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[CTLance]

All these serious answers. How about a bit of silly fun?

I've got a soft spot for Alien Planet. It has George Lucas in it - for all of ten seconds or so. Still counts. Also Hawking. THE Hawking. Plus, I like the music. Sadly the highly repetitive nature and frequent ad breaks that plagues many American documentaries does get annoying and prevents any serious depth to the content. Still a fun romp though.

Same with The Future Is Wild. Hilarious and engrossing stuff.


Again, slightly missing the point of this thread, but fascinating from a perspective of what the movie contributed to lawmaking in Canada: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.

 

[Raptomex]

I'm not a big fan of them but Cocaine Cowboys was amazing. No idea if it's available on any of those services, though. I have the blu-ray, myself.

 

[MilkyJoe]

and

 

[Cryxo93]

Go and watch Jodorowsky's Dune.
Super insightful, magical, trippy and damn hilarious. The film may have not have been made but it sure influenced film following it.

Plus this man is pure gold, in everyway possible:

 

[hobozero]

Gotta second Jodorowsky's Dune, man I love that movie.

If you dig movies in general, I would recommend Easy Riders, Raging Bulls

 

[Octavianus]

The World at War is still the best WWII documentary out there and should be mandatory viewing at school.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-yI9D9oZgQ

 

[Cryxo93]

The World at War is still the best WWII documentary out there and should be mandatory viewing at school.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-yI9D9oZgQ

That Holocaust episode...

 

[sytadel]

I was more enthralled in The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst than Going Clear, and Going Clear blew my mind completely. Watch it. Immediately.

 

[Ricky_R]

It's a six part miniseries, but it's so good.

 

[54-46!]

The Great War

The World at War

Cold War

 

[BaronLundi]

I'd recommend The Sorrow and the Pity, an excellent, level-headed yet very human look at life under nazi occupation. The director interviews almost every side of the conflict and doesn't feel the need to add voice over, instead opting to let people talk about what happened.

Fascinating and comprehensive account that almost single-handedly kickstarted the breaking of the taboo surrounding the French occupation.

Some of the people interviewed are infuriating, some will restore your faith in humanity.

Essential viewing indeed if only to watch the interview of the guy who gave the title to the movie.

 

[sankao]

Go and watch Jodorowsky's Dune.
Super insightful, magical, trippy and damn hilarious. The film may have not have been made but it sure influenced film following it.

Plus this man is pure gold, in everyway possible:

Thirded. Jodorowsky's heart and passion makes you believe in humanity.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

blackfish

 

[Camwi]

American Movie is a fascinating portrait of not-exactly-unfulfilled ambition.

Any fan of film-making needs to watch American Movie.

 

[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

There are two docs to see before this fall when fictionalized versions comes out.

Marwencol -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMWFhplFSEQ

Man on Wire -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRbQkpJsJ_8

Any fan of film-making needs to watch American Movie.

Absolutely.

 

[supernormal]

The Imposter is the best documentary I've seen and I don't really like documentaries. The thing it's so well done it has real movie quality to it with how they mix in drama and reality. Some might say that even posting the trailer is spoiler territory and it's even better to go in fresh, but if you do watch it I can tell you that there's way more twists and turns than whatever you think you got from the trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67cMet52mL4

 

[FalconLunch]

I love documentaries! Dear Zachary is a must watch for everyone. I'll edit this later when I'm not in class to give some more suggestions.

Edit: Food Inc, Indie Game: The Movie, The Woman Who Wasn't There, So Much So Fast, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Inside North Korea, Catfish.

I've heard Man on Wire is great but have yet to watch it. I also really enjoy pretty much any animal documentary on Netflix. The PBS ones are usually interesting.

 

[Rootbeer]

The Bridge

There are two documentaries I saw shortly before moving to San Francisco. One was this. The other was The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2003).

 

[Gandalf]

Whatever you want by Louis Theroux.

This. His interview style is one of the best in my opinion.

 

[HarryHengst]

Children full of life is a wonderful documentary about an elementary school teacher in Japan who is teaching his students the power of empathy.

 

[paskowitz]

Senna

 

[Bloodrage]

Recently watched Citizenfour. It's great.

 

[Rootbeer]

Children full of life is a wonderful documentary about an elementary school teacher in Japan who is teaching his students the power of empathy.

For another documentary on teachers, try To Be And To Have, about a teacher and his students in rural France. I was really impressed with the teacher's approach. And the style of life they all had there in the rural part of France I wasn't very familiar with seemed very idyllic.

Trailer

 

[The Charging Buck]

McConkey

 

[Ultima_5]

i really like the bbc planet earth/life/etc ones. theyre amazing loooking

 

[Banderdash]

Saw this and feel the same. I only kiiiiinda like metal, and don't like that band at all, but you have to love those guys and their determination to follow their dreams. Great little followalong story.

I've loved these documentaries...

ON WAR:
The World at War (about WW2, like 20 parts of an hour each, by the BBC made in the early 70's, so they can interview a lot of people who were right in the thick of it).

The Fog of War: Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara gives an inside look at war from the point of view of those who sit behind desks through all of it. It will surprise, interest, and possibly anger you.

Also, Ken Burns' The Civil War...

 

[Toothless]

The Bridge

This movie kinda disgusts me tbh. But I'm not a big documentary fan.

In theaters now though is Seymour: An Introduction. I thought it was pretty good.

 

[thisiswhatever]

PBS - Jazz a Film by Ken Burns is a very good documentary series (10 parts I think?)

Room 237 is cool if you liked the Shining