documentaries-i-like

Article

9-Year-Old's Homemade Arcade is Rad

9-year-old Caine Monroy loved arcades, so he built one in his father's auto parts shop in East LA. He made it out of cardboard and packing tape. The games include arcade-machine versions of soccer, basketball, and even a claw game. The "machines" dispense tickets (Caine has to roll them out a slot) and arcade patrons can then choose prizes, just like at a traditional arcade. In this short film, the first purchaser of Caine's "Fun Pass" ($2 for 500 plays) shows us the arcade, and a very special day for... READ ON

Article

Richard Feynman: No Ordinary Genius

In this 90-minute BBC documentary from 1993, we see a glimpse of Richard Feynman at his best. Feynman and other figures from his life are interviewed extensively, revealing a portrait of a complex mind -- a man who was willing to live with doubt, uncertainty, and incorrectness as part of the human condition. It's wonderful. A representative quote: "His way of thinking was not typical." No doubt. Check it out: The film was also adapted into a book. Some of my favorite prior coverage of... READ ON

Article

Werner Herzog's "On Death Row" Premieres Tonight

Werner Herzog premieres a four-part miniseries tonight (Friday, March 9) on Investigation Discovery at 10pm ET/PT. It's dark, and smart, and well worth your time -- as long as there are no kids in the room. A Question of Retribution On Death Row is the story of five death row inmates, as told through in-person interviews by Werner Herzog. Herzog seems fascinated by these people, who are almost by definition unreliable witnesses to their own lives. He treats them with respect, gently... READ ON

Article

Mr. Happy Man Loves You

Looking for a feel-good way to start your Valentine's Day? Check out Mr. Happy Man, a ten-minute film about Johnny Barnes, an 88-year-old man living in Bermuda, who stands in a roundabout, effusively greeting everyone who drives by. He tells everyone that he loves them. And, surprise, he's not crazy or homeless! He's just really happy! Representative quote: "There's one thing men gotta learn: women need to be loved. Tell 'em you love 'em every day." Wait for the surprise about 8 minutes... READ ON

Article

Raiding the Lost Ark: New Commentary on a Classic Film

In this "filmumentary," Jamie Benning combines the entire film Raiders of the Lost Ark, behind-the-scenes footage, a transcript of an early story conference, and a series of interviews related to the movie from all the principals. What you get is a feature-length (over two hours) documentary on the film, full of fun facts (popup video style) and insights on Raiders. It's like the best DVD extra you've ever seen -- and it's free! Set aside a few hours for this gem; you'll enjoy hearing how all the pieces... READ ON

Article

"Simpsons" Creator Matt Groening's Dad Was Named Homer, and He Made Movies

Matt Groening created "The Simpsons," and as we all know, Homer Simpson is the patriarch of the family. Well, Homer was the name of Matt's dad too...but he wasn't a doofus. The late Homer Groening was a documentary filmmaker, a WWII pilot, and a writer, among other things. Today I thought I'd share with you one of Homer's films from 1969, "Basic Brown, Basic Blue," a trippy, rambling meditation on color, which eventually devolves into shots of people swimming, including an extended digression on ladies... READ ON

Article

"Cosmos" as Choose-Your-Own-Adventure

Accountant and Cosmos aficionado Callum Sutherland has remixed the landmark Carl Sagan documentary Cosmos into a "Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" style video series called Imagination. You have to have Flash installed, and YouTube Annotations enabled for it to work (these are both set up properly by default for most people); once once you've got those going, it's great fun -- you basically watch a re-cut version of Cosmos in bite-sized chunks, with decision points along the way (at the end of each video).... READ ON

List

11 Free Documentaries Available on YouTube

YouTube isn't just for copyright infringement -- here are 11 documentary films legally available on YouTube in their entirety. They're funded with ads, and are shown in roughly DVD (480p) quality. Be aware that some films move in and out of the free category, so if you're reading this in 2012 or beyond, some films may no longer be available. Check YouTube's Documentaries page and click "Free" for a list of current offerings. 1. Buena Vista Social Club Wim Wenders follows Ry Cooder in Cuba, in the... READ ON

Article

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II, The Metal Years

Today on Network Awesome (warning: video auto-plays!), Heavy Metal Week continues with the classic documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II, The Metal Years. Directed by Penelope Spheeris (who later directed Wayne's World), the film has been bootlegged for decades, and to my knowledge was never released on DVD. Today you can see the whole thing on YouTube. The documentary features interviews with members of Aerosmith, Kiss, Megadeth, Poison, Motörhead, W.A.S.P, plus interviews with... READ ON

Article

The Writer Who Makes Knives

"I got an MFA in fiction writing. I had a really hard time selling the first manuscript that I wrote. When that sort of went sour, and I couldn't sell my book, I just kinda lost steam altogether. I had this period of fear that I was really going to lose writing. It was this thing that I really loved, and I was afraid that I was going to lose it forever. I decided to take a three-month hiatus from it, just stop altogether." So says Joel Bukiewicz, who then discovered that his creativity could be... READ ON