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Hot docs: Penguins, kids and Dixie Chicks make documentaries coolWhen I read that HBO was running a Monday night documentary series this summer (beginning June 9), my first thought was that they'd be having a slate of earnest, humorless programming — which I suppose I should like, being a lesbian and all. Then I wondered why I had that stupid knee-jerk reaction. I mean, whether or not you like Michael Moore's self-importance and self-indulgence, there's no denying that he's made documentaries a commercially viable form of entertainment. And documentaries are not inherently about dry, boring topics. In fact, they're as likely to be about sex, drugs, violence or McDonald's as any other type of programming. And even when they are about drier, sciency subjects, they get popular artists to record Academy Award–winning soundtracks and thank their lesbian spouses at the Oscars.
If you take a look at the HBO slate, the movies hit a wide range of subjects. (You can find the list and a short description of each one here.) A little depressingly, I suspect the big hit is going to be Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam of Crystal.
If you didn't catch the story when it was in the news a few years ago, everyone's favorite former Hollywood madam opened a "stud farm," aka a legal brothel for straight women. It did not do well. But now we can watch and learn all about it. Which is really a public service because one prior documentary, two TV movies and a host of Heidi Fleiss-inspired themes in shows such as Sisters and Beverly Hills, 90210 wasn't really enough Heidi for us. But I can only judge so much because I'll probably watch it. At least until I get grossed out and have to turn it off. Regardless, I actually like plenty of non-tasteless documentaries. In fact, really good documentaries have been among my favorite movies in recent years. Mad Hot Ballroom was one of the best movies of 2005.
How can you not love city kids learning to ballroom dance? March of the Penguins is, without question, the best penguin movie I've ever seen.
And don't try to tell me you didn't cry when one of the penguin couples lost their egg. I simply won't believe you. Shut Up and Sing, by Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple, led me to take a road trip to see the Dixie Chicks in the last leg of their Accidents and Accusations tour.
I can't think of any other movie that's inspired me to drive 1,800 miles in one weekend. Jesus Camp scared the bejesus out of me.
But I do love how it contributed to identifying Ted Haggard as one of the biggest hypocrites on earth. And Young@Heart will almost certainly be my new favorite documentary as soon as I get around to seeing it.
Old folks singing the Ramones? That's even better than city kids learning to ballroom dance. But enough about the documentaries I like. Which ones do you like? And will you also get sucked into the Heidi Fleiss train wreck? Submitted by on April 22, 2008 - 12:01pm. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media
The Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks documentary....
Shut up and Sing
The Dixie Chicks Documentary is certainly worth checking out. It is about when they were being banned from country radio stations because of what Natalie said at a concert. I remember this well because being from Nebraska a lot of my friends are country music fanatics and the dixie chicks were the only thing we could all agree to listen to, and when they were banned from the radio my country loving, conservative friends banned them from their car as well.
Penguins!
Well, honestly, I didn't cry when the couple lost their egg, but i agree with you that this is the best movie about penguins! There was a parody of the original movie but i can't remember it's name, it was also very funny.
i think my display name should be "oneeyedPENGUIN" hahaha...
Penguin parody
yes
that's it! thanks for reminiding me that!
Before the Music Dies
The best documentary I've seen by far in the past few years is Before the Music Dies. It is all about the current state of pop music, and how a small number of corporate labels own almost all commercial music, not to mention radio stations. Record labels no longer invest in building talented artists anymore, but drop artists if they aren't instant chart-toppers. It follows some indie labels too, as well as artists who made it by non-traditional means. I'm not really doing it justice. It also has cameos by mainstream artists like Erykah Badu, Elvis Costello, and Dave Matthews. If you are a music fan you should definitely see it! It's fantastic and very smart!
http://www.beforethemusicdies.com/blog/about-the-film
let's see
Totally with you on the Jesus Camp one.
I liked Who killed the electric car and The Corporation, though on totally different topics. Well done, get their point accross and quite entertaining.
I guess the documentary which shocked me most was Last Days about a bunch of homeless people living in the NY metro. And La Sierra, about the guerrillas in Colombia.
Film geek.
So, I probably watch more documentaries than I would care to admit.
Some worth noting include My Flesh and Blood, For the Bible Tells Me So, Trembling Before G-d, The Corporation, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Who Killed the Electric Car?, The Boys of Baraka, Oil On Ice, Sketches of Frank Gehry, Who the F&^% is Jackson Pollock?, Paper Clips, and The Devil and Daniel Johnston.
Highley Recommend...
Shut Up and Sing is a great Doc. Great music, sexy ladies, and an amazing story.
The U.S. vs. John Lennon was good. A little too long, but good.
