Documentary Junkie

When Sicko and Fahrenheit 9/11 came out some years ago, I was introduced to the world of documentaries.  I suppose like many people, I was of the opinion that documentaries were stodgy old pieces of film destined for the History Channel, and all of which had something to do with the Holocaust or wars or something. Over the past year or so, however, with the arrival of Netflix Streaming in my life, I've been going crazy watching a wide variety of wonderful documentaries about all kinds of subjects.  (One of my sister's common refrains was, "Oh God, she's been watching documentaries again.")  I confess that my favorites tend to be about obscure people and 'stuff' or about crime, but I really have enjoyed watching things that I don't even fully understand.  So here's a list of the documentaries I can recommend, some I don't recommend, and information about each.

1.  Dear Zachary: This was the first documentary I watched as I was getting into the documentary genre. It is the story of Dr. Andrew Bagby, who was murdered by his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son, Zachary.  Andrew's friend Kurt wanted Zachary to know his father as he grew up, but the documentary turned into something more as the story evolved.  It is unbelievably moving, unbelievably tragic, and a true statement of love.

2.  There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane:  I watched this one very recently. (The link goes directly to the full length movie on Vimeo).  I don't remember it happening, but apparently in 2009, Diane Schuler drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway in New York, causing a fatal crash that killed her, her three nieces, her daughter, and three people in another vehicle. The documentary seeks answers on how an upstanding woman in the community came to be responsible for one of the worst traffic collisions in the history of the area.  The documentary was criticized for being very one-sided, that side being concerned with Diane and her character, as opposed to that of her victims, and I can see that.  Some of the other families did participate, although not the family of her nieces. It was really very interesting.  Not quite as good as Dear Zachary, but compelling nonetheless.

3.  Dreams of a Life:  Joyce Vincent died in her London apartment and no one noticed for 3 years.  For three years, no bills were paid, no rent, her family didn't hear from her, her friends didn't hear from her, she didn't show up for work.  At long last some men were sent to serve her with an eviction notice, battled their way through 3 years worth of accumulated mail, and found her skeleton on the couch in front of the TV which was still on.  How does this happen?  Who was she?  Watch and find out.

4.  The Woman Who Wasn't There:  I've watched this in the last few days since I've been snowed in in Northern New York.  This is the story of Tania Head, a woman who had an absolutely horrific story of survival in the World Trade Center on 9/11.  She went on to be president of a 9/11 survivors' group, organized lots of special events, met with Mayor Giuliani.  But in fact, on 9/11, she was sitting in Barcelona, Spain.  Who she is, why she did it (we'll never know), and how she fooled so many people is a dizzying and riveting film.  It left my shaking my head, wondering why and how?  And it made me angry.

5.  9/11: Loose Change:  Speaking of 9/11, I've got a weird fascination with conspiracy theories and 9/11 conspiracy theories in particular. I know what I experienced on that day, and yet so many people see so many other angles and have so many other ideas about it that I find it compelling viewing.  It took me 3 or 4 tries to get through this, which I think is roundly a piece of crap, but it was interesting to watch in its way.

6.  HH Holmes: America's First Serial Killer:  If you've read Devil in the White City, you've heard of HH Holmes.  I watched this documentary before going to Chicago last year, and frankly, I've never gotten through Devil in the White City, but it's interesting to hear about this guy and what he did in his torture castle in the midst of a major American city.  If you're like me and can't get into the book, watch the documentary.  And be prepared to sleep with the lights on.

7.  Brother's Keeper:  This is the story of 4 brothers in Central New York, not too far from where I am right now.  One morning, three of the four wake up and the fourth is dead.  A murder trial ensued, and one of the brothers was accused of carrying out a mercy killing. This won the audience award at Sundance one year, and it was easy to see why--absolutely compelling as you sift through your own feelings about rural and urban Americans, and those stereotypes.

8.  The Zeitgeist series:  I was first introduced to Zeitgeist by a friend some years ago.  There are three of them now.  The first is easily the most interesting, and I've now seen it a couple of times.  The second is also quite interesting.  The third is not that great.  They are basically conspiracy theory films--the Christ is a myth thing, bankers running the world, and 9/11 conspiracies make up the first of the 3.  Zeitgeist: Addendum and Zeitgeist Moving Forward were the two other additions to the series, and I do admit I find their ideas for an environmentally friendly, strategically planned city to be very interesting.  It's out there but interesting.  You can easily find all 3 on line for free, as well as on Netflix if you have it.

9.  Tent City USA:  This was a documentary about a homeless community which developed under a bridge in Nashville, TN.  The residents had their own rules, they navigated a system that didn't care about them, they were politically active, they attempted to help each other, and the city was populated with a number of very interesting and different people.  Then a flood hit and  wiped out the city, and as you see them being dispersed and how they are treated by virtue of being homeless, it just turns into riveting watching.  I watched this around the holidays when Leah and I volunteered at one of our local soup kitchens and it really made me think a lot about Fredericksburg's considerable homeless population, and our nation's.

10.  Bully:  This is one that made my blood boil.  Not only were the kids who were doing the bullying just ridiculous, but the reaction of administrators was infuriating.  Even when presented with video evidence of how some kids were being physically and emotionally mistreated, administrators continued to deny that anything was wrong.  The parents of children who had committed suicide rather than continue to live through daily harassment at the hands of their classmates were devastating.  I will do whatever I must in the future to prevent that from taking place at the hands of my daughter or to my daughter.  We want a kind society, we make grand speeches about treating everyone the same, but in the end, it doesn't happen, and it starts damned young.

