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HUNDU THE BEAST GOD
Sep 14, 2007

everything is yours
I gotta say, as someone who hates trailers, pretty much all the trailers I've seen lately that I've loved are for documentaries.

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Gringo Heisenberg
May 30, 2009




:dukedog:
Any suggestions for organized crime documentaries? Mafia/Russian organized crime/cocaine era gangs/whatever. I remember there being a couple Russian organized crime/prison gangs documentaries that were well received a few years ago, but I can't remember any of their names.

Gringo Heisenberg fucked around with this message at 07:06 on Feb 13, 2015

Qtotonibudinibudet
Nov 7, 2011



Omich poluyobok, skazhi ty narkoman? ya prosto tozhe gde to tam zhivu, mogli by vmeste uyobyvat' narkotiki

Gringo Heisenberg posted:

Any suggestions for organized crime documentaries? Mafia/Russian organized crime/cocaine era gangs/whatever. I remember there being a couple Russian organized crime/prison gangs documentaries that were well received a few years ago, but I can't remember any of their names.

The Mark of Cain

computer parts
Nov 18, 2010

PLEASE CLAP

Gringo Heisenberg posted:

Any suggestions for organized crime documentaries? Mafia/Russian organized crime/cocaine era gangs/whatever. I remember there being a couple Russian organized crime/prison gangs documentaries that were well received a few years ago, but I can't remember any of their names.

I just finished watching a 30 for 30 documentary on Netflix about the Boston College point shaving scheme and it was pretty entertaining.

savinhill
Mar 28, 2010

Gringo Heisenberg posted:

Any suggestions for organized crime documentaries? Mafia/Russian organized crime/cocaine era gangs/whatever. I remember there being a couple Russian organized crime/prison gangs documentaries that were well received a few years ago, but I can't remember any of their names.

Whitey: The United States vs James J Bulger is pretty good.

Nofeed
Sep 14, 2008
Any good documentaries about the Spanish Civil War kicking around? Currently reading through For Whom the Bell Tolls It tolls for thee! and it has sparked an interest in the conflict.

Kull the Conqueror
Apr 8, 2006

Take me to the green valley,
lay the sod o'er me,
I'm a young cowboy,
I know I've done wrong
Only one of the best docs EVER at your service.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT8q6VAyTi8

e: And this is the original version with narration by Orson Welles instead of Hemingway. Both are good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX0RseyGo7g

Kull the Conqueror fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Feb 16, 2015

Qtotonibudinibudet
Nov 7, 2011



Omich poluyobok, skazhi ty narkoman? ya prosto tozhe gde to tam zhivu, mogli by vmeste uyobyvat' narkotiki

NutritiousSnack posted:

Anyone here see Red Army? Saw it and Leviathan as a double feature.

The ending to this was the perfect summary of that entire interview.

BiggerBoat
Sep 26, 2007

Don't you tell me my business again.
Since we're into documentaries and I haven't seen it mentioned yet: Bruce Sinofsky died at the age of 58.

quote:

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/bruce-sinofsky-paradise-lost-trilogy-director-dies-at-58-1201438514/

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky died early Saturday morning in his sleep from complications stemming from diabetes, his frequent collaborator Joe Berlinger told Variety. He was 58.

Sinofsky covered a range of topics in his career — from heavy metal to murder cases.

He is best known for the “Paradise Lost” trilogy, a series of films he made with Berlinger about the West Memphis Three, a group of teenagers convicted, despite a lack of evidence, of murdering and sexually mutilating three prepubescent boys. Prosecutors claimed the children were killed as part of a satanic court ritual. Those films helped draw attention to miscarriages of justice associated with their trial and conviction. A number of celebrities including Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Henry Rollins and Johnny Depp also rallied to the cause.

Public pressure resulted in the Arkansas Supreme Court allowing the three men — Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley Jr. and Jason Baldwin — to be released after serving 18 years and 78 days in prison. Sinofsky and Berlinger were nominated for an Oscar for 2011’s “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” just months after the men were freed.

He also won an Emmy for co-directing 1996’s “Paradise Lost” and a Directors Guild Award for teaming with Berlinger on 1992’s “Brother’s Keeper,” which looked at an elderly man accused of murdering his brother.

In a statement to Variety, Berlinger remembered that Sinofsky urged him to work on “Brother’s Keeper” in 1991 despite the fact that they lacked equipment and financial backing.

