Documentaries List Discussion & Suggestions (Genre Project)

[knives]

Isaacs' The Road is pretty excellent as is expected, but as much as I think it represents a step forward there are a few elements such as an explanatory voice over which is a pretty noticeable step back. The film functions as a sort of sequel to Calais in both stylistic interests and topic made more complex by the setting which stays front and center as the lead even as Isaacs keeps the camera closed in a fashion which leaves no sight seeing. While the usual cast of Isaacs type characters are at play here giving as varied an idea of life away from home as possible he seems increasingly disinterested in just telling individual stories instead allowing crowds of people to tell the story he's striving for with several scenes of a dialog-less group action serving as the exposition which I found to be a nice jump toward more cinematic expression. Though since this is still in its infancy for Isaacs I suppose it should be expected when a style of presenting that doesn't work like with the bingo parlor. When it does work such as the scene of the muslims slapping themselves the effect is truly astonishing and more then makes the film great. Speaking of the other great element even if in a perfect world this would be blase is the way he utilizes Irish immigrants to complicate the matter. Admittedly I could be applying the wrong cultural baggage as I'm mostly equating this to what I suspect most Americans feel about Canadian immigrants. There's a pretty excellent act of equivalency going on here where to fact of common native language, religion, and typically skin colour (not to mention how close the native land is) to the country they're moving to doesn't really matter which extends a depoliticized notion to the other immigrants which normally wouldn't happen. He's really emphasizing with the city as a whole with anything different in the fabric from one person to the next not mattering an inch. The only barrier in his ensemble he doesn't succeed in tearing down is the native English who barely feature within the film. Of course that poses the question is such an action could succeed for a discerning audience and probably wouldn't fit the back to basics style of the film.

As a side question does 300 miles really seem that large to people over there? I have coworkers who commute almost that far (Las Vegas).

[zedz]

You have to remember that the USA is built on a completely different scale to most countries, so long-distance travel is less common as an everyday occurrence (though the increase in long-distance commutes to London is likely changing that fairly fast). Also, there's probably about as much ingrained regionality in the UK as there is in the USA despite the size difference, owing to the extremely long periods of habitation. There's a great story (I think it was from a folk song collector, and I'm pretty sure it was within the last century) of an old woman who was explaining that she could never have married a certain person because he was "outlandish" - meaning that he came from the next village.

I agree with you on The Road. It's a fine Isaacs film, exhibiting many of his established qualities, but it didn't blow me away like some of the earlier ones have done. Still, it's much better to see one more very good documentary than one more very bad one.

[knives]

Yeah, after the last few documentaries I've watched for this I very much needed the intelligent ease that Isaacs provides. If only everyone could aim for such lows. Speaking of regional (well more cultural) differences though Billy's funeral confused the hell out of me out first. I keep forgetting that's how white people celebrate death.

[jindianajonz]

They commute from Las Vegas to San Diego? Surely they stay in SD for the week and travel back home for the weekends?

[knives]

I haven't asked formally, but I assume that's what they do. All I know is that their house is in Las Vegas because the prices in San Diego are too high unless you're a bachelor.

[jindianajonz]

Still, there are cheaper and closer areas to live- just drive along the 395 and you'll find plenty of dirt cheap towns with three bedroom houses for under $200k. Heck, I'm living in one right now!

[gcgiles1dollarbin]

Was wondering what people thought about The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu. I found it interesting but a bit long and rather uneven. The first half hour was kind of dull and I wasn't sure who a fair number of the participants were.