11.  The Queen of Versailles:  Jackie and David Siegel owned the biggest string of timeshares in the United States and they lived lavish lifestyles with the money they'd made from their businesses.  They decided to build the largest, most expensive single family home in the country, just outside Orlando.  But then the economic crisis hit and times got tough.  You can't help but enjoy watching their fall from grace, but also their maneuvering and machinations in their attempt to make it alright again.  This movie is the ultimate in schadenfreude.

12.  Monica and David:  Monica and David are adults with Downs Syndrome who decide to get married.  The story focuses on their drive for independence, the feelings their families have about what is realistic versus what the couple's dreams are, and about their love for each other.  It was very sweet, a really interesting look at Down's Syndrome, and you can't help but root for them.  A wonderful romance.

13.  Shut Up, Little Man!  In 1987, Eddie and Mitch moved into a San Francisco neighborhood occupied by, among others, Peter and Raymond.  Eddie and Mitch began to record cassettes of Peter and Raymond's massive drunken fights and the tapes circulated virally in a pre-internet world.  The film explores who Peter and Raymond are as well as how Eddie and Mitch's cult fame impacted them.

14.  Winnebago Man:  Dubbed "The Angriest Man in the World", Jack Rebney was making a promotional sales video for Winnebago.  The outtakes were somehow retained and shared on VHS, much like Peter and Raymond's audio tapes, and Jack Rebney became a cult hero.  When the video hit YouTube, everything exploded.  The film makers decided to catch up with Jack and find out the whole story.  One of my favorite things I've ever seen.

15.  Resurrect Dead:  Strange tiles have been cropping up around the US and South America bearing messages about Toynbee and Kubrick.  Dubbed "The Toynbee Tiles", and heavily centered in Philadelphia, one filmmaker was determined to find out who was placing them, what they meant, and why.  One of those "truth is stranger than fiction" deals, and just a wonderful documentary.  I'd like to see the DC Toynbee tile if it's still there.  They look to be degrading quickly.

16.  Room 237:  Speaking of Kubrick, take some time to watch this documentary about the many hidden meanings supposedly contained in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining starring Jack Nicholson.  I honestly have no idea what the heck many of these people were talking about, but many, many people have theories about Kubrick's hidden meanings in The Shining.  The theories are as wide ranging as to encompass the genocide of Native Americans, the moon landing, and the Holocaust.  I filed this one under "people have too much damned free time on their hands."

17.  The Achievers:  I have always enjoyed the film The Big Lebowski, although this documentary proves I have nowhere near the passion for it that some do.  This traces the rise of Lebowski Fest and people who are totally devoted to The Big Lebowski.  It made me wish I had such a strong passion for anything, but my passions come and go.

18.  Best Worst Movie:  My friend recommended that I watch this one, a documentary about the enduring love people have for the movie Troll 2, which has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 0 (ZERO).  It focuses on the actors who made it and their experiences, as well as the fans who have continued to love and support the film.  It is a wonderful and fun tribute to anyone who has ever loved a bad movie.  I don't think I'll ever sit through Troll 2 itself, but the documentary was awesome.

19. Waiting for Superman:  A film about how schools are failing our children.  Even remembering this movie makes me so damned depressed I want to scream.  I cried so hard as I watched children who really, really, really WANTED to attend good schools and learn a lot lost out on lotteries.  I felt parents' frustration, and administrators and teachers who didn't have the funds or supplies to do what they could to educate our children.  Our future. It is a ridiculous cycle and while the answers might seem easy, until we put a value on children and education in this country, I don't see that there's going to be any fix.  I recently had a conversation with my daughter's preschool teacher about the possibility of my daughter exhibiting early signs of a learning disability, and although I do sometimes (often) want to move back home, I really don't feel I can leave the school district I'm in, which has excellent resources, until I know for sure what (if anything) my girl is facing.  I think about inner city parents and rural parents who are stuck in circumstances far less ideal who just have nowhere to go and there's not much that can be done.  It's devastating.

20.  An Idiot Abroad:  This isn't so much a documentary as it is a TV series, but it's taking up my every waking moment right now and I didn't want to end on 19, so I'm making it a nice, even 20 with this one.  An Idiot Abroad is a series by Ricky Gervais and his friend Stephen Merchant, whereby they send their friend Karl Pilkington on various journeys around the world in an attempt to broaden his horizons and get him out of England.  I would say Karl is your stereotypical English guy, and his observations are witty, hilarious, and earnest.  I have laughed until I've cried over this.  It is absolutely wonderful.  Karl is lucky in getting to do this travel, but he is so miserable and Ricky and Stephen devise more and more 'side trips' and 'surprises' that really entertain them and infuriate Karl.  So far, I've seen him in China, Mexico, India, Jordan and Israel, and Egypt, and it just delightful.  You MUST watch this.  Seriously.

So I have a few documentaries on my queue for Netflix, including Moving Midway, The Antics Roadshow, The One Percent, and Ken Burns's The Dustbowl.  If you have any suggestions, shoot 'em my way!!!  I would love to hear about them.