Recently, I followed my curiosity and watched the documentary Loose Change 9/11, which challenges the notion of what we think about the tragedy of September 11th. And lemme tell you... the film's kinda awful. The central thesis of the film is that there is no way a rag-tag set of terrorists with planes could take down the World Trade Center, and that a rocket of some sort flew into the Pentagon. I won't bother trying to debunk of the film 'cause plenty of other people have done it way better than I could. While I completely disagreed with the filmmakers assessment of what happened on 9/11, I was also dismayed by how they put this movie together. The voiceover is slapdash and overbearing, the editing is choppy, the music is very irritating and jarring. This meandering film doesn't move well at all, and feels way longer than it's hour and a half running time.
Sitting through Loose Change 9/11 made me kinda mad because I love documentaries. I really do dig them. I like using film as a medium to explore subcultures, make points, expose elements and crimes, make us smile... and cry. The best documentaries are immensely entertaining and engrossing films. So using this as a jumping off point, here are some documentaries that, in my humble opinion, you definitely must see.
The Polemics: Bowling For Columbine
When doing agit-prop, the guys from Loose Change 9/11 can take a page from the master. This is Michael Moore's best film (with Sicko running a close second) 'cause it works as a great exploration of guns in our culture and our politics. Moore's sarcasm and analysis go hand-in-hand here, especially when exploring the culture of fear that is used to help scare us Americans into submission. A must.
An excellent film exposing closeted gay politicians who act against the LGBT community, Outrage not only explores these politicians but also the mindset as to why they would act this way. Director Kirby Dick let me down with his meandering This Film Is Not Yet Rated, but he delivered here. Big time. Spend an hour-and-a-half watching this film and you will walk away pissed, educated and yes, outraged.
Subcultural Exposes: Rize
David LaChappelle's exploration of krumping is a feast for the eyes and the ears. Rize goes into the history of this (relatively) recent dance movement and the people who live it and love it. You will be tapping your feet while watching it and be amazed at the level of talent.
Darkon is all about a group of LARP'ers in North Carolina. Yes, it's nerdy. Yes, it's rather arcane and a bit silly, but this is a great even-handed expose into why these people love to dress up once a month and sling fake swords around a forest preserve. And the camera work on this film is excellent.
Word WarsThis film exposes the world of competitive Scrabble players. Oh yes, you read that right. This is hilarious, touching and impressive. Super entertaining. No, seriously.
LGBT Documentaries: Red Without Blue
One of the most intense documentaries I've ever seen, Red Without Blue is about a set of identical twins from Montana who had a seemingly typical life. The movie starts with them as adults, with one of them wanting a sex change. The film then delves into their rather horrific history and how their intimate relationship as twin siblings was both a blessing and a curse. A harrowing experience and not to be missed.
On the flip side, the title of Small Town Gay Bar is a bit of a misnomer; it's about TWO small town gay bars, one in Alabama and the other in Mississippi. The film not only explores how these little bars in the middle of nowhere not only serve as a beacon and calling place for the LGBT people in those areas but also the community reaction to them. One of the most fascinating interviews is actually with Fred Phelps, founder of GodHatesFags.com (no, I'm not linking to them) whose office is not very far from one of the bars profiled. A very uplifting and honest film.
Paris is Burning is one of the first documentaries I ever remember seeing. I distinctly remember going to downtown Chicago in the summer of 1991 with some friends and seeing it at the Fine Arts Theater. If you haven't seen Paris is Burning and was wondering where both voguing and RuPaul come from, stop what you're doing and watch this already.
I can go on and on. I think from this point forward, I'll profile one documentary a month. People need to watch more documentaries; they are a great window into our ever-changing world, and if I can help shed some light on some awesome documentaries, then I would really have done some good here.
Recent Comments