts and documentaries to prevent brain stagnation

Alison — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:15:35 -0800

In the spirit of this post, what have you read or seen lately (or not so lately) that has changed your mind? I'm looking for some mind-expanding reading, viewing and listening for the new year. Thanks!

Fistful of....fun documentaries?

hiptobesquare — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:24:46 -0800

I just watched King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters and loved it. Any other pop culture type documentaries out there I might like? I'm really looking for more upbeat/humorous type documentaries as opposed to say, Jesus Camp, which would most likely just make me angry. Is this a one off? Or are there more fun documentaries out there?

wanted: source and wording of a quote. warm fuzzy feelings of helping someone as reward.

ancamp — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:10:52 -0800

wanted: help with the source of and exact wording for a quote. I heard a documentary director talking at a film festival. It was a great discussion about the importance of authenticity, and how (particularly where people are involved!) the truth is so subjective that it's impossible to attain it. In passing he tried to quote someone, but he wasn't sure who it was, and he didn't know the exact wording. I've since tried googling it a few times and haven't turned up anything useful, so I'm putting it out into the AskMe universe to see if it can help.

The quote goes something like this:

"There is no such thing as the truth, but there is such a thing as a damn lie"

Any leads on who said this or what the exact wording is?? :)

Can you reccomend documentaries about line cooks or kitchens?

notchristopher — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:49:48 -0800

I am looking for documentaries about line cooks or restaurant kitchens. I read "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bordain (truly amazing book), and very much enjoy the Gordon Ramsey shows on Fox. I don't have cable, so no access to the food channel, which blows. I have been looking for "Ramsey's Boiling Point" or the sequel, but with no luck. I think it was only released in the UK. Thanks for your help.

How to get myself employed in NGC, Discovery, BBC documentary crews

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 07:07:43 -0800

How can a Indian software engineer join documentary/photography crew of National Geographic, Discovery, BBC, PBS or other similar production houses? What kind of jobs are available in these organizations? Are there similar jobs (outside of the documentary business) that can take me to such places and pay for it? Low salary not an issue. (work colleagues read MeFi, hence anonymous, hence a bit lengthy, so pls bear with me).
I am a 29 year old Computer Engineer working in software development for the past 7 years (underutilised from my perspective because I am hardly motivated -- just going thru the motions, but on par for my firm), and over the last 4-5 years I have gradually come to a firm conclusion that I don't want to continue any corporate job that requires me to sit in front of a computer for 8+ hours, enclosed in a dull cell and work for the man. Currently I am dragging along in a VeryBigDeal MNC Computer Inc. in India with good pay, have absolutely no desire to continue in it or in this industry, married, no kids (no plans for the next 3-4 years), no debt, no mortgage, no long-term commitments. Only wife and old parents (without retirals) to support. I've already secured a small house in India, and our daily survival expenses are v.moderate, just about 3 meals (touchwood, no big medicals). I also have some small savings that I can fall back on to go without a steady pay for a year or so. But other than that I am not flu$h in any way. I don't have any other investments, stocks etc. Wifey is a Science graduate, can work something on the side based on where I land up.

The challenge :
The ideal place where I envision myself giving my 250% is in documentaries. Outdoors, in the lap-of-nature, with a filming-crew, under the ocean, on the Arctic ice-sheet, in the midst of Amazon rainforest, on the Tibetan plains, anywhere in Africa et al. I actually cried watching the absolutely stunning beauty of the March of the Penguins. Documentaries are the only thing I care to watch on TV and everytime I wonder, well, these guys must be needing some porters/helpers/assistants to carry their equipment around, take care of trip details, to pitch the tent while they are busy shooting that billion-dollar pic? Can I be that man? I am an amateur photographer myself, and have basic knowledge of film-making from the interwebs, but I don't fancy any chances against the professionals who've been at this game for far too long (atleast not right away, maybe 10-15 years from now). But I think I can be a good assistant and a valuable crew member to teams who do these jobs. Do these people need a tripod-carrying-assistants with a thing for photography ? Is there any forum of professionals who are looking to work in India and need help in researching a particular topic/region before they visit here so that I can get my feet wet while I am at my desk job and gain some street-cred?

