- Hoop Dreams (1994), Steve James (um, it's a basketball movie - really, number 1?)
- The Thin Blue Line (1988), Errol Morris
- Bowling for Columbine (2002), Michael Moore (possibly one of Moore's best)
- Spellbound (2002), Jeffrey Blitz (but I really prefer this movie about Scrabble)
- Harlan County U.S.A. (1976), Barbara Kopple
- An Inconvenient Truth (2006), Davis Guggenheim (shouldn't this be first?!)
- Crumb (1994), Terry Zwigoff
- Gimme Shelter (1970), Albert Maysles, David Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin (not being a huge Stones fan, I missed this. I know, ask Mrs. BA, it's one of my faults)
- The Fog of War (2003), Errol Morris
- Roger & Me (1989), Michael Moore
- Super Size Me (2004), Morgan Spurlock (I already dislike eating McDonalds - I'd never eat there again if I sat down to watch this.)
- Don't Look Back (1967) D.A. Pennebaker (so we're heavy on the musical documentaries, I see.)
- Salesman (1968), Albert Maysles, David Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin
- Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance (1982), Godfrey Reggio (and if it's not music, it's death and destruction)
- Sherman's March (1986), Ross McElwee (to this day, Northerners driving to Florida have to tread carefully driving through Georgia.)
- Grey Gardens (1976), Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer (Mrs. BA saw this, as did the OSGs. I passed. And will always do so.)
- Capturing the Friedmans (2003), Andrew Jarecki
- Born into Brothels (2004), Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski (this film comes very close to a point about my being able to watch films where children are in peril. Mrs. BA can't watch that stuff anymore, even the fictionalized stuff)
- Titicut Follies (1967), Frederick Wiseman
- Buena Vista Social Club (1999), Wim Wenders
- Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), Michael Moore ("Now watch this drive . . ." - sigh . . . )
- Winged Migration (2002), Jacques Perrin
- Grizzly Man (2005), Werner Herzog
- Night and Fog (1955), Alain Resnais
- Woodstock (1970), Michael Wadleigh
Friday, November 14, 2008
Top 25 Documentaries
A straight up list via kottke (with a little comment) of the 25 best documentaries as rated by the International Documentary Association.
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10 comments:
What about the Civil War or Baseball documentaries by Ken Burns?
Saying Hoop Dreams is "a basketball movie" is like saying Citizen Kane is a movie about a sled. The dude has seen 10 of these and he says the Michael Moore movies are the worst of them.
How could they leave off "The Corporation?" Blasphemy!
For the record, I haven't had anything from McDonald's in perhaps 20 years. That stuff's just GROSS! I did watch Super Size Me, though. I prefer his "30 Days" TV shows, though. More variety, of course.
3, 10, 11, 21, 25
I think Supersize me out to be compulsory viewing for anyone who eats junk food
I would also include the Jazz and Baseball documentaries by Ken Burns as well as Wattstax (Woodstock done in Watts). I also like F**k, which is a documentary on the use of the term but also on censorship, Confederate States of America, which looks at what would have happened had the south won the Civil War and The Aristocrats, which is about the evolution of one of the rudest jokes in history (though the best version is when Chuck McCann tells it clean).
Supersize Me is an amazing film and did keep me from fast food for a while. Buena Vista Social Club is also incredible; the music is incredible and we are so fortunate that we got to hear some of them before they passed away.
One of my personal favorites is Wordplay, the documentary about the New York Times crossword puzzle and the people who do it:
http://www.wordplaythemovie.com/
And what about lightening up a little bit and doing a list of mockumentaries? Who could ever forget Spinal Tap? I have fond memories of watching it on the telly while in London for a semester--it was just so wierdly "home"...
2,3,4,6,9,10,11,21,24. Fog of War is probably my fave of the list here. For more Steve James, try "Stevie." Not always easy to watch, but worth it.
"The Corporation" was waaaay to long for it's own good. Could've been a fantastic movie with some more work -- as it is, it feels like a first draft.
1,2,3,4,6,8,9,10,11,18,20,21,23,24,25.
I really want to see Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance. I've ordered it twice on netflix and sent it back unseen. The Grizzly Man is my fav of the above. Where was Endless Summer, When we Were Kings, incident at Oglala, and Shoah?
Russell - a valid point, but Mr. Burns seems to get the short stick on this list.
Anna - Michael Moore is like documentary candy. You can feel guilty for eating it, it's OK.
Lana - I don't eat nearly the amount of McDonald's I used to. It's a long time from skipping out of Thompson to go to McDs and avoid getting pinched by Mr. Vorbach.
Kim - I agree
Danna - also excellent suggestions. I do like F**K, too.
Ellen - Mrs. BA and I like that one too, along with the one they did about the Scrabble championship.
Philly - not a bad choice, would the list have to have "11" choices?
AT - I'll take your word for it.
Terry - I'm not sure, I didn't make the list, I just reported them. :)
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