An Impossible Job: ILX's 40 Favorite Documentaries

#9: The Thin Blue Line (Errol Morris, 1988)

http://ctcmr.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/the-thin-blue-line-1988-630-75.jpg?w=320&h=185

53 points/5 votes/1 first-place vote

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoJq8IflYB4

Just kidding around, Eric--your commentary is very welcome.

Just don't get why some people seem to get a rise sucking all the fun out of a casual poll.

hi, it seems you just arrived at ilxor.com. pull up a chair, there's some shit we need to go over before you decide to stick around or not. 1.) ned raggett...

look guys, Eric and I write about film. It shouldn't be that surprising that we have more historically-oriented expectations, right?

TTBL is an entirely respectable choice, I just went for Gates of Heaven.

I've never even heard of "Streetwise" but just read the description and it sounds amazing and like something that I, for various personal/professional reasons, would be very interested in watching so thanks thread!

lol Jess I know, I know

(and let's not dwell on the World at War voter who thought it sounded good) xxp

#8: Gates of Heaven (Errol Morris, 1978)

http://media.jinni.com/movie/gates-of-heaven/gates-of-heaven-1.jpeg

61 points/5 votes/1 first-place vote

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjEZv6y_YO4

"look guys, i and many other people on this very thread write about music. but i'm not gonna go take a big drama queen dump all over the beach boys poll when "good vibrations" takes no. 1 over some side b album cut from surf's up."

big drama queen dump

lol

Strange--you can find lots of YouTube clips for Gates of Heaven, but almost nothing for The Thin Blue Line.

btw is looks like all of Streetwise is up on Youtube.

yeah i'm psyched for streetwise, too, & hadn't heard of it. the anecdote i just read looking it up is interesting, too:

The first night of shooting, Bell was able to earn the trust of the kids by doing something unexpected. They were filming in the Dismas Center, a facility that provides food, counseling, and recreation for kids. Suddenly Chrissie, a sixteen-year-old street kid, became very angry with Bell for filming her. To everyone's amazement, Bell opened his camera magazine and gave her the exposed roll of film. Chrissie stormed out, holding the roll of film, which was later found crumpled on the sidewalk. After that incident, whenever Chrissie saw Mark and Bell on the street, she wanted to be filmed and to be their friend. By giving Chrissie the exposed film, Bell showed her and the other kids that he was not trying to steal something from them. If the kids wanted to be part of the film that was fine, but if they didn't want to, that was OK. too. Bell understood that it was hard for these kids to trust anyone, but he hoped they would learn to trust him enough to make the film.

slightly confusing for britishes on being by a martin bell however.
psyched gates of heaven placed

#7: American Movie (Chris Smith, 1999)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hOImVOiGPo8/S3IiQ3w52AI/AAAAAAAAA_c/NAwVA_5An1A/s400/americanmovie1.jpg

64 points/8 votes/1 first-place vote

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cugo51RqZWI

Oi! xps

x-post - Yeah that anecdote is really interesting. I filmed some at-risk teenagers for a video project during an internship a couple years ago so stuff like that is really interesting to me. One of the things I found that got them talking/opening up was giving them the camera and letting them film each other but, yeah, that's very neat.

there's a chilling scene in Streetwise where tiny's talking to roberta about how dangerous hooking is ("girls get killed out there"); roberta was later killed by the Green River Killer. also the opening shot is extraordinary

#6: Hoop Dreams (Steve James, 1994)

http://blog.whatmovieshouldiwatchtonight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/hoop-dreams.jpg

68 points/8 votes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWUYDZzwybc

x-post - seriously? I'm also vaguely obsessed by the Green River Killer's story. Fuck. I know what I'm doing tonight.

I've been trying to post short clips (or, if stuck, trailers) rather than full-length films, because I figure they're going to get pulled at some point.

i have not seen so many of these films, both the nomination process & the results have reminded me how sketchy i am w/docs

Oh also, I'm happy to see American Movie even though I figured it would show up today.

#5: The Sorrow and the Pity (Marcel Ophüls, 1969)

http://pixhost.me/avaxhome/2007-12-06/bscap0033.jpg

70 points/5 votes/1 first-place vote

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1FXDKE3HWk

blarg i did not need to skim the green river killer wiki at this moment in time

getting better!

i and many other people on this very thread write about music

^doesn't get worse

#4: Harlan County U.S.A. (Barbara Kopple, 1976)

http://ferdyonfilms.com/Harlan%206.jpg

78 points/5 votes/1 first-place vote

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCiVMngILEI

sorry schlump :(

harlan county was my other first place vote. incredible movie

sorry schlump :(

no it's okay!, you kind of know what you're getting, but just jesus, brutal. there's sorta so much information & such a volume of detail that it kinda obscures what was even happening. terrible.

#3: Capturing the Friedmans (Andrew Jarecki, 2003)

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/protectedimage.php?image=NoelMegahey/friedmans2.jpg

88 points/8 votes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVY4ehqJjAA

well, that's one of mine today.

xpost!

and another I need to see

starting to feel prudish at things i didn't persevere with :/

#2: Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog, 2005)

http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050817/050817_grizzlyMan_hmed.grid-6x2.jpg

98 points/8 votes/1 first-place vote

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rP5DHbyOwQ

look guys, Eric and I write about film. It shouldn't be that surprising that we have more historically-oriented expectations, right?

Not if you recognize that the rest of us *don't* write about film...?

i didnt vote for any herzog, but i would've gone with grizzly man if i did. i figured it wouldnt need any help placing though

x-post

^ Was one of my two first place votes thanks to a rec from an ILXor. Brother's Keeper was the other.

I do recognize it, jaymc, but nevertheless expect you to see the same stuff.

#1: Long Hard Road Out of Hell: The Making of Good Burger (Strongo Hulkington, 2012)

#1: Crumb (Terry Zwigoff, 1994)

http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/Crumb_movie_image-4.jpg

163 points/13 votes/4 first-place votes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlT4QZchxQw

lol strongo

and there it is then.

I do recognize it, jaymc, but nevertheless expect you to see the same stuff.

Why?

was that the only herzog to place, btw?

bcz critics are not rational ppl, as we learn every day here. xp

bravo clemenza, for taking our polls and taking our shit, you bastard, for orchestrating a poll so unkind to so many directors, goddammit, wtf

no, schlump, the kinski doc placed too.

and yes, thanks clemenza!

It wasn't even close--almost half the voters (13/30) listed Crumb, and 15% had it as their #1. If anyone wants to post his or her list now, please do.

No problem. I love documentaries, so this was great for me. Thanks for voting.

Yeah, thank you Clemenza!