The next 40 minutes were filled with highlights:
- Ceausescu goes to some large national fair where there is a costumed reenactment of some Romanian medieval founding myth.
- There's a press conference with ridiculously softball questions such as: "Romania and the Romanian Communist Party is the only country and party worldwide to have good relations with every country in the world, even the Communist Party of China. Tell me, how has such a result been achieved?"
- There are big rallies in Bucharest to condemn the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and NC sternly warns everyone to respect Romanian sovereignty.
- Tricky Dick pops in to Romania and glad hands everyone willing to be touched by him. First American president to visit Romania and commie Eastern Europe, (at least according to Nixon).
- Then a big parade which oddly includes simulated sports. So there's a travelling basketball game with the baskets pushed on wheels and lots of people dressed in white acting as the walking sidelines. A moveable boxing match, with 4 guys as walking turnbuckles, holding the ropes. A volleyball match in the parade as well. Kind of zany and more than a touch surreal -- you wonder who thought that up. Some comrade in the Sports Ministry must have been proud.
- Next Ceausescu visits China and sees everyone dressed alike and meets with Mao and Lin Biao (the soon to be disgraced #2, who helped launch the Cultural Revolution but then was accused of trying to overthrow Mao, and died in a plane crash reportedly trying to flee the country).

Amusingly, Ceausescu tries to greet the people like Nixon did in Bucharest, and the Chinese are having none of it. No one interrupts their clapping or other choreographed behavior, so Ceausescu is reduced to shaking the forearm of Chinese who studiously ignore him. Probably no one wants to risk standing out or doing something individual and/or unscripted during the hyper-regimented Cultural Revolution. Intentionally touching a foreign leader might lead to trouble. Or maybe the concept of a handshake just hadn't penetrated into Mao's China yet ....

But after that there wasn't too much that was memorable. I did like when Ceausescu was awarded an honorary PhD for his 55th birthday and everyone goes into some sort of sycophantic overdrive. The opening with some interrogation of the overthrown Ceausescus was interesting, but brief and the video quality was rather poor. I think it would have had a greater impact if it came at the end after witnessing how powerful Ceausescu was for 3 hours.

I assume I missed a lot not being overly familiar with Romania. But the whole 3 hours just left me kind of numb and unable to draw any useful conclusions. I saw a few people put the doc on their best of 2012 lists, but I couldn't find any discussion of the film. Thoughts?

Saw this originally at the SFIFF, and now again on Netflix, and while deceptively simple, I think this film is beautifully edited, the footage is amazing (much of it looks pristine), and the conceit behind using mostly state-approved footage (the "autobiography," since Ceausescu was essentially the controlling figure of that state) without titles or narration to tell a nuanced, moving story was ingenious. Carefully constructed and edited, the film nonetheless kept the raw sense of allowing footage to run untampered. Occasionally, as Lemmy indicates, this footage can be dull, but of course the chanting birthday celebration before the Party Congress is bombastic, Soviet-era tedium that is unique to Eastern European politics in the '70s, and while meant to confirm consensus and produce spectacle, its presentation here looks satirical and almost quaint; it's quite necessary to watch the orchestrated, overemphasized nonsense beyond the point that keeps it impressive. We essentially watch the tyrant Ceausescu bury himself and deteriorate over 25 years, something that is patently apparent even with the meticulous care he took with his image. I am reluctant to view this story as poignant, given the protagonist, but the sight of the old autocrat squeezing bread in an absurdly overstocked showcase bakery (while Romanians starved because of his austerity measures during the '80s) left me a little sad--not on his behalf, but given that we have very little footage of the Romanian people, the sadness is nonetheless provoked by the sight of him. I'm thankful that they didn't show the execution footage (only the show trial immediately preceding it), and that we are left after three hours with Ceausescu only pathetically denouncing his opponents. Irruptions into the care he took with his image (which is meant to mirror the trumped-up economic condition of Romania itself) are startling--the show trial obviously, but also the audio of the earthquake beginning, the grisly bear hunt with the dangling mauled horse bait carcass that I'm sure was intended to be edited down to make him look like a great sportsman (and perhaps triumphant over the symbolic Russian bear, too!), and that amazing moment when Pirvulescu condemns the reelection of Ceausescu during the 1979 12th Party Congress (and Pirvulescu was apparently a bigger Soviet sycophant than any of them!).

ADDENDUM: I'm interested now to revisit Ujica's collaboration with Farocki on Videograms of a Revolution, an altogether more tumultuous and bloodier view of Ceausescu's downfall.

