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You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House" / Best Documentary

Best Documentary

by John Cole|  July 10, 202310:45 pm| 138 Comments

This post is in: John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House", Movies

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In the mood to watch some solid documentaries over the next couple of months, and I have seen a ton, so I thought I would solicit y’all’s favorites? It can be a documentary series, too!

*** Update ***

Reposting this because I want some responses and that was an impressive curbstomp even by my standards.

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Reader Interactions

138Comments

  1. 1.

    Kent

    July 10, 2023 at 10:09 pm

    The new PBS Documentary Human Footprints is supposed to be excellent.  They are only one episode in

    https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/new-sixpart-documentary-series-human-footprint-examines-how-humans-have-transformed-the-planet/

  2. 2.

    cope

    July 10, 2023 at 10:15 pm

    “The Rescue” about the Thai kids soccer players trapped in a cave is good as is “Free Solo” about climbing El Cap in Yosemite without protection. Both were produced and shot by the same husband/wife team.

  3. 3.

    BR

    July 10, 2023 at 11:13 pm

    Here’s an obscure but fascinating one: Into Eternity

    It’s about Finland’s nuclear waste repository. They’re one of the only countries even trying to solve the problem of long term storage, and the documentary is about things like “how do you communicate with someone who will stumble upon this thing 10,000 years from now when no human language has lasted that long?” and such. Lots of sincere engineers trying to solve basically impossible problems.

  4. 4.

    2liberal

    July 10, 2023 at 11:15 pm

    netflix has one about the tour de france which captures what those bike racers go thru.   I think 8 parts.  “tour de france unchained”

  5. 5.

    RandyG

    July 10, 2023 at 11:15 pm

    Man On Wire, 2008 documentary about Philippe Petit’s 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center.

  6. 6.

    Redshift

    July 10, 2023 at 11:17 pm

    I’m looking forward to The League, about the Negro Leagues. It’s going to be in theaters and then streaming not too long afterward.

  7. 7.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    July 10, 2023 at 11:21 pm

    @Redshift: the Fresh Air interview with the director just dropped into my podcast feed

  8. 8.

    Brachiator

    July 10, 2023 at 11:22 pm

    A beautiful and sad documentary film…

    The Agronomist is  a 2003 American documentary directed by Jonathan Demme about Jean Dominique. The documentary follows the life of Dominique, who ran Haiti’s first independent radio station, Radio Haiti-Inter, during multiple repressive regimes.

    Yep, this is the same guy who directed Philadelphia and Silence of the Lambs.

  9. 9.

    HumboldtBlue

    July 10, 2023 at 11:23 pm

    Fire in Babylon.

    Army University Press has some videos if you want army stuff.

    It isn’t a documentary, but I found Mindhunter on Netflix served as a documentary detailing the creation of the Behavioral Crimes Unit at the FBI.

    Then there’s this site with documentaries.

  10. 10.

    David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch

    July 10, 2023 at 11:28 pm

    Latest 30 for 30 “Bill Walton – The Luckiest Guy in the World” (trailer)

    American Experience has been phenomenal this year:

    The Movement and the “Madman” (trailer)

    How two antiwar protests in the fall of 1969 — the largest the country had ever seen — pressured President Nixon to cancel what he called his “madman” plans for a massive escalation of the U.S. war in Vietnam, including a threat to use nuclear weapons.

    Taken Hostage (trailer)

    The secret plan by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) to overthrow Iran’s democratically elected government and its Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.

  11. 11.

    artem1s

    July 10, 2023 at 11:29 pm

    “Levitated Mass”
    https://youtu.be/gmCJokfEu9Y

    easily the best documentary about art I’ve ever seen.

  12. 12.

    RaflW

    July 10, 2023 at 11:29 pm

    Is Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy a documentary series, or a cooking show? Either way, I love it.

  13. 13.

    dexwood

    July 10, 2023 at 11:29 pm

    Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World. A really good music documentary.

  14. 14.

    Steeplejack

    July 10, 2023 at 11:33 pm

    If you’re interested in moviemaking, Visions of Light (1992) is an excellent doc about cinematography. The whole movie is on YouTube.

  15. 15.

    Hidalgo de Arizona

    July 10, 2023 at 11:38 pm

    There’s an excellent series of documentaries by the BBC involving a bunch of British archaeologists doing experimental archaeology running a farm in various historical time periods – it makes for extremely relaxing viewing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRj1YYnsBGk

  16. 16.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 10, 2023 at 11:40 pm

    Godfrey Reggio’s Qasti trilogy!

    You’ve probably seen at least Koyaanisqatsi, but hot diggity dog!

  17. 17.

    prostratedragon

    July 10, 2023 at 11:40 pm

    Saw Man on a Wire when it came out — highly recommend. Mr.Petit’s process and training are awesome.

    Started Shiny Happy People about the Duggars and the quiverfull people. Not very relaxing, but important and holds the attention.

    More calming, a doc about the late soundtrack composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda. I think all three are on, or through, Prime.

  18. 18.

    Anotherlurker

    July 10, 2023 at 11:41 pm

    I can highly recommend Sir David Attenborough’s “First Life” Available on Prime.   He takes you from the early years of Earth into the Cambrian Explosion and beyond.  As always, the Sir David and his amazing crew tell a wonderful story.