And I am not just a couch-happy viewer. I am an adventure freak as well, as far as they go in India. I like to trek, hike, take long walks, have bungee-jumped, skydived (in US), slept overnight out in the open on Goa's beach etc. This is not to boast but just to show that I have that streak in me. I guess for most MeFiites this is just normal, but really in India I am called a nature-wilderness guy, and I am happy with it. Infact I am not even looking at just jobs in geo-societies. Any of those wild-dangerous jobs (working the North-Sea, bridge construction crews, anything that they show on MegaStructures and Frontlines of Construction and similar)..the whacky jobs. Anything outdoors, requiring a fair bit of travel that takes me to stunning places... I am game.

I have already looked into things like WWOOF (visa restriction, short-term, age < 30 years) and other backpacking options, but i get a feeling that most of them really look like short-term odd jobs for single college students, while couchsurfing that country. also, my republic of india passport is not very embassy friendly in many places. in that respect i envy you europeans. however, i am open to even that route (get visa etc.), provided i see a way of stringing together a series of such odd jobs and come out top with some cash at the end of the month to send home to my parents. i don't mind doing short bursts of high-paying jobs mixed with long gaps of minimum or no wage. i guess i'd love it./small>

A real problem I face is that there are v.few people doing such things in India and none that I know of to approach and seek guidance. It's even difficult to google the credits of a "Wild India" Discovery documentary(Aamir Bashir, Samara Chopra, Jasdeep Punna, Avinash Singh, I am looking at you). I guess the NGC office in India is mainly an admin office that takes care of mktg & mag. distribution. There is no one in my circle with a arts/film/social-sciences background. We are all bloody engineers and doctors here.

In order to 'get there from here', I am ready to 'pay my dues' doing low-end menial jobs at these organizations, short-term unpaid-internships, side-assignments, stipends-while-training, etc. to prove to them that though I don't have the academic background, I am willing to put whatever it takes. Infact I think I’d enjoy even that, if it happens to be NGC, Discovery. Do they need people to watch their archives, for hours on endlessly, and....I don’t know like take notes, categorise, place/mark them for specific target audiences etc ?? Do their sales/marketing dept. needs people who can place the right content, customize it across their many media properties? I guess that could be a good first step to take.

I don’t know how the production side of it goes? Sometimes I see a single person appearing in many titles of credits (eg:John Paul Davidson - Himalaya with Palin). Do they first secure a grant from BBC or whoever and then go filming, or is it just that they do the complete thing on their own and then try to sell the rights? I am asking as it may probably impact whether I should be looking at jobs in telecast channels or with individual documentary makers and photographers like Mr.Davidson. Then sometimes I see credits ending with "produced by i stylus for Discovery"(unGoogleable btw) , which suggest presence of small production companies who might be later selling their work to BBC, NGC. Again, I want to know such individuals and companies, who are preferably working in India, or any country where I can just show up and 'take it from there'. If it helps, I have my own film & digital SLR camera(Nikon N80, D70s), let's say if a BigDeal photographer/documentarian requires an assistant with some pay for 6 months with no upfront costs -- maybe I can fit in there?

I’ve thought about joining one of the wilderness tour operators, but again, I don’t have any experience whatsoever as a guide or such high-end places, and I don’t know what is the best way to proceed here.

I even have an idea or two on topics for documentaries right here in India, which NGC and the likes haven't tackled yet. I can work alongside someone (grad film-students who want to shoot their final project?) who have heir own budgets/grants, and be a host to them in India. But I guess without any experience or 'portfolio' nobody is going to take me seriously on this one

Also related: If you know of any jobs in India similar to show-up on the deck for crab-fishing, I might be interested in them.

As far as other skills go: I was a straight 'A' student, good at maths/logic/languages, good communication and team skills, a fairly decent knowledge of various cultures, basic photography skills, can survive on most kind of outside food, no allergies, any water that the locals drink(no Misty Blue ColdMineral for me), have been to US a couple of times, so I have a good feel of US-culture, a good sense of humour, and good presentation skills.

Basically help me chart my way out of the office environs and out in the open, under the vast blue sky.

Any help, any info, any contacts for networking or further guidance, no matter how small or irrelevant you think, please post it. It will only help me. You can reach me at helpmejoinNGC@gmail.com if you have any queries.

YouTube for Serious People

MarshallPoe — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:23:11 -0800

Help me find issue-oriented video "backgrounders." I’m looking for short (3 to 10 minutes) video documentaries that provide background info on important political issues like global warming, pollution, poverty, the war on drugs, energy costs, health care, the national debt, the war in Iraq, inequality, racial disparity, and so on. Everything you need to know in a telegraphic, info-packed video presentation. Do such videos exist? Are they on the web? Who makes them? Can anyone provide examples? Thanks.