[Lemmy Caution]

I probably should have added that I've lived in China for quite a while, where commie propaganda, bureaucratic excess, intra-party skirmishes*, and sanitized/false depictions of society still constitute part of an on-going enterprise. So a good deal of the Ceausescu nonsense is rather familiar territory for me. Those with less exposure to such might react differently to the material in the film.

____________________________________________________________________
* Just last week, Bo XiLai -- a former rising star politician who had been expected to move up to the top Politburo Standing Committee --was sentenced to life in jail for corruption. This came about after the provincial police chief sought asylum in a US Consulate last year, and spilled the beans that Governor Bo's wife had a British businessman killed. Bo had been an intriguing figure, as he was a very rare charismatic Chinese politician, while reviving some of the trappings of the Cultural Revolution/Maoism.
For scandal and drama, I think the Bo Affair even beat the time that the Shanghai Clique wiped out the Beijing Faction ...

[gcgiles1dollarbin]

I had forgotten you live in China (although, duh, it does say "East of Shanghai"!). No doubt you have a unique perspective on Communist Party politics compared to others here, however different the nature of communism might have been in China forty years ago, let alone Romania. I believe Ceausescu was impressed with Mao's nefarious cultural revolution (probably without knowing much beyond what was presented to him during his visit) and trifled with plans and programs that would emulate that attempt to force a nationwide ideological transformation.

I'll tell you this, though: the novelty of choreographed assemblies wears thin even for those not familiar with them! (If I had to judge, however, North Korea's stadium-wide, flip-card digest of Romanian history blew the other empty ceremonies out of the water. That was completely insane.)

[bamwc2]

Viewing Log (The exposition is a little light given the glut of titles):

Bill Cunningham New York (Richard Press, 2010): I'm not sure how this ended up on my Netflix queue given that I'm not the least bit interested in fashion. Still, Cunningham made for a decent subject. There's nothing spectacular here, but there was just enough to keep me mildlyinterested as we learn about this photographer of street fashion.

Brooklyn Castle (Katie Dellamaggiore, 2012): Dellamaggiore's documentary about the kings and queens of the New York public school chess world was another conventional documentary that somehow managed to turn a fairly interesting subject into a rather banal experience. I couldn't help but root for the children as they managed to use their talents to overcome the obstacles in their home life, but the narrative was often undercut by the director's overly liberal use of flashy graphics and unnecessary chicanery.

Dragonslayer (Tristan Patterson, 2011): After the wonderful skateboarding documentary Only the Young, I was really looking forward to this one as it approached the top of my Netflix queue. Unfortunately, whereas the kids of that movie were genuinely interesting goofballs, Josh 'Skreech' Sandoval was an uninteresting drugged up jerk. There's was nothing worthwhile about this movie. it was genuinely one of the worst documentaries that I've seen for the project. Oh, and Hume didn't write The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. That was Kant.

Dreams of a Life (Carol Morley, 2011): This was yet another dud of a documentary. The premise is a great one. A lonely woman in her thirties hasn't been seen by her friends in years, and, after her flat is forced open, her badly decomposed body is found. The interviewees though are fairly uninteresting and none of the film's many, many reenactments worked for me.

Filming Othello (Orson Welles, 1978): I've wanted to see this one forever (even though I've yet to see Othello itself!) and was shocked to see this gem show up on Youtube. It's a masterful examination of filmmaking from one of the medium's indisputable masters. Nothing was ever less than fascinating here. It's truly essential viewing.

The Flat (Arnon Goldfinger, 2011): I really didn't know what to expect with this one. I got the impression from the preview that Goldfinger's family found something horrific in their German-born grandmother's apartment in Tel Aviv. As it turns out, the family discovered that the grandparents had been friends with some high ranking Nazis prior to the implementation of the Final Solution, and had traveled with them to Palestine to try and convince well-to-do German Zionists to relocate in the early 1930s. It made for a fascinating look at a forgotten aspect of history, but was hardly as dramatic as the image that I got from the preview.