    Also from Sir David:  “Plants Behaving Badly”. Again on Prime.  Episode 1 deals with Carnivorous Plants and Episode 2 deals with Orchids.  It is a wonderful film!

  19. 19.

    prostratedragon

    July 10, 2023 at 11:41 pm

    @Steeplejack:  O goody, thanks!

  20. 20.

    bill

    July 10, 2023 at 11:43 pm

    I’m no longer here:

    https://youtu.be/ieeZ0mviFKc

     

    Santoalla:

    https://youtu.be/fkp2ad7UJxM

     

    Of gods and men:

     

    https://youtu.be/nhQzn2gVGjQ

  21. 21.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 10, 2023 at 11:44 pm

    @BR: Wow.

  22. 22.

    Anotherlurker

    July 10, 2023 at 11:44 pm

    @dexwood: Great documentary!!  Thanks for bringing it to light.

  23. 23.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 10, 2023 at 11:44 pm

    @2liberal: It! Is! So! Good!

  24. 24.

    HumboldtBlue

    July 10, 2023 at 11:46 pm

    Speaking of art, six months ago, I knew nothing about impressionist painting. Then Waldemar schooled me in this documentary on impressionist art.

  25. 25.

    Devore

    July 10, 2023 at 11:46 pm

    If you have Prime Video, you can add the PBS documentary channel for around $4 a month.  If I remember correctly.

    The Ken Burns documentaries are great, if you haven’t seen them already.   His Vietnam war series really caught my interest.

  26. 26.

    PapuJones

    July 10, 2023 at 11:48 pm

    The Lost Leonardo

  27. 27.

    Mike in NC

    July 10, 2023 at 11:51 pm

    “Impossible Peace” about the time between the world wars is great. Prime, I think.

  28. 28.

    Keith P.

    July 10, 2023 at 11:53 pm

    “Hated: GG Allin” – Todd Phillips’ first (student) film about one of the most extreme rockers to have ever lived.  Stay till the end for his final performance and funeral,

  29. 29.

    Noskilz

    July 10, 2023 at 11:55 pm

    They’re pretty old, and possibly obsolete, but I always enjoyed The Spice of Life

    Romer’s Egypt and Testament , James Burke’s Connections series are also fun(although I think the first series is the best one). Looks like they’re all available on youtube with a bit of looking.

  30. 30.

    apocalipstick

    July 10, 2023 at 11:55 pm

    Man On Wire

    Jesus Camp

    Young at Heart

  31. 31.

    Steeplejack

    July 10, 2023 at 11:56 pm

    My Octopus Teacher (2020; Netflix). “Documents a year spent by filmmaker Craig Foster forging a relationship with a wild common octopus in a South African kelp forest.” Won the Oscar for best documentary feature.

    Crumb (1995; rent on Prime or Apple TV). Terry Zwigoff’s study of underground cartoonist R. Crumb and his family (including his two brothers).

    Nanook of the North (1922; Max). Robert J. Flaherty’s groundbreaking “docudrama” about “the struggles of the Inuk man named Nanook and his family in the Canadian Arctic.”

    The Thin Blue Line (1988; AMC, Criterion). Murder trial and expert testimony. Directed by Errol Morris; anything by him is good.

  32. 32.

    patrick II

    July 10, 2023 at 11:58 pm

    There is a very insightful description of the making of Casablanca on Youtube.  It runs 35 minutes and Steven Speilberg and Hal Landis are among the experts describing the writing, cinematography, music, etc. that made the movie so geat.
    Casablanca an unlikely classic: Behind the scenes

  33. 33.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 11, 2023 at 12:00 am

    @Steeplejack: Yes!  Wonderful doc!

    Do you know about Kenneth Brownlow’s Hollywood (1980), or Cinema Europa, or Keepers of the Frame?

    Also, the PBS doc about the National Film Registry, These Amazing Shadows.

    And Mark Cousins’ The Story of Film is an incredible 15-part documentary about the  international movie industry.

  34. 34.

    NotoriousJRT

    July 11, 2023 at 12:00 am

    I enjoyed “A Most Beautiful Thing,” which is about African American teens in Chicago who tried their hands at crew.  It’s no fairytale, but i thought that it speaks about the human spirit.  I watched on Peacock.

  35. 35.

    Feathers

    July 11, 2023 at 12:02 am

    The PBS passport is about $5 a month through your local station and gives you tons of PBS shows. NOVA is great for catching up on science, American Experience is moments in US history, American Masters – artists. They are generally an hour long. I find jumping into a topic I know nothing about a good way to get new knowledge.

  36. 36.

    BeautifulPlumage

    July 11, 2023 at 12:03 am

    Up, by a British filmmaker. Series of docs follows a group of British kids filmed in 7 year increments starting in 1964 and going through  2019.  Not sure where available, but very interesting.

  37. 37.

    kindness

    July 11, 2023 at 12:05 am

    Want a music one up your alley John?  How about Grateful Dawg (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/grateful_dawg)?  It explores David Grisman & Jerry Garcia’s friendship and collaberations over the years.  Some decent concert footage too.

  38. 38.

