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Fatkraken
Jun 23, 2005

Fun-time is over.
I don't recall seeing one of these threads for a while, and I've got a real hankering for FACTS.

this thread is for discussion of and links to your favourite documentaries. TV, film and radio are all fair game.

Guidelines

these threads work best if we stick to some sort of format when sharing info and links

If at all possible, please link to an online version of your chosen doc. Google video or youtube playlists are ideal, since these are international and permanent. please check the links are valid before posting. series are great providing all episodes are available. Some docs are only available on network or publishers websites, feel free to link to these but be aware they may be geographically or time limited and not everyone may me able to use them. If there's no online version but you really want to discuss something, a link to somewhere to buy the DVD is fine too.

a brief description of what you're sharing is far better than just the title; let us know what your cryptically titled doc is about and why it's interesting.

I'll be attempting to keep the OP updated with everyones links. If you could put the title in bold it would make my life a lot easier.

feel free to share general documentary sites too, there's quite a few of these around


a few to get you started:

The Living Dead by Adam Curtis.
Curtis is well known for a strong editorial style, presenting documentaries in support of broad ideas generally centring on how governments, history and people interact and attempt to influence perceptions of events. In this three part series he explores ideas relating to memory and history, including media narratives, brainwashing and mind control.
part 1
part 2
part 3

The Ascent of Money
Niall feurgeson investigates the history of finance, moneylending, bonds and stock markets, leading up to the horrifically complex situation that lead to the latest crisis. This is a great introduction to the bstract world of finance, it taught me a lot from a standing start. There seem to be two versions available, a UK 6x45min and a US 4x55min, I've linked both here as I don't know if they're different

PBS link, 4 parts
4OD (UK) links, 6 slightly shorter parts

so, fire away with your favourites and links, I'll check back every so often, harvest the working links and update the OP accordingly

update:

page 1 links
Promises link
Food inc. link
a Blank on the Map link
Swansea Love Story link
Abel Raises Cain link
Street Thief (trailer) link
King of Kong (link to part 1) link
Martin Scorsese on American Movies link
Brasilintime part 1 link
part 2 link
Home link
This American Life: Escape link
Flipping Out link
King Corn link
Blue Planet: deep ocean link
part 2 link
part 3 link
part 4 link
part 5 link
Carts of Darkness link
Henry Darger: in the realms of the unreal link
Life (iplayer link) link
toxic Imperial Valley link
The People must Love their Leader; a portrait of General Idi Amin link
Farewell Africa link
Holy Ghost People link
Utopia part 3: the worlds largest Shopping Mall link
Koyaanisquatsi link
Jonestown: The life and Death of Peoples Temple link
Tyson link
DEAR AMERICA - Letters Home from Vietnam link
Beer Wars link
the Cove (trailer) link
Wild China (clips) link
I.O.U.S.A part 1 link
Chemistry: a Volatile History part 1 link
part 2 link
part 3 link
Goon Jedah's doc site: link
Phantoms in the Brain episode 2 link
Murderball (trailer) link
What Would Jesus Buy link
Haack: the King of Techno (interview about the film) link
Strandbeesten (first few minutes) link

Page 2 links
cosmos link
Lions and Hyenas link
Every F**king day link
Theo Jensen TED talk link
Ecstasy rising link
Children Underground link
The Sundowner (GOON FILM) part 1 link
part 2 link
The human Animal link
Ross Kemp on Gangs link
King Corn (different link) link
The Nomi Song link
A Rough History of Disbelief part 1 link
part 2 link
part 3 link
The Socialist, the Architect and the Twisted Tower link
Vice Travel Guide to Liberia link
The Decline of Western Civilization: the metal years link
the Rocak Afire Explosion link
Maxed Out link
Ryan link
Louis Theroux links link
Earthlings link
Beyond Belief link
The Woman who Thinks like a cow (Temple Grandin) link


Page 3 links
Sons of Cuba link
Mechanical Love link
Reoprter link
supermen of Malegaon link
The Yes Men link
Good Hair link
It Might Get Loud (trailer) link
Vice Guide to North Korea link
torture: Americas Brutal Prisons link
Walking the Line link
the warning link
Off the Chain link
The Corporation (playlist) linkarchive.org link link
Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa link
Gender Redesigner (trailer) link
Children of the State link
Moog link
Theremin (trailer) link
Imaginary Landscapes link
Shake Hands with the Devil part 1 link part 2 link
The fog of War link
Zeitgeist link
Black Diamonds link
General Butt Naked (trailer, NWS) link
Zoo link


