I Write this today mostly because I want to hear other people’s recommendations, more than I want people to go heed my words and watch the documentaries I am about to discuss. Lately I have been really feeling like watching a good doc, but to be honest Being Elmo doesn’t really interest me, and seems to be the only doc Netflix is really pushing me to watch. So I thought I would list off some docs I really liked (most of which you have probably seen) in hopes that you guys will sound off in the comments for me.
Exit Through The Gift Shop
This is a doc is partially-made by a very strange french guy named Thierry Guetta, and in part by the mysterious street artist known as Banksy. Thierry sets off to chronicle the world of underground street art. Banksy unimpressed with Thierry, quickly takes over and turns it into a movie about Guetta reinventing himself into a street artist and the outcome.
This doc is incredibly entertaining. It kind of makes the art world look as shallow and down right stupid as most people think it is. Thierry Guetta is a blast to watch and his character is impossible to hate, even though he is seems like a moron a lot of the time.
Dear Zachary
Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne tells the story of a custody battle between Shirley Turner, a woman suspected of killing the baby’s father and the babies grandparents. Kurt Kuenne made this as a tribute to Andrew Bagby, his childhood friend, and the murdered father of the child being fought over. The doc takes a turn into an emotional legal odyssey when Shirley is allowed to live free and raise her child.
This is an emotional journey through the life of Andrew Bagby, and his parents’ emotional hell as they battle for custody of their grandson. If you paid attention to the news a couple years ago you may have heard this story. It’s a heartbreaking tale but a damn good movie.
Super Size Me
Director Morgan Spurlock takes a hilarious and often terrifying look at the effects of fast food on the human body, using himself as the proverbial guinea pig. For one month, Spurlock eats nothing but McDonald's for 30 days with sobering results.
This movie is hilarious and I realize most people have seen it, like most of this list, but goddamn it's entertaining. The best part is hearing from his girlfriend throughout the movie. It took me awhile to eat fast food again after watching this, so be warned.
King Of Kong
In the early 1980s, legendary Billy Mitchell set a Donkey Kong record that stood for almost 25 years. This documentary follows the assault on the record by Steve Wiebe, an earnest teacher from Washington who took up the game while unemployed. The top scores are monitored by a cadre of players and fans associated with Walter Day, an Iowan who runs an annual tournament. at Funspot. Wiebe breaks Mitchell's record in public at Funspot, and Mitchell promptly mails a controversial video tape of himself setting a new record. So Wiebe travels to Florida hoping Mitchell will face him for the 2007 Guinness World Records.
The best part of this movie is how big of a dick they paint Billy Mitchell to be. He comes off as a manipulative ass.
This is a movie that transcends video games. Even if you don’t play them, (why are you on this site?) you will enjoy it.
Indie Game
A documentary that follows the journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world. Following Team Meat as they make the smash hit Super Meat Boy and Phil Fish as he creates his mind bending platformer Fez
Not necessarily the best movie on this list, but the subject matter fits me perfectly, It’s a subject nobody has really looked at in -depth like this.