    Kelly

    July 11, 2023 at 12:06 am

    “The River Runner” on Netflix. Wild extreme kayaking video with a story about a guy hitting the big time with sponsors paying for international expeditions and the big time kinda grinds him down.

  39. 39.

    BeautifulPlumage

    July 11, 2023 at 12:06 am

    @Steeplejack: anything by Errol Morris. Cheap, Fast, and Out of Control by him is good.

  40. 40.

    Jean

    July 11, 2023 at 12:09 am

    @Steeplejack: I loved My Octopus Teacher.  It was amazing how the relationship developed over time.  The life span of the octopus is surprisingly short.

  41. 41.

    BeautifulPlumage

    July 11, 2023 at 12:09 am

    @Steeplejack: another vote for Crumb. Great doc. I still think about it.

  42. 42.

    Steeplejack

    July 11, 2023 at 12:09 am

    Searching for Sugar Man (2012; rent on many sites). Wikipedia: “Details the efforts in the late 1990s of two Cape Town fans, Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom, to find out whether the rumored death of American musician Sixto Rodriguez was true and, if not, to discover what had become of him. Rodriguez’s music, which had never achieved success in the United States, had become very popular in South Africa, although little was known about him in that country.” Trailer here.

  43. 43.

    BeautifulPlumage

    July 11, 2023 at 12:12 am

    @Steeplejack: thanks for the reminder. What an interesting story. My local station plays his most well-known song a lot.

  44. 44.

    TriassicSands

    July 11, 2023 at 12:12 am

    @2liberal:

    Or one could simply watch the current Tour de France, which will begin Stage 10 tomorrow. Yes, it is behind yet another streaming service pay wall — Peacock. However, for anyone interested, it only costs $5 for 30 days. With eleven stages remaining, and an average length of 4-5 hours, that’s 40-50 hours of viewing, much of which can be enjoyed as a tour through the often beautiful French countryside including the Alps and Pyrennees. (Personally, I think the Giro d’Italia — Italy’s Grand Tour — is more beautiful.) All stages are available for replay. There are two different choices — one is NBC and has lots of advertisements and plenty of silly predictions by talking heads. The other is the something like the “world broadcast” and is generally more enjoyable — same video for both.

    Watching cyclists ride more than 100 miles in 92 degree heat with a finish up a dormant volcano (Stage 9), provides a pretty good idea of the kind of suffering necessary to finish a 21 day race that covers well over 2000 miles with only two rest days. Riders often suffer serious, sometimes life-threatening injuries, and occasionally someone is killed. Road rash and broken collar bones occur regularly.

    It was once possible to watch the entire Tour for free. Then, as the Internet matured, the broadcast disappeared into a streaming service. This is the first time I have ever paid to watch any of the Tour, and I took what may be my last opportunity. And it is the only athletic competition I have any interest in watching.

    Note: It’s more difficult to watch live when you live on the West Coast — stages generally begin at 3:30 – 4:00 AM.

    I plan to cancel Peacock before my 30 days are up.

    That said, the documentary you mentioned distills things down into eight episodes. Honestly, although the time commitment is huge, I prefer the live show from beginning to end, even if I have to watch the replay without knowing who won the stage.

  45. 45.

    Jackie

    July 11, 2023 at 12:12 am

    @Redshift: That will be fun! My son and I have been educating ourselves about the Negro Baseball league since I first watched and then introduced my son to the movie Bingo Long’s Traveling All Stars and Motor Kings. Great movie!

    https://youtu.be/tLqLdiNUitA

  46. 46.

    Feathers

    July 11, 2023 at 12:14 am

    @mrmoshpotato: All of these, plus A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

    @HumboldtBlue: Yes, searching for waldemar januszczak on YouTube or Prime will get you many excellent, watchable art history documentaries, focusing on the pleasure of good art, rather than snobbery. Be sure to watch the one on Islamic art. He travels through the Muslim world, astonishingly beautiful buildings and gardens in Iran I had never seen.

    Mary Beard does the same for the ancient world, looking into the lives of everyday people in the ancient world. She points out that the “Romans” racist Brits are so proud of claiming were largely Polish and North African.

  47. 47.

    mrmoshpotato

    July 11, 2023 at 12:14 am

    @patrick II: THANK YOU!

  48. 48.

    Steeplejack

    July 11, 2023 at 12:16 am

    @mrmoshpotato:

    Kevin Brownlow did great work! He’s still alive, I see (85). I used to have his book The Parade’s Gone By many years ago.

  49. 49.

    KSinMA

    July 11, 2023 at 12:18 am

    @NotoriousJRT: Oh yes, loved this.

  50. 50.

    Nancy

    July 11, 2023 at 12:18 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I heard the Fresh Air interview tonight and the director was interesting and the documentary sounded fascinating.

  51. 51.

    HumboldtBlue

    July 11, 2023 at 12:19 am

    @patrick II:

    Fantastic, thanks for that.

  52. 52.

    Ohio Mom

    July 11, 2023 at 12:23 am

    I saw two documentaries this past week at a local film festival:

    “Okay! (The ASD Band Film)”
    It’s about a Toronto garage band made up of four autistics in their twenties. It doesn’t do any explaining, it’s a slice of their life. Very accurate, none of that heroic, overcoming their disability crap.