“His unique combination of courage and empathy made that possible, as well as everything that came after for us,” Berlinger said. “The extraordinary adventures we had on the road and the deeply stimulating experiences we had in the editing room were life-changing for all of us who knew him thanks to his wisdom and fervor to change the world.”

Sinofsky was also passionate about music, as evidenced by his work on “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster” and “Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records” for PBS’ “American Masters.”

His other credits include episodes of the Sundance Channel series “Iconoclasts,” an installment of History’s “10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America,” “Oprah’s Master Class: Civil Rights Special” and numerous other film and television projects.

“Bruce’s humanity is on every frame of the films that he leaves behind, and words can’t express how graced I feel my life has been by having the extraordinary opportunity of being able to say we were partners and, more importantly, best friends,” Berlinger said.

Sinofsky also won a Peabody, an Independent Spirit Award and accolades from the Sundance Film Festival.

He graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and kicked off his career working as an editor at Maysles Films, the company behind such legendary documentaries as “Grey Gardens” and “Gimme Shelter.”

A memorial service for Sinofsky will be held in March.

The Paradise Lost/WM3 Movies led me on a 20 year obsession and involvement with that case. I haven't seen the Metallica movie or his other films but I want to. Figure I'd post this here just FWIW.

Zwabu
Aug 7, 2006

Crossposted from the Netflix thread:

Zwabu posted:

I'm going to recommend Maidentrip, a chronicle of Dutch teenager Laura Dekker's solo circumnavigation of the globe in a 40 foot sailboat, a journey that took place in the period where she was ages 14-16 (it was not a nonstop trip, she took lengthy stops at the end of each ocean crossing to travel and visit, make repairs etc.).

When I first heard about this when it was happening (I am a sailor, although I only do very casual sailing) I, like most people, thought her parents were insane to encourage or allow such a thing, and in an objective sense, I think that is still true. Not just because of the dangers of the voyage itself, although there is that, but also because how many 14 year olds can endure the emotional toll of being alone, in a potentially dangerous situation, for weeks or months at a time?

After watching the film I have to say that even though the endeavor was still insane, I have a significant admiration for Laura and her father. The film is mostly composed of "selfie" type video made by Laura during the journey, with some good editing and extra production added (nice animations illustrating the legs of the journey).

Interspersed in the shallow teenager type of talk there does emerge a real philosophy of life, sailing, solitude and the sea in Laura's narration that, in my view, is much more profound and moving than anything I expected out of the film, and that is the beauty of it. You can clearly from the narrative that Laura is a pretty unique person and that the idea and the motivation for the journey is hers, her father's role is not to drive it but to facilitate and allow it.

The sailor in me is hungry for very specific details about the preparations and repairs and the mechanics of the trip but that is not what the film is about. A little of this can be gleaned just from visual details that can be seen during the film, such as the fact that she is pretty much (prudently) wearing a sail harness at all times, and the type of instrumentation on the vessel can be seen. In addition the beautiful travelogue type video of the ocean, the best part of the film is Laura's explanation of the kind of person she is and of her motivations for doing such a thing. The dynamics between Laura and her family are pretty interesting (her parents are divorced), some of it is discussed explicitly and some of it is left for the viewer to read between the lines such as the emotional tension she seems to experience while awaiting the arrival of her father who came to visit and help with repairs during her stop in Australia.

This is certainly fascinating viewing for anyone into sailing and the ocean, like I am, but it also has something for anyone interested in what makes those rare people tick who seek out a life of adventure.

Steve Yun
Aug 7, 2003
I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.
Soiled Meat
India's Daughter, about a brutal rape and murder that started a firestorm of protest in India and led to changes in their law and maybe even in their culture. It was banned from being aired in India a couple days ago because the government was concerned it would incite more violent protests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W6WrShqKGE

Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 19:07 on Mar 5, 2015

Steve Yun
Aug 7, 2003
I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.
Soiled Meat
http://www.vocativ.com/world/india/rapist-lynched-bbc-documentary/

quote:

Rapist Lynched After BBC Rape Documentary Aired

Welp.

Allyn
Sep 4, 2007

I love Charlie from Busted!

