Your favourite documentaries?

[Trevor]

Which of these are your favorites? Add others if you want.

[FatFreddysCat]

I watch a lot of music documentaries. Favorites would probably be End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones and WE ARE TWISTED F**KIN' SISTER!

[Rev. Powell]

My favorite is the one Trevor was in (whatever it was called  ).

I haven't seen any of the ones you list. My favorites are

The Act of Killing (2012)
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Roger & Me (1989)
20 Days in Maripoul (2023)
Grey Gardens (1975)
I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
For Sama (2019)
Sr. (2022)
Peter and the Farm (2016)
Free Solo (2018)

If you count "hybrid documentaries" that mix fiction with documentary, add "Waltz with Bashir" (would be #1 or 2 overall), "My Winnipeg" (mostly fiction with a little fact sprinkled in), "Sans Soleil," and "Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages."

[RCMerchant]

 MANSON (1973) and the FALL OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION (1981) are 2 off the top of my head.
 

[Trevor]

My favorite is the one Trevor was in (whatever it was called  ).

I haven't seen any of the ones you list. My favorites are

The Act of Killing (2012)
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Roger & Me (1989)
20 Days in Maripoul (2023)
Grey Gardens (1975)
I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
For Sama (2019)
Sr. (2022)
Peter and the Farm (2016)
Free Solo (2018)

If you count "hybrid documentaries" that mix fiction with documentary, add "Waltz with Bashir" (would be #1 or 2 overall), "My Winnipeg" (mostly fiction with a little fact sprinkled in), "Sans Soleil," and "Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages."

😂😂

Banned: Joe Bullet was it. 🤣

I also assisted on SUGARMAN and IN DARKEST HOLLYWOOD: the first was 😊😊😊🙏 and the second was 🤧🤮😝💩

[lester1/2jr]

Chi Guy - Weapons of Mass Decibels

The Woman Who Wasn't There

This https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-rj8m7Ssow documentary on the Kowloon Walled City

Plan 9 from Syracuse - (a guy tries to run across the country thinking it will impress investor Mark Cuban)

[bob]

I've seen none of the choices in the poll.

I've seen the following documentaries off the top of my head:

Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011), Hoop Dreams (1994), I Am Not Your Negro (2016), Red Army (2014), Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001), Triumph of the Will (1935), Fahrenheit 9/11 (2001), Ken Burns' The Civil War (1990), The Vietnam War (2017), The Dust Bowl (2012), The War (2007), The U.S. and the Holocaust (2022), Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922), Murderball (2005), Room 237 (2012), and a lot of ESPN 30 for 30 sports documentaries.

[RCMerchant]

I like all of Ken Burns' work. 

AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE (2010) is excellent, as is NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE, AND BLUE (2009).

There used to be a program on PBS when I was a kid called the WORLD AT WAR (1973) that fostered my interest in the history of WW 2, but I won't count TV shows.

[indianasmith]

Ken Burns' THE CIVIL WAR is a masterpiece.
I also love the architectural history doccos done by David Macaulay back in the 80's - PYRAMID, ROMAN CITY, CASTLE, and CATHEDRAL.
I show those in class every year.

[LilCerberus]

Zay Gesundt! Stories with Zosia and Boleslaw (2008)
Fast Terry (2013)
Tread (2019)

[Trevor]

I've seen none of the choices in the poll.

I've seen the following documentaries off the top of my head:

Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011), Hoop Dreams (1994), I Am Not Your Negro (2016), Red Army (2014), Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001), Triumph of the Will (1935), Fahrenheit 9/11 (2001), Ken Burns' The Civil War (1990), The Vietnam War (2017), The Dust Bowl (2012), The War (2007), The U.S. and the Holocaust (2022), Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922), Murderball (2005), Room 237 (2012), and a lot of ESPN 30 for 30 sports documentaries.

You should see the docco I'm in 😳😉🐢

[M.10rda]

Of those listed, I do have admiration for CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS... though 21 years ago it seemed more significant than it may today, when dysfunctional people all over the world let reality TV crews into their lives aaaaaaaall the time...

I need to make time for SHOAH one day.

No one's mentioned Werner Herzog yet iirc and he deserves a nod for his many interesting docs. Likewise Berlinger & Sinofski's PARADISE LOST parts 1 and 2, which are really powerful provocation in the style of THIN BLUE LINE, though part 3 failed to satisfy (as is often the case w/ reality)...

Trevor just mentioned POM WONDERFUL PRESENTS: THE GREATEST STORY EVER SOLD - a marvelous and rather unique film lent additional resonance by some recent allegations of Pom's atrocious labor practices and appalling health standards....... director and star Morgan Spurlock just passed away at an unnervingly young age, and at the time I thought it was all the McDonalds food that finally caught up to 'em... but if he spent a year or more drinking Pom that might not have helped his longevity, either....... rest in peace, Morgan.

Like the Rev, I do have a fondness for films that blur the lines between verite and kayfabe... hence my fondness for PWP: TGSES (which is a journalistic satire of propaganda) and also for FAHRENHEIT 9/11, which is just plain propaganda, albeit factually accurate. Similar to these, I'd recommend the YES MEN trilogy... three hilarious films that are technically documentaries but only a little moreso than any episode of "Impractical Jokers". If you have an interest in politics but also love irreverent humor, the YES MEN are highly recommended.

The last documentary that I really loved was WILDCAT from 2022. A perfect 5/5 if you love cats or if you favor the dark Herzogian approach to subjects...

[RCMerchant]

I enjoyed VAMPIRA AND ME (2012), about the beatnik Queen of Late Night Horror.

[zombie no.one]

COCAINE COWBOYS is without doubt the best documentary I've ever seen. must've watched it at least 30 times. can't think of a single other documentary I've watched more than about twice.

also really enjoyed KING OF KONG: FISTFUL OF QUARTERS. a documentary about the early days of Donkey Kong and the insane amount of rivalry between a bunch of players to hold the world record score.

 GRIZZLY MAN (although I'm not entirely sure it wasn't a spoof)

ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL

[zombie no.one]

Similar to these, I'd recommend the YES MEN trilogy... three hilarious films that are technically documentaries but only a little moreso than any episode of "Impractical Jokers". If you have an interest in politics but also love irreverent humor, the YES MEN are highly recommended.

oh wow, I'd forgotten all about these. great stuff. especially the one where they apologised for the Bhopal disaster.

on a similar tip (but not a documentary) I'd recommend the tv series BRASS EYE