Garbo: The Spy (Edmon Roch, 2009): Having already read an account of Juan Pujol's activity during WWII, I found little new information in this documentary about his life as a double agent working for the Allies. However, the often thrilling account of his exploits is weighed down by the frequent talking heads that recount the story. It's a worthwhile story, but can probably be done better than this.

Girl Model (David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, 2011): Wow! What a disturbing account of the horrors faced by poor teenage girls chewed up and spit out by the modeling industry. The film follows a young girl from Siberia whose family goes into debt to send her to model in Tokyo (where as we're told over and over again that they like 'em young and slender). When she gets there we learn that she has to independently rent out her flat and provide for herself since the modeling agency only provides for transportation and appears to do anything they can to drive them further into debt. Just as disturbing is the fact that the company's representative in the film is herself a former model who seemingly went through hell during her time there...and continues to put other girls through it as well just for the paycheck.

Indie Game: The Movie (Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky, 2012): I have a brother-in-law who is a lead programmer for video game company called Volition (the makers of the Saints Row games). I've always enjoyed learning about what goes on there. It's a mid-level company, but this documentary focuses on three independent game makers as they produce some of the most well received games in the last half a decade. This was a side of the industry that I honestly knew little about, but greatly enjoyed experiencing. It's not a great documentary, but the subject matter left me enthralled.

The Island President (Jon Shenk, 2011): This might have been the most depressing documentary that I've viewed for the project. The film follows Mohamed Nasheed, the president of the Maldives, as he tries to fight for the very survival of his island nation as the world does little to combat impending catastrophic climate change. Nasheed seems to be the perfect man for the job. He's young, charismatic, articulate, and idealistic, as we learn not only through his interactions with other world leaders, but also in flashbacks detailing his non-violent triumph against the nation's previous dictator. None of his efforts ever succeed, and, as we see in the film's epilogue...

Spoiler

he is deposed in a coup

Even though I wouldn't call it a great documentary, I still take the subject matter to make it essential viewing. The world could use more people like Mohamed Nasheed. He's truly a hero.

Knuckle (Ian Palmer, 2011): This was another disturbing documentary, but for entirely different reasons. The film chronicles more than a decade in the lives of a pair of related Irish clans--the McDonaghs and the Joyces as they brutally pulverize each other for reasons that no one is ever able to articulate. This is simply idiotic. I can separate the stupidity and violence of the subject matter from the film itself, but this just made me sad.

Meet the Fokkens (Gabrielle Provaas and Rob Schröder, 2011): The women chronicled here were...well interesting to say the least. Louise and Martine Fokken are a pair of aging sisters who just happened to have worked as prostitutes for over 40 years. As I've stated elsewhere, much of my research concerns normative issues in human sexuality (I'm even trying to create a human sexuality minor at my new university), so I was quite eager to see this. The documentary itself was rather jejune, but the sisters were quite fascinating. I have to admit that I was taken aback by some of the scenes of actual sex in the film. A very surreal experience.

Phil Ochs: There But for the Fortune (Kenneth Bowser, 2010): Although I am a fan of folk music from the 1960s, Phil Ochs was more or less a blind spot for me. His name had come up many times in my readings, but I hadn't heard his music. Wow! He's a major discovery and I have the filmmakers to thank for it. It's another case of compelling subject matter with a so-so documentary itself, but it's definitely worth checking out (as is Ochs's music itself!).

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth (Chad Freidrichs, 2011): Despite spending the last seven years of my life living in Missouri and being a rather committed liberal, I've never heard of the Pruitt-Igoe housing project before. While this wasn't a great documentary about the projects (mixing archival footage with interviews), it was an important one. There are radical elements in this country that want to do away with any vestige of The Great Society, and allowing them to construct false narratives concerning the projects is equivalent to conceding the fight.

Surviving Progress (Harold Crooks and Mathieu Roy, 2011): Well, this was an enormously disappointing flick. By examining a smorgasbord of potential catastrophes, there is no real focus here. To make matters worse, this sampler approach assures that no topic is given the attention its due, and creates a caricature of the topic, thus all but assuring that the uninitiated will fail to take it seriously. To avoid these straw men, the director should have picked one topic and focused on it. Even two would have been better than this mess.

