I watched La Sierra this weekend and thought it was excellent. Not quite as good as cocaine cowboys, but close. Anyway, here is the synopsis from the film's website. (ohhh, and I got it at blockbuster so you don't have to buy it was was the case for me for cocain cowboys)

More than 30,000 people have been killed over the last ten years in Colombia’s bloody civil conflict, in which left-wing guerillas fight against the government and illegal right-wing paramilitary groups. Recently, as guerillas and paramilitaries sought to control marginal city neighborhoods, urban gangs aligned themselves with each side. In this way, the national conflict was translated into a brutal turf war that pitted adjacent barrios against each other. The documentary La Sierra explores life over the course of a year in one such barrio (La Sierra, in Medellin), through the prism of three young lives

Edison, aka “The Doll,” is a paramilitary commander in La Sierra. At the age of 22, he is also the de facto mayor of the neighborhood and a playboy who has fathered six children by six different women. Openly dedicated to and excited by his life of violence, he is also an intelligent and charismatic young man. As we follow him through the armed conflict, its victories and setbacks, he shares his dreams for himself and his children, and explains his attachment to what he calls “my war.” We follow his life up to the moment he is gunned down in the street, and then witness his family’s suffering and faith in the face of tragedy.

Cielo, age 17, was displaced from the countryside in sixth grade, when her brother and father were murdered by guerillas. A mother at the age of 15, she was widowed when the father of her son (a gang member) was killed. Now Cielo is devoted to a new boyfriend, a paramilitary, who she visits in jail every Sunday. With little or no money to her name, Cielo goes downtown to beg and sell candies on the buses, resisting her friend’s suggestion of prostitution. After her rocky relationship with her boyfriend unravels, Cielo finally gives in and takes a job in Medellin’s red light district.

Jesus, 19, is a mid-level paramilitary member. Badly wounded when a homemade grenade blew up in his hands and face, Jesus presents himself as ready for death at any moment and hoping for little more than the opportunity to continue indulging his taste for marijuana and cocaine. But as the war in La Sierra comes to a end, and the paramilitaries begin a government-sponsored disarmament process, Jesus dreams of beginning a life without war.

La Sierra is an intimate, unflinching portrait of three lives defined by violence, and a community wracked by conflict. Over the course of a year these lives, and the life of the barrio itself, each undergo profound changes, experiencing victory, despair, defeat, death, love, and hope. In a place where journalists are seldom allowed, Scott Dalton and Margarita Martinez spent a year filming, interviewing, and building trust. The result is a frank portrayal that not only includes startling scenes of graphic violence and its aftermath, but also reveals intimate moments of love and tenderness, and shows the everyday life that manages to coexist with conflict.

Hated : Documentary about the life and death of the notorious underground punk icon GG Allin.

Most likely the craziest "musician" ever as far as what he did on stage. This one is a must see. Taking a dump on stage and throwing it at the crowd after smearing it all over himself is worth the cost of admission alone.

Hated

I don't think you need to start at the beginning (although it's worthwhile) - there are enough flashback clips of the subjects at different ages to get a sense of how they've changed throughout their lives. I'd start with 28 Up which I think is a great one and their first as true adults - and then watch each one after that.

For those unfamiliar with it, Michael Apted interviews a cross-section of British kids when they are 7, then again at 14, 21, 28 etc. Every 7 years he puts out a new movie in the series. The most recent was 49 Up, and 56 Up is due out in 5 years or so. The films are fascinating and touching and everyone should see them.

I've seen Ghosts of Cite Soleil and it is really good. Surprised the director didn't get killed while filming it.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ghosts_of_cite_soleil/

Sorry if this has already been posted, I skimmed the first 2 pages and didn't see it.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston IMBD

I watched this last night and was blown away. I had heard of Daniel Johnston but was not really familiar with his story. This is an incredibly compelling story of a true tortured artist. I'm somewhat of a music snob and in the beginning I really didn't "get" what was so great about him. By the end of the movie I got it.
It won best director at Sundance.

Daniel's Wikipedia Page

Even you don't know who he is most people (around my age at least) will recognize this image:

Just watched an awesome doc

King of Kong Diehard video game fans compete to break World Records on classic arcade games.

heres one you can just watch on google video.

undercover mosque

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...h&plindex=0

a look at Islamic exremism in Britain.

Just saw Wake up America by Aaron Russo. It's mostly about tax law and the fact that there is no law that states that you are required to pay federal income tax for wages or labor. Anyone seen it or have insight? I thought it was Michael Mooresque but better IMO.

edit: link is to some sample videos, but I can't find anywhere that specfically shows the documentary. I got it from a friend.

Has anyone seen Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party?

And wasn't there also a movie about him going around asking people if they knew who he was? I can't find that on IMDB, but I want to check both of these movies out.

added to the top of the blockbuster queue. very excited.

