Television Feature length documentaries

Mick1991

Full Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2010
Messages
6,657
Location
Ireland
Jaysus man, some folk havent seen that show - including myself. Use spoilers big son if you're gonna tell the story in a nutshell...
Sorry man! It's all spoilered up now, don't let my stupidity put you off watching it. It's excellent!
 

forevrared

Full Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
5,379
Location
Bay Area
'Pelada' is a pretty brilliant one about football. Not sure if you'll be able to watch it outside the US yet, but it's highly recommended for anyone interested in 'the other side' of football.

[ pelada ]
 

Red Hand Devil

Plan M ish
Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
19,511
Location
"I said a hip hop, hippie to the hippie..."
Sorry man! It's all spoilered up now, don't let my stupidity put you off watching it. It's excellent!
No bother man, its very easy to do that, i had to avoid the Boardwalk Empire thread as lads on here were downloading it from the States & postin whats happening. It had only just started here!

Look forward to seeing Anvil tho, seen it in the vid shop so many times but never got around to renting it!
 

CassiusClaymore

Is it Gaizka Mendieta?
Scout
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
35,878
Location
None of your business mate
Supports
The greatest team in history
Off the top of my head I have greatly enjoyed....

Man On Wire (spellbinding)

Touching The Void (inspirational)

The King of Kong (hilarious)

Exit Through The Gift Shop (err...even more hilarious)

It's debatable whether ETTGS is a documentary in the truest sense but a brilliant watch nonetheless. Touching The Void is a great read as well.
 

Pogue Mahone

The caf's Camus.
Joined
Feb 22, 2006
Messages
134,029
Location
"like a man in silk pyjamas shooting pigeons
Off the top of my head I have greatly enjoyed....

Man On Wire (spellbinding)

Touching The Void (inspirational)

The King of Kong (hilarious)

Exit Through The Gift Shop (err...even more hilarious)

It's debatable whether ETTGS is a documentary in the truest sense but a brilliant watch nonetheless. Touching The Void is a great read as well.
Yeah, that's ended up filed alongside Catfish as a cracking documentary that probably wasn't a documentary.

I was listening to Richard Bacon on a podcast recently and he said that he'd met "Mr Brainwash" and that he maintained he was/is a credible artist in his own right, so you never know.
 

Grinner

Not fat gutted. Hirsuteness of shoulders TBD.
Staff
Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
72,287
Location
I love free dirt and rocks!
Supports
Arsenal
I liked Cropsey and found it creepier than most modern horror films.

The recent one on Joan Rivers was interesting too.
 

redspoony

Full Member
Joined
May 13, 2004
Messages
4,519
Location
The City of Salford.
When We Were Kings.

Brilliant stuff.

When I was really into my wrestling Beyond the Mat and Wrestling With Shadows were big favourites of mine as well.
 

Sir Matt

Blue Devil
Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Messages
18,327
Location
LUHG
I just watched Pelada finally. The girl in it played for my university as did the one behind the camera. There were lots of moments that were interesting or smile-inducing. When they visited Mathare(slum in Nairobi) you see people who live in miserable conditions yet, through football, can escape or enjoy their situation. It's that escape that is often missing with watching professionals. So many watch for entertainment rather than the love of it. I wouldn't say many people on the caf fit into that category, but it brings back the history of football when it was a major part of working people's lives. They might spend all week down in the mines, working on the railroad, or in a factory making pennies, but on Saturday the can go to Old Trafford to see United.
 

I'm always right

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Messages
15,912
Location
Mêlée Island
If you have never seen SOLO, aka "Solitary Endeavour on The Southern Ocean" then watch it. PM if you want a link, amazing documentary.
 

99 red balloons

Full Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
2,554
Location
WU203
Gonna bump this thread as I'm just downloading a load of stuff for my iPad for the 10 hours I'm going to spend on a coach to Swansea and back tomorrow.

After some good recommendations for sports documentaries. So far, I've downloaded:

1) One Day in September
2) Fire in Babylon
3) One Night in Turin

Seen two of them before though, so reckon I need another one...
 

izzydiggler

Full Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2006
Messages
3,099
Just had a look and can't believe nobody has mentioned Senna - not a huge F1 fan (I was in the Senna/Prost days) but it was really good and quite moving. As with all documentaries, you wonder how much is edited to make Senna good and Prost bad but it's a fascinating film.

Also Pumping Iron - Arnold is amazing in it.....so many funny and great moments.
 

CassiusClaymore

Is it Gaizka Mendieta?
Scout
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
35,878
Location
None of your business mate
Supports
The greatest team in history
Just had a look and can't believe nobody has mentioned Senna - not a huge F1 fan (I was in the Senna/Prost days) but it was really good and quite moving. As with all documentaries, you wonder how much is edited to make Senna good and Prost bad but it's a fascinating film.