Page 4 links
Absolute Zero (Hulu link) link
(Youtube link) link
Dear Zachary (Netflix) link
Marathon link
Beer Wars (Netflix) link
Baraka link
Frontline.NOVA GM Crops doc link
Obamas War link
The Union (Marijuana) link
Natures great Events: The Great Melt link
Natures great Events: The Great Salmon Run link
Natures great Events: The Great Migration link
Natures great Events: The Great Tide link
Natures great Events: The Great Feast link
Connections link
Connections 2 link
Gimme Shelter link
Alchemists of Sound link
This Film is not yet Rated link
Gizmo link
The Iceman: Confessions of a Mafia Hitman: part 1 link
Part 2 link
The Radioactive Beasts of Chernobyl link
Garbage Island link
Vice Guide to North Korea link
Vice Guide to Liberia link
Mecca Diaries link
Last Minutes with Oden link



multi-doc links
Snagfilms Snagfilms.com
Topdocumentaryfilms.com
VBS vbs.tv

Fatkraken fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Jun 28, 2010

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Angiepants
May 8, 2008
I love these threads. :allears:


Promises is a 2001 documentary film that examines the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the perspectives of seven children living in the Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Israeli neighborhoods of Jerusalem.
[Google video]

This is one of my favorite documentaries ever and I recommend it to anyone and everyone who asks.

Tsinava
Nov 15, 2009

by Ralp
Food Inc.
http://veehd.com/video/2069433_food-inc-2009

This is a very well done documentary on how food and it's consumers (in the US) are treated these days. You don't need to be preemptively interested in the subject to find this interesting. If you start watching you'll find it hard to stop.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
A Blank on the Map

A very young David Attenborough looking for an uncontacted tribe in Papua New Guinea, meeting them and managing some basic communication. My favourite documentary ever.

link to full documentary

Epiq
Dec 3, 2005

This post is the best!
I only recently discovered this (because it only came out a couple of days ago :p) so I will share it with you. It's set in my hometown and was a real eye opener, and follows several people who are dealing with various issues in their lives, mostly drugs.

Swansea Love Story
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/rule-britannia/swansea-love-story-1-of-6--2

RaoulDuke
May 6, 2007

I was a victim of a series of accidents, as are we all.
http://www.snagfilms.com/

This website has a bunch of really great ones some of my favorites are Off The Grid a story about a group of outlaws who moved out to the mesa in the southwest. And Dig! the tale of the band the Brian Jonestown Massacre which although some have said it twists the truth and makes some of the band members look worse than they really are but its an enjoyable watch.

BillyRubin
Dec 16, 2005
"Oh, and Senator, just one more thing."
Abel Raises Cain

This one really pops with me. It's about a world-famous pranker of the media, who has for the past thirty-something years has been a professional hoaxer. For a unique perspective on the man, his wife, and his mission to confuse and entertain the world, the documentary is actually made by his daughter.

modo
Mar 9, 2004
I have 2 that I just recently watched and they are both fascinating. They can be found with netflix, and both played on your computer or through xbox, ps3, etc...

Descriptions taken from netflix.

Street Thief(2006) NR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEC0NmiTuSY 2 minute trailer.

In this fascinating A&E IndieFilm, professional thief Kaspar Carr divulges his trade secrets when it comes to cracking safes, holding up stores, tapping phones and walking away with thousands of dollars in priceless merchandise. An inventive blend of fact and fiction, Street Thief is hardly a documentary, as its protagonist and story line are made up -- but the information it reveals about the criminal mind is shockingly true.

The King of Kong(2007) PG-13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQZ9wXO8RVs part 1 of the documentary, I don't think the whole thing is available, but this gives you an idea of what it is.