[YnEoS]

Relics: Einstein's Brain - Scientist Kenji Sugimoto is obsessed with Albert Einstein and comes to America in order to see his brain, only no one seems to know where it is. So he ends up traveling across America asking anyone and everyone who might possibly know something about where Einstein's brain is located. Its never really explored in much detail why its so important to Sugimoto to see Albert Einstein's brain in person. The film pretty much just follows him from place to place as he follows any slightest clue he can find. It does seem to focus on his willingness to ask absolutely anyone point blank if they know where Einstein's brain is, when quite a few times he has the wrong address or finds a different person by the same name of whoever he is looking for. According to the wikipedia article apparently a lot of people doubt the truthfulness of this film, based on the disbelief that something as "important" as Einstein's brain to be lost, and that someone driving around America asking people where it is would be the one to find it. But this is pretty silly to me because there's really no good reason for anyone to keep track of Einstein's brain. And it isn't "lost" it's with the exact person it's supposed to be, just no one knows bothered keeping track of it, because it really isn't of much scientific value. Nothing groundbreaking in the documentary form or anything, but pretty enjoyable for what it is.

[bamwc2]

Does anyone know where one can find a copy of Bill and Turner Ross's 45365? It seems to have never had a DVD release.

[Matt]

You can buy a "personal use" DVD (probably a DVD-R) for $42 from 7th Art Releasing.

[bamwc2]

Matt, thanks. That's a little too pricey for me right now though.

[domino harvey]

This is it, isn't it?

[swo17]

IMDb has a listing for that as a TV episode, and then a separate one for a 90-minute film.

[Matt]

This is it, isn't it?

It is, but what a horrible way to watch such a lovely film.

[bamwc2]

Another condensed viewing Log:

The Art of the Steal (Don Argott, 2009): Don Argott's documentary details the long sordid history of a group of early twentieth century art works known collectively as the Barnes collection, as they went from the personal collection of a cantankerous old recluse to the subject of a multi-generational effort on behalf of Philadelphia's government and monied elite to rest control of the pieces and place them in a public museum. The filmmakers certainly picked a worthwhile topic, and my interest level never dropped once during its run time. It's a solid bit of film making.

The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu (Andrei Ujica, 2011): This is perhaps the most discussed film in the entire thread, and while it seems to have elicited reactions at both extreme ends of the spectrum, you can count my vote in the "amazing" category. Stupendously done.

Best Worst Movie (Michael Stephenson, 2009): I suppose that I'm one of the few who saw Troll 2 upon its initial cable release (the same is true of the completely unrelated Troll), and even though I was a kid when I saw it, the alleged charms of the film completely escape me. That being said, Stephenson, the young star of the film's subject matter does an admirable job documenting the underground phenomenon that the film has become. The scenes with George Hardy are fairly easy to enjoy, and the fate of Margo Prey struck me like a ton of bricks. I'm mixed on it, but I'd give it a mild recommendation.

Cropsey (Barbara Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman, 2009): Going into the film, I had no idea what to expect, and the filmmaker's scatter shot approach to the material did nothing to help. What seems to begin as an exploration of an urban legend quickly shifts gears into an examination into a series of missing children cases in Staten Island in the 70s and 80s. Although its never clear if the cases are in fact related, they are all blamed on one individual, who becomes the filmmaker's focus as they explore numerous theories about these disappearances. The film tries to be many things, but it works best as a meditation on loss, fear, and memory.

George Harrison: Living in the Material World (Martin Scorsese, 2011): This film, which is the latest of what another commenter in a different tread described as Scorsese's rock 'n roll "hagiographies", chronicles the life of Harrison in a fairly straightforward manner. Mixing together archival footage with new interviews, Scorsese manages to craft a rather safe and orthodox feature that does its job without overstaying its welcome. It's nothing special, but I imagine that my fellow Beatles fans will enjoy it.

