Lake of Fire

I just finished this documentary. It is about abortion, and regardless of your view on it, I think this is an interesting watch. It shows both sides of the issue, sometimes in more detail than anyone would care to see. But on something so significant I think it is important to at least take some pause to consider, if not seek an understanding. Either way watching this will give you time to think. As with some other documentaries, I looked away now and again with this documentary and you may find yourself doing the same.







Reviews? Preview? HERE

The Devil Came On Horseback

If you've seen this, you know it's not a fun watch. But genocides kind of are difficult that way. There is a part in the documentary, Born into Brothels, where a boy looking at a picture says, "this is a good picture, we get a good sense of how these people live. And though there is sadness in it and though it's hard to face, we must look at it because it is truth." I feel the same way about this doc. We must look, because it is truth, and it remains regardless of our awareness of it:



The preview? Reviews? Right HERE.

Deliver Us From Evil

Last post was a very pleasant enjoyable documentary so I figure we should contrast it. First, this documentary is eye opening, and often eye opening things are disturbing. Such is the case here.

This is unquestionably one of the most disturbing documentaries I've ever watched.

I stopped it numerous times. With that said, I do think it is an honest picture of what happened with this man here in California. Don't watch this if you don't care to be disturbed, if you haven't already figured that out I don't know what I'd have to say to convey that message. Also, don't take this as me making a negative stance on the Catholics because that would be stupid. Anyways,

If this pic doesn't creep you out now, rent the movie and try again.

The reviews? The Preview? Right HERE

Spellbound

This is kind of a stock documentary. Very watchable. Kind of the opposite of last week, and seeing as this yearly event just passed recently, it seems appropriate.





Netflix Reviews and Preview? Right HERE.  YouTube preview?  HERE

Rivers and Tides

I saw a preview for this documentary and found it hypnotizing. Andy Goldsworthy has one of the most fascinating lives I've ever partially witnessed. He has a wife, and kids, and a seemingly normal life up to that point, but then you consider that every morning he wakes up, and starts walking outside often not knowing what he is going to do. He's an artist, but hard to catelog. He makes art from rocks, ice, leaves, rivers, and at some point he surely will surprise you. Most art today once finished is final, and more or less permanent but often Andy's pieces end in collapse and creates this strange but captivating story that weaves you along through the film.

Reviews? Here. Preview? Here.

All Apologies.

Well there's a million excuses but it all boils down to me dropping the ball on this. Travel/weddings/family/taxes/car/blah/blah/blah/blah/blah. It occurred to me that maybe a single person in my position isn't quite suited for a weekly entry. It takes some work. I haven't been able to consume docs at the rate I did a year ago. I travel every week for work, and at the moment, I'm not sure where all my Netflix videos are. I need to create an infrastructure. I need some cohorts. So if you are a doc fiend, and you'd like to participate, send me your resume. Besides that, I'm back on, but I'm taking a lighter commitment. Once a month. This also comes about because the docthursday "club" couldn't sustain itself. Turns out not everyone has the same taste as me in documentaries. Kind of disappointing. I gotta stop hanging out with people who don't agree with my opinions.

Dark Days

I was in NYC this week. So I am going to select a documentary I've been thinking about but haven't seen yet. Dark Days is about another world in New York's underground.





The preview? The reviews? Right HERE.

Devil's Playground

If you didn't like last week's doc, well, you're ridiculous. On to this week. The Devil's Playground. First, let me make something clear - I love the Amish. People who don't at least respect them are jerks. (I also love judging people for judging people) I think the whole concept of letting the kids out all in one crazy reckless abandon is a little insane but hey, it's their gig. Either way I think it is worth the watch.



Reviews? Preview? Right HERE.

The KING of KONG - A Fistful of Quarters

Per trusted recommendation, The King of Kong:





No preview this week, but still reviews right HERE.

mad hot Ballroom

Sorry, this is being posted late. I'll be trying to get a week ahead on this so this kind of thing doesn't happen again. Anyways, on to this week. Mad Hot Ballroom.