When Steve Wiebe got laid off, he turned to the classic arcade game Donkey Kong for solace; soon, he decided to challenge Billy Mitchell's long-standing record score. So began the bitter rivalry that lies at the heart of this curiously compelling documentary. Providing a history of competitive video gaming and a look at some of the key players, The King of Kong is at its best when revealing just how far Mitchell will go to retain his crown.

modo fucked around with this message at 16:18 on Feb 18, 2010

polysynth
Dec 12, 2006

rock out
a personal journey with martin scorsese through american movies

http://www.youtube.com/watch#playnext=1&playnext_from=TL&videos=OvQng1ZCkuY&v=DTbNv-P_9fg

good if you like film at all

brasilintime vols 1 and 2

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1032914198530086884&ei=71R9S5XeH4uOlAePn_npAQ&q=brasilintime

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8010344468005372072&ei=71R9S5XeH4uOlAePn_npAQ&q=brasilintime

great doc where madlib, j rocc, cut chemist and some others go to brazil to make music with legends like paul humphrey and ivan conti. sequel to keepintime, great if you like good hip hop at all and especially if you like bossa nova and MPB

err
Apr 11, 2005

I carry my own weight no matter how heavy this shit gets...
Home - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU
We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate.


A really depressing documentary telling us how we are loving up the Earth and how we will lose it soon. Awesome shots though.

ought ten
Feb 6, 2004

Helvetica (2007)

Maybe a movie about a typeface doesn't sound all that interesting, but this is really a fascinating and well-done documentary. It's a history of the font and its usage, but mostly it's interviews with artists and design-type people about how much they love or hate the font. Helvetica is literally everywhere and once you see the movie you won't be able to stop seeing it. From where I'm sitting I can already see four or five different things written in Helvetica around me.

von Braun
Oct 30, 2009


Broder Daniel Forever
This is not a documentary, but I thought it might be of interest. It's a great site with tons and tons of documentaries.

http://www.topdocumentaryfilms.com/

RedNeptune
Jun 21, 2006

This American Life (1995 - Present)

This show somehow finds a way to make the most mundane facets of American life incredibly fascinating. It's a show about "what it's like" for people living their lives covering an impossibly wide amount of subjects. The radio show is great, but the Showtime series is fantastic as well. As the program airs on NPR there is an in depth archive to listen to but the Showtime episodes are a bit harder to find.

The one TV episode that stands out though is the season 2 opener "Escape".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWU9ZvhH1As
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWU9ZvhH1As
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gS_1-kO4RE

Oh Johnny Depp... :unsmith:

ryn
Apr 23, 2003

Flipping Out (2003) - Yoav Shamir

http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/educational/watch/v15641062kb6cctY9

Not the best link. It asks you to install a player to watch the full thing but I can't find anything else with the full version.

quote:

Military service is compulsory in Israel for all Jewish men and women. After their years of service, they are granted a discharge bonus, which many of them use to fly to India to recover from their experiences. Approximately 90 per cent will use drugs during their stay, and each year some two thousand of them will need professional help due to this drug use. The psychotic break with reality they experience is commonly referred to as flipping out.

Shot over a period of two years by award-winning documentary filmmaker Yoav Shamir, Flipping Out offers a close-up look at these former soldiers, most of them under the age of 25, as they follow this strange post-military odyssey. ... It also offers a look at the efforts by Israelis to rescue them.


http://films.nfb.ca/flipping-out/ (Description with trailer)

ryn fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Feb 18, 2010

sh1fty
Jan 22, 2004

King Corn - "Everything on your plate is corn."

A documentary looking at the commercial corn industry, and how it's in literally everything we eat. It's also destroying us, and the land its raised on. Awesome doc. 2 guys set out to grow their an acre of corn and see where it goes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiCRwMMh9k8

zzyzx
Mar 2, 2004

I'm sure it's come up in earlier threads, but for anyone who hasn't seen it, it's pretty much the coolest thing ever and is apparently on Youtube.

The Blue Planet - Deep Ocean (and then Part 2, 3, 4, and 5).

