The Fog of War
This is a documentary about Robert McNamara who was the US Secretary of Defence during the Cuban missile crisis and the Vietnam war. It's directed by Errol Morris and is mostly a straight to camera piece with McNamara discussing the things he has learned. What I love about this documentary is that you have two equally intelligent individuals with differing political viewpoints keeping each other honest, as such it avoids becoming either a love in or a walk over as so many of these type of documentaries do. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2004.
Man on Wire
This is a fascinating documentary about Philippe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers back in the seventies. The story unwinds like a heist movie as Petit and his friends plan and carry out their amazingly insane and illegal plan. Thankfully quite a lot lot of their plans and preparations were filmed back in the day and coupled with interviews with all the main players they tell an enthralling story. This won this years Oscar for Best Documentary Feature
The World at War
This is a television series rather than a film. Made in the mid seventies (back when ITV were a proper TV channel) this is still probably the best documentary series made about the second world war. It consists of 26 episodes charting The rise of the Nazis through to the lasting effects that it had on people. Among the more famous and involved individuals interviewed were Albert Speer, Karl Dönitz, Walter Warlimont, Jimmy Stewart, Bill Mauldin, Curtis LeMay, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, Alger Hiss, Toshikazu Kase, Mitsuo Fuchida, Minoru Genda, J.B. Priestley, Brian Horrocks, John J. McCloy, Lawrence Durrell, Arthur Harris, Charles Sweeney, Paul Tibbets, Anthony Eden, Traudl Junge, Stephen Ambrose and numerious eye-witness to events.
The series does miss out on some important elements of which little was known about at the time (e.g. Bletchly Park) but most important issues and events are covered.
Rocky Road to Dublin
An excellent documentary film which basically shows what a complete and utter mess Ireland was in back in the late sixties ruled over by conservatives and priests.
Adam Curtis does some excellent documentaries for TV although they are not to everybodies taste. I've linked to a short piece (6-7 minutes) long which he did recently for the BBC Newswipe programme.
Recently the BBC have done some excellent documentaries about some of the independent record labels in the UK Factory: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays, If It Ain't Stiff and Keep on Running: 50 Years of Island Records can probably all be found online and are well worth watching (particularly the Factory one)
This is a documentary about Robert McNamara who was the US Secretary of Defence during the Cuban missile crisis and the Vietnam war. It's directed by Errol Morris and is mostly a straight to camera piece with McNamara discussing the things he has learned. What I love about this documentary is that you have two equally intelligent individuals with differing political viewpoints keeping each other honest, as such it avoids becoming either a love in or a walk over as so many of these type of documentaries do. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2004.
Man on Wire
This is a fascinating documentary about Philippe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers back in the seventies. The story unwinds like a heist movie as Petit and his friends plan and carry out their amazingly insane and illegal plan. Thankfully quite a lot lot of their plans and preparations were filmed back in the day and coupled with interviews with all the main players they tell an enthralling story. This won this years Oscar for Best Documentary Feature
The World at War
This is a television series rather than a film. Made in the mid seventies (back when ITV were a proper TV channel) this is still probably the best documentary series made about the second world war. It consists of 26 episodes charting The rise of the Nazis through to the lasting effects that it had on people. Among the more famous and involved individuals interviewed were Albert Speer, Karl Dönitz, Walter Warlimont, Jimmy Stewart, Bill Mauldin, Curtis LeMay, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, Alger Hiss, Toshikazu Kase, Mitsuo Fuchida, Minoru Genda, J.B. Priestley, Brian Horrocks, John J. McCloy, Lawrence Durrell, Arthur Harris, Charles Sweeney, Paul Tibbets, Anthony Eden, Traudl Junge, Stephen Ambrose and numerious eye-witness to events.
The series does miss out on some important elements of which little was known about at the time (e.g. Bletchly Park) but most important issues and events are covered.
Rocky Road to Dublin
An excellent documentary film which basically shows what a complete and utter mess Ireland was in back in the late sixties ruled over by conservatives and priests.
Adam Curtis does some excellent documentaries for TV although they are not to everybodies taste. I've linked to a short piece (6-7 minutes) long which he did recently for the BBC Newswipe programme.
Recently the BBC have done some excellent documentaries about some of the independent record labels in the UK Factory: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays, If It Ain't Stiff and Keep on Running: 50 Years of Island Records can probably all be found online and are well worth watching (particularly the Factory one)
Once known as Hochopepa
You cannot kill a vampire with an MDF stake; werewolves can't fly; zombies do not run. - Simon Pegg
You cannot kill a vampire with an MDF stake; werewolves can't fly; zombies do not run. - Simon Pegg
This message last edited by Mark on 09/09/2009 at 03:28:05 PM
Documentaries
- 09/09/2009 04:28:39 AM
585 Views
The People's Century series is awesome if you're into 20th century history.
- 09/09/2009 09:58:20 AM
525 Views
A couple
- 09/09/2009 03:05:32 PM
669 Views
*NM*