    “Lowdownes County and the Road to Black Power”
    In the early 1960s, the Black citizens of Lowdownes County, Alabama claim their right to vote, with some help from SNCC organizers. In case you need a reminder of the medieval conditions of pre-Civil Rights Era Black Southern life.

  53. 53.

    The Up and Up

    July 11, 2023 at 12:24 am

    It’s All-Star Extravaganza in Seattle. Along with the baseball mention from a reply above, in case you have not already seen, The Battered Bastards of Baseball. It’s a documentary that came out in 2014 about the Portland Mavericks baseball team.

  54. 54.

    Carlo Graziani

    July 11, 2023 at 12:26 am

    @Devore: Ken Burns is a treasure. The Dust Bowl is a work of genius. And, of course The Civil War.

    An odd not-to-be-missed one: Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old. He took hundreds of hours of jerky, hand-cranked black-and-white BBC archival footage of WWI, spent about a year messing with it, and brought it to life, color, motion, dialog and all. It’s eerie how that Mack Sennett-grade footage suddenly springs to life 10 minutes into the film. And with all that, he also managed to get a coherent narrative into the film, telling touching and harrowing stories about that war. It’s a masterpiece.

  55. 55.

    HumboldtBlue

    July 11, 2023 at 12:28 am

    @Feathers:

    Oh, I got lost in those videos. He leads a wonderful journey.

    If you haven’t seen him, let me introduce you to Julian Baumgartner. He doesn’t make documentaries, he just restores paintings.

  56. 56.

    Ivan X

    July 11, 2023 at 12:28 am

    Screwball, about the baseball doping scandals with A-Rod et al, is tremendously entertaining.

  57. 57.

    Steeplejack

    July 11, 2023 at 12:30 am

    @Feathers:

    American Masters is quite often surprisingly good. I highly recommend the one on Miles Davis and—hear me out—the one on David Geffen.

    You want to dismiss Geffen as a rapacious agent turned mogul, and he was that, but he was (is?—he’s 80, dunno how active now) also a lot more. What struck me was that the filmmakers got a lot of really deep interviews with artists whose careers were affected by Geffen. Don Henley of the Eagles as an insightful observer of the ’70s entertainment industry machinery? Sh-yeah!

    The doc on Johnny Carson was also very well done. Very insightful.

  58. 58.

    Sandia Blanca

    July 11, 2023 at 12:30 am

    For nerds like us, don’t miss “Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary.” Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary (2019) – IMDb

  59. 59.

    eclare

    July 11, 2023 at 12:32 am

    I don’t know if it’s great, but it’s definitely offbeat: The Great Maple Syrup Heist.  Netflix

    For jazz fans:  A Great Day in Harlem.  Looks like YouTube only.

  60. 60.

    piratedan

    July 11, 2023 at 12:34 am

    BBC Four’s got some old episodes of Rock Family Trees out on You Tube.  That’s if you’re into the incestuous nature of how music groups are formed and how their lineups evolve until they reach success.

  61. 61.

    prostratedragon

    July 11, 2023 at 12:34 am

    Tales from the Green Valley, a 12-part series showing a project by several historians, working a farm as in England around 1620.

  62. 62.

    Steeplejack

    July 11, 2023 at 12:38 am

    Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010; AMC, Kanopy). Prehistoric cave art; directed by Werner Herzog. Trailer here.

  63. 63.

    KSinMA

    July 11, 2023 at 12:40 am

    “Master of Light” (HBO), about an ex-felon who becomes a classical painter. Both parts of the story are done amazingly well.

  64. 64.

    eclare

    July 11, 2023 at 12:40 am

    Challenger:  The Final Flight.  Netflix.

    Enraging.  And after all these years, some of the protagonists were interviewed.  You can easily see who didn’t give a fuck ordering the launch and who is still haunted by it.

  65. 65.

    Steeplejack

    July 11, 2023 at 12:40 am

    @BeautifulPlumage:

    Not currently available anywhere. I saw some of them years ago.

  66. 66.

    lexilis

    July 11, 2023 at 12:54 am

    @cope: ​

    Both of these are very good. Especially “The Rescue”. I live in Thailand about 60 km from the cave site. When the boys were finally rescued it was absolutely incredible the outpouring of joy and (and thanks and respect to the rescuers) from the entire Thai population. It was wonderful to experience.

  67. 67.

    RandyG

    July 11, 2023 at 12:58 am

    @Steeplejack: On Britbox

  68. 68.

    Omnes Omnibus

    July 11, 2023 at 12:58 am

    I feel as though I already answered this question elsewhere.​
     

    ETA: Omnes Omnibus
    @OmnesOmnibus64

    10h
    World at War. And the art series with the nun.

  69. 69.

    Steeplejack

    July 11, 2023 at 1:02 am

    Are You Dave Gorman? (2001; YouTube). Maybe stretching the doc definition a bit. This is based on a show that Gorman did for the Fringe Festival in which he recounted his efforts to find other people named Dave Gorman. It is hilarious.

  70. 70.

    Steeplejack

    July 11, 2023 at 1:06 am

    @RandyG:

    Ah, JustWatch failed me. It’s listed as The Up Series.

