Documentaries

[Benal]

Metal: A Headbanger's Journey - Sam Dunn is a 30-year old anthropologist who wrote his graduate thesis on the plight of Guatemalan refugees. Recenly he has decided to study the plight of a different culture, one he has been a part of since he was a 12-year old: the culture of heavy metal. Sam sets out on a global journey to find out why this music has been consistently stereotyped, dismissed and condemned and yet is loved so passionately by its millions of fans. Along the way, Sam explores metals' obsession with some of life's most provacative subjects - sexuality, religion, violence and death - and discovers some things about the culture that even he can't defend. Shot on location in the UK, Germany, Norway, Canada and the US, this documentary is the first of its kind. It is both a defense of a long-misunderstood art form and a window for the outsider into the spectacle that is heavy metal.

Tokyo Girls - Tokyo Girls is a candid journey into the world of four young Canadian women who work as well-paid hostesses in exclusive Japanese nightclubs. Lured by adventure and easy money, these modern-day geisha find themselves caught up in the mizu shobai - the complex "floating water world" of Tokyo clubs and bars. Drawn by fast money, some women become consumed by the lavish lifestyle and forget why they came. One hostess calls it "losing the plot." With a pulsating visual style, Tokyo Girls captures the raw energy of urban Japan and its fascination with the new. Shot in Canada, Osaka and Tokyo, this is a riveting inside look at the impact of the "economy geisha." Desired mainly for her looks, the hostess is rapidly replacing the cultural institution of geisha - women trained in the ancient art of traditional entertainment.

[Abones]

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Metal: A Headbanger's Journey - Sam Dunn is a 30-year old anthropologist who wrote his graduate thesis on the plight of Guatemalan refugees. Recenly he has decided to study the plight of a different culture, one he has been a part of since he was a 12-year old: the culture of heavy metal. Sam sets out on a global journey to find out why this music has been consistently stereotyped, dismissed and condemned and yet is loved so passionately by its millions of fans. Along the way, Sam explores metals' obsession with some of life's most provacative subjects - sexuality, religion, violence and death - and discovers some things about the culture that even he can't defend. Shot on location in the UK, Germany, Norway, Canada and the US, this documentary is the first of its kind. It is both a defense of a long-misunderstood art form and a window for the outsider into the spectacle that is heavy metal.

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I loved Metal: A Headbanger's Journey His interviews in the film are great. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys metal and/or documentaries.

Has anyone seen Kurosawa: A Documentary on the Acclaimed Director It is in my Netflix queue currently.

[Razor]

Mad Hot Ballroom - Documentary about NYC public school students who participate in the program where they learn to ballroom dance and participate in a ballroom dance competition. I liked this one a ton.



these two aren't for the homophobic

Gay Sex in the 70's - a look at the gay scene in NYC during the 70's.

That Guy: Peter Berlin - the life and times of photographer/model Peter Berlin.

[Ser William]

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Paradise Lost
Berlinger and Sinofsky's documentary of a gruesome triple murder in West Memphis, Arkansas and the subsequent trials of three suspects, takes a hard look at both the occult and the American justice system in 'small-town' America. Three teenagers are accused of this horrific crime of killing three children, supposedly as a result of involvement in Satanism. As in their previous documentary, things turn out to be more complex than initial appearances and this film presents the real-life courtroom drama to the viewer, as it unfolds.

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I'd like to reiterate how good this was. I would be surprised if anyone could watch this and not come away thinking that the kids convicted of murder aren't innocent.

[waarior]

The Boys of Baraka - Kind of surprised that this has not been mentioned. Follows four inner-city youths from Baltimore who are accepted into the Baraka school in Kenya. A school founded "to give "at-risk" African- American boys from Baltimore a chance to learn academically and grow personally in an environment far removed from their troubled neighborhoods." Excellent.

The Man Who Knew viewable here Frontline documentary on John O'Neill. FBI counter-terrorism official and authority on Al Qaeda in the 90's. He repeatedly warned of a the danger from Bin Laden. Chafed against the FBI bureaucracy and was head of security at the WTC on 9/11.

The Beauty Academy of Kabul American women who start a Beauty parlor in Kabul in 2003. Provides a welcome view of life in Kabul after the Taliban. Worth a viewing if interested in current affairs etc.. but otherwise so-so.

Have to echo other posters who said Touching the Void Awesome survival story.

[J.A.Sucker]

Two more great ones I just thought of:

Hands on a Hardbody About this crazy contest in Texas to win a Nissan Hardbody pickup. A great insight into the human psyche. One of the yokel-type dudes has some tremendous words of wisdom that most would think he's incapable of articulating. A great film.

Trekkies All about Star Trek geeks. Some horrifying stuff in there. Kind of painful to see how pathetic people are, but if it makes you happy and doesn't hurt anyone, who cares?

[DeezNuts]

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Two more great ones I just thought of:

Hands on a Hardbody About this crazy contest in Texas to win a Nissan Hardbody pickup. A great insight into the human psyche. One of the yokel-type dudes has some tremendous words of wisdom that most would think he's incapable of articulating. A great film.

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This one is great. Even though the production quality is pretty poor, the characters are extremely entertaining(po' Southern trash). Not available yet on DVD, though.

DN

[Jackal69]

these are all worth seeing:

enron - smartest guys in the room
wallmart - high cost of low prices
biggie and tupac (plus other nick broomfield stuff)
death in gaza
mclibel
put the needle on the record
riding giants
dogtown and z boys
the corporation
capturing the friedmans
tupac resurection

also everyone should watch the Loose change film on 9/11

http://www.loosechange911.com/lcfc.htm

[housenuts]

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cocaine cowboys - chronicles the cocaine trafficking boom in miami during the 70s/80s. features interviews with the two biggest transporters and one of the top enforcers. exposes a number of key figures who are largely unknown and dispells the myth that pablo escobar was the top dog in the business. a compelling mix of news footage and interviews. this was the best of the bunch - really awesome.

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this is my first post in your forum. i downloaded this movie on the other week on a whim. never heard of it before but i loved the movie Blow, so this sounded good. i watched it about it week ago and man was it awesome. i probably would have been a coke smuggler if i was that age in the 70s

[housenuts]

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Holy crap I just realized no one's mentioned Endless Summer yet. One of my favorite films--documentary or not. The stuff in Africa where they surf with some of the locals and become the first people to surf a pristine beach are highlights.

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this is an awesome surf flic. also worth watching is Endless Summer II, Riding Giants (note my location) and Step Into Liquid.

of a similar genre is Dogtown and Z-Boys

also instead of making another new post:
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Project Grizzly

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awesome! i don't know where to find it though. some guys brought it into my marketing class like 5 years ago and we watched most of it. i can't remember at all how it tied into the class, but it was hilarious and wicked.

also el d you mentioned Why We Fight. it's pretty dec. i'd call it the 'military industrial complex' rather than the 'military industrial' complex though.

peace