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BiggerBoat posted:It's called "Life of Crime, 1984-2020". I don't know how HBO got so much access to these people's lives but Jesus Christ was it as enlightening as it was depressing. I've struggled on and off with addiction all my life but good god all mighty am I glad I never tried heroin or dabbled with needles. This is a good recommendation. I wouldn't say it's actually "good" as a film, but the access to the subject's lives and the length of time over which they are followed is pretty incredible. It's very hard to watch in certain places and the title strongly hints at the ultimate outcomes of the people documented, but I still found myself on the rollercoaster of hope and disappointment every time it looked like someone had a shot at stability but ultimately fell back into active addiction. I also have some experience with addiction, recovery, and relapse, though my socioeconomic circumstances are very different and I'm lucky to have a solid social safety net. For the people followed in the film, the difference in quality of life between active addiction and incarceration versus sobriety and participation in society is much more narrow and it seems like everyone they know is encouraging them to use all the time they are clean. It's all very desperate and illustrative of both the pull of addiction and the difficulty of building something solid to stand on out of the rubble of your life when you get a rare opportunity to change things. I would have liked more frequent check ins with the subjects, especially at the beginning when they start experiencing the consequences of their behavior. So much of the film is the result of the decisions they made early in their lives. I would also like to know more about how they got to the point at which we join them in their 20s. Addiction runs deep and whatever brought them to where they are at the beginning of the film is as important as anything that follows and maybe more so. All in all, I strongly recommend watching it if you have an interest in poverty, crime, and addiction. Be aware that one of the original subjects who drops out fairly early is an abusive piece of poo poo and assaults his pregnant partner on film at one point. When the director, John, visits him in jail for the last time, he seems to be taunting him about the length of his sentence, like he's happy that some moral arc of consequence is punishing him. Probably not great for someone who is supposed to be a neutral observer, but totally understandable and deserved. Another documentary that follows people over the span of decades, albeit on the opposite end of the socioeconomic spectrum, is Doctor's Diaries, which follows a group of people from med school to late in their careers. The focus is on their profession, but you necessarily also get information about their personal lives, and it's really fascinating to watch how they change as people over time. It's a series and all of the episodes are available at the link. I'd recommend skipping the first episode so you get the slow reveal of the arc of their lives.
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Mar 25, 2022 18:54
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BiggerBoat posted:1. I think we got a strong glimpse of that with a few of the parents and step fathers. Couple of those male parental figures were pretty far gone and I didn't see anyone really taking on the role of a father in any meaningful way. The one mom was in "what are you gonna do?" mode when her son skipped his court date. The whole scenario just reeked of helplessness. Definitely with regard to that mom. If I'm keeping people straight, both Freddie and Rob had barely functional alcoholics for father-figures. I dunno, you're right in that a lot can be inferred (I think Rob's family disowned him or passed away because John mentions to Freddie that his homecoming was way less depressing than Rob's). I guess you could see that the dynamic between Delirus and her kids may have been intergenerational. I think my desire for more information involves that, actually. What was different about her kids that kept them straight (or let them eventually get straight) where she failed?I think there's something important there about addiction and about childhood trauma. quote:2. I didn't think the director was taunting that dude you mentioned. I'm not a punitive minded type but I have to admit I was glad to see that pregnant wife beating motherfucker go down, especially given his bravado and macho posturing. I wanted to beat the poo poo out of him myself with that "get back in your loving hole" diatribe he went on. In what way did you think the director was taunting him? I went back and reviewed it because I finished it around 2am last night and probably read things differently. At 23 minutes, Michael is crying in a holding cell after getting picked up for running and John says "I thought you said they weren't going to catch you, Michael?" Later, when John visits Michael in prison, he says, "Hey Mike! The guards say you're going to be here for a REAL LONG time." I don't read either of those as strongly on second viewing and John sometimes has strange inflections when he's speaking (maybe to be heard on mic) so I'm probably wrong. quote:That ending loving crushed me because I really thought Delirus had turned a corner there and it was rough seeing her catch a hot shot like that Strong agree. I was also pretty upset about the circumstances of Rob's death and the way he was found. He seemed like he was doing the work to build the tools to stay sober and was living the "service" part of recovery, but addiction did what it does. I really didn't need to see his badly decomposed face at the morgue.
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Mar 25, 2022 22:15
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banned from Starbucks posted:When they first showed the kitchen I thought the addict he let live with him had murdered him or something with how much blood there was. That was my immediate reaction too. Like, whelp, he tried to put something good into the world instead of taking and that's the thing that got him. I guess that's just what it looks like when you overdose alone in the summer and there's no one in your life to notice that you're missing for a while.
