So, with the relative success of the last one and my stringent rule against comparing documentaries and narrative films (except when the documentary is so fictional as to warrant such a comparison), I'll just do this once again. This is more a list of all documentaries I saw the past year, regardless of when it came out or where I saw it. It will be listed in terms of how much I recommend it. So, without further delay:
Won't You Be My Neighbor (2018)
This year's most- hyped up documentary, with good reason. Focusing on the life of Fred McFeely Rogers, host of PBS's Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, the documentary avoids a straight-forward hagiography and simple timeline in favor of a full exploration of Mr. Rogers and how innovative his approach with teaching children really was. His patience, kindness, and understanding was what made him so endearing to both children and adults. Refusing to deify him and focusing on his weaknesses and insecurities as well as his strengths, ultimately, the film shows how we, in spite of our imperfections, all could follow his example. His message of understanding the inherent value in being a person is sorely needed at a time like this.
Wild, Wild Country (2018)
From the best in humanity, we go to some of the worse. I had passing familiarity with the story of the Rajneesh cult and its conflict in Oregon, so seeing a full, detailed look into it was illuminating. What began as what appears to be another run-of-the-mill guru led cult is hijacked into a plot to seize complete control of a city through voting and land ownership, and the attempts by the locals to stop it. It is truly shocking the lengths Rajneesh cult (and, in particular, the Rajneesh's assistant Ma Anand Sheela) went to secure this goal are astounding, and need to be seen to be believed. Especially enlightening was the interviews with the remaining followers, who try to justify or deny everything that happened, in spite of its escalation
An Open Secret (2014)
Another example in the worst in humanity, this film is an exploration of paedophilia within high ranking circles in Hollywood, told by the victims and their friends and family. It shows just how disgusting individuals within these sorts of stratified institutions are protected by their connections. Whilst parts of the doc are a tad vague and underexplained (likely owing to legal issues), enough is said to be really outrageous. With the ongoing revelations of metoo and growing awareness of sexual assault in Hollywood, this is perhaps more timely than ever.
In Search of Steve Ditko (2007)
Onto lighter topics, this is an old favorite of mine that I had seen before. I will list docs I've seen before this year, (unless they were noted on a previous list) and I wanted to highlight this one in particular with the passing of Steve Ditko this year. Host Jonathan Ross explores Ditko's life and career, seeing how his crude, brutal artwork made Spider-Man such an enduring character to this day, and showing his expansive creativity when making other characters, such as Dr. Strange, his political avatar Mr.A, or the various characters he created for Charlton Comics and DC, all with his distinctly Objectivist political edge. All the while, Ross interviews a variety of comics fans, scholars, and writers, including Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Mark Millar, as well as Ditko associates like John Romita, Sr., his former editor Cat Yronwode, and estranged Spider-Man co-creator the late Stan Lee. Finally, Ross and Gaiman track the reclusive Ditko to his New York studio, where they meet off-camera. I can think of no better intro to comics than this, which shows the work of the medium's finest artist.
She Makes Comics (2014)
Except maybe this. Focusing exclusively on various women that have worked in all parts of the comics industry (whether mainstream, alternative, independent, the comic strips), interviewing personalities like Marie Severin, Trinia Robbins, Wendy Pini, and G. Willow Wilson, this explores an underappreciated part of comics history, showing the triumphs and struggles many of these women went through both in mainstream and underground comics, and the staggering impact many of them had on the medium. It is simply a great documentary.
Bill Nye: Science Guy (2017)
Another doc on a PBS star, though one where he's living and can discuss his life. Again, one that focuses both on Nye's strengths as a science communicator and his battle with pseudoscience, and his own personal struggles, particular with his family, and the prevading sense of failure as pseudoscience continues to exist even as he battles it. It is far more than I expected, and will show a side of Bill Nye that many don't often get to see.
The Perfect Bid (2018)
Growing up, whenever I didn't go to school, I would grab a bowl of cereal and watch the game show The Price is Right. I wasn't (nor am now) good at it, but it still holds a place of nostalgia for me. This particular doc focuses on a contestant named Ted Slauson, who extensively studied the show, trying to categorize and memorize each prize for each items through a variety of means (namely early computers), and attended many of the showings, making accurate predictions. Whilst his own tenure on the show was only brief, he became something of a fixture on the stage for a period of time. However, what seems to be a story about a particular obsessive gradually reveals a larger scandal a few years later, when Ted is accused of aiding another contestant with specific enough prices. Whilst parts of the doc don't work (anything with Bob Barker is off-putting, given the various scandals attached to him and Drew Carey was only interviewed once or twice), it is fairly captivating for showing this.