Wikipedia posted:

Broadcast 19 September 2001, the next programme explores the unknown depths of the ocean. Over 60% of the sea is more than a mile deep and it forms the planet's most mysterious habitat. A sperm whale descends 1,000 metres to look for food and is followed. On the way down, a number of unusual creatures are witnessed, such as transparent squid and jellies, whose photophores give pulsating displays of colour. In such dark places, both being able to see (or sense movement) and the means of quick concealment are equally desirable. To that end, some use bioluminescence as a means of detecting food or evading predators. A descent to the very bottom of the ocean some 4,000 metres reveals life even at such cold temperatures, much of it new to science. It is dominated by echinoderms that sweep the sea bed; however, there are occasional large hunters, such as chimaera. In addition, sixgill sharks can grow up to eight metres in length and have remained unchanged for 150 million years. They are described as "living fossils" and relatively little is known about them. As the continental slope flattens out it joins the abyssal plain, which can form huge trenches. At seven miles, the deepest is the Mariana trench, and fish have been found there right down to the very bottom. Attenborough remarks that more is known about the surface of the moon. Species captured on film for the first time include the Dumbo octopus and the hairy anglerfish. This episode was nominated for two Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing and Outstanding Sound Mixing in the non-fiction category. It was also nominated for a BAFTA TV award for Best Innovation.

DiscoDickTease
Mar 19, 2009

Hi, boys and girls, I'm Jimmy Carl Black, and I'm the Indian of the group!
Carts of Darkness

http://www.nfb.ca/film/carts_of_darkness

"Carts of Darkness is a 2008 National Film Board of Canada documentary film by Murray Siple about a group of homeless men in North Vancouver, who use shopping carts to collect bottles and cans to return for money and also race down the city's steep slope for thrills.

The subjects in the film control the carts using only their weight and one foot, during descents that cross intersections, with top speeds claimed to be as high as 70 km/h.

Siple, a former director of extreme sports videos and avid skateboarder and snowboarder, became a quadriplegic after a car accident in 1996. His first film after his accident, Carts of Darkness allowed the filmmaker to regain the excitement he had experienced with extreme sports as well as relate to a fellow group of outsiders."

You can watch it in HD on the site as well!

value-brand cereal
May 2, 2008

Love threads like these!

Henry Darger: In the Realms of the Unreal
Part one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PMBVxJnoPw


Crazy rear end bitch who was a quiet, lonesome janitor. In the event of his death his apartment was cleared out and all his writings were discovered.

He has become famous for his posthumously discovered 15,145-page, single-spaced fantasy manuscript called The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, along with several hundred drawings and watercolor paintings illustrating the story.[2] Darger's work has become one of the most celebrated examples of outsider art.
- Wiki

Assplant
Apr 21, 2007
I'm gonna smoke your face.
Life

The most recent David Attenborough documentary made for the BBC, shot entirely in HD over the course of 4 years. It is a monumental piece of work, exploring the habitats of a vast range of creatures from miles below the sea to miles above, both huge and tiny through wonderfully crisp footage.

Right now the show is being rerun on the BBC's iPlayer thingy so you can check it out online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nj6dr
Unfortunatly it's available for UK goons only and it releases one episode every couple of days (it's showing no. 2 out of 10).

Good news is this show is being released to you Americans in March or thereabouts so be on the lookout for it.
Bad news is your version is being narrated by Oprah. This really is really really bad news and i'm sure anyone who has ever heard David Attenborough will agree. He makes everything sound so much more intricate and strategic and downright more glorious than any other narrator.

Anyway UK fellas go forth and watch; the rest use a proxy or be patient.
Best nature documentary in a long long time.

Blacknose
Jul 28, 2006

Meet frustration face to face
A point of view creates more waves
So lose some sleep and say you tried
Haha Oprah is going to ruin the poo poo out of that.

bog savant
Mar 15, 2008

unending immaturity

modo posted:

The King of Kong(2007) PG-13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQZ9wXO8RVs part 1 of the documentary, I don't think the whole thing is available, but this gives you an idea of what it is.

I re-watched this recently and remembered how much I love it, not for Steve Wiebe's struggle or Billy Mitchell's dickishness, but for the absolutely pathetic lives of almost everyone else in it. I may be nerdy, but at least I'm not Brian Kuh.

Dead Cow
Nov 4, 2009

Passion makes the world go round.
Love just makes it a safer place.

Epiq posted:

I only recently discovered this (because it only came out a couple of days ago :p) so I will share it with you. It's set in my hometown and was a real eye opener, and follows several people who are dealing with various issues in their lives, mostly drugs.

Swansea Love Story
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/rule-britannia/swansea-love-story-1-of-6--2

I second this, and EVERYTHING I've watched on VBS.TV so far.

