Rocumentary
My wife and I love documentaries. The problem is, no one really makes them anymore. I just watched “The Filth and The Fury, The Story of The Sex Pistols” that was very good. I had to put some type of “rocumentary” on to cleanse my self of the abomination that was “Shine A Light” by Martin Scorcese. My hopes were SO high on this one. Arguably the greatest director of all time documenting The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World. It fucking sucked. It was actually pretty embarrassing. I had hoped for greatness. I had hoped for real, gritty, behind the scenes with The Rolling Stones “fly on the wall” type stuff. What I got was an hour of Mick Jagger acting like a special boy having a tantrum. When I watch the Rolling Stones perform, especially when I am watching through the eyes of Martin Freaking Scorcese, I expect to see KEITH and RONNIE!!!! I want to see the two swashbucklers doing what they do best, picking and grinning and trying to out do each other at the same time as they make room for each other between the bars of music. These guys are probably the last ACTUAL remaining pirates. Instead I had to suffer through a BORING concert movie.If anyone really needs to see Mick Jagger in Honky Tonk woman one more time then they stink too. In the beginning of the “documentary” there is a brief argument between Mick and Marty about what the set list will be for that night’s show. What difference does it make? We all know by now that the stones are just going to trot out the tired old greatest hits and pick up their checks. Even if Martin Scorcese would rather film Moonlight Mile.
Please leave comments below with what documentaries you have enjoyed. Lately I have really loved: YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME. JIM JONES. BROTHER’S KEEPER. ENDLESS SUMMER (one ad two) and if you really want a weird one that will get you to tear up out of nowhere, try SPEEDO.
JJ
Meh, I might like documentaries more if I’m stoned. Good luck tearing me away from National Geographic and the History channel, though. Hooooooly shit. Sometimes I forget to blink and then I worry about my contacts shriveling up on my eyeballs. Thankfully, it’s never happened. I think it would hurt.
For the record, I only trotted over here because Yvonne was all squeeeing over you, and I’ve read her for years. I’m not quite as squee.
A really good “Rockumentary” is – Joe Strummer The Future is Unwritten. I was a huge Clash fan and this film solidifies it. Joe Strummer was way ahead of his time. He, before anyone, fused rock, reggae, rap with strong political sattire. I would be hard pressed to find a better front man. Yeah, Yeah I know you like Bono and that really cool Benji Wentz dude from that one gay group Good Jonas Fall Out Charlotte.
Oh Yeah, another good one is called New York Doll. It’s about the bass player for the Dolls and how he became a mormon librarian and returned to the stage for a reunion. No kidding– this one is really good.
Not a Rockumentary, but “The Kings of Kong (a fist full of quarters)” is entertaining
Best documentary ever, hands down: “Dancing Outlaw.” It’s from the early ’90s about Jesco White, a “mountain dancer” from West Virginia. Note to self: Never, ever visit West Virginia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M35r1Q4c88I
Don’t miss the clip where he relates the touching story of holding a knife to his wife’s throat for the crime of making “sloppy, slimy eggs.”
“Star Wars” man… boy that was such a great documentary – I mean who’d have thought all that was going on out there far far away and all those years ago!! Quite a miracle they managed to get a crew out there to capture it all.
No, really “King of Kong” was so funny! “Billy was as close to a Jedi that they come.” You can’t make this shit up!
At one point I was thinking, “This is for real, these guys are really THAT bad!”
As I am watching the movie I am thinking, “I see Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller doing a mockumentary on this.” HYSTERICAL.
I went through my documentary phase and the one that got me was “4 little girls”. I haven’t seen, ‘When the Levee’s break’ yet (still making my way through 3 seasons of The Closer before I get them through Netflix)
Oh, and I got sucked into a movie last night that gave me nightmares. Something with this guy who’s fiance decided they needed to see other people…all I remember was white ass over and over again.
hee hee.
If you haven’t seen “Young at Heart” RUN- don’t walk! – to rent it. Best documentary of all time.
Just got hep to the blog, so in catching up: hope you, wife and the chiclet are all feeling better. SO sorry about your doggie (you did the right thing, but that doesn’t make it feel that much better, does it?). Can’t wait for “Gary” nor can my (teenaged) kids who crack up every time they see the ad for it.
Oh, and if you haven’t checked out http://www.drhorrible.com you totally should. It’s genius!
Two documentaries that I’ve enjoyed recently on my new Netflix player are “Ram Dass: Fierce Grace” and “Stone Reader”. “The King of Kong” was surprisingly good too.
There are 2 documentaries I’ve seen recently that made an impression on me. The first was “The Last Mogul” about the late Lew Wasserman. It was almost unbelievable the kind of power this man had in the movie industry for many, many years. Noone in the industry was able to do much of anything without his approval.
The second was called “The Cockettes”, 70s ‘gay Rockettes’ (!), forerunners to the glam-rockers, actually. Many of them were interviewed for this documentary. Very interesting to see them 30 years later. One guy looked like Bruce Villanche.. hey, maybe it WAS Bruce! ;o)
1. midnight movies
2. king of kong
3. any movie by errol morris
4. overnight
5. ric burns’ andy warhol documentary
6. capturing the friedmans
7. riding giants
8. mayor of the sunset strip
just to name a few….
“Dogtown and Z-Boys” is killer.
Slam Man, I’m looking for “Marty” to rebound with his upcoming George Harrison documentary. THE documentary I’ve wanted to see from THE director I would have hoped would make it. My expecations now are wayyy to high, but I don’t see how this one could disappoint like “Shine A Light”. And because George has passed, I’m just going to assume that it’s not going to be a lame concert filmed under the guise of a “documentary”. I could be wrong though, George was pretty freakin’ talented so maybe he will come back and do a gig at MSG for “Marty’s” cameras.
Check out the one about Tom Petty called Runnin down a Dream. It is produced by Peter Bogdanavich.
Give “Murderball” a look — it’s a film about the 2004 Wheelchair Rugby tournament, as well as the personal stories of the athletes who are passionate, driven, and determined to win — as one of them says, “I’m not here for a hug, I’m here for a medal.” Awesome!
I have been listening to a lot of Joy Division lately and am looking forward to seeing Control. I have heard it was really great.
I think SPencer Wells should have gotten a Nobel prize for The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey.
I really liked “I am Trying to Break Your Heart” the Wilco documentary, refreshing to see a really talented band that isn’t full of crap, taking on some jerky record executives that only care about sales.
“Bra Boys” is pretty bad ass and the surf footage is unreal!
“King of Kong” is truly an unbelievable film. Just a really solid, entertaining, hysterical movie.
Its not a rockumentary, but “The Smartest Guys in the Room – Enron” is the best documentary I have seen. It may be slow to some, but watch it to the end.