This is a very 2+2=5 thing considering the doc didn't even air in India, yet there's an implication of some kind of connection. Zzz

BonoMan
Feb 20, 2002

Jade Ear Joe
We're having a screening of Hands on a Hard Body at work.... I can't wait!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzj-vb7Lj0A

El Gallinero Gros
Mar 17, 2010
Bobcat Goldthwait made a doc coming out shortly about Barry Crimmins, a standup comic who was sexually abused repeatedly as a child and went on to help people who'd been through similar trauma. Interesting for not only the subject matter, but because not only is Bobcat Goldthwait the director, but it was funded by Robin Williams before his passing.

http://www.traileraddict.com/call-me-lucky/featurette-meet-the-artists

El Gallinero Gros fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Mar 12, 2015

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD
Sep 14, 2007

everything is yours
And, of course, Barry Crimmins was Bobcat Goldthwait's (and Tom Kenny's) mentor.

Lurdiak
Feb 26, 2006

I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do.


These Humble Bundle documentaries I got are 0 for 3 so far, unless the Mojang documentary suddenly stops being self-aggrandizing fluff about the game and becomes an actual documentary. Even things made to celebrate something (like the TMNT documentary) don't worship the source this much. This was praised?

At least it isn't a documentary about people with beards acting like having a beard makes you a victim of racism.

Steve Yun
Aug 7, 2003
I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.
Soiled Meat

Lurdiak posted:

At least it isn't a documentary about people with beards acting like having a beard makes you a victim of racism.

What was this?

SeanBeansShako
Nov 20, 2009

Now the Drums beat up again,
For all true Soldier Gentlemen.
That sounds so loving stupid.

I want to watch it.

Lurdiak
Feb 26, 2006

I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGt1ujQugE8

It's so boring.

SeanBeansShako
Nov 20, 2009

Now the Drums beat up again,
For all true Soldier Gentlemen.
Well those guys sure are dedicated to them beards. I guess that trailer was pretty much all I needed to see, if that is the documentary as a whole.

IShallRiseAgain
Sep 12, 2008

Well ain't that precious?

I dunno why Devolver studios thought going into the film business was a good idea.

Lurdiak
Feb 26, 2006

I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do.


It's not like the topic is the problem. You can make a documentary about the most asinine thing if you make it right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyjS0Xdzrlc

Cocoa Ninja
Mar 3, 2007
Has anyone else been watching the news today about Robert Durst? If you don't want to spoil yourself don't check it.

All I'll say is that if you haven't caught up for the season finale of HBOs true crime series The Jinx by tonight...oh man I'm excited.

Wooty
Dec 21, 2002

Ropes4u posted:

I don't remember it being mentioned here before, but if you have a desire to be angry, or to rage against the flaws in the American justice system Kids for Cash is up in Netflix. The documentary is occasionally slow but my wife and I thought it was time well spent.

From IMDB:
Kids For Cash is a riveting look behind the notorious judicial scandal that rocked the nation. Beyond the millions paid and high stakes corruption, Kids For Cash exposes a shocking American secret. In the wake of the shootings at Columbine, a small town celebrates a charismatic judge who is hell-bent on keeping kids in line...until one parent dares to question the motives behind his brand of justice. This real life thriller reveals the untold stories of the masterminds at the center of the scandal and the chilling aftermath of lives destroyed in the process - a stunning emotional roller coaster.

I found the topic interesting but the actual movie not very good. As you said, it was slow but it was also edited in a way that made each scene have less impact then it could have even though they were trying to generate tension.

kung fu jive
Jul 2, 2014

SOPHISTICATED DOG SHIT
I finally got around to watching Citizenfour.

I enjoyed it but in a different way than I was expecting. The issue is so important and that lends some credence to the film, but I didn't walk away from it feeling any more informed than I was already on the subject. I thought it did a really good job of conveying the tension in the people involved leading up to Edward's coming out as the whistleblower. The scene with the fire alarm testing was really important to the overall feeling I got from the film.

I guess I was expecting it to be more of a factual dissection of the issues brought to light by Edward's leak, but instead it ended up being a window into the experience of the data being leaked. I was taken by surprise but ended up really enjoying it.

Cocoa Ninja
Mar 3, 2007

amazeballs posted:

I finally got around to watching Citizenfour.

I enjoyed it but in a different way than I was expecting. The issue is so important and that lends some credence to the film, but I didn't walk away from it feeling any more informed than I was already on the subject. I thought it did a really good job of conveying the tension in the people involved leading up to Edward's coming out as the whistleblower. The scene with the fire alarm testing was really important to the overall feeling I got from the film.