Hell and Back Again (Danfung Dennis, 2011): On the one hand, this might be the single best documentary that I watched for the project, but on the other hand I'm not sure that that it counts as a documentary. The images that Dennis captures in Afghanistan's war zones are some of the most viscerally intense footage that I've ever witnessed, while the travails of Sgt Nathan Harris's attempts to rehabilitate both a broken body and psyche are similarly unforgettable. However, Dennis injects editorial flourishes throughout his film (i.e. the combat sounds as Harris's doctor speaks) that seem to undermine any pretense of objectivity. The film's narrative is beyond powerful enough to make me forgive the film's mistakes. This one is a must see, friends!

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman, 2011): Even though I'm an environmental ethicist and a strong defender of environmental justice, I'm no fan of ELF or their counterpart ALF. That being said, the sheer idiocy of the an overzealous justice department prosecution of the members for "terrorism" must be seen to be believed. The defendants were clearly guilty of arson in their misguided attempts to make their point, but as the film chronicles, Alberto Gonzalez's justice department came down on them as if they had set off a dirty bomb in Times Square. The film itself is nothing special, but is invaluable as a testament to prosecutorial misconduct.

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, 2004): I was once a fan of Metallica in my teenage years, but quickly outgrew it. Whatever good will I had left for the band was done in by their battle against Napster (as well as the atrocious work that they began releasing with Load). If I had any positive sentiment left for the band, then this dismal flick would have done it in. They come across as prima donnas with a marginally higher IQ then Spinal Tap, but with about 1/10 the charm. Forget it.

Room 237 (Rodney Ascher, 2012): I've seen a fair number of detractors for this film, but I've got to say that I don't get the ill will. The documentary, which covers several fan theories about the hidden meanings of Stanley Kubrik's The Shinning, is less about the film itself than it is about the obsessive attention and (very likely) absurd misinterpretation placed on the film by its fanatically devoted fan base. The reconstructions done by the film makers are nothing less than gorgeous and make this a superlative experience to watch.

El Sicario, Room 164 (Gianfranco Rosi, 2010): In this film an unnamed and masked ex-Sicario (Mexican cartel enforcer) recounts his many, many crimes inside of the film's titular hotel room, where some of the brutality occurred. The stories are powerful, but I couldn't help but feel as though Rosi shot himself in the foot by giving his subject a marker and pad of paper to visualize his claims. While there were one or two moments when it felt as though we learned something by seeing him diagram what he was describing, most of the time he jotted down useless nonsense and created an annoying distraction. Additionally, the subject's conversion at the end comes off as nothing more than a self-serving post-hoc redemption. That being said, the power of his narrative, is strong enough to overcome these shortcomings.

A Small Act (Jennifer Arnold, 2010): I was familiar with the film's story--a Swedish woman donated money to put a young Kenyan boy through school; he grows us to be a UN human rights envoy--long before seeing this film. As touching as I found the basic plot when I read a story of it, I couldn't help but feel a bit underwhelmed by this documentary. I can't put my finger on it, but much of what's on screen left me cold.

We Live in Public (Ondi Timoner, 2009): With its focus on 1990s internet wunderkind Josh Harris's video voyeur "art" exhibitions, it is difficult to think of any way in which director Timoner could have made a less interesting documentary. Avoid this flick and the self-aggrandizing Harris at all costs.

What's the Matter with Kansas? (Joe Winston, 2009): Given what director Joe Winston puts on screen, it's hard to argue that something isn't the matter with Kansas. A land that was once populated by salt of the earth socialists and anarchists achieved near total right wing Christian hegemony in a matter of generations by playing to fears of God, guns, and gays. However, this documentary is all over the place. Without a coherent plot, it meanders from one interviewee to another showing how they've been duped into selling out their economic well being in exchange for victories in the culture wars. Frightening, but unfocussed.

Winnebago Man (Ben Steinbauer, 2009): Although I had heard of "the angriest man in the world" before seeing this documentary, I had somehow managed to avoid seeing his infamous Youtube meltdown. What I saw of that was more cringe worthy than chuckle inducing, but I suppose that I can see the charm of Jack Rebney's liberal use of profanity. However, Rebney doesn't come off as a terribly interesting subject. When we first meet him he creates a false exterior to try and convince Steinbauer that he's just a normal guy that had a bad day. Later though, Rebney reappears as the well-spoken, but profoundly vulgar and crotchety old man that he was in the original video. Is this another facade? It certainly struck me as such.

