Indie Game: The Movie (2012)
Indie Game: The Movie is a genuinely fascinating documentary not only about the machinations video games industry but also the blood, sweat and tears that go into any creative process. It is a film that really does give you pause for thought and encourages you to reflect upon what you may want in life. It clearly shows the true cost and the star reality of any labour of love. It should be required viewing in schools and colleges for any wannabe who dreams of being on a reality shows and achieving a fast path to their perceived heart’s desire. Such is the impact of the documentary’s message.
World of Warcraft: Looking for Group (2014)
Despite having played a broad spectrum of games in my time, I've never really had much dealings with the Blizzard. Beyond owning Overwatch, a game I’ve long stopped playing and trying a free trial of both World of Warcraft and Hearthstone, I have little personal experience of their games. However, I am fully aware of their product range and their reputation within the gaming industry. Overwatch has taught me how well-conceived and polished their games can be. Blizzard may not be incredibly innovative, but they learn from others and produce titles with all the elements that work well. Sadly, I have no real affinity to their flagship MMORPG, as my point of entry with that genre was LOTRO. My interest in World of Warcraft mainly stems from a business perspective and the place it holds in gaming history. Overall my curiosity about the game, its community and culture is mainly academic. So, I finally got around to watching the documentary World of Warcraft: Looking for Group that showcased at Blizzcon in 2014 and was subsequently released on You Tube thereafter.
Jedi Junkies (2010)
Certain groups just lend themselves to ridicule from the media and in popular culture in general, irrespective of whether they deserve it or not. Star Wars fans are a prime example of this. Their love of the lore, predilection for cosplay and hunger for collectables at first glance makes them an easy target. Film maker Mark Edlitz, takes a decidedly different approach in his documentary Jedi Junkies. Instead of finger-pointing and making cheap jokes, Jedi Junkies puts a very human face on a group of enthusiasts, showing their passion to be in essence, no different to that of sports fans or other more mainstream hobbies and pastimes.
The Vietnam War (2017)
After watching several hours of the documentary, The Vietnam War, one has to wonder at the utter inability of the US government of the time, to think outside the box during the period of that conflict. Seldom does a military, political, and social analysis of an historical event go this deep. During its eighteen hour running time directors Ken Burns and Lynn Novick cover a wealth of issues associated with this conflict, exploring it from multiple perspectives. Not only do they shine a light upon the hubris and folly of both respective governments, they manage to keep a very intimate and human perspective. Personal stories from both sides are told and if there is a common theme, it is sadly one of tragedy and regret.
How Videogames Changed the World (2013)
Considering the mainstream popularity of gaming, there is a distinct lack of related content on television. Journalist, writer and social commentator Charlie Brooker attempted to address this in 2009 with Gameswipe but the show remained a one-off production. Then again in late 2013, he had another crack at the subject with the documentary How Videogames Changed the World, providing a broad overview on the genre, exploring key events and titles from the past forty years. As ever with Mr. Brooker, the commentary was intelligent and acerbic. There was also an interesting and diverse selection of talking heads who spoke from personal experience, rather than the usual scripted garrulous inanities.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011)
Constance Marks’ documentary explores the story of Kevin Clash, the man who effectively "was" Seasame Street's Elmo until 2014. The film charts Kevin Clash's rise from his modest beginnings in Baltimore to his success as a globally famous character and a major player in the Henson family of puppeteers. The documentary manages to maintain a good balance between examining the mechanics of puppetry and focusing on the human impact of Kevin's work. Like so many documentaries of these type, it clearly shows that achieving your dreams always comes with a cost and is often immensely arduous. It also reveals the complexity of something we take for granted and possibly trivialise, namely puppetry. Filmed in 2011 the documentary does not cover Kevin Clash’s resignation from “Seasame Workshop” three years later.
Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope (2011)
Documentaries about the fans and fandom often lack any impartiality and frequently have their own agenda, be it positive or negative. Looking at the names associated with Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope, it’s fairly clear from the outset that this is not going to be an overtly critical undertaking. Director Morgan Spurlock follows five attendees during San Diego Comic-Con 2010 as they endeavour to fulfil their ambitions. The fans are immediately presented in a fairly positive way and as the documentary proceeds the viewer gets the opportunity to form their own opinion about the lifestyles, choices and philosophies. The documentary is also interspersed with talking heads from known genre luminaries such a Joss Wheedon, Kevin Smith and Stan Lee, who provide some interesting and quite frank views on Comic-Con as well as the wider fan scene.
Mifune: The Last Samurai (2016)
The documentary Mifune: The Last Samurai is both an exploration and celebration of the Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune (1920-1997), narrated by Keanu Reeves. Over the course of seventy minutes his life and body of work is critiqued by his industry peers as well as several cinematic luminaries such as Martin Scorsese and Steven Speilberg. The focus is very much upon the man himself, as his personality was integral to his acting technique. For those unfamiliar with classic Japanese cinema during its golden age, the documentary provides a broad and practical overview. It also includes a brief history of the chanbara (sword fighting) genre, as well as a concise and honest analysis of Mifune’s career.
Becoming Bond (2017)
Becoming Bond is a curious documentary in so far as it’s totally dependent on whether the viewer believes the story that George Lazenby tells. Because George is obviously a well-practised raconteur one gets the impression that many of the anecdotes and vignettes he recounts have been embellished for artistic effect. He has that easy going, informal Australian charm and frequently smiles ironically, as director Josh Greenbaum, quizzes him off camera over the voracity of his tale. Mr. Lazenby also treads that fine line between being a likeable rogue and a bit of a dick, especially when he focuses on his youth. Yet he broadly keeps to the right side of this and maintains the audiences’ good will.
Filmed in Supermarionation (2014)
Trying to encapsulate any artists body of work is a difficult enough task in itself. To then attempt to distil all associated anecdotes, vignettes and legends, while dispensing with the apocrypha, complicates matters further. Yet that's exactly what film maker Stephen La Rivière has done. The documentary Filmed in Supermarionation, is possibly the definitive history of the work of Gerry Anderson from 1957 to 1968. This insightful, meticulously researched exploration charts the rise of AP Films from its humble beginnings, to the halcyon days of Thunderbirds and the studios transition to Century 21 Productions. It also sheds some light into how things rather rapidly came to an end in the late sixties..
I Am Bruce Lee (2012)
Because of Bruce Lee's iconic status within popular culture there has been a wealth of material produced about him since his death. The problem lies in trying to determine what is relevant, genuine information and what is hearsay and cant. To put not too fine a point on it, there is an entire market dedicated to peddling bullshit about the man. So, I was suitably sceptical about the 2012 documentary I am Bruce Lee when it was first released. However, as Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon, was an executive producer and the film was officially sanctioned by the Lee estate, I felt that there was some scope for further insight in to the man.
Five Came Back (2017)
Five Came Back is a fascinating documentary about five remarkable Hollywood film directors who put themselves in harm’s way to film World War II for the US War Department. William Wyler, Frank Capra, George Stevens, John Ford and John Huston were in many ways a diverse bunch, yet the all represented a different facet of “America”. Certainly, all were idealists who felt it was their duty to use their talents to create accessible propaganda for the US public and more importantly, the 12 million men who were drafted. Despite the factual accuracy of this three-part documentary, there is an inherent romance to the tale and the way these Hollywood mavericks took on first American Isolationism, then the Third Reich and US military politics.
Side by Side (2012)
Keanu Reeves both presents and produces the intelligent and compelling documentary Side by Side, offering a very interesting insight into the changing world of film. The production discusses with over forty directors, cinematographers, editors, producers and technical innovators the rapid replacement of traditional photochemical film with digital technology. It's a story of science versus art and emotion. How the practitioners of traditional methods are coping with the reality of change and it is a seismic change. It impacts upon the way films are made and by whom, how they're perceived, produced, exhibited, experienced and preserved. Side by Side explores whether the democratisation of film making will destroy the art of cinema.
