Documentaries that made a difference

[IU90]

Farenheit 911 might be significant because it was the first of the Iraq documentaries, but it is far from the best. If you watch Why We Fight and Iraq For Sale together as companion pieces you'll have a far better idea what was driving the Iraq war than anything Michael Moore showed.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

Two thoughts:

It's very hard to be persuasive in a democracy when one of your main arguments is "most people are stupid."

The Democratic party as a whole seems to have figured this out, sadly. I guess you missed the memo.

I'm not trying to be persuasive. Just stating the facts.

So, per you, it's a "fact" that most people are stupid? God knows I'm sure we all wish we were as smart as you.

If you voted for Bush twice you are either a) stupid or b) without a conscience.

I'd like to believe I'm neither stupid nor lacking a conscience. I did vote for him twice, and though I deeply regret it now, at the time I felt it was the best option.

As for the original topic at hand, I don't know if these 10 movies made a difference socially, politically or otherwise, but they certainly made a difference in the way documentaries are made.

Perhaps, then, the list title is accurate, in that they are some of the most influential films within the sphere of documentary filmmaking.

Well, you certainly fall outside those two categories.

I stand corrected.

You are in a very exclusive, tiny group though.

 

[Mighty_Wingman]

I also voted for him twice...do I get "stupid or lacking a conscience" amnesty?

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

I also voted for him twice...do I get "stupid or lacking a conscience" amnesty?

Not that I have seen in your posts.

Though, you can't be all bad with that sig.

 

[IU90]

Two thoughts:

It's very hard to be persuasive in a democracy when one of your main arguments is "most people are stupid."

The Democratic party as a whole seems to have figured this out, sadly. I guess you missed the memo.

I'm not trying to be persuasive. Just stating the facts.

So, per you, it's a "fact" that most people are stupid? God knows I'm sure we all wish we were as smart as you.

If you voted for Bush twice you are either a) stupid or b) without a conscience.

I'd like to believe I'm neither stupid nor lacking a conscience. I did vote for him twice, and though I deeply regret it now, at the time I felt it was the best option.

As for the original topic at hand, I don't know if these 10 movies made a difference socially, politically or otherwise, but they certainly made a difference in the way documentaries are made.

Perhaps, then, the list title is accurate, in that they are some of the most influential films within the sphere of documentary filmmaking.

Well, you certainly fall outside those two categories.

I stand corrected.

You are in a very exclusive, tiny group though.

I think that group is a little bigger than you think. I refuse to believe more than half of the 04 American voters were terminally stupid or without conscience. Bush was blessed by timing and a less than appealing Dem option for middle america. If the election had been held 6 months later, he probably would've lost in a landslide if you remember how his approval rating completely crashed at the beginning of 05.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

Two thoughts:

It's very hard to be persuasive in a democracy when one of your main arguments is "most people are stupid."

The Democratic party as a whole seems to have figured this out, sadly. I guess you missed the memo.

I'm not trying to be persuasive. Just stating the facts.

So, per you, it's a "fact" that most people are stupid? God knows I'm sure we all wish we were as smart as you.

If you voted for Bush twice you are either a) stupid or b) without a conscience.

I'd like to believe I'm neither stupid nor lacking a conscience. I did vote for him twice, and though I deeply regret it now, at the time I felt it was the best option.

As for the original topic at hand, I don't know if these 10 movies made a difference socially, politically or otherwise, but they certainly made a difference in the way documentaries are made.

Perhaps, then, the list title is accurate, in that they are some of the most influential films within the sphere of documentary filmmaking.

Well, you certainly fall outside those two categories.

I stand corrected.

You are in a very exclusive, tiny group though.

I think that group is a little bigger than you think. I refuse to believe more than half of the 04 American voters were terminally stupid or without conscience. Bush was blessed by timing and a less than appealing Dem option for middle america. If the election had been held 6 months later, he probably would've lost in a landslide if you remember how his approval rating completely crashed at the beginning of 05.

I'm sorry, there is no excuse ... none... for not booting his ass out.

I don't give a shirt if boots was running on the other ticket.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

I'd put Four Little Girls and When The Levees Broke up there, too.
Spike's a very underrated documentarian.

 

[friend of the friendless]

Sirs, Madames,

I was talking to a hockey scribe the other day. I asked him what movie he took his wife to on their first date. Quoth the puckiste: "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. What about you?" Sez I: "Capturing the Friedmans."

Sigh. Fog of War has to be on the list. It was the second film-date with the Significant Other. Has anyone ever seen a soundtrack of it? My favorite bit of Phil Glass and I'm a huge fan.

Salesman is amazing (Sayles Bros). I actually gifted my copy of Harlan County (Criterion) to a coach whose grandfather and father had been coalminers (I just happened to bring it on a road trip for some light viewing in the air) in that era. I've written about Gimme Shelter too many times already.

If You Love This Planet is a great Cold War bit ... with the Aussie scientist holding forth in an impassioned plea to head off nuking the world into a pile of cinders.

Loved Ken Burns's Jack Johnson doc. The archival stuff was unbelievable.

Offbeat Canadian one: TOFOTF wrote a story about eccentric Newfoundland media baron/visionary Geoff Sterling who 30+ years ago filmed a doc about Joey Smallwood, eccentric Newfy premier, going to Cuba to visit you-know-who.

http://www2.indiepix.net/film/1720

His-terical ...

YHS, etc

 

[JR]

Mr. F of F

Shouldn't you be, like, working on your book?

T minus, what, five days and counting?

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Mr. F of F

Shouldn't you be, like, working on your book?

T minus, what, five days and counting?

What's it to you, eh, Jiminy Cricket?
(Sorry. I have a book coming due, too, and I'm very grumpy about it.)

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Has Ken Burns made a bad documentary?

His Jack Johnson film was great.

 

[Mayfly]

What does "YHS" mean when FOTF writes it? I have always wondered this.