  71. 71.

    catbirdman

    July 11, 2023 at 1:06 am

    Seems nobody has mentioned Chimp Empire on Netflix — basically Succession with more empathetic characters. The cinematography is breathtaking — I kept asking myself how this could be possible.

    I also recently caught up with Cul de Sac, a rather interesting film. Here’s the blurb:

    In May 1995, Shawn Nelson, a 35 year-old plumber from Clairemont, California, emerged from an eighteen foot mine shaft he had dug beneath his backyard in search for gold. An ex-soldier and methamphetamine abuser, he stole a tank from a nearby National Guard armory and went on a rampage through the residential streets of his neighborhood, crushing cars and lampposts until the cops took him down. CUL DE SAC goes far beyond this apparently minor news story and provides extensive political, economic and social context that ties Nelson’s life to the larger story of a working class community in decline. Newsreels of a fat, happy San Diego in the 50s and 60s, the perfect representation of middle class aspirations for economic prosperity, are juxtaposed with contemporary images of shuttered defense plants, jobless blue-collar suburbanites, drug abusers, and police on patrol. Statements from police, historians and real estate agents sketch out the rise and fall of this military-fueled boomtown, and trace the area’s social ills back to World War II, the Vietnam War and recent layoffs.

  72. 72.

    thruppence

    July 11, 2023 at 1:10 am

    Netflix has Abstract: The Art of Design – a two season documentary series where each episode explores the work and methods of one particular artist or designer. A deep dive into talent even for those of us who haven’t got it.

  73. 73.

    meander

    July 11, 2023 at 1:11 am

    The PBS documentary series Soundbreaking which looks at music production.  One episode is about sampling, and how the rap / hip hop artists used it to create their background music.  Other topics include recording innovations of the Beatles, the rise of music videos, how Stevie Wonder used some of the first synthesizers in the 1970s.  Tons of big names tell their stories.
    American Experience’s “Circus”, about the hugely important cultural influence of the circus in the U.S.  In the early 20th century, the biggest circuses required 100 train cars to transport people, animals, and equipment (and most of them were driven by exploitation of animals and humans).

    “Summer of Soul,” a remarkable documentary about the 1969 Harlem music festival, a multi-week event in Mt. Morris Park in Harlem.  Outstanding footage of performers and crowd, context about 1969 with archival footage. Director Questlove did some interviews on NPR’s Fresh Air about the production.

    “Fiddler:  Miracle of Miracles”: a fantastic documentary about the birth and life of Fiddler On The Roof.

  74. 74.

    Grover Gardner

    July 11, 2023 at 1:12 am

    Herb and Dorothy is a terrific doc about an ordinary NYC couple living in a one bedroom apartment who amassed one of the most extraordinary collections of modern art ever.

  75. 75.

    AJ of the Mustard Search and Rescue Team

    July 11, 2023 at 1:18 am

    Break Point on Netflix. I’m not even a big sports fan but this was great watching.

  76. 76.

    Tehanu

    July 11, 2023 at 1:20 am

    The Pacific: In the Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill is absolutely wonderful. It’s the history from the point of view of the people of the Pacific, not the explorers.

    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8966970/

  77. 77.

    NotMax

    July 11, 2023 at 1:24 am

    A few.

    Prime/Freevee: Impossible Peace, Westinghouse: The Life and Times of an American Icon, The Outrageous Sophie Tucker, EXPO: Magic of the White City, The World’s Greatest Fair, Meet the Romans with Mary Beard.

    Tubi or Kanopy: The Catcher Was a Spy, EXPO: Magic of the White City.

    Tubi: The Hitler Chronicles.

  78. 78.

    Casey

    July 11, 2023 at 1:44 am

    An unexpected documentary about David Bowie, told in his words and songs without narration – MoonAge Daydream.  Not what you’re expecting, and the more intimate for it.

  79. 79.

    catbirdman

    July 11, 2023 at 1:49 am

    @BR: Thanks for the recommendation — watching Into Eternity now. Amazing and eye-opening.

  80. 80.

    David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch

    July 11, 2023 at 1:55 am

    Once in a Lifetime: the Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos (youtube)

  81. 81.

    Ruckus

    July 11, 2023 at 2:01 am

    @Steeplejack:

    I’ve personally known people with my name.

    A family lived in the town next to us, father same first and last name and middle initial. Son had same name as dad, but he’s the II, not junior, and so am I. There is also another vet at the same VA clinic I use who has the same last name, first initial and same last 4 SS#s as I do, which is how we are ID’ed.

  82. 82.

    Eric K

    July 11, 2023 at 2:05 am

    Anything by Werner Herzog.

    Showtime’s music documentaries are generally good, the most recent one I saw was on Ronnie James Dio

    Netflix has one on Quiet Riot that is surprisingly interesting

  83. 83.

    catbirdman

    July 11, 2023 at 2:09 am

    @Eric K: Did you see the parody last year? Hilarious IMO.

  84. 84.

    BR

    July 11, 2023 at 2:10 am

    @catbirdman:

    You’re welcome!

  85. 85.

    HumboldtBlue

    July 11, 2023 at 2:11 am

    @Grover Gardner:

    Herb and Dorothy is a terrific doc

    This is why we read this blog.