Birth of the Living Dead (2013)
These day’s zombies are a somewhat ubiquitous plot device and enjoy an entire literary, artistic and cinematic sub-genre. The Walking Dead is one of the most popular TV shows internationally and hundreds of thousands of gamers fight the undead, online every day. Yet there was a time when zombies were just a minor subset of the horror genre and far from a popular one. That all changed in 1968, when a low-budget, independent film called Night of the Living Dead was released upon an unsuspecting public. The movie’s impact upon the film industry and popular culture was extraordinary. Rob Kuhns’ appropriately titled documentary Birth of the Living Dead analyses the creation of George A. Romero’s seminal classic and strives to determine how a single movie could have such impact.
Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 (2012)
Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is a lot more than just some bit of fluff, promotional documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Bond movies. It is quite a frank insight into the history of the Bond franchise, although it is very much told from the perspective of EON productions. The movie title comes from the production company acronym “Everything or Nothing” which was formed by Harry Saltzman and Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. Although somewhat partisan in its tone, this is not a rose-tinted exploration of the staggering success of Ian Fleming’s iconic character. The documentary does in fact make you rethink many notions you may have had about certain high profile Hollywood stars and producers.
For the Love of Spock (2016)
Adam Nimoy doesn’t paint a rosy picture of family life in his documentary about his father. The novelty of fame and popular acclaim soon wore off with it’s never ending photoshoots and long working hours that kept his father from ever being home. Yet among the anecdotes in this greatly condensed biopic there evidence of a lot of love and professional respect. Far from being comprehensive For the Love of Spock focuses on the matters that interest fans the most. So the documentary explores Nimoy’s relationship with Gene Roddenberry, his subsequent casting in Star Trek, his post Trek stage career and his return to the fold with the big screen movies.
The Captains (2011)
The Captains is a curious beast. If you’re expecting a traditional documentary where Bill Shatner simply indulges in a standard Q & A with other actors that have portrayed captains within the Star Trek franchise, then you will be disappointed. The Captains is a horse of a different colour entirely. Throughout its ninety minute duration, this documentary veers from personal reflections on acting, muses upon the nature of fame and even touches upon contemplating one’s own mortality. It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting and was subsequently a far more rewarding experience.
Room 237 (2012)
I knew very little about Room 237 prior to viewing, other than the fact it was a documentary about Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and that it explored the movies potential meaning. What is actually on offer is a movie about Kubrick fans and their personal interpretations. For those of a more charitable disposition director Rodney Ascher has created an ode to cinematic love. For those with a more sceptical demeanour, this is vehicle for exploring obsession and possibly an invitation to mock. Either way, it is very compelling viewing, despite being a little too long and a little too clever for its own good.
Bringing Godzilla Down to Size (2008)
I recently stumbled across the documentary Bringing Godzilla Down To Size, which was originally included on Classic Media’s DVD release of the genre classics War Of The Gargantuas and Rodan. This in-depth and surprisingly engaging film explores the history of the Japanese Godzilla franchise and focuses on the special effects and technical aspects that dominated these productions. Technicians and actors are interviewed, providing a wealth of insight into the complexities of the films. This documentary also demonstrates the very unique nature of the Japanese film industry and its obsessive attention to detail.
Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th
Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th is an incredibly in-depth documentary that explores the making of one of the landmark horror franchises of the twentieth century. The film analyses the series from its low budget 1980s origin at a New Jersey summer camp to the blockbuster release of its 2009 “reboot.” It combines hundreds of rare and never-before-seen photographs and film clips, as well as outtakes, archival documents, conceptual art and behind-the-scenes footage. There is also a wealth of interviews with more than one hundred and fifty cast and crew members, spanning all twelve films and the television series.