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Documentary Thread #2


Egg Shen

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The ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries are so good that I'm now watching (and enjoying) them about sports which I have no interest in.

 

Coincidentally I've just spent the last two weeks watching a load of these documentaries after stumbling across them on US Netflix. They're great, aren't they? I haven't seen the Gretzky one yet but the Tyson/Hollyfield episode is the first one I watched and definitely recommend. The Foxcatcher episode is tremendous too, and the Two Escobars, OJ Simpson and Tonya Harding episodes are all great. I've been a bit reluctant to bother with the US sports episodes but I'll definitely give the Gretzky one a go since I at least know who he is.
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If you're looking for the more sadder ones, I'd suggest "Without (Len) Bias" and "Tim Richmond: To the Limit". I'm man enough to say that I shed a tear at these two.

 

I'd stay away from the "Marion Jones" one directed by John Singleton. It's regarded as the worst one. Basically a fluff piece promoting the shit out of her, trying to make her into the second coming of Christ. It's amazing she wasn't parting the Red Sea and making water into wine in it. Horrible, cringe-worthy watch.

Edited by bAzTNM#1
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Watched dinosaur 13 on sky Atlantic through the week, and it's also up on Netflix

 

Basically making a murderer but about a dinosaur skeleton. Americas legal system is such a stich up

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re: the ESPN films, you should watch Catching Hell, about the lad who caught the baseball in (I think) the Championship game. I found it quite sinister, and compelling.

 

The Dotted Line by Morgan Spurlock is great as well...

 

Anyway, has anyone seen Salafistes? It's a French documentary about the Islamic State and their recruitment, and life in the group. Has proven massively controversial, and has just been given an 18 certificate in France.

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If you're looking for the more sadder ones, I'd suggest "Without (Len) Bias" and "Tim Richmond: To the Limit". I'm man enough to say that I shed a tear at these two.

 

I'd stay away from the "Marion Jones" one directed by John Singleton. It's regarded as the worst one. Basically a fluff piece promoting the shit out of her, trying to make her into the second coming of Christ. It's amazing she wasn't parting the Red Sea and making water into wine in it. Horrible, cringe-worthy watch.

Ha! I was about to post the same thing about the Marion Jones one. Singleton's quite clearly in love with her.

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Echo the praise for the ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries. I've seen the majority of them, I think one of the best one's I've seen is Brian & The Boz, which is about an American Footballer called Brian Bosworth who created an alter superego on the Gridiron. There are some sad episodes too like those mentioned and "Guru of Go" which covers the passing of Hank Gathers. I'm not sure what the most recent one ESPN/BT Sports have shown, I think it must be the "The Prince of Pennsylvania" as the other ones they show are repeats. Have they showed the Tyson/Holyfield one or the one about the Bills?. Kinda off-topic but Sky Sports ondemand have some good NFL documentaries/specials too like about Joe Namath et al in the similar vein to the 30 for 30 documentaries. 

Edited by Really Big Shoe
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Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films is on Film4 this Friday night.

Saw this the other week on Netflix. A real stroll down memory lane for me. Would have benefitted from being a lot longer

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Is that the one that they say they couldn't stop Sylvia Kristel doing Coke during the filming of "Mati Hari"? Claim she was fucked up all the time and you can see Coke on her nose in the film? Pretty obvious she is being held up during certain scenes.

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Like everyone else in December, I watched Making a Murderer. Who pops up on Facebook to offer their POV? Orc-botherer Peter Jackson. He helped finance a film along with a similar story, so I thought I'd watch West of Memphis.

 

It discusses the brutal murder of three young boys. Yet another harrowing and maddening tale of American justice writing it's own story when the truth is blatantly different.

 

Mrs 2 and I sat open mouthed at the end, cheeks damp with tears. A baffling and frustrating story.

 

It's on UK Netflix so it's easy to find. Don't go out and read about it first. Another warning: they're a little too keen on showing the police photos of the corpses (kids are about 9 years old) so be warned if that's a trigger for you.

 

PS It's also the first film I've ever seen on IMDB with no trivia.

 

PPS johnnyboy: lots of Dixie Chicks feature.

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Where did they get the corpse photos? That's what I want to know. Not right at all.

 

I watched one on the U.S. version of MUBI a few days ago. It was directed by Werner Herzog and was all about his turbulent relationship with Klaus Kinski. It was called "My Best Fiend". Cracking stuff.

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