#50 Docs

I love "Best" lists, they evoke so much debate, no one is ever happy, something is always left out and people inevitably look down their noses, the aficionados' who know more than the rest. Like I say, I'm not criticising, I love that these people come out of the wood work, so disgusted that they like me need to self publish something, be it in blog form, comment section or even the holy #!

I have recently started watching Current TV, (basically because they were showing the amazing King of Kong A Fistfull of Quarters.) and I found that Morgan Spurlock was to be hosting "50 Documentaries To See Before You Die", an exciting prospect. Instantly from episode one it was evident that only documentaries post 1980 would be include in the list as this was deemed the turning point when documentaries stopped becoming "educational filler" and became a different much more entertaining animal.

I ranted, of course I did, what about Fredrick Wiseman and the Maysles, those stunning documentaries like Gimmie Shelter (1969) or Titcut Follies (1967)? Documentaries that were absolutely world changing. Documentaries that captured the cultural, social and political sense of a revolutionary time. But... I got over it, after being incensed for a while I enjoyed the show for what it was. Some of the best directors including several of my all time favourites were interviewed and soon my only criticism was that the program moved on too quickly and I was desperate to hear more about Murderball (2005) or Crumb (1994)

So that brings me to the list itself; -

50. Spellbound (2002)
49. Truth or Dare (1991)
48. The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
47. One Day in September (1999)
46. Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1998)
45. The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)
44. Burma VJ (2008)
43. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006)
42. Catfish (2010)
41. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
40. When We Were Kings (1996)
39. Biggie & Tupac (2002)
38. March of the Penguins (2005)
37. Inside Job (2010)
36. Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
35. Paragraph 175 (2000)
34. Brother’s Keeper (1992)
33. Tongues Untied (1989)
32. Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)
31. Jesus Camp (2006)
30. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
29. Man on Wire (2008)
28. Gasland (2010)
27. Tarnation (2003)
26. Murderball (2005)
25. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
24. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
23. The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000)
22. Shut Up & Sing (2006)
21. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
20. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
19. Touching the Void (2003)
18. Food, Inc. (2008)
17. Street Fight (2005)
16. Bus 174 (2002)
15. Crumb (1994)
14. Dark Days (2000)
13. The Fog of War (2003)
12. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
11. Paris Is Burning (1991)
10. Grizzly Man (2005)
9. Trouble the Water (2008)
8. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
7. The Celluloid Closet (1995)
6. The War Room (1993)
5. Supersize Me (2004)
4. Waltz With Bashir (2008)
3. Roger & Me (1989)
2. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
1. Hoop Dreams (1994)

So thats the list, I have to say, there are some missing that I would love to see in there, but equally this count down has opened my eyes to some films I would love to see. I disagree with number one, but Im not going to question the order of things.

The decision to make a list from only contemporary films is relevant. Since such breakthrough films as The Thin Blue Line (1988) documentaries have taken a different direction where the pursuit of the absolute truth is not relevant. Although recent films (such as Exit Through.. and Catfish) have shown us that the truth is an important element in documentary film making, as an audience we are now expected to question films. Our collective knowledge of film making is such that we now know how the process works, and we should step back and question. Like these lists, those questions, debates and passions to ask relevant and difficult questions about or world and what is presented to us is what these films are all about.

After Effects

I have been using After Effects recently and found a few websites very useful for tutorials. The best one I have found is defiantly Video Copilot which just as a range of incredible tricks, tips and amazing effects. I wanted to create a 10 second opening title for my showreel (if it ever gets finished) and even though its really very basic, Im rather proud of myself!

Here is my first solo foray into After Effects...

Project Nim (2011)

This new documentary from director James Marsh tells the story of a chimpanzee called Nim who in the 1970s was part of a language and communication experiment to establish if chimps could learn to communicate with humans through sign language.

Marsh uses extensive archive footage and photos coupled with interviews from key people present throughout the experiment. This is a return to the style that Marsh used so effectively while making the Oscar winning Man on Wire and it is something he clearly does very well. The brief use of short reconstructive sequences works well as a glue to bond the footage together without being imposing enough to bring any of the story into doubt.

While the construction is seamless, its the stories that develop which are this films best attribute. While Nim drives the footage early on, it is the people who really captivate the viewer. Marsh chronicles mistake after mistake made be people whose on ambition, selfishness and sometimes stupidity leave the viewer in disbelief regarding the treatment of an animal. I read that this film has become more a film about human nature than animal rights or academic research and thats exactly what this is.