  86. 86.

    NotMax

    July 11, 2023 at 2:12 am

    One mote.

    YouTube: Destination: Titan.

  87. 87.

    LesGS

    July 11, 2023 at 2:13 am

    @catbirdman: That was quite a thing here in San Diego. My kids were in their early teens when that went down. When we heard that he’d been shot and killed inside the tank after getting it stuck on the center divider of 805, my older teen, disturbed by that, asked, “Did he have a gun?” (He didn’t.) The younger looked at her and said flatly, “He had a tank.“

  88. 88.

    NotMax

    July 11, 2023 at 2:20 am

    Triggered another documentary memory.

    Tubi or Kanopy or Filmrise: Irwin & Fran. (Trailer.)

  89. 89.

    NotMax

    July 11, 2023 at 2:24 am

    #86

    mote = more

  90. 90.

    Brachiator

    July 11, 2023 at 2:27 am

    Historical rock documentary The Wrecking Crew.

    Music lovers will be astonished at the influence The Wrecking Crew wielded over rock and pop music in the 1960s and early 1970s. These unsung instrumentalists were the de-facto backing band on hit records by The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny & Cher, Elvis, The Monkees and many more. These dedicated musicians brought the flair and musicianship that made the American “West Coast Sound” a dominant cultural force around the world.

    A link to the background site. Great photos.

  91. 91.

    eclare

    July 11, 2023 at 2:30 am

    Just started Wham! on Netflix about the group.

  92. 92.

    prostratedragon

    July 11, 2023 at 2:36 am

    Just found in a tab: The Picture-Taker, PBS. About Ernest Withers, an iconic photojournalist of the Civil Rights movement who turned out also to be an FBI informant. Also, Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story, about the Michaelsons, who had huge but largely uncredited influence on Hollywood movies for several decades. She was a researcher, mainly for art departments, and he was a storyboard illustrator, art decorator, and production designer. And American Masters: Tyrus, about the animation artist Tyrus Wong. Both rentable at Prime, $3.99.

    On youtube, The “Dambusters”, about the British mission to destroy the Ruhr valley dams in 1943. Traces back to the inception of the mission years before.

  93. 93.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    July 11, 2023 at 2:44 am

    Dead thread? In case it’s not, here are two about a couple of ladies who were so much more than the parts they played: Woman In Motion (Nichelle Nichols) and Bombshell (Hedy Lamarr).

    There was a great one a couple years ago about Ingrid Bergman too. Ah yes (thanks Google) Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words.

    Now to try to get back to sleep.

  94. 94.

    oldster

    July 11, 2023 at 3:05 am

    “Muster Dogs* is an Australian production about training herding dogs — kelpies. The format comes from Great British Bake-off, but the task is to take a young 3-mo. puppy and train it to be a working dog in just 9 months.

    Four episodes. If you like dogs, you’ll like the series.

  95. 95.

    catbirdman

    July 11, 2023 at 3:16 am

    @LesGS: These conspiracy-minded works are consistently intriguing and frustrating. I’m listening to the audio book of Chameleo right now, by Robert Guffey, an English professor at Cal State Long Beach. He was interviewed by Marc Maron last week re: his new book on QAnon. I am interested enough that I bought a print copy of his current book, but do not expect any kind of answer from it :)

  96. 96.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    July 11, 2023 at 3:19 am

    Paris Is Burning (Jenny Livingstone, 1990) (IMDb, Wiki) – Great documentary about the late 1980’s drag and vogueing scene in NYC.

    From Wikipedia:

    Upon its release, the documentary received exceptionally good reviews from critics and won several awards including a Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, a Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Bear,[23] an audience award from the Toronto International Film Festival, a GLAAD Media Award, a Women in Film Crystal Award, a Best Documentary award from the Los Angeles, New York, and National Film Critics’ Circles, and it also was named as one of 1991’s best films by the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, Time magazine, and others.

    In spite of the many positive reactions and film awards earned, Paris Is Burning did not receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature that year. This generated accusations that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was homophobic and transphobic … which in turn led to changes on how documentaries are nominated for the Academy Awards.

  97. 97.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    July 11, 2023 at 3:21 am

    He’p me, he’p me! I’m stuck in Moderationville!

    Please to be releasing me from modererating.

    (Not sure why. Suspect a quote from Wikipedia exceeded the site’s link limit.)

  98. 98.

    Kathleen

    July 11, 2023 at 3:50 am

    The Keepers on Netflix. The subject matter is fascinating, as well as the story about how and why this documentary was made. Ultimately, it’s a story about the bonds of friendship and love for Sister Catherine.

    The impact this documentary had on the laws regarding sexual abuse is here:

    https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-keepers-summary

    This resonated with me personally because I attended an all girls Catholic high school in St. Paul, Minnesota and graduated a couple of years before these women did. I relate to the love they had for Sister Catherine and how that bonded them years later.

    For many of the teenage girls who attended Baltimore’s Archbishop Keough High School in the late ’60s, Sister Catherine “Cathy” Cesnik was a revelation. Young and kind, she was a dynamic educator who loved poetry and music. She was also a friend, mentor and — perhaps most importantly — a confidant.