I guess I was expecting it to be more of a factual dissection of the issues brought to light by Edward's leak, but instead it ended up being a window into the experience of the data being leaked. I was taken by surprise but ended up really enjoying it.

That's excellent because I far prefer character docs to "issue" docs.

Oh dear goodness people. Watch the Jinx. The final episode was a great ride.

cloudchamber
Aug 6, 2010

You know what the Ukraine is? It's a sitting duck. A road apple, Newman. The Ukraine is weak. It's feeble. I think it's time to put the hurt on the Ukraine
I found the film incredibly boring and was surprised at how little discussion there was of the actual content of the files. The files are the interesting thing not footage of some guy sitting around in a hotel room.

SixPabst
Oct 24, 2006

Cocoa Ninja posted:

Has anyone else been watching the news today about Robert Durst? If you don't want to spoil yourself don't check it.

All I'll say is that if you haven't caught up for the season finale of HBOs true crime series The Jinx by tonight...oh man I'm excited.

This is one of those things that you cannot sit down and think you'll only watch one episode. Fantastic.

Cocoa Ninja
Mar 3, 2007

mintskoal posted:

This is one of those things that you cannot sit down and think you'll only watch one episode. Fantastic.

What do you think of the intro? Part of me loves it and is stoked for some cold cases when the gun goes off and the singer yells, and my friend thinks it's too much like True Detective.

Although it sets up some amazing moments from cold open to intro, like the finale:Son of a BITCH! *dum dum dum dum*

Cocoa Ninja fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Mar 16, 2015

SixPabst
Oct 24, 2006

Cocoa Ninja posted:

What do you think of the intro? Part of me loves it and is stoked for some cold cases when the gun goes off and the singer yells, and my friend thinks it's too much like True Detective.

Although it sets up some amazing moments from cold open to intro, like the finale:Son of a BITCH! *dum dum dum dum*

I actually haven't watched True Detective but I think the entire series of The Jinx is incredibly well done and is far above the quality of most docs I've seen. The intro is great!

Stare-Out
Mar 11, 2010

I'm only a few episodes in (and it's fascinating as hell so far, really well made) and the very second I first saw the intro I thought of True Detective. Seriously if they just about copied it as is for season 2 I wouldn't bat an eye.

Viginti
Feb 1, 2015
Well, the show more or less took the True Detective timeslot since Pizzo has been so delayed in his writing, so it makes sense that HBO maybe would have 'advised' a similar style where they could.

In preparation for the finale of The Jinx I re-watched Capturing The Friedmans and boy, did I like it even less the second time around. So much so that it likely soured my viewing of the finale. Where do DocGoons stand on the film? Especially on Jarecki himself?

Given that I dislike that doco and disliked All Good Things I'm surprised that I liked The Jinx so much, since it's essentially those two things smashed together.

Stare-Out
Mar 11, 2010

I spoiled myself on The Jinx by reading Durst's Wikipedia page moments before I saw the first episode today and if you intend to watch the doc, here's a hint: Don't read the Wikipedia page like a dumbass.

Still, incredibly riveting stuff and the last episode had me, literally, sitting on the edge of my couch. And on top of being spoiled, I sort of ruined the very last moments of it for myself by trying to see his "confession" from the point of view of a defense lawyer and him saying "I killed them, of course I did." could be argued as him being sarcastic after being a suspect for the murders for such a long time as in, "Of course I'm the murderer [because that's what everyone thinks.]"

savinhill
Mar 28, 2010

Viginti posted:



In preparation for the finale of The Jinx I re-watched Capturing The Friedmans and boy, did I like it even less the second time around. So much so that it likely soured my viewing of the finale. Where do DocGoons stand on the film? Especially on Jarecki himself?


I watched Capturing the Friedmans a long time ago and remember that it dealt with pedophilia and was depressing but can't remember much specific about it. Could you go into more detail about why you didn't like it? (maybe it'll jog my memory about it)

Viginti
Feb 1, 2015
Well Jarecki says he 'accidentally' stumbled into the story while trying to make another documentary, which is suspect. The way he treats the case seems initially to be even-handed, but turns out to be pretty biased in favour of the accused (which isn't inherently bad for a movie, its just troubling when you advocate unannounced) who he is supporting and shifting the story in favour of. The way that he chooses to pace the reveal of certain critical facts - those that he didn't just exclude altogether - is misleading in a way that goes beyond simple storytelling technique. Etc.

Overall my issue is that he clearly has an agenda in making this movie, but he hides it throughout and many have accused him of doing so to align himself with the praise the film first received during festival showings. There is a movie to be made about the difficulty of rationally handling a case like this, one that involves children, and the way that some societies don't fare well in doing so; The Hunt is an excellent example of this. There is also a place for movies that try to bring to light what appear to be mishandled cases and miscarriages of justice; West of Memphis, etc. Though despite containing these elements that's not really what Friedmans is, it's something seemingly more malicious than either of those; propoganda hidden behind the veil of objectivity, a personal act presented as that of a stranger. Whatever Jarecki's relationship with the family was before filming he seems to have gotten too close to them to make this movie in the way he was trying too, they are too much a part of it, his camera too close (to the point that he uses their footage for a majority of the screentime)and because of that it's warped things in worrying ways.

People praise the movie as an example of ambiguity, of the fact that there are no facts, that you can never truly know the truth and it can operate as that, but I don't believe that was the intention for the film going in. It's hard to nail it down, but there's something very troubling about the way that the movie is made.

Kull the Conqueror
Apr 8, 2006

Take me to the green valley,
lay the sod o'er me,
I'm a young cowboy,
I know I've done wrong
Les Blank's A Poem is a Naked Person was shown for the first time in public last night at SXSW, and it is a great work of direct cinema. I was so happy to hear at the end from Blank's son that it's gonna get a summer release from Janus and then a Criterion bluray. Any doc fan has to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6KpbMxxV64

DrVenkman
Dec 28, 2005

I think he can hear you, Ray.

Viginti posted:

Well Jarecki says he 'accidentally' stumbled into the story while trying to make another documentary, which is suspect. The way he treats the case seems initially to be even-handed, but turns out to be pretty biased in favour of the accused (which isn't inherently bad for a movie, its just troubling when you advocate unannounced) who he is supporting and shifting the story in favour of. The way that he chooses to pace the reveal of certain critical facts - those that he didn't just exclude altogether - is misleading in a way that goes beyond simple storytelling technique. Etc.

Overall my issue is that he clearly has an agenda in making this movie, but he hides it throughout and many have accused him of doing so to align himself with the praise the film first received during festival showings. There is a movie to be made about the difficulty of rationally handling a case like this, one that involves children, and the way that some societies don't fare well in doing so; The Hunt is an excellent example of this. There is also a place for movies that try to bring to light what appear to be mishandled cases and miscarriages of justice; West of Memphis, etc. Though despite containing these elements that's not really what Friedmans is, it's something seemingly more malicious than either of those; propoganda hidden behind the veil of objectivity, a personal act presented as that of a stranger. Whatever Jarecki's relationship with the family was before filming he seems to have gotten too close to them to make this movie in the way he was trying too, they are too much a part of it, his camera too close (to the point that he uses their footage for a majority of the screentime)and because of that it's warped things in worrying ways.

People praise the movie as an example of ambiguity, of the fact that there are no facts, that you can never truly know the truth and it can operate as that, but I don't believe that was the intention for the film going in. It's hard to nail it down, but there's something very troubling about the way that the movie is made.

But intent sort of doesn't matter. It's the end result. So regardless of what Jarecki intends to do with that movie, the final result is what it is.

To be honest I've not seen it in a while so I don't know exactly what the objections are. What's his agenda exactly? From memory I've always thought that it was fairly even handed, and while the father was certainly guilty, it was less clear if Jesse was (And still isn't. The prosecution have still refused to hand over their evidence against him, despite having a court order telling them to).

As for your Jarecki's 'suspect' story, I don't think that's fair. He shot and completed a short film called 'Just a Clown' about children's entertainers before he knew about the Friedman's story. I believe that it all started from him interviewing the victims and then decided to entwine the story about the accused and the accusers. Even though Jarecki has since come out and said the case against Jesse was handled poorly I still think that he successfully sows in enough ambiguity to cast doubt upon everyone.

SSJ_naruto_2003
Oct 12, 2012



Anyone seen decent documentaries lately that would be of interest to people in social services? Alive Inside was good, as was Living on One Dollar in a different way.

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SixPabst
Oct 24, 2006

GreyPowerVan posted:

Anyone seen decent documentaries lately that would be of interest to people in social services? Alive Inside was good, as was Living on One Dollar in a different way.

Not sure if this is of any interest, but Gideon's Army is about public defenders in the south. It's infuriating but excellent.

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