Is This The Real Life? Documentaries You Love

[Deleted]

Beats the hell out of my elementary school upbringing here down south. We had to do Square Dancing with music played through those scratchy awful suitcase sized recordplayers.

OT: We did line dancing in elementary and highschool.

[Deleted]

My fave still is People of the Forest, about Dr. Jane Goodall spending years watching a group of Chimps in Africa because they seemed almost human. One chimp, who was really close to his mother, dies soon after his mother dies. He was so lonely without her and he refused to leave her side even days after her death.

[Deleted]

I just watched Stevie based on the recommendations from this board. Wow. It is very moving. You feel sorry for what he's been through but at the same time, there's not much sympathy for what he's done. Also, I found it very interesting how different his life was from his sister's. I realize she had a little more TLC growing up than he did but they both dealt with the same things: Beatings, sexual abuse, problems with mom. Sister was fine and he was far from it.

[Deleted]

Was she really fine, though? Or did she just put a better face on her predicament? One of the things I still wonder about.

[Deleted]

Yeah, I see what you mean. I guess I used "fine" in the sense that she had all of her own teeth, had been married for years, was holding down a job and had a fairly nice looking home. But yeah, maybe there were some mental problems. She's obviously still angry at her mom otherwise she would have been in the delivery room no matter how bad her asthma is but she wasn't and her mother-in-law was. Also, I don't think it is really that healthy to keep your sexual abuser around throughout your life and even give him his checks but she did.

But she was a functioning member of society who hadn't been in jail so that's something. I guess.

Stevie's girlfriend worried me quite a bit though. To me it seemed like she was mentally challenged in many ways. She deserves better than Stevie.

[razzy]

agreed. Stevie's girlfriend was definitely mentally impaired, and he took advantage of that. While I believ she really did love him, I would be concerned for any woman marrying a man with this type of history, especially one who is not fully functional. The scene of them in the dance club (in Denver?) spoke volumes to me about how out of control he can get and how he disregards her feelings.

I have Promises at home right now. I saw it in the theater a few years ago. Mostly I netflixed it so mr. razzy could check it out.

[Deleted]

Last night, Cinemax premiered The Children of Leningradsky which, I believe, was nominated for an Academy Award last year or the year before. Anyway, if there was a movie I could flip some switch and unsee, it would be this one. The subject matter, the homeless children in the Moscow train station, was HORRIBLE. I mean, like rip your heart out stuff. Apparently there are 300,000 homeless children in Russia and a majority of them live and beg in or around this train station. These poor, poor children -- caked in filth, violent, huffing glue -- some of them as young as 8! WTF? I don't know anything about Russian society, but what the hell is going on there that allows this indecency to happen?

I also saw a doc called Children Underground (I think) on Cinemax a few years ago -- basically the same deal -- kids in Romania (?) living on the streets -- having to beg and trade sex for cash. Stomach-churning horror.

[fanatic]

If anyone is a music junkie...I just watched DiG! about The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre...and it was fucking great. Really desperate and amazing. The dichotomy between the bands is really interesting. I'll admit though, watching self destructive people is pretty difficult. It was cringeworthy at times.

Also, Spend an Evening With Saddle Creek. It's great if you enjoy their music and the whole evolution of indie record labels...

I'd recomend DiG! for any 'ole music fan, but Saddle Creek would probably only be interesting to those who are pretty hardcore.

[emersende]

Fanatic, I'm so glad I finally checked this thread! I saw DiG! a few months ago and found it completely engrossing. Later I read a recent interview with Anton Newcombe, and he said that he didn't like the way he was presented as the bad guy in the movie. I don't think that was the case at all. After hearing that his father committed suicide, I was just glad that Anton is still around.

I also kind of liked the things that the film brought out about selling out, fame, financial success, etc.

[workgeordie]

My girlfriend bought the DiG! DVD and I absolutely loved it when I watched it for the first time. I cannot believe that there are 3(!) separate audio commentaries on it.

If I had any criticism (and I really was looking hard) then that the movie is about 10 minutes too long, especially the ending dragged on a bit. But otherwise a highly recommended documentary.