I recently watched Toxic Imperial Valley

http://www.vbs.tv/watch/toxic/toxic-imperial-valley-1-of-2

A couple hours east of San Diego lies the Salton Sea. It shows how hosed up the environment is out there due to the New River coming up from Mexicali and dumping pollutants into the sea, squatters who scavenge from military test zones, and basically just how much the area sucks now.

Trench_Rat
Sep 19, 2006
Doing my duty for king and coutry since 86
The people must love their Leader a portrait of General Idi Amin


90 minutes of everyone favourite bat poo poo insane african dictator (besides Mugabe) rambling about how much the people love him and how he will invade Israel

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4169600956573058582


Africa Addio/Farewell Africa


Italian shockumentary/mondo about the winds of change

quote:


'Africa Addio' / 'Farewell Africa' (shot in 1964; released in 1966) is a documentary film about the decolonization of Africa, made by the Italian film directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco E. Prosperi. It shows like no other documentary what blacks are capable of if they get the chance. It is a masterpiece with beautiful music, composed by the Italian composer Riz Ortolani. Probably 'Africa Addio' is the best and most exposing documentary ever made about what happened in several African countries directly after decolonization, but because of political correctness the masses never heard of it. In the USA a censored version called 'Africa Blood and Guts' was released, which was deliberately stripped from the original music and the powerful message of 'Africa Addio' - so the sensors were able to portray the destruction, cruelty, savagery and genocide performed by the Africans as a 'struggle for indepence'.



http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4540134202583442015

Flip Yr Wig
Feb 21, 2007

Oh please do go on
Fun Shoe
Holy Ghost People
http://www.archive.org/details/HolyGhostPeople

A simple, no frills, no budget cinma vrit piece documenting a Pentecostal worship service. It made me do pretty much a 180 turn on my opinion about snake handlers. You go into it thinking you're about to see some crazy, backwards hillbillies verify all our stereotypes about them. You come out of it realizing the Christianity can be as seriously tripped out, ecstatic, and chaotic as a punk show. It's well put together while avoiding any Errol Morris style gimmicks. It just shows you what happens and makes no demand on the viewer.

modo
Mar 9, 2004

Volvagia posted:

I re-watched this recently and remembered how much I love it, not for Steve Wiebe's struggle or Billy Mitchell's dickishness, but for the absolutely pathetic lives of almost everyone else in it. I may be nerdy, but at least I'm not Brian Kuh.

Seriously, I like video games as much as the next person, but Brian Kuh made me want to punch my tv. Also, I don't understand anything about Billy Mitchell--from his hair, to his beard, to his total deuchebag behavior.

the
Jul 18, 2004

by Cowcaster
Utopia Part 3: The World's Largest Shopping Mall

When this 13 minute film ended, I wanted more, so much more. There were too many films Id seen at the Full Frame Film Festival that seemed to drag on forever, and Utopia, Part 3 was like taking a bite out of a ribeye steak. Its delicious, but now your stomach is waiting for the rest of the beef. With quiet shots of empty escalators, yawning employees, and wandering mascots, we are taken on a journey through a failed experiment: To build the worlds largest mall in southern China. Having few customers and a handful of stores, the mall sits in its record-sized lot collecting dust. The film is brilliantly shot, and the humor is drawn through the opposition between gluttony and loneliness. There are a few lines of dialogue, which I hesitated to ask the director about during the Q & A (I didnt want to get thrown out that early!). In my opinion, the film functions much more effectively in silence, letting us draw our own conclusions about this empty space.

http://video.iptv.org/video/1218530801

Preoptopus
Aug 25, 2008

Три полоски,
три по три полоски
Oh good, i was looking for something to do today.
Arguably a documentary, but more of an artistic statment on humanity.
Koyaanisquatsi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sps6C9u7ras

usb teledildonics
Oct 10, 2009

those who came before me
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple

Part One

This fairly recent (2006) PBS documentary is the most complete, accurate and compelling film about Jonestown I've ever seen. If you don't feel like reading the 800+ page 'Raven' (written by survivor and AP godsend Tim Reitterman) this is an indispensable look into the largest mass suicide in recorded history. Another possible title for this doc could be Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Jonestown but Were too Afraid to Ask.