Roger and Me (Michael Moore) is an amazing documentory about the fall of Flint, Michigan. A trully sad story. Let me warn you though, there's a disturbing scene dealing with the killing of a rabbit.
That's all I have for now, but I can always sit down to a good documentory.
Freeheld.
It won the Oscar...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dXp1l-_1hA&feature=related
Here is the trailer...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-qtn6TTJY4
Young @ Heart will not disappoint...
I caught Young @ Heart at a midnight showing at Sundance on a lark. It looked kind of fun and interesting. Radiohead and Clash sung by an older adult choir? It was amazing--so funny. It was definitely one of the sleeper docs at Sundance this year. I was also touched by their courage and personal strength in the face of pain. These amazing individuals demonstrate what it is like to grow old and still have pure fun.
In the talkback following the film several choir members took questions--and they were easily as funny in person. It was like an encore of laughs. I think this would be an excellent group to catch in concert. The music was great--but then I like quirky- Weird-Al-type-spoofs, too.
If you want a taste of the choir, their myspace page gives you an idea of why they totally rock!
http://www.myspace.com/youngatheartchorus
Searchlight is releasing the film at different cities over the next few weeks. http://content.foxsearchlight.com/inside/node/2605
I will be first in line to see it again.
Y @ H on YouTube
Here are a couple of their music videos...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McCpBsH9cOQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwJJNDN-fD0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3uOOhm8Fj8
This Movie is Not Yet Rated
How can this not be ltalked about? TMINYR is amazing
Or
America: Freedom to Fascism... Did you know there is no law requireing you to pay income tax, it is supposed to voluntary. This is just one of the few things you will learn form this genius flick!
Nonsense
Just as there is junk science, there is junk law - and the myth that you do not have to pay income tax is junk law. As a matter of fact, past a certain income level, (and allowing for deducations) you do have to pay income tax, and if you do not you might be prosecuted. My dad was an IRS agent-cum-tax lawyer and made a mint from idiots who espoused this myth and then found themselves facing the loss of everything they owned and jail time to boot.
Don't believe every documentary you see!
JESUS CAMP
DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED!! that movie is f-cking fustrating to watch.... m not against ne religions or ne thing like that.... just seeing what they're "feeding" those kids.... it's a hard watch, for me it was at least, but still see it.
March of the Penguins is good if u like looking at cute little penguins for a while.... i enjoyed it :D.
Mad Hot Ballroom is interesting too. so obv. recommending those three if u weren't going to see ne.
<3
okay first i have to say i LOVE the Dixie Chicks! secondly when all that bs happened and socalled fans turned their backs on them it made me love them even more and wnat to protect them. their documentary is AMAZING and everyone should watch it! and when they talk about Bush, it's just freaking hilarious i was lmao.
And now, thankyou for reminding me about Young at Heart! I completely forgot about that and that's one that i've been wanting to see ever since i saw the preview to it! i'm going to have to go searching for it now!
I do have to admit to owning the movie of the true story of heidi fliess w/e it's called. i honestly don't know why but i used to be obsessed with things like that, or every lifetime movie ever made back then.
and here's one that everyone should look at Rocked! with Gina Gershon. it kicks ass and if for no other reason its GINA GERSHON! it's really great and it's about getting "prey for rock & Roll" up and running and her going on actual tour promoting the movie. i just love it it's def a must see
~*~"That's what we all dream about isn't it? Someone who looks so deeply into our soul that...they'd find something worth dying for."---Gabrielle~*~
Girls Rock!
choir of hard knocks
Murderball!
I can't believe I didn't mention Murderball! Lemona's post reminded me. It is so well done and entertaining that I often forget it is a documentary.
I couldn't get through Grizzly Man though, which is rare for me. I gave up when he was swooning over a pile of grizzly dung and declaring lovingly: "Oh my gosh! The bear, Miss Chocolate, has left me her poop! It's her crap! It was just in her butt and it's still warm! This is a gift from Miss Chocolate!" Very strange. He also talks about how he wished he was gay and says at one point: "I'm sure gay people have problems, too." I realize people are drawn to the film because he was so eccentric, but I couldn't handle watching him!
Mad Hot Ballroom! Marry
Mad Hot Ballroom! Marry me!
No one's heard of it and it's one of the best things in life. Elsamelys doing the rhumba is out-of-this-world good, and Jatnna is hilarious (I want to be her when I grow up), and Tara is so annoying and Emma should be President. "At first I wanted to be a lawyer, but then I found out, it takes a while to become a lawyer." "Girls have been proven to be the superior civilisation." "Ballroom dancing is like a grain of sand when you look at the whole country." <3 Mad Hot Ballroom, don't ever change.