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Apr 2, 2022 05:55
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BiggerBoat posted:Thing that gets me about some of them is, within that timeline, it's hard for me to picture how they filmed certain scenes, especially the shoplifting ones. I was surprised when the camera crew accompanied the police when they went to pick Michael up. He was a fugitive and could have hurt someone if he decided he really didn't want to go to jail. Considering people related to the filming probably could have found out where he was or even arranged to meet up with him, I wouldn't expect the police to be doing them any favors if they thought the producers were withholding information. I guess either a) they somehow got permission to go on that specific ride-along without tipping anyone off or b) they helped the police in some way. While b) makes me uncomfortable, given what has already been said about Michael in this thread, I wouldn't be too bothered if it turned out to be the case.
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Apr 3, 2022 06:32
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BiggerBoat posted:At what point does the film making cross over into a form of enabling? I think it's an interesting question. The point's been raised, but it's especially pertinent when dealing with people in active addiction. Part of the disease is the inability to properly weigh short-term vs delayed gratification. There is no chance, not even enough to point to as theoretical cover, that the money didn't take the shortest route from the producers' hands to the addicts' bloodstreams rather than being saved or spent on rent or something. More generally, I think it probably has to do with the documentarians' involvement with the subject. With past events, personal relationships or even compensation are probably good as they may make the subject more willing to share information. With current events, I think you need to treat it like a nature documentary. If the lion catches the gazelle, you've recorded something gruesome but possibly valuable. If you tie one to a stake and wait to see what happens, you're doing something closer to burning ants with a magnifying glass and framing it as educational. BrianRx fucked around with this message at 23:32 on Apr 4, 2022 |
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Apr 4, 2022 23:25
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BiggerBoat posted:Here's a super hosed up one I remember seeing on HBO a long time ago Yeah, I probably should have listened to the warning. For anyone else who might find the subject interesting as a whole, just be aware that the documentary starts with a several-minute-long montage of incarcerated people fighting, killing each other, and being abused by guards. The murder-to-minute ratio is pretty high. If you want to skip ahead, you can probably go to about the 10 minute mark, but be aware that a clip of a man being held down and stabbed dozens of times is replayed throughout the film. Like OP, I think I saw this years ago. I remember Troy and now, like then, would summarize him about the same way the prosecutor did. He induces sympathy by having emotional and intellectual insight into his crimes, but tries to escape responsibility by distancing himself from the person he claimed he no longer was and by pointing to (correctly, I think) the aspects of incarceration which could lead a person to where he was. I think the intention of the filmmakers aligns with that second piece but they may have chosen the wrong subject. Definitely feel for the victim's brother and family.
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Apr 7, 2022 23:28
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PeterCat posted:This is probably the best summary I've heard of the Killdozer guy. Basically he's a small business owner that trashes a town because he doesn't want to pay for a sewer hookup. I wasn't expecting to spend 20 minutes watching a guy build a city in a video game, but that was indeed a good summary. My sister dealt with land use and permitting at jobs in OK and TX and small business owners are indeed Killdozers waiting to happen. Developers are worse but can usually solve their issues with piles of money strategically placed around city hall.
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May 12, 2022 18:11
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BiggerBoat posted:Suggestions on where to post it anyone? PYF Horrible Tragedy (56K NO) In seriousness, the existing PYF thread would probably be appreciative of an effort post. Media about true crime has been well covered. The "problem" (heavy quotes there) is that there's only so much subject matter to cover. There's a poster who is doing some interesting writing about Albuquerque's massive murder rate and a serial killer they believe to be operating there now, though. Also, this isn't quite a documentary, but I'd recommend Flee. It's an animated series of interviews with a man who fled Afghanistan as a child for Europe. It's pretty hard to watch in some places and humanizes the experience (for a viewer in the US, like me, whose main engagement with refugees is in the context of political arguments) of anyone leaving their home with limited resources to start a new life somewhere that doesn't particularly want them. The subject matter is different, but it is stylistically very similar to Waltz With Bashir.
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Jul 2, 2022 20:05
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My sister highly recommended Girl In the Picture but being somewhat familiar with the details I'm hesitant to watch it. If anyone has seen it, does it add anything of substance to the story or is it a litany of horrible things happening to the same person?
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Jul 15, 2022 23:19
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Thanks for the reviews. That it humanizes the subject of the documentary and doesn't stretch things out for a week of viewing sold me. Now to trick my partner into watching it with me... They do like true crime series at least, but from what I know of the story, this will be bonkers messed up.
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Jul 18, 2022 19:58
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Nuts and Gum posted:What do you not like about Ken burns movies? Genuine q, I’ve only seen one of his movies years ago, but he seems to be the go-to documentarian for all things Americana at this point. A criticism I have heard and have is related to that last bit: Americana. It's a historical narrative in which the past is prelude to the present and the sins we committed are ok because we learned from them, they are over and sufficiently atoned for, and they have made us even greater. Some of his presentation of social events frames periods of genuine existential conflict as a process of patriotic inclusion for the groups involved. The labor uprisings of the early 20th century and the civil rights movement of the 1960s, for example, were not necessarily attempts by oppressed groups to make space for themselves in society but more fights for their own existence and ability to live freely. Inclusion in the status quo may not have factored in at all. The idea of a sort of inevitable social progress flattens the dynamics of the events, the goals of the people involved, and downplays or omits the level of struggle and violence involved. Above all, it avoids casting the events as "The United States vs. US citizens", which is belied by the use of government forces in the suppression of these movements. I haven't seen his latest film, but from what I've heard it's a major departure from that viewpoint. I don't think the above invalidates his work, anyway. I just think it's just necessary to keep in mind when watching his documentaries.
