Ryan McNeilOne of the orders of the night, was the discussion of our favorite documentaries. And of course, yours truly was the only one who’d taken pen to paper and hashed out an actual list. So, since I shared it with those nine merrymakers, I thought it would probably be apropos if I chose it for this week’s top five.
I promise you won’t have heard of all of these movies, but every one of them is worth checking out.
Hatter’s Top Five Documentaries
#5. IT MIGHT GET LOUD (2009)… It’s gonna hit theatres next year, and if any part of you loves rock and roll – you must see it. It gathers Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge, then steps back and lets them talk lovingly about playing guitar. From the moment it begins with a great moment of do-it-yourself guitar making, to the moment it ends with three legends jamming on one of the greatest songs ever written, it is wall-to-wall foot-tappin, lighter hoisting awesomeness.
#4. THE OTHER FINAL (2003)… Heard of it? Didn’t think so. Two Dutch film makers, disappointed by Netherlands’ exit from 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifying, decide to set up a football match between the two lowest ranked teams in FIFA’s international rankings. Better yet, they decide to stage it the day after the 2002 World Cup Final. The game is played between Bhutan, a Himilayan nation populated primarily by Buddhist monks, and Montserrat, a Carribean island whose claim to fame is being the birthplace of the song “Hot Hot Hot”. The movie is a glorious testament to the love of football, and will instantly make you want to go outside and kick a ball around with a friend.
#3. SUPER SIZE ME (2004)… The movie wasn’t perfectly crafted, but as a social experiment, it was a brilliant idea. When it hit theatres, everybody and their brother could tell you that fast food was bad for you, but seeing just how bad was a real eye-opener. It’s worth it just to see how mystified Morgan Spurlock’s doctors are by how rapidly his condition deteriorates. Give it a watch – I dare ya to then chase it with a Happy Meal.
#2. METALLICA; SOME KIND OF MONSTER (2004)… Yes, indeed this is the second rock-doc on the list, but this one is very different from your straight-up, ready for VH1 bio. What we get to watch here is three whiskey drinkin’, head bangin’, testosterone drippin’ rawkers turn into three sissy bitches crying like they have a skinned knee. And at no point do the cameras stop rolling! Watch as the world’s greatest heavy metal band loses a bassist, spend millions of dollars and two whole years trying to record an album, damn-near loses a lead singer, and hires a shrink to sort through their issues.Amazingly informative and entertaining, especially for those who aren’t fans of the band – which is the mark of a truly well-made doc.
#1. CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS (2003)… So imagine a seemingly normal person was accused of child molestation. Imagine that there was already an inordinate amount of circumstantial evidence surrounding them. Now imagine that every one of their private, kitchen table conversations was videotaped – by their own family!! That actually happened in the case of Arnold Friedman. They discuss strategy, how to spin the truth, how to evade prosecution, all while the youngest son continues to videotape them!!!. It will anger you, it will make you shake your head, and it will make you wonder how anyone could be so deluded as to hand tapes like this over to a documentary film crew.
Did I miss any? Leave a comment with your own favorite documentaries, and feel free to leave suggestions for next week’s top five.
Good start, my friend, but you missed some goodies. For your homework, I suggest you view the following:
No End in Sight. It’s an insider’s look at the Bush government’s handling of the war in Iraq. It’s chilling. The film maker had unprecedented access to administration insiders.
Young at Heart. About a group of senior citizens who belong to a choir that sings contemporary songs. You’ll never hear “Fix You” again in the same way. Bring the tissues.
For the Bible tells me so. It explores the relationship between religion and homosexuality.
NO END IN SIGHT blew my mind, it left me stupified at the decisions that were made.
I haven’t seen the other two you mentioned, though they are both “on the list”.
Now I want to watch that #1, do you have it?
Thank you for posting this! I totally forgot the name of “The Other Final”.
I loved “It Might Get Loud” was so awesome, and I’m still jealous that you were at the screening where Jimmy Page was there!
How cool to meet up and talk movies.
I definitely haven’t heard of The Other Final, but it sounds like it would be right up my alley.
One of my favorite docs is Spellbound.
And I have to say, this has been one of the strongest doc years in recent memory.
Well, I did have my list of 18 Top 10 films that I had in my head, but I suppose that might have been a rather lengthy dissertation on my part…I’ll just list ’em here quick:
1) Wordplay / Spellbound – Two great fun films about words and language and the people that are fascinated by them.
2) Dogtown and Z Boys / Riding Giants – Peralta’s surf movie is almost as great as his skateboard movie, but I give the nod to Dogtown if only because I grew up reading Skateboard magazine and knew most of those guys from the magazine.
3) In The Shadow Of the Moon / For All Mankind – Two terrific docs about NASA’s astronauts and the moon landings. Some of the most spectacular footage EVER.
4) The Aristocrats – Yep, it’s about the filthiest joke in the world and it gets much cruder than I typically like my humour, but there’s such a sense of joy coming from many of these comedians as they make things up as they go along. It’s a great look at the mind of comedians, their different styles and the good and bad of improvisation.
5) Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills / Paradise Lost 2 – I can’t say I was entertained by these films documenting the apparent travesty of justice that happened to two young teenagers. Angry is probably a better way of putting it.
6) A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies / Visions Of Light – There’s a slew of amazing docs about film itself (The Celluloid Closet, Hearts Of Darkness, Decade Under The Influence, Z Channel, Shlock!, etc.), but these are top of my list. I could listen to Scorsese talk about film for weeks on end…
7) The Last Waltz / Stop Making Sense – I don’t know if concert films should be included, but here are two of the best (Woodstock is in the mix too).
8) Koyaanisqatsi / Man With A Movie Camera – Two incredibly visual documents of the world around us. No dialogue or story required.
9) Street Fight / Deadline – There’s a glut of political docs out there (particularly in recent years), but these two stand out for me.
10) Mr. Death: The Rise And Fall Of Fred Luchter Jr. – Possibly my fave doc of all time. Jaw dropping at times.
I thought your list was great Ryan. I’m going to search out The Other Final (I can’t remember if you said it was available on DVD).
Some of my favorites are:
Dogtown and Z-Boys
Style Wars
Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
Hoop Dreams