Three Identical Strangers (2018)
The other huge theatrically released doc of the year, what begins as a recounting of a strange historical curiosity (triplets adopted by separate families reunited) gradually revealing a more sinister and conspiratorial agenda, and the underlying nature of humanity. To say more would give away the very insightful and disturbing nature of the piece and its implications.
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2011)
Another favorite of mine, introducing me to the pioneering stop-motion work of Ray Harryhausen. Showing the insight of the man himself before his death, as well as his various admirers (including such luminaries as Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, and James Cameron), it chronicles his career and the various kinds of movies that he worked on, from monster B-Movies to mythological epics. It tells the story of a true auteur, someone who, despite not directing a film, definitely left a mark and a distinct filmography.
The Cuba Libre Story (2016)
A straight forward historical documentary, focusing on the sordid, revolutionary, and tumultuous history of the island of Cuba, told from the perspective of various historians and participants. Whilst starting a bit slow, as the historical perspectives moves on and the stories get more personal, it picks up, showing both the high and low points of Cuban history and its sometimes world altering nature.
Jack Kirby: Storyteller (2005)
Stan Lee's other disillusioned collaborator, this doc has less of a personal focus than the Ditko one, but provides a good overview of Kirby's work, and his impact on the medium, with his various admirers on display. It's a good intro if you want to get into his works, and as a Kirby fan, I do recommend watching it.
Nintendo Quest (2015)
The story of one man's quest to collect all 678 licensed games for the Nintendo Entertainment System within 30 months without the internet. Following the surprisingly intricate process of collecting and trading. It is surprisingly tense watching the lead haggle and negotiate to gain high-quality copies and try to mark off the list as soon as possible, showing the world of classic video game collecting in the process, amid recent concerns that older video games are slowly becoming unplayable due to age. This was just fun to watch, and a nice look into Nintendo fandom.
Generation Wealth (2018)
Again, this is more of a general recommendations list, and this is the one that I recommend the least. Not that it was particularly bad or incompetent, but it had the least impact on me. I came out of this with little actual insight into wealth or its impact or a real understanding of it. It feels more like a slideshow of various wealthy people and how they spend their wealth. I'm not saying that it should be judgmental, but a little bit of commentary would've been nice.
--------------------------------------------
So, that's my docs for this year. Stay tuned for my year end list, coming up in the next few days.
Won't You Be My Neighbor (2018)
This year's most- hyped up documentary, with good reason. Focusing on the life of Fred McFeely Rogers, host of PBS's Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, the documentary avoids a straight-forward hagiography and simple timeline in favor of a full exploration of Mr. Rogers and how innovative his approach with teaching children really was. His patience, kindness, and understanding was what made him so endearing to both children and adults. Refusing to deify him and focusing on his weaknesses and insecurities as well as his strengths, ultimately, the film shows how we, in spite of our imperfections, all could follow his example. His message of understanding the inherent value in being a person is sorely needed at a time like this.
Wild, Wild Country (2018)
From the best in humanity, we go to some of the worse. I had passing familiarity with the story of the Rajneesh cult and its conflict in Oregon, so seeing a full, detailed look into it was illuminating. What began as what appears to be another run-of-the-mill guru led cult is hijacked into a plot to seize complete control of a city through voting and land ownership, and the attempts by the locals to stop it. It is truly shocking the lengths Rajneesh cult (and, in particular, the Rajneesh's assistant Ma Anand Sheela) went to secure this goal are astounding, and need to be seen to be believed. Especially enlightening was the interviews with the remaining followers, who try to justify or deny everything that happened, in spite of its escalation
An Open Secret (2014)
Another example in the worst in humanity, this film is an exploration of paedophilia within high ranking circles in Hollywood, told by the victims and their friends and family. It shows just how disgusting individuals within these sorts of stratified institutions are protected by their connections. Whilst parts of the doc are a tad vague and underexplained (likely owing to legal issues), enough is said to be really outrageous. With the ongoing revelations of metoo and growing awareness of sexual assault in Hollywood, this is perhaps more timely than ever.