    The Keepers, a 2017 documentary series directed by Ryan White, suggests that what Cesnik was told in confidence by her students — specifically about the horrific sexual abuse they said they endured at the hands of the school’s chaplain and guidance counselor Father Joseph Maskell — could be what led to the young nun’s still-unsolved 1969 murder.

     

  99. 99.

    sab

    July 11, 2023 at 3:51 am

    This list should keep Cole running for weeks.  Me too.

  100. 100.

    sab

    July 11, 2023 at 3:56 am

    @LesGS: Good point. Tank is more than a gun.

  101. 101.

    catbirdman

    July 11, 2023 at 4:04 am

    @LesGS: The question is whether the military has been experimenting with psy-ops on the tweaker population — knowing that they are inherently fabulist/unreliable, and therefore easily dismissed. Were the police justified in shooting the unarmed driver of a tank that was essentially inoperable, did the killing serve a larger purpose, or was it some combination? Having only started down this rabbit-hole myself, I really don’t have a firm opinion at this point.

  102. 102.

    eclare

    July 11, 2023 at 5:04 am

    I can’t believe that I forgot The Barkley Marathons.  A grueling marathon set in East TN with some unusual quirks.

    https://barkleymovie.com

    In 25 years, ten people have finished it, according to the trailer, although I think I read a couple of people finished this year.

  103. 103.

    geg6

    July 11, 2023 at 6:01 am

    Episodic (there are 6 one-hour episodes) but best true crime doc I’ve ever seen: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.  So freakin’ good that I’ve watched it twice and am thinking about a third round.

  104. 104.

    Whalesnot

    July 11, 2023 at 6:02 am

    @Carlo Graziani: thank you for mentioning “they shall not grow old”. That was one of the most moving and powerful experiences I’ve had in a documentary. It’s like magic, but sad magic.

  105. 105.

    eclare

    July 11, 2023 at 6:06 am

    @geg6:

    Dateline addict here, that looks really good, thanks!  IIRC the author was the wife of Patton Oswalt who died suddenly.

    Just googled, yep.  Interesting, her middle name is my first name, spelled the same way.  It is not a common name.

  106. 106.

    snabby

    July 11, 2023 at 6:33 am

    “Twelve O’clock Boys” is a doc about dirt bike riders in Baltimore. Excellent. Trailer: https://youtu.be/gOMQY6k16TU

    Koyaanisqatsi – haunting and beautiful.

    Agree with @meander about “Summer of Soul.”

  107. 107.

    R-Jud

    July 11, 2023 at 6:44 am

    I was pleasantly surprised by the new documentary about Wham! on Netflix.

  108. 108.

    eclare

    July 11, 2023 at 6:50 am

    @R-Jud:

    I watched that last night, I couldn’t believe those scrapbooks!  And the origin of “Careless Whisper.”

  109. 109.

    HeartlandLiberal

    July 11, 2023 at 7:09 am

    Watch “Magnus,” documentary on the five times world chess champion. It shows how you can grow up healthy even if a genius with great family support.

  110. 110.

    Trivia Man

    July 11, 2023 at 7:35 am

    Intersexion on Prime.
    Actual interviews with actual intersex people and their lived experiences, especially their childhood. A stark demonstration that there are certainly more than 2 genders.

  111. 111.

    Trivia Man

    July 11, 2023 at 7:45 am

    Also on Amazon Prime, a whole series of “The making if…” with dozens of classic albums. I started with Dark Side of the Moon but there many more.

    it might be too wonky- technical for some, they spend a lot of time on technical specifications. But the stories behind the actual songs were of interest to me.

  112. 112.

    evodevo

    July 11, 2023 at 8:23 am

    Bill Moyers’ Trade Secrets has my vote…

    https://billmoyers.com/content/trade-secrets/

  113. 113.

    deekaa6

    July 11, 2023 at 9:33 am

    Attica on Showtime. Filled with the experience and insights of people who were there as well as very real and often painful footage of the riots and the aftermath. Powerful stuff!

  114. 114.

    terraformer

    July 11, 2023 at 10:09 am

    I thought the 3-part (1 hour each) series “Arnold” on Netflix was pretty good, especially if you grew up watching the guy in the 80s. I had no idea he was apparently instrumental in California’s green energy drive. Has his problems, but a pretty amazing individual

  115. 115.

    schrodingers_cat

    July 11, 2023 at 10:19 am

    Watch BBC’s documentary on Modi it is a two parter. 

  116. 116.

    Mrscoachb

    July 11, 2023 at 10:35 am

    “The Day the Music Died” about the Don McLean song “American Pie”….his career, how he wrote it and it’s global impact.   Either Hulu or Paramount Plus

  117. 117.

    dexwood

    July 11, 2023 at 10:36 am

    @oldster: My wife found this series about six weeks ago while searching for something to watch. We adopted a Kelpie about seven months ago and gleaned some insight into our lovely, wonderful dog, Maggie.

  118. 118.

    RA

    July 11, 2023 at 10:42 am

    Nat Geo series, “Extraordinary Birder With Christian Cooper” and PBS series Miriam and Alan Lost in Scotland
    I don’t know if they are considered documentaries but they are fun and interesting.

  119. 119.

    Sebastian

    July 11, 2023 at 10:51 am

    @Carlo Graziani:

    I loved They shall not grow old so much, I watched it three times.

    i am surprised nobody has recommended “Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men”. A superb four part documentary of the Wu-Tang Clan.

  120. 120.

    Mike in NC

    July 11, 2023 at 11:03 am

    @Sebastian:  Great piece of work by Jackson. I first saw it in the UK a few years ago. Now available on Netflix.

  121. 121.

    Skepticat

    July 11, 2023 at 11:03 am

    “It’s a Potcake Life.” This is personal to me, as it’s about the Royal Bahamian potcake rescue/foster program with which I was involved. You’d even get a glimpse of my tiny island. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW6WMGEh-kw

  122. 122.

    Seth

    July 11, 2023 at 11:14 am

    100 Foot Wave.  Big wave surfing documentary series on Max (formerly HBO).  It is incredible.  One of the best documentaries I have ever seen.  You’ve never seen waves like this, let alone people surfing on them.

  123. 123.

    Gravie

    July 11, 2023 at 11:51 am

    Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him?) Fabulous.

  124. 124.

    VFX Lurker

    July 11, 2023 at 11:55 am

    Class Action Park (2020) — the story of a New Jersey water park with lax (and lethal) safety standards. Available on [HBO] Max.

    Deepsea Challenge (2014) — With the help of a good team, director James Cameron dives ~35,000 feet solo to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean and returns safely. Available on multiple streaming services. If your library has Kanopy access, you can stream this for free.

  125. 125.

    chrisanthemama

    July 11, 2023 at 1:05 pm

    “Crip Camp”:  Crip Camp – Wikipedia.  “Grey Gardens”:  Grey Gardens – Wikipedia.  And then “Documentary Now” ‘s spin on Grey Gardens:  Documentary Now! 2015 S01E01 Sandy Passage – YouTube

  126. 126.

    gluon1

    July 11, 2023 at 1:17 pm

    It’s from 2008 and probably largely familiar news to this crew but Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story, is a fascinating take on one of the architects of the current GOP style. It appears to be on Prime Video, YouTube, and lots of other places.

  127. 127.

    Shana

    July 11, 2023 at 1:29 pm

    @catbirdman: The Documentary Now parody of the recording of the original Company soundtrack is also terrific.

  128. 128.

    Manyakitty

    July 11, 2023 at 1:34 pm

    @dexwood: freaking love this. I watch it regularly and the Jesse Ed Davis part is always a gut punch.

  129. 129.

    Manyakitty

    July 11, 2023 at 1:55 pm

    @Steeplejack: Crumb is fantastic.

  130. 130.

    Manyakitty

    July 11, 2023 at 1:58 pm

    @Steeplejack: following on from that, Dave Gorman’s Googlewhack Adventure is a hoot.

  131. 131.

    JerrytheMacGuy

    July 11, 2023 at 2:01 pm

    @Carlo Graziani: My wife and I saw “They Shall Not Grow Old” in a movie theater (part of the Fathom Events series), it’s first-run in the U.S. When it ended, there was complete silence by the audience. Everyone stayed to watch the “Making of” feature afterwards.

    Brilliant film making.

  132. 132.

    Manyakitty

    July 11, 2023 at 2:04 pm

    Too late to edit my last comment on this here dead thread, but also recommend Scorsese’s Living in the Material World about George Harrison. So good

  133. 133.

    JerrytheMacGuy

    July 11, 2023 at 2:12 pm

    Not documentaries or streaming series, but I recommend some of the FREE online lecture course taught by noted Yale professors. Over the last year,  I have “taken” courses in American and European History and Religious Studies. I particularly enjoyed the history courses taught by Joanne Freeman and John Merriman, but David Blight’s “The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845-1876” course is truly exceptional. Blight is an excellent lecturer and the course is relevant to our current political situation in the U.S.

    https://oyc.yale.edu/courses

  134. 134.

    dexwood

    July 11, 2023 at 2:25 pm

    @Manyakitty: So true. So sad. Such a talented guy. We own the dvd and watch it at least twice a year. I’ve suggested Rumble two or three times here in recent years. There are a few real surprises in it.

  135. 135.

    phein64

    July 11, 2023 at 2:28 pm

    The PBS series “Native America” from 2018 explores how different cultures generate knowledge of their place(s) in the cosmos.

    Narrated by Robbie Robertson, who says my wife’s name (she appears briefly).   I think that’s what she wants on her tombstone:  “Robbie Robertson said my name!”

    There is a season two coming in October.

  136. 136.

    Eric K

    July 11, 2023 at 6:10 pm

    @catbirdman: yeah, every Documentary Now episode is a great companion to watch after the Doc it’s based on

  137. 137.

    SWMBO

    July 11, 2023 at 6:51 pm

    Any of the Walking With Dinosaurs or Prehistoric Planet series. William loves dinosaurs. I liked Pole to Pole with Michael Palin. Grave of the Fireflies is gutting but still very good. Connections with James Burke. All three series were great.

  138. 138.

    catbirdman

    July 13, 2023 at 1:11 am

    @Shana: Totally agree! I watched it twice :)

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