The reviews? The preview? Right HERE.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Good news. We are going to watch one of the best this week. For me, the best documentaries somewhat blow my mind. It combines parts of reality that are foreign and familiar at the same time. The Devil and Daniel Johnston is without question remarkable.




Reviews? Preview? Right HERE.

My Date With Drew

Well, just so happens this Thursday is Valentine's Day. What's so great about Valentine's Day? Simple. Reese's produces the excellent peanut butter heart. Not quite the egg but years beyond the cup.

Anyways, in honor of romance, I've selected the enjoyable, and somewhat well known, My Date with Drew:

The reviews? The preview? Right HERE.

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed Week 5. This week I'd like to go with a little more upbeat documentary. This film has gotten some recognition and I think is genuinely deserved. Not only is it good - it's feel good. So here it is, "The Parrots of Telegraph Hill",




The Reviews? The Preview? Right here.

Unknown White Male

This is one of my favorites. Top 10? Probably. This stirs the mind a bit in a way I am fond of. Unknown White Male:

The Preview? The Reviews? The link.

The question of 'hoax':
There is a bit of controversy out there that accuses that the subject of this documentary is actually just performing an elaborate hoax and that infact he doesn't have amnesia.  I suppose this is possible, but I've found that in general, people aren't capable of life-long hoaxes like this.  He could be an exception, but I don't think so.  Speaking of hoaxes - here's a wikipedia article on it:  Wikipedia

Dogtown and Z-Boys

Last week was Mark Twain, kind of the essence of a documentary is to bring people somewhere else. See the world through someone else's eyes. Comprehend more. Open your mind.

So hopefully week 4 will do just that. Dogtown and Z-Boys.





Can skateboarding open your mind? Uh...yea, because it's awesome. The reviews? The preview? Right here.


Now it's hard to ignore that today in the USA is a holiday. MLK Jr. And even though Martin Luther King Jr. has a national holiday there is still controversy regarding him. Some say he is a womanizer and an adulterer. Others go on to say he was a communist. Personally I always want the truth. I'd prefer the whole picture. Pure honesty, but history, and yes, even documentarys have some falsehoods in them. So was he a womanizer and a communist? Maybe he was. But at the same time was he a revolutionist? Was he a symbol for hope and equality? Yes. So I say take the good and hold on to it and that's why I'm attaching a mini-documentary link to this week.(Unfortunately I can't endorse any particulary MLK doc. from personal experience though netflix has several that look watchable) MLK Jr's "I have a dream". This speech is a masterpiece. To say anymore would be excessive. Watch it:

"I Have A Dream"

Mark Twain

Well, week 2 was a little intense, so we're going to lighten it up, but first - if you want to keep up to date on the Memphis 3 link up to their page here.

Ok, on to this week. Mark Twain week. Everyone likes Mark Twain, right? He had fabulous quotes, like, "The report of my death was an exaggeration" or, "Clothes make the man, naked people have little or no influence on society." He made sense. Either way, Samuel Clemens is a notorious character. So here it is:



The reviews? The preview? Right here on Netflix.

Welcome

Doc. Thursday (short for "Documentary Thursday") is a tradition first started a few years back by a Kyle N**. The torch was carried on by his associates Jenn and Miranda. It was a time set aside, once a week for a Documentary. That's right, educational entertainment. (Which of course is very cool) So it's pretty much as simple as it sounds. Once a week, get some friends, get a treat (I recommend milkshakes) and get a doc. One doc a week is a good New Year's Resolution if you ask me...

Now, we are all about homogenizing society, (not to mention parentheses and sarcastic statements) so every week we'll post the "Doc of the week" right here. Many will be available at your local rental store (Hollywood Video, Blockbuster, etc.) but if not, Netflix is a safe bet for the more obscure. So here it is, week 2, (week 1 was last thursday, we watched "Touch the Sound")



I think this is an appropriate official start, Paradise Lost covers a very current issue. Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley are currently in prison consequent of a trial which can only be described as shocking. Recently Damien was on Larry King Live, feel free to watch the YouTube clip below or read more about this film here at Netflix.