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Oct 13, 2022 20:28
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Anyone have experience with Curiosity Stream? I typically watch short documentaries on YouTube, so this seems interesting, but anybody have an opinion on the selection, quality, etc.? Also, any billing shenanigans? Blinkist got me good.
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Nov 10, 2022 18:39
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JNCO BILOBA posted:It's alright, I was using it about a year ago and it was a bit limited. What happened with Blinkist? I've been using them a while now. I got hit with a $100+ annual subscription fee the moment my trial ended and they wouldn't refund it. That's on me for not unsubscribing earlier, I guess, but it was pretty lovely. This was maybe a year ago and the catalog has probably improved, but I got through everything I wanted to during the trial period so there wasn't even an "oh well, guess I'll make the most of it" benefit.
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Nov 13, 2022 18:08
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precision posted:Netflix has a Three Mile Island thing. So far, it has big 90s basic cable reenactments and Michio Kaku lol How many episodes is it, and how many should it be?
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Jan 4, 2023 09:44
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EL BROMANCE posted:Did you ever see the three Life of Crime docs on HBO? (One Year in a Life of Crime, Life of Crime 2, Life of Crime 1984-2020). The crime is for the most part petty street stuff done to fuel addiction. I liked these, but I felt like they may have blurred the line between observing and participating in the lives of the people they were filming in an uncomfortable way. There's one guy who's an abusive piece of poo poo (Ricky? Richie?) who skips a court date or is wanted by the police for some other reason. The filmmakers are with him when/where he's hiding out, and they're also riding along with the police when they arrest him. I think it's the only time they interact with the police in that way and it's hard to think of an explanation for that other than that the crew told the police where to find him. Regardless of that, goddamn did I hate to see people find their way into recovery and at least appear to be building a sober life before relapsing and dying before the next check in with the filmmaker. COVID killed a lot of people who never got the virus.
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Sep 10, 2023 01:14
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BiggerBoat posted:For instance, it seems like the cameras would be quite large so how do they blend in in department stores and poo poo while the subjects are shoplifting? Wouldn't a street dealer take issue with a big rear end camera filming a drug transaction? I know in some cases (reality TV, for example) the cameras and crews are so omnipresent that they become wallpaper for the primary subjects, but yeah, the guy doing a thing that could get him locked up for 20 years is probably going to be pretty aware of all that and less cool about it. banned from Starbucks posted:It's also kinda gross showing the bloated decomposing corpse of a guy you based the majority of your doc around. It was super gross in a number of ways. Seeing a guy you know reduced to that mess is pretty hosed up. It would have been super duper easy to handle it like when Delores relapsed and died. BrianRx fucked around with this message at 10:43 on Sep 11, 2023 |
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Sep 11, 2023 10:22
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Ohvee posted:There's a doc on Tubi called "A Life on the Farm" that a friend alerted me to. It's co-produced by the Found Footage guys, Nick and Joe. It centers around a full-length movie that a farmer in rural England made in the 90's. It's the work of an eccentric, but has left a bit of a legacy in how people interpret for themselves. I got about 30 minutes in and had to pause to take care of something. The subject is interesting enough, but everything that is not Joe's footage sucks. I don't care about the director, I don't listen to whatever podcasts all these other people are on, I just want to watch Joe be a weirdo. I like it despite that and will go back to finish it, but I wanted to lodge a formal complaint here first.
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Jan 19, 2024 08:46
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ynohtna posted:Incredible footage of a beanie baby jumping between branches in moonlight What the
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Jan 20, 2024 20:32
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I saw Jacinta recently and I'll give it a strong recommendation. The subject is a woman in her early 20s struggling with addiction, incarceration, and motherhood. The film was shot over several years, beginning in a prison in which Jacinta and her mother are both serving sentences. Intergenerational trauma is a major theme that is explored and, as you learn about Jacinta's childhood and relationship with her mother, it becomes clear that the same dynamics are at play between her own daughter and herself. This is probably one of the best documentaries I've seen in a while. It's similar to the Life of Crime series in that it focuses on addiction and its consequences over a period of years, but does so with much more empathy and understanding of the people involved. Every person is treated with respect and most of their behavior is explored as part of the trauma dynamic rather than as evidence of each being weak, bad, or sick. It definitely isn't a light watch. It rocked me when it was over, but I was also left with a sense that there is still hope. Jacinta is young enough to have a second act, if she chooses to, and her daughter hasn't yet been overcome by the challenges of having a parent in active addiction. In the end, it's all very human and it seems possible for the story to be one of redemption rather than continued trauma. I hope it is.
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Jan 22, 2024 21:18
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