The Woodmans (Scott Willis, 2010): I had seen some of the work of Francesca Woodman before watching the documentary, and also knew a brief outline of her brief life as photographer turned suicide victim, but I wasn't prepared for the heart wrenching biographical details filled in by the documentary. As someone who has suffered from mental illness for all of my life, I feel a deep sense of compassion for those who deal with depression and anxiety like she did. The documentary itself is nothing extraordinary, but Francesca was. I highly recommend checking out her work. Those who enjoy it may find the documentary interesting as well.

[flyonthewall2983]

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, 2004): I was once a fan of Metallica in my teenage years, but quickly outgrew it. Whatever good will I had left for the band was done in by their battle against Napster (as well as the atrocious work that they began releasing with Load). If I had any positive sentiment left for the band, then this dismal flick would have done it in. They come across as prima donnas with a marginally higher IQ then Spinal Tap, but with about 1/10 the charm. Forget it.

I've remained a rather marginal fan of their work, though I have grown to loathe the St. Anger record they recorded while this was made. I thought the movie was interesting if not completely engrossing. They didn't do their already-tarnished image any favors with this, but at least it felt honest. Lars comes off the worst of course (I'm guessing his admitted coke habit was at it's height during this period), but the one person I felt the sorriest for was Bob Rock. Specifically for the look on his face during one of the therapy sessions where a letter from James is being read and Bob's name is thrown as an afterthought almost. The sadness and exhaustion is palpable in this and a few other scenes as well.

[Brian C]

The documentary, which covers several fan theories about the hidden meanings of Stanley Kubrik's The Shinning

"What he's typed will be a window into his madness ... 'Feelin' fine.' Well, that's a relief."

[bamwc2]

The documentary, which covers several fan theories about the hidden meanings of Stanley Kubrik's The Shinning

"What he's typed will be a window into his madness ... 'Feelin' fine.' Well, that's a relief."

Ha! That was completely on accident, but couldn't have come out better.

[swo17]

A couple of crossovers with the '70s list:

The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner (Werner Herzog)
If the mere sight of Herzog posing as a sportscaster isn't enough to take you to euphoric heights, then surely the stunning slowmo footage of ski flyers set to the triumphal sounds of Popul Vuh will make up the difference. (A bit of the score is recycled from Aguirre, where it of course works wonderfully, but in this new context, it approaches something sublime.) As for the doc's subject, Steiner is perhaps the quintessential Herzogian hero, overachieving in an obscure field to the point of frequently tempting death, and understandably lamenting this fact even as he returns time and time again into the fire.

News from Home (Chantal Akerman)
For the '70s list, surely Jeanne Dielman will attract the majority of the Akerman vote, but I hope people will give this a look as well. It's a diary film, composed entirely of Akerman intermittently reading aloud letters from her mother (mostly about how she doesn't write home often enough) over largely humdrum footage of random people making their way around New York City. Admittedly, this film won't be for everyone, but I find the combined effect of sound and image here to be quite moving, evoking the great metaphorical distance that often separates people, whether or not that distance is also literal. Jeanne Dielman similarly explores urban alienation, but does so in a rather more fantastical manner--the feeling here is more palpable, relatable, and real. And (spoiler alert?) the final extended shot, perhaps of Akerman returning home by boat, is a visual dazzler, with a flock of birds gracefully dancing in the foreground as the Manhattan shoreline gradually reveals its grandeur.

[knives]

Is the re-edited version of Directed by John Ford the only version available on disc and does it radically differ from the original version?

[swo17]

I believe that's the only version on disc, and I think the difference is just the addition of some modern interviews. I don't know if any original interviews might have been removed though.

[domino harvey]

I have the original on a DVDR somewhere but I don't remember any significant losses-- better clip footage is all I recall offhand