Smokey
Feb 8, 2008
*EDIT* I need a hug.

(USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)

Somebody fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Feb 14, 2014

suntzusays
Apr 17, 2009
DEAR AMERICA - Letters Home From Vietnam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbyOQ9sh6AU&feature=related

A documentary featuring letters written by soldiers during the Vietnam War to their families and friends back home.

sterster
Jun 19, 2006
nothing
Fun Shoe
The Human Face
Netflix streaming users should check this out
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280262/

Wiki posted:

The Human Face is a 4 part BBC series that examines the science behind facial beauty, expression, and fame in an entertaining fashion. John Cleese, actor, comedian, visiting professor, and best-selling author on psychology, sets out on an odyssey to discover the mysteries of identity, perception, creativity and sexuality hidden behind the mask of life itself. This four-part series combines art, technology and deeply moving human interest stories to uncover the secrets of the human face. Paul Ekman served as scientific adviser.


I personally really enjoyed this because I have been getting more and more into specialty local/craft brews
Beer Wars
Netflix streaming
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1326194/
[d]Download Here[/b]
http://beerwarsmovie.com/

Trailer: http://beerwarsmovie.com/trailer/large/

Beer wars website posted:

In America, size matters. The bigger you are, the more power you have, especially in the business world.

Director Anat Baron takes you on a no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry that ultimately reveals the truth behind the label of your favorite beer. Told from an insiders perspective, the film goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominate one of Americas favorite industries.

Beer Wars begins as the corporate behemoths are being challenged by small, independent brewers who are shunning the status quo and creating innovative new beers. The story is told through 2 of these entrepreneurs Sam and Rhonda battling the might and tactics of Corporate America. We witness their struggle to achieve their American Dream in an industry dominated by powerful corporations unwilling to cede an inch.

This contemporary David and Goliath story is ultimately about keeping your integrity (and your familys home) in the face of temptation. Beer Wars is a revealing and entertaining journey that provides unexpected and surprising turns and promises to change the worlds opinion on those infamous 99 bottles of beer on the wall.

sdr782
Jun 7, 2005

"I said it was dodgeball time, bitch."
The Cove

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KRD8e20fBo Trailer

This documentary is about a cove in Japan where dolphins are herded and captured for Seaworld, the ones that aren't chosen are massacred for their mercury loaded flesh. The local authorities are very protective from outsiders so the documentary crew has to use spy poo poo like rocks with cameras in them and UAVs to catch them red handed. Very interesting and feels like a real life Oceans 11.



Wild China

Some clips, the fulle series is on Netflix streaming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_UPH2Pgow8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpThEdHkJdM

A Jaw dropping 6 part documentary about the natural landscape of China. You'll see not only the varied flora and fauna but also the people who live out here, far away from the massive urban centers to the East. It's available on Netflix instant streaming so if you have that for your Xbox check this out, it's amazing

Tennypumps
Sep 21, 2008
I.O.U.S.A.

Wikipedia posted:

The film focuses on the shape and impact of the United States national debt. The film features Robert Bixby, director of the Concord Coalition, and David Walker, the former U.S. Comptroller-General, as they travel around the United States on a tour to let communities know of the potential dangers of the national debt. This is a tour carried out through the Concord Coalition, and is known as the "Fiscal Wake-Up Tour."

A very interesting look at the National Debt that keeps things interesting while also showing you how messed up the United States' debt problem is.

Youtube link to Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcb0hMPG5S0

DashingGentleman
Nov 10, 2009

Assplant posted:

Life
Bad news is your version is being narrated by Oprah.

I refuse to believe this is true. There is no man on earth better suited to narrate a nature documentary than Sir David Attenborough. This is utter madness. The reverse (US->UK) equivalent would be taking Cosmos and replacing Carl Sagan with Jeremy Clarkson. This actually makes me seethe with anger.

Loving the thread - I'm always up for some good documentaries.

