Good Documentary/Movie Reccomendations

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americaman

Part of the Furniture Now
May 1, 2019
943
3,098
Los Angeles, CA
Since many of us are doing the quarantine thing, myself included in that group since I live in California and my workplace shut down, I wanted to get some video recommendations for myself and others. What are some documentaries or movies that might appeal to the people on here? I don't have cable so I end up endlessly scrolling through Netflix and Amazon Prime Video endlessly, seeing documentaries and movies I have already watched.

Here are some of my recommendations that I think would appeal to fellow pipers, and I would love to hear others' recommendations as well.

Road to Perdition (Netflix): One of my favorites. Irish mob movie and Tom Hanks stars.
The Circus, by PBS (Netflix): Starts in the 1700s and might remind some of us of our childhood and a different era.
American Lives, by Ken Burns (Amazon Prime): Great documentaries on famous Americans, such as Mark Twain.
Any Ken Burns documentary (Several on Amazon Prime): Need I say more? His documentaries are mostly awesome. There used to be a few on Netflix, but it appears they are almost all gone.
 

Bowie

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 24, 2019
980
4,352
Minnesota
Ken Burns' The National Parks: America's Best Idea doesn't get as much attention as some of his other works, but I dare you to watch this and not want to jump in your vehicle with a tent and go camping. It's a beautiful documentary. It is on Amazon Prime right now.

If you like WWII stuff, Apocalypse: The Second World War on The Smithsonian Channel is excellent.

Soccer/football: The ESPN documentary series 30 for 30 did a two-hour documentary called Hillsborough on the 25th anniversary of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, when 96 people were killed in a stadium crush during a FA Cup semifinal game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Even if you are not a soccer fan, it's an impactful documentary about the tragedy and the subsequent criminal court actions. The episode may be available on demand.
 

charf

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 10, 2018
575
3,189
New Zealand
At The Heart Of The Sea is quite good. It is a back story about the writer Herman Melville researching what will ultimately become the story Moby Dick. I came across this after researching the C&D blend called Billy Budd which is named after another story by Herman Melville. Although I am sure many of the US citizens on the forum are probably familiar with all this. If not, its worth reading about Herman Melville's life before watching At The Heart Of The Sea. Pretty sure its on Netflix.
 

americaman

Part of the Furniture Now
May 1, 2019
943
3,098
Los Angeles, CA
At The Heart Of The Sea is quite good. It is a back story about the writer Herman Melville researching what will ultimately become the story Moby Dick. I came across this after researching the C&D blend called Billy Budd which is named after another story by Herman Melville. Although I am sure many of the US citizens on the forum are probably familiar with all this. If not, its worth reading about Herman Melville's life before watching At The Heart Of The Sea. Pretty sure its on Netflix.

Cool. I heard about it but didn’t know that was what it was about. Melville is my favorite American author.

90 Day Fiance

Good stuff
 

charf

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 10, 2018
575
3,189
New Zealand
Cool. I heard about it but didn’t know that was what it was about. Melville is my favorite American author.



Good stuff
The movie may not be a block buster but I think doing some research about the authors life before hand brings it to life a bit more. Enjoy.
 
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Jun 9, 2018
4,012
12,928
England
Thatcher: A Very British Revolution. A 5 part documentary on Margaret Thatcher and her decade in power.

Jonestown: Terror In The Jungle which is a 2 part film on Jim Jones and his Kool-Aid drinking cult.

Fourteen Days In May which is a 1987 documentary about convicted rapist and murderer Edward Earl Johnson as he awaits his execution.

Alt-Right: Age Of Rage. A film that talks to (among others) Antifa activists as well as Gavin McInnes & Richard Spencer from the right. The film encompasses the protests and sad events that unfolded in Charlottesville.

Louis Theroux's: Most Hated Family In America trilogy of documentaries he did (over 12 years), where he follows around and interviews the Wesboro Baptist Church numpties.

All good and all available for free on the BBC iplayer.
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,243
Alaska
Documentaries:

Touching the Void
Gleason
Free Solo
Man on Wire
Gonzo
The King of Kong
Born into This
Wild Wild Country (Netflix Docuseries)
Alone in the Wilderness (but good luck finding it except on dvd)

And of course:

Father the Flame

Also, not a documentary, but based on real events, in case anyone in the world has effed up enough to have not seen it yet, the HBO 10 part series “Band of Brothers.”

Probably my favorite piece of television ever created.
 
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mawnansmiff

Lifer
Oct 14, 2015
7,385
7,295
Sunny Cornwall, UK.
"Ken Burns' The National Parks: America's Best Idea .... "

Bowie, for some reason that boxed set is not available here else it would certainly be in my collection. I'm currently watching his 'The West' boxed set.

Regards,

Jay.
 
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Akousticplyr

Lifer
Oct 12, 2019
1,155
5,712
Florida Panhandle
Documentaries:

Touching the Void
Gleason
Free Solo
Man on Wire
Gonzo
The King of Kong
Born into This
Wild Wild Country (Netflix Docuseries)
Alone in the Wilderness (but good luck finding it except on dvd)

And of course:

Father the Flame

Also, not a documentary, but based on real events, in case anyone in the world has effed up enough to have not seen it yet, the HBO 10 part series “Band of Brothers.”

Probably my favorite piece of television ever created.

Band of Brothers should be in every American household. I tell every military flight student they should read the book twice- it’s a junior officer’s how to / how NOT to act manual. Regardless of branch of service or warfare speciality.

Richard Winters is a personal hero of mine.
 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
11,070
Maryland
postimg.cc
Burns has a new series, "The Gene",I've recorded two episodes so far.

Music:
20 Feet from Stardom
Good Ol' Freda
The Wrecking Crew
The Beatles: Eight Days A Week
David Bowie - the Last Five Years
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Rush- Beyond the Lighted Stage

I watched "50 Years of Star Trek" last night, it was pretty poorly done.
 
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