Is This The Real Life? Documentaries You Love

[foxportions]

Has anyone seen the documentary, Crumb, about the life of R. Crumb, the cartoonist? Good documentary...don't know how I feel about the subject.

I know - I thought it was interesting and a great documentary, but it made me really uncomfortable too. Robert Crumb is fascinating because he's so talented, but his misogynistic tendencies and underlying hostility are quite disturbing. I still don't know how I feel about him, but I admire the filmmakers for exploring both the positive and negative.

I really enjoyed Journeys With George , which is more of a video diary than a documentary technically but terribly entertaining.

[zuckerbaby]

I saw Thin Blue Line in high school, when I was studying documentary filmmaking. Just an amazing, thought provoking film.

And add me to the Up series fandom - Michael Apted is still up and about, so hoping to see 49Up soon. Often wondered what will happen when he's no longer around, whether the subjects of the series would be comfortable to take part without him.

Has anyone seen Devil's Playground, about Amish teenagers going through Rumspringa (a rite of passage starting at 16)? They go out into the modern world before they choose whether or not to commit to the Amish life. It's really fascinating to see what they do with their time before (and after) making the choice.

[Deleted]

Devil's Playground was fascinating. How these kids are allowed so much freedom before they choose to become Amish or not was such a great story. Interesting to see the kids who choose to go back to the Amish and why. Compelling.

I thought Riding Giants was so well made. The old footage of the 50's and the 60's kids having so much fun and living to surf was making me jealous. Also, I have relatives who live in Hawaii and when the surf is on the whole place shuts down to go to Wainai Bay and watch. It's exciting to see the few surfers who can paddle out. It takes forever and I can totally see why tow in became popular. And I love the "Bull" - that guy can tell a story.

[proper stranger]

FoxPortions on Crumb:

I thought it was interesting and a great documentary, but it made me really uncomfortable too.

I remember watching this in a film class in college and I felt the same way. We watched it with The Elephant Man. Talk about a good-time double feature.

The Fog of War and The Thin Blue Line are two favorites. I've always wanted to see Fast, Cheap & Out of Control, but never remember to rent it.

I rented The Yes Men this weekend. Perhaps not the most technically brilliant piece of filmmaking, but thought-provoking and very funny.

[vacationland]

Crumb also skeeved me out a bit...thoroughly unlikable yet oddly fascinating character.

Amen to the Errol Morris recommendations, and also to Grey Gardens, which was weirdly compelling.

O/T VacationLand Where were you? I was right beside Clapham Common...

O/T I was all over the place: West Hampstead, Camden, Notting Hill, Brixton, and a couple of different places in East London (Bow & Stratford). I was a student and a few of those were sublets...I travelled light and moved around a lot in those days. My sister and her family lived in Richmond for a few years as well, so I also got to know that neighborhood a bit.

[indygirl]

I really enjoyed The Farm, which followed three (or four?) prisoners throughout their days in Angola state prison in Louisiana. Very sobering.

I also remember a doc about child beauty pageants that followed a little girl named Swann. I really enjoyed that show. I found it almost as depressing as the one set in Angola.

[hasbro]

I also remember a doc about child beauty pageants that followed a little girl named Swann. I really enjoyed that show. I found it almost as depressing as the one set in Angola.

I mentioned this at our old home (it was an America Undercover) and someone told me Swan's mother died and she's living with her father in Alaska and out of the pagent circut. I'm strangely relieved.

I think the most absurd moments for me were the infant pagent and the baby with hair extensions winning or the kid with the foot long mullet.

[Neurochick]

I really liked The Fog of War and a new one I saw on HBO, Dope Sick Love, the story of two drug addicted couples on the streets of New York.

[garnet927]

Two of my favorite documentaries from the 90's are Paris is Burning and Hoop Dreams. I'm very excited that Criterion is releasing an extras filled version of Hoop Dreams in May.

[Deleted]

Wow, I thought Netflix had a good documentary selection but they don't have half of the films mentioned here! Bummer.

I saw Word Wars over the weekend. Loved it. The fact that there are people that devote their entire lives to kicking ass at Scrabble makes me completely appreciate all of humanity.