In Search of Steve Ditko (2007)
Onto lighter topics, this is an old favorite of mine that I had seen before. I will list docs I've seen before this year, (unless they were noted on a previous list) and I wanted to highlight this one in particular with the passing of Steve Ditko this year. Host Jonathan Ross explores Ditko's life and career, seeing how his crude, brutal artwork made Spider-Man such an enduring character to this day, and showing his expansive creativity when making other characters, such as Dr. Strange, his political avatar Mr.A, or the various characters he created for Charlton Comics and DC, all with his distinctly Objectivist political edge. All the while, Ross interviews a variety of comics fans, scholars, and writers, including Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Mark Millar, as well as Ditko associates like John Romita, Sr., his former editor Cat Yronwode, and estranged Spider-Man co-creator the late Stan Lee. Finally, Ross and Gaiman track the reclusive Ditko to his New York studio, where they meet off-camera. I can think of no better intro to comics than this, which shows the work of the medium's finest artist.
She Makes Comics (2014)
Except maybe this. Focusing exclusively on various women that have worked in all parts of the comics industry (whether mainstream, alternative, independent, the comic strips), interviewing personalities like Marie Severin, Trinia Robbins, Wendy Pini, and G. Willow Wilson, this explores an underappreciated part of comics history, showing the triumphs and struggles many of these women went through both in mainstream and underground comics, and the staggering impact many of them had on the medium. It is simply a great documentary.
Bill Nye: Science Guy (2017)
Another doc on a PBS star, though one where he's living and can discuss his life. Again, one that focuses both on Nye's strengths as a science communicator and his battle with pseudoscience, and his own personal struggles, particular with his family, and the prevading sense of failure as pseudoscience continues to exist even as he battles it. It is far more than I expected, and will show a side of Bill Nye that many don't often get to see.
The Perfect Bid (2018)
Growing up, whenever I didn't go to school, I would grab a bowl of cereal and watch the game show The Price is Right. I wasn't (nor am now) good at it, but it still holds a place of nostalgia for me. This particular doc focuses on a contestant named Ted Slauson, who extensively studied the show, trying to categorize and memorize each prize for each items through a variety of means (namely early computers), and attended many of the showings, making accurate predictions. Whilst his own tenure on the show was only brief, he became something of a fixture on the stage for a period of time. However, what seems to be a story about a particular obsessive gradually reveals a larger scandal a few years later, when Ted is accused of aiding another contestant with specific enough prices. Whilst parts of the doc don't work (anything with Bob Barker is off-putting, given the various scandals attached to him and Drew Carey was only interviewed once or twice), it is fairly captivating for showing this.
Three Identical Strangers (2018)
The other huge theatrically released doc of the year, what begins as a recounting of a strange historical curiosity (triplets adopted by separate families reunited) gradually revealing a more sinister and conspiratorial agenda, and the underlying nature of humanity. To say more would give away the very insightful and disturbing nature of the piece and its implications.
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2011)
Another favorite of mine, introducing me to the pioneering stop-motion work of Ray Harryhausen. Showing the insight of the man himself before his death, as well as his various admirers (including such luminaries as Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, and James Cameron), it chronicles his career and the various kinds of movies that he worked on, from monster B-Movies to mythological epics. It tells the story of a true auteur, someone who, despite not directing a film, definitely left a mark and a distinct filmography.
The Cuba Libre Story (2016)
A straight forward historical documentary, focusing on the sordid, revolutionary, and tumultuous history of the island of Cuba, told from the perspective of various historians and participants. Whilst starting a bit slow, as the historical perspectives moves on and the stories get more personal, it picks up, showing both the high and low points of Cuban history and its sometimes world altering nature.
Jack Kirby: Storyteller (2005)
Stan Lee's other disillusioned collaborator, this doc has less of a personal focus than the Ditko one, but provides a good overview of Kirby's work, and his impact on the medium, with his various admirers on display. It's a good intro if you want to get into his works, and as a Kirby fan, I do recommend watching it.
Nintendo Quest (2015)
The story of one man's quest to collect all 678 licensed games for the Nintendo Entertainment System within 30 months without the internet. Following the surprisingly intricate process of collecting and trading. It is surprisingly tense watching the lead haggle and negotiate to gain high-quality copies and try to mark off the list as soon as possible, showing the world of classic video game collecting in the process, amid recent concerns that older video games are slowly becoming unplayable due to age. This was just fun to watch, and a nice look into Nintendo fandom.
Generation Wealth (2018)
Again, this is more of a general recommendations list, and this is the one that I recommend the least. Not that it was particularly bad or incompetent, but it had the least impact on me. I came out of this with little actual insight into wealth or its impact or a real understanding of it. It feels more like a slideshow of various wealthy people and how they spend their wealth. I'm not saying that it should be judgmental, but a little bit of commentary would've been nice.
--------------------------------------------
So, that's my docs for this year. Stay tuned for my year end list, coming up in the next few days.
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