Also Pumping Iron - Arnold is amazing in it.....so many funny and great moments.
Could've sworn I did. Must've been in another similar thread. Yeah, great movie (if very one sided).
 

99 red balloons

Full Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
2,554
Location
WU203
Could've sworn I did. Must've been in another similar thread. Yeah, great movie (if very one sided).
Indeed. I was reading an interview with the Asif Kapadia, and he said he only wanted to use interviews and voices from people who knew him, and worked closely with him.

Sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised by how many documentaries don't do that.
 

Elliott

Likes Loan Stickies
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
12,136
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
Paradise Lost 2: Revelations

Chilling documentaries about a great injustice. Three boys have been (and still are) in prison for the last seventeen years for a crime they clearly did not commit. Fantastic docs.

Have you seen the 3rd one? Is it any good? There's a special screening of it in Oslo tomorrow but it costs a pretty penny and I've got an exam on Thursday so I'll give it a miss unless it's truly exceptional.

Btw; they're free now.
 

Elliott

Likes Loan Stickies
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
12,136
The Devil & Daniel Johnston is amazing, it left me with this weird combo of extreme happiness and extreme sadness. Not sure if you need to be a fan of his music (or drawings) to enjoy it, but it doesn't hurt.

Cocaine Cowboys is another interesting one which hasn't been mentioned yet.
 

cinc

Full Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
9,656
Location
I’m looking for a sacrificial lamb
The Devil & Daniel Johnston is amazing, it left me with this weird combo of extreme happiness and extreme sadness. Not sure if you need to be a fan of his music (or drawings) to enjoy it, but it doesn't hurt.
Its very hard not to be a fan. I had some issues with the film (i think it tried deliberately to mistify his sickness), but the ending scene alone saves it all from all my criticism. What a wonderful moment.

 

The_Red_Hope

Full Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2005
Messages
2,852
Anyone here seen 'Waiting for Superman'. It's frightening how bad and messed up the American education department has become. Felt for all the parent's, it must be mental torture to go through all that.

If I ever have more than 1 child, i'm going to have them flip a coin to see who gets a private education.
 

Elliott

Likes Loan Stickies
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
12,136
Seems to be a lot of Bill Hicks fans on here, American: The Bill Hicks Story is a decent glimpse into his short life. By the way, most of these docs can be found online at veehd.com.
 

cinc

Full Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
9,656
Location
I’m looking for a sacrificial lamb
Anyone here seen 'Waiting for Superman'. It's frightening how bad and messed up the American education department has become. Felt for all the parent's, it must be mental torture to go through all that.

If I ever have more than 1 child, i'm going to have them flip a coin to see who gets a private education.
Its an interesting piece, but very much one sided.
 

Brwned

Have you ever been in love before?
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
50,848
Off to see this tonight in 3D, can't wait.

Have to love Herzog.
Had planned to watch it that night until I realised United were on so had to give it a miss. Thought feck it, I'll watch it sometime next week...until I realised it wasn't on any more, it was only a two week special showing! Gutted.

Anyway, watched it just there and it's great. After about an hour of it I was wondering whether I was enjoying it mainly because of Herzog's narration and inquisitiveness but the 10-minute montage of the cave paintings right at the end were genuinely magical. Would've been even better in 3D. Must-watch and there's 720p downloads of it floating about now.
 

Laphroaig

Full Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
17,900
Location
Gandhinavia
I watched this clip, loved it, watched the film, loved it, am currently acquiring his entire back catalogue, more or less. So thanks for that.

Yesterday I watched Winnebago Man and Inside Job. Both recommendable, and the latter seems to me to be a hugely important documentary.
 

Eriku

Full Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
16,187
Location
Oslo, Norway
Seems to be a lot of Bill Hicks fans on here, American: The Bill Hicks Story is a decent glimpse into his short life. By the way, most of these docs can be found online at veehd.com.
Saw that when it first came out at the Bergen International Film Festival... Cracking watch if you can't get enough of Bill... :)
 

Elliott

Likes Loan Stickies
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
12,136
I watched this clip, loved it, watched the film, loved it, am currently acquiring his entire back catalogue, more or less. So thanks for that.

Yesterday I watched Winnebago Man and Inside Job. Both recommendable, and the latter seems to me to be a hugely important documentary.
Good man.

Good recommendations.
 

Elliott

Likes Loan Stickies
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
12,136
Saw that when it first came out at the Bergen International Film Festival... Cracking watch if you can't get enough of Bill... :)
BIFF's a good festival, better than it's Oslo counterpart.