Currently watching, Chemistry: A Volatile History. Prof. Jim Al-Khalili explores the history of chemistry and the discoveries that have led to our current understanding of matter. A well-told story of the people and theories which led from alchemy to modern chemistry. Not too heavy on the actual science, but very rich from a historical standpoint. Some of the experiments reproduced in the show are beautiful and served well by some "look Ma - it's the 21st century" high-speed macro footage.
Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of science.
Playlist links:
EP1: Discovering the Elements
EP2: The Order of the Elements
EP3: The Power of the Elements

EDIT:
∨∨∨ Oh, I'm in England, me. I just feel sorry for you poor folks over in the Land of the Opportunity. No healthcare is one thing, but no Attenborough - ouch.

DashingGentleman fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Feb 18, 2010

SamLikesCake
Oct 6, 2006

... and he is my navigator.

DashingGentleman posted:

I refuse to believe this is true. There is no man on earth better suited to narrate a nature documentary than Sir David Attenborough.

It's more than likely true. The US version of Planet Earth was re-dubbed with Sigourney Weaver narrating. If you're lucky enough to have access to the Canadian Discovery Channel keep an eye out, because we get all of BBC's nature doc's in all their Attenborough glory.

Jedah
Sep 1, 2001

YOU CAN NOT BUST THE KRUST
Phantoms In The Brain (Episode 2)
"Episode two of a two-part BBC-4 special program hosted by neurologist V.S. Ramachandran that explains his key findings in certain instances of brain damage that have long been viewed as mere curiosities by the scientific community. This episode focuses on prosopagnosia, the Capgras delusion, and temporal lobe epilepsy."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlFi6IV42Ag

Jedah fucked around with this message at 17:42 on Feb 4, 2017

DevNull
Apr 4, 2007

And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky
A human being that was given to fly

SamLikesCake posted:

It's more than likely true. The US version of Planet Earth was re-dubbed with Sigourney Weaver narrating. If you're lucky enough to have access to the Canadian Discovery Channel keep an eye out, because we get all of BBC's nature doc's in all their Attenborough glory.

The version of Planet Earth I have is with Attenborough. So it is not impossible to get it here in the US. Hopefully I will manage to do the same with Life.

Jibo
May 22, 2007

Bear Witness
College Slice
I'd like to second Beer Wars. Even my friends who aren't into beer seemed to get a kick out of it. However, it was a little melodramatic in some parts.

Murderball is a film about a paraplegic wheelchair rugby team, their lives, and their experiences with the paralympics. It's really fantastic, especially in that it's not overly hokey and makes few attempts to tug on your heart strings.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kaT5dDiISw

What Would Jesus Buy was a film I was expecting to dislike, since I figured it was going to be another documentary where people go around harassing religious folk. But in truth, it's about a group called "The Church of Stop Shopping" who goes around during the Christmas season and spreads a message of anti-consumerism during Christmas. They really are a group of decent people who go around spreading their message in a non-hostile way. Not my favorite documentary, but the most recent good one I've watched.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypgs2s3lEzs

SamLikesCake
Oct 6, 2006

... and he is my navigator.

DevNull posted:

The version of Planet Earth I have is with Attenborough. So it is not impossible to get it here in the US. Hopefully I will manage to do the same with Life.

I'm pretty sure that if you buy the DVDs they're Attenborough... but I'm not entirely sure on that. I've never seen the re-dubbed DVDs anywhere in stores, but then I'm not in the US.

If you're a fan of Attenborough's stuff I highly recommend The Life of Mammals (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364174/) and The Life of Birds (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0175394/).

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amusinginquiry
Nov 8, 2009

College Slice
Haack: The King of Techno
A film about the (amazingly original) electronic musician Bruce Haack. I had never heard of Haack until I watched this documentary. He's definitely one of the most interesting and unique musicians I know of.
an interview with director Phillip Anagnos about the doc
clip of Bruce on Mr. Rogers' Neigborhood

e:
Strandbeesten
A portrait of artist Theo Jansen, who makes these crazyawesome kinetic sculptures. His sculptures, however, are created to be self-governing, surviving animals, using the power of :science: and Klann Linkage. Oh yeah, and they run on wind.
the first few minutes of the film
an early trailer for Strandbeesten
a page with some short clips of his "animals"

I haven't actually seen the entire documentary myself yet, but it looks drat interesting. Stuff like this reminds me of how inspiring art can be, and the beauty of science when it's used creatively.
Has anyone seen this film and can attest to whether it is indeed awesome or not? Worth the buying?

amusinginquiry fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Feb 18, 2010

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