Could anyone recommend any excellent documentaries?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jump to Latest
T

thadman

Member
Joined 2005
#1
I recently picked up the 34-part "World at War" documentary series. I've found it to be incredibly informative, especially with regards to socioeconomics and the politics involved. They have interviews from individuals on all sides (politicians, analysts, generals, officers, soldiers, civilians, etc), more video than I've ever seen and make significant references to the war's effect on culture. (the soviet poem "Wait for Me" was pretty sobering and most British War Propaganda shown was simply hilarious). Quite excellent imo.

The quality of this documentary has come as quite a shock to me, I'm used to watching History channel documentaries and they seem to have all rehashed footage and their insights aren't particularly enlightening.

Has anybody had a similar experience with other documentaries? Any particular ones you'd recommend?

Thanks,
Thadman
 
#5
David Attenborough's BBC documentaries, starting with 'Life on Earth' are beyond comparison. Just stunning, you can get them as a boxed set of DVDs. You might be able to get a taster online. Some of the later ones were shown on HD satellite.

The blurb describes them as among the greatest and most beautiful nature documentaries even made.

Life on Earth
The Living Planet
Trials of Life
Life in the Freezer
The Private Life of Plants
The Life of Birds
The Life of Mammals
Life in the Undergrowth

And this comes from a war documentary addict.

w
 
#7
One that I thought was amazing, and perhaps appropriate to this forum, is "making of a Steinway" or a title close to that. It is available on the PBS website I believe. Jaw dropping artisanship in making one of those. And a dying art.
 
#8
Howard Goodall's Big Bangs (All his programs are excellent)


Civilisation_Kenneth Clarke

The Ascent Of Man_Dr . Jacob Bronowski

The Day The Universe Changed_James Burke

The Private Life Of A Masterpiece

The Journey Of Man

Baroness Susan Greenfield_'Brain Story'

Apeman: Adventures In Human Evolution

The Corporation

HORIZON_series of BBC programs

A History Of Britain

A History Of Scotland

SCORCESE_
A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

My Voyage To Italy

Anything by John Rommer

Greek Fire

On Youtube the site: Her Aeolian Harp

I'll post more essential documentaries when I've had time to mull it over.

Yours Sincerely
John
 
#9
Not a film documentary but if you enjoyed "World at War" you might consider reading Winston Churchill's "History of the Second World War"...obviously a non-detached perspective but from an author with masterful prose who was as inside as you could get. If you like that move on to same author's "History of the English Speaking Peoples"
 
#12
I finished "The Trap" and "The Power of Nightmares". brilliant😀

I also ended up watching "The Battle of Algiers" after it was referenced in the aforementioned BBC documentaries. Excellent IMO, especially if you're interested in the conflicts in the middle east and don't mind watching a French Film from the 1960s.

jlsem said:
If you like adventure
Click to expand...
I'm open to anything, as long as it's educational / intellectual. I cancelled my television contract with Comcast last semester. I do enjoy media, but there isn't anything worth watching anymore on TV. MTV has a show that I found my buddies girlfriend watching called "My Life as Liz" which is a scripted show about this emo girl who is on a reality TV show (scripted TV is now trying to emulate reality TV shows). When I was a kid, I used to love the History Channel. Now, they offer an absolutely horrible version of the BBCs "Top Gear" and promote series filled with misinformation (ex. Ancient Aliens). Other than having to walk to my buddies apartment to watch the away games, it's kind of refreshing.

I truly hate watching commercials. Is anyone familiar with the Charlie Chaplin mask optical illusion? I feel as if something similar may be happening with modern advertising / product placement. I'm distinctly aware of it, but can't prevent my mind from making the associations (ex. NFL and Bud Light). I think it's funny how Joseph Goebbels' (Minister of Propaganda) name lives in infamy due to his role in the German government and his association with Hitler (modern connotation, Goebbels=NAZI! DIE!), yet propaganda is embraced and respected in the US. Of course, its not called "propaganda" its called "public relations" and you can get such a degree from our most respected universities.

I prefer reading, but in certain cases, films offer further insight since they can provide accurate historical footage and/or visuals along with the narrative.

Thanks for all the recommendations so far!
Thadman
 
#14
jlsem said:
If you like adventure, I have to recommend Touching the Void, one of the most gripping narratives I've seen in a while.

John
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree. Totally insanely good.

Along the same lines is "Eiger Solo" by Leo Dickinson about the a climb made by Eric Jones.

For something relating to music and one of my favorite group of people is "Westway to the World". Story of the Clash.

Also, I agree, "World at War" is excellent.

Not so much a doc as a visual history kind of like a re-run, here it is as it happened is Spacecraft Films series of spaceflight. I have several of them but if you get one, the story of "Apollo 16" is really great. Great topic.
 
#15
gripping narratives
Click to expand...
Is that a joke? Anyway, I only sympathized with his sufferings when he was about to die with that Boney M song stuck in his head. Truly horrifying.

images
 
#16
Another brilliant documentary is by "Werner Herzog", called
"Encounters at the End of the World"
which is about the community of people who live and work in Antartica and what they do. It is particularily good if you have a really big TV or can watch it in a cinema as the photography is superb and the soundtrack complements it perfectly.
 
#19
Exit Through the Gift Shop - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Great movie....simply because you just don't know...
is it real?
is it a mockumentary?
is it about Bansky?
Is it about Guetta?

Also great shots of mind-bending street art, and a great narative by Rhys Ifans.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Also +2 for Touching The Void.
Saw it years ago and it still sends chills down by neck thinking about it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom