Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with recommendations and films

Please recommend great non-fiction books & documentary films

njm — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 13:58:57 -0800

What non-fiction books or documentary films explore a subculture or lifestyle as effectively as Henry Chalfant & Tony Silver's Style Wars and Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels? Both of these works are the result of an author/filmmaker gaining acceptance into a group of unique individuals and clearly expressing the stories and personalities within it.

Here are a few books in a similar style that I've read so far:

Hunter S. Thompson - Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, etc.
Tom Wolfe - The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Right Stuff, etc.
David Simon - Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
H.G. Bissinger - Friday Night Lights
Evan Wright - Generation Kill
Susan Orlean - The Orchid Thief
Joe Sacco - Safe Area Gorazde, Palestine, The Fixer, etc.

What have I missed?

WWII Movies

different — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 15:22:33 -0800

War Movies: I'm looking for any good movies about World War II, specifically to do with civilian life (rather than military actions.) I've seen Au Revoir Les Enfants and The Diary of Anne Frank - can you suggest any others you've enjoyed?

What to see at the Toronto Film Festival

dobbs — Sat, 28 Aug 2004 09:51:48 -0800

Selecting things to see at the Toronto Film Fest. Here's a list of films playing at TIFF. International MeFites and film nuts: have you seen/heard anything about any of them/the directors? What should a TIFF-goer see or avoid? If you're going to the Fest, what are you seeing? Got extra tickets you want to sell? Looking for ones to buy? Lets use the thread to maximize the event. {more} I wasn't expecting to be going this year and am very unprepared. I've scrounged up 16 tickets so far. Since it's way short of my usual industry/festival pass, I want to use them wisely and am therefore asking for suggestions. Thanks!

(If any MeFites work for TIFFG and can help finagle me a (non-free) Industry (pref) or Festival pass, I'd sure appreciate an email and my lips will be sealed and I'd exnay on anything but screenings.)

Seeking reliable websites that sell hard-to-find Japanese, Korean, Hong Kong movies on DVD

matteo — Thu, 13 May 2004 10:46:19 -0800

I'm looking for high quality, reliable (since they'll end up having my credit card number) English-language sites that sell (and ship internationally) hard-to-find Japanese, Korean, Hong Kong movies on DVD. There are so many sites that seem to do that. What do you recommend? Also, tangentially related: is there an all-English-language version of the very interesting Amazon.co.jp? My Japanese is close to non-existent thanks

Edward Said on Film

scarabic — Tue, 20 Apr 2004 10:43:40 -0800

I'm looking for documentary films about Edward Said. Preferably, I want something biographical about him, not films that feature him talking about issues. I'm already aware of several [listed inside] but if anyone can locate others, I'd be very grateful. I'm already aware of these:

Selves and Others: A Portrait of Edward Said (this one is definitely along the right track. If there are other recently-made documentaries about the man, I can't find them).

These two also look interesting, but are more along the "issues" track, which I'm less interested in.
In Search of Palestine
A four-hour interview with him, the 'title' of which is unclear.

Any and all suggestions appreciated!