Where'd you see it? I got to see it at SXSW when the producer let me sneak into a sold out screening (deliberate brag). I was wondering if it's still screening at festivals or showing anywhere else. Watch for the nationwide release Aug. 17th.
Trailer.
Austinites- hopefully the Drafthouse will be doing something cool for this movie.

I have it on DVD.

Mr. Awesome's Guide to Getting Girls lol.

Haha, here's a youtube vid of Mr. Awesome
One would infer from this that he gets blow jobs from Men.

The Meaning of Pictures

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_True_Me...89?trkid=203957

This documentary is impossible to describe. It is haunting, disturbing, controversial and hard to watch. I recommend it to anyone, especially lovers of photography. I think even the least introspective viewer can take something away from this and analytical types like myself will have it stuck in their minds for a long time. I am mindful of sounding melodramatic, but I don't know how someone can watch this and not be moved.

I think Shelby Adams is an amazing photographer, but this doc is about much more. He is certainly aided by the subject matter.

Just watched this documentary. It's horrifying that a jury in this day and age would convict those kids without a shred of evidence (no physical evidence, no motive, unbelievable and/or coerced confessions, etc). I pray that my life is never in the hands of a jury.

I found a link with some more online documentaries. I have not seen many of them, so I dont know if everyone s working.
http://www.tv-links.co.uk/listings/9

Is there anyone that has a torrent to 51 Birch street? I would love to see it, but Its hard to find it in Norway

The documentary that I mentioned previously The Big Bang from 1989 is on cable tonight.
2:40am on Flix if you get that channel. It comes with my cable package.

It's on a few more times this week on that channel too.

I'm going to try to stay up and watch it but I'm really freaking tired so might only make it part-way and then catch the rest later this week.

It's just a bunch of clips of interviews of a few random people asking them things about love, life, etc.
IMO, the film has a good heart.
But I haven't seen it for years and my tastes have changed some so not sure if I'll like it as much.

For true fans of the genre, I would recommend anything by Frederick Wiseman. He style is highly obversational and very unique. Although there is very little in the way of narration or interviews in his movies, they are still powerful.

Wiseman

just watched this and am not sure where i land...the only person in the whole ordeal who seemed capable of something so gruesome was the stepfather john mark byers (wow, what a freak). the kids seemed odd, but when you look at the parents of these kids i suppose they are more 'normal' then we suspect. as usual, the incompetence of the PD in these large cases is revealed and usually prevents the actual truth from coming out.

Saw Deliver us from Evil a few days ago, not bad, worth a watch.

watched A State of Mind last night. it follows 2 north korean girl gymnasts and their families for about 1year, finishing off with pyongyang mass games. mass game scenes are spectacular. very interesting to have a peek inside the hermit kingdom.

The Show on MOJO is an interesting series about minor league ballplayers trying to make it to the Diamondbacks.

Very positive review of Ken Burns' - The War. I tivoed this not sure what to expect as I feel like I've already seen lots of exhaustive documentaries on WWII. But after this review I'm getting excited.

"One motivation was learning that more than 1,000 veterans die every day. A real storyteller can't hide from what those losses mean to documenting history. But all that matters is that he did make "The War." Because as it unfolds starting Sunday - roughly seven years in the making and 15 hours long - there is little doubt that this is Burns' masterpiece."


As an aside, whenever I meet a WWII vet, which isn't that often, I always try to say something like "thank you for the sacrifices your generation made for my generation". It might seem a little cheesy, but I think it means more to them than we can imagine.

I had a guy sitting to me on a plane get a little choked up when I thanked him. He was with a bunch of "hump pilots" coming back from a reunion in China. Basically they flew prop planes over the Himalayas from Nepal and India to resupply troops fighting in China. It was an incredibly dangerous job. Puts commercial airline discomfort in perspective.

Suz
I DVR'd "The War". Ken Burns usually does an excellent job and his Documentary "The Civil War" is regarded as one the gold standard and one of my favorites (I've already posted about it in this thread) I am excited to see it hopefully some time this week.

Awesome thread, but there has been a couple notable exclusions.

The Aristocrats
This is a documentary about a joke. It is a joke only told by comedians to other comedians. One of the most crude, disgusting and entertaining films you will ever see. Especially funny is the telling of the joke by Billly The Mime.

Not quite a doc, and not a mockumentary, I guess a faux-doc:
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
A faux doc made in the Ken Burns style of the history of America had the Confederacy won. It's an interesting idea, has humor, and can be intriguing and though provoking. However it is not quite as convincing as I wanted, and can be a bit over the top in showing how different things would be.

In the same vein:

Death of a President
Another faux doc, which details the events leading up to and following President Bush's assasination. It is a very even handed telling of this possibility, and in doing so stays very neutral (no anti-war, anti-GOP message or slant).