FRIDAY QUESTION on a nonfiction film kick
This week, ROUTE 1 readers answer the following FRIDAY QUESTION:
"What is your favorite documentary?"
Mike M. -- I saw a couple of Les Blank documentaries about 10 years ago, "J'ai Été Au Bal" (1989) and "Yum, Yum, Yum!" (1990), and I still think about them today. They're about French Louisiana, Cajun food and Zydeco music, but also about society, culture and life in general. Other favorites: "Crumb" (1994) by Terry Zwigoff, "Roger & Me" (1989) by Michael Moore and "Gimme Shelter" (1970) by Albert and David Maysles. Some documentaries I want to see: "Titicut Follies" (1967) and "High School" (1968) by Frederick Wiseman and "Shoah" (1985) by Claude Lanzmann. Also, "Hearts of Darkness" (1991), a documentary about the making of the movie "Apocalypse Now," out on DVD this November.
Brian C. -- Ken Burns' "The Civil War." Now that you mention it, after visiting Gettysburg and Antietam on summer vacation, I need to find those VHS tapes and watch it again!
Mike D. -- While I look forward to watching the Civil War, WWII and other documentaries by Ken Burns when I get time (probably after retirement), I HAVE seen his baseball series twice. It was so entertaining, educational and inspiring that I began making my own videos, documenting the history of my family, our band and our softball team.
Rick T. -- Anything about the ill-fated Donner Party or Donner Pass, Calif.
Bob H. -- The best documentary I have ever seen is the current "Planet Earth" series from The Discovery Channel and BBC, available on DVD from Netflix. A must see for everyone with eyes. Hold onto your hats -- it's a wild ride.
Inger H. -- "Spinal Tap." Sometimes reality just needs to be filtered and distilled a bit before the real truth can come out.
Dave B. -- "The Civil War" by Ken Burns.
Scout S. -- "Man Bites Dog."
Jim S. -- Ken Burns' "Civil War." It's very long, but I still have copies of it on tape (maybe I should update them with DVDs!). On a smaller scale, I loved "Hoop Dreams," which followed a couple of young, inner-city Chicago basketball players through five years of their lives.
Roseanne H. -- We have been watching "Planet Earth," produced by the BBC. It is just amazing and I recommend it to everyone. I can hardly wait to see the next episode.
Erik H. -- Martin Scorsese is a masterful storyteller. It should come as no surprise, then, that his 2005 documentary on Bob Dylan, "No Direction Home," is a master class in historical narrative.
Scorsese gives us glimpses of the future animosity of folk fans -- people shouting "Judas!" at concerts -- as he portrays Dylan's evolution from the idolized young singer of songs such as "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" to the often vilified (by the folkies) electric guitar-toting singer of songs such as "Highway 61 Revisited."
Scorsese was also able to interview just about EVERYBODY involved, which gives numerous viewpoints to an often complicated story about an almost impenetrable, complicated artist in Dylan.
"What is your favorite documentary?"
Mike M. -- I saw a couple of Les Blank documentaries about 10 years ago, "J'ai Été Au Bal" (1989) and "Yum, Yum, Yum!" (1990), and I still think about them today. They're about French Louisiana, Cajun food and Zydeco music, but also about society, culture and life in general. Other favorites: "Crumb" (1994) by Terry Zwigoff, "Roger & Me" (1989) by Michael Moore and "Gimme Shelter" (1970) by Albert and David Maysles. Some documentaries I want to see: "Titicut Follies" (1967) and "High School" (1968) by Frederick Wiseman and "Shoah" (1985) by Claude Lanzmann. Also, "Hearts of Darkness" (1991), a documentary about the making of the movie "Apocalypse Now," out on DVD this November.
Brian C. -- Ken Burns' "The Civil War." Now that you mention it, after visiting Gettysburg and Antietam on summer vacation, I need to find those VHS tapes and watch it again!
Mike D. -- While I look forward to watching the Civil War, WWII and other documentaries by Ken Burns when I get time (probably after retirement), I HAVE seen his baseball series twice. It was so entertaining, educational and inspiring that I began making my own videos, documenting the history of my family, our band and our softball team.
Rick T. -- Anything about the ill-fated Donner Party or Donner Pass, Calif.
Bob H. -- The best documentary I have ever seen is the current "Planet Earth" series from The Discovery Channel and BBC, available on DVD from Netflix. A must see for everyone with eyes. Hold onto your hats -- it's a wild ride.
Inger H. -- "Spinal Tap." Sometimes reality just needs to be filtered and distilled a bit before the real truth can come out.
Dave B. -- "The Civil War" by Ken Burns.
Scout S. -- "Man Bites Dog."
Jim S. -- Ken Burns' "Civil War." It's very long, but I still have copies of it on tape (maybe I should update them with DVDs!). On a smaller scale, I loved "Hoop Dreams," which followed a couple of young, inner-city Chicago basketball players through five years of their lives.
Roseanne H. -- We have been watching "Planet Earth," produced by the BBC. It is just amazing and I recommend it to everyone. I can hardly wait to see the next episode.
Erik H. -- Martin Scorsese is a masterful storyteller. It should come as no surprise, then, that his 2005 documentary on Bob Dylan, "No Direction Home," is a master class in historical narrative.
Scorsese gives us glimpses of the future animosity of folk fans -- people shouting "Judas!" at concerts -- as he portrays Dylan's evolution from the idolized young singer of songs such as "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" to the often vilified (by the folkies) electric guitar-toting singer of songs such as "Highway 61 Revisited."
Scorsese was also able to interview just about EVERYBODY involved, which gives numerous viewpoints to an often complicated story about an almost impenetrable, complicated artist in Dylan.
posted by erik hogstrom at 6:14 AM
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