What's the best documentary you've seen?

Conor108

This one springs to mind, probably because it's the last one I watched though. It's pretty good:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mn-1LuLhrw

MerryLegs

Anythin David Attenborough, Unreal!

maudgonner

Saw a Channel 5 documentary (bear with me...it was one of the very, very few decent ones they show!) a number of years ago about conjoined twins in America, Abigail and Brittany Hensel, who are joined at the neck. It's difficult to describe their condition without being crude, but it was as if they each had half a body - each controlled one hand and one leg.

The documentary followed them as they turned 16 and got their driving licences, because, yes, they can somehow drive. And that's what made their story amazing - despite living in this extreme situation they're so normal, and their family are the type of people who live down the road from you. And they see the funny side of things - like if the girls get stopped for speeding, who is the cop going to give the ticket to - the one that controls the accelerator or the one that controls the brake? And that they know down the line that there will be more serious issues to face - what happens when one of them wants to start a relationship? Fascinating human story.

cozar

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Current TV (Sky Ch.183) are showing some great documentaries this month, The King of Kong, Jesus Camp, Biggie & Tupac, Super Size Me etc. They are also showing '50 documentaries to see before you die' which is very good too.

just came across this last week, never knew channel existed. Really enjoying the top 50 know most of them and delighted they showing a few of them during the month. my fav so far is "inside Job".

Bipolar Joe

King Of Kong is a terrible documentary, the amount of editing turned it into a film more than a record of events.

RichieC

Mickey H wrote: »

Seen a repeat of the Anders Behring Brevik documentary on Discovery last night. Thought it was really well put together.

Anywhere i can get this online?

RichieC

Conor108 wrote: »

This one springs to mind, probably because it's the last one I watched though. It's pretty good:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mn-1LuLhrw

Scare mongering pap, tbf.

Deus Ex Machina

Gyalist wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbJsy9MgFVw

Brilliant movie. Athough at first glance it seems to be about cricket, it is about much more than that. In attempting to show how the tiny islands of the Caribbean came to dominate the sport, it also draws together the different strands of racism, self-determination, anti-colonialism and anti-apartheid, and how they impacted on the socio-political climate of the time.

Fantastic documentary. One of the most powerful stories in sporting history.

Standard Toaster

'Senna' hands down.
'IOM TT:3D' a close second
'Anal Invasion III' third

LaVail

Saw one called "The Bridge" Its about suicides that take place on the golden gate bridge. Not for everyone because it actually shows people jumping to their death but I found it interesting.

RichieC

Standard Toaster wrote: »

'Senna' hands down.

Brilliant alright, had a major lump in my throat by the end

Bipolar Joe

The Bridge was a very good documentary, raised a lot of awareness about suicide.

For a decent documentary that isn't King Of Kong, check out Chasing Ghosts. It's far better and has a lot of history in it, very enjoyable.

My name is URL

Watched a great documentary the other night.. Not the best I've ever seen but really engrossing and interesting. It's called Crossing the Line. It's about a US soldier who defected to North Korea in the 60's. Mad stuff altogether. Gives you a rare glimpse of what life is actually like in the place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FmtH0GJKCo

Susannahmia

I watched Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die last week. Great documentary but extremly disturbing and so very sad at the same time.

It was defiantly the most "real", insightful and upsetting documentary I have ever watched.

Blisterman

The Up series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_Series
Unique, in that it's been running since 1964, when the participants were seven, and has released an episode every seven years since looking at how the people's lives have changed.

Takes a while to get through the whole series, and can be repetative as they show older clips but it's fascinating to watch how people both change and stay the same over time.

x_Ellie_x

I watch Air Crash Investigation and some of those episodes are bloody scary! It's frightening how easily a plane can crash, from something as simple as a pilot getting distracted by a member of the crew while doing his pre-flight checklists and forgetting to turn something vital on. One episode featured a plane crash that was caused by the pilot letting his TWELVE YEAR OLD son fly the plane as a birthday present! :eek:

The King of Moo

Just watched Exit Through The Giftshop.

Great film, hilarious, a great, slightly scornful look at the ridiculousness of the art industry and the effect on it of hype and manafactured celebrity, which often seemed like Banksy's soapbox on what he hates about the art world.

I'm absolutely convinced it's not genuine though, I don't think there's that many stupid people who'd consider "Mr. Brainwash" a genuis .

retalivity

there was one i saw years ago on fiorsceal, that irish documentary show on tg4 (dunno if it is still even on...)
Anyway, it was about the chukotkan people living in the extreme far northeast of siberia in russia. was mental.... and quite sad. think about the effect that white people had on the innuit/eskimos in canada, then imagine what the russians done to them and how messed up their lives could become...


edit: turns out that 'fiorsceal chukotka' is also a Googlewhack!

Forest Master

Im Only 71Kg wrote: »

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/

Fail - that site doesn't give a list of Top Documentaries at all. It just has a list of documentaries categorised by genre, and then a few others that they "feature".

Go to IMDB for a proper list in order of ratings.
http://www.imdb.com/chart/documentary

Mensch Maschine

The King Of Kong
Senna
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Billy The Kid
American Movie


All Fantastic!!

punchdrunk

block party

mikemac

The new Bobby Fischer film is excellent

R P McMurphy

HerrScheisse wrote: »

Some great watching mentioned so far!

The Smashing Machine - the tale of a mixed martial artists rise to the top and utter collapse following a brutal addiction to painkillers. HBO at its best.

Trawlermen - an insight into one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. The daily slog, effect on their families and the rush to get their catch to market on time.

Shoah - a labour of love from the director who travelled throughout Europe recording evidence of the holcaust, going so far as to secretly film an SS man (he got a beating for this afterwards). At 10 hours long - with some harrowing interviews, its a hard but rewarding watch.

Watched the smashing machine on your recommendation. Great stuff,

he is now a car salesman in Arizona

yousehername

Has to be "The Fog of War" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fog_of_War an amazing and retrospective look at his own life by Robert S McNamara who was Lyndon B Johnsons secretary of state for defence during the Vietnam War, it raised interesting questions about the morals of war and the choices he made in his time while in office it was amazing ..... (and this is my first post)

jeddie20

Anything about Chernobyl, find everything that happened there, aswell as the aftermath and how it is today and their plans for the future very interesting.

Turtwig

Hubble's Amazing Rescue on NOVA put a whole new perspective on what it is Astronauts do.

ferretone

I second Exit Through The Giftshop

Also Into Eternity, about the Onkalo installation to bury the nuclear waste in Finland. I'd highly recommend this to anyone, whichever side of the nuclear power debate they stand on.

A_Fitz

Great thread, folks!

I recommend checking 'The Vice guide to Liberia'(about the crazy social and political climate in Liberia) and' 'Swansea Lovestory'(about hopeless, desperate drug addicts and their daily lives) on VBS.tv - you won't be disappointed, trust me.

Paully D

The Two Escobars.

It's about Pablo Escobar the drug lord and Andres Escobar the famous footballer.

It tells the story of how Pablo gained power and had put lots of money into football. Columbia were one of the favourites to win the World Cup. A lot of criminals had bet big money on Columbia and Andres unfortunately scored the own goal which knocked them out. He was murdered shortly afterwards.

It's an excellent documentary and worth a watch even if you don't like football.

KittyeeTrix

Just watching Current TV now where they are showing the top 50 documentaries you should see before you die..... Watching 'Gasland', documentary about the pollution of drinking water in American states following natural gas drilling…
Mental watching some residents set fire to the water running out of their kitchen taps:eek: