Documentaries: Why I watch them and why you should see them

I recently let a good friend of mine borrow my copy of Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (the second sequel was just nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards). He gave it back to me a few weeks later saying he watched some of it, but found most of it dry and the subject unappealing. Personally, I believe the film is among one of the most extensive, depressing, impressive, and fascinating documentaries I have yet to see. "I don't like documentaries much" he told me. We talk movies continuously, and I always refrain from bringing them up for fear that I'll want him to watch them, and he'll refuse. He is an open-minded soul, always hungry for knowledge, intellect, and information, yet he always tells me he isn't fond of documentaries.

I love documentaries. When I was eight, I sought after Morgan Spurlock's hit Super Size Me and watched it many, many times growing up, each time learning more and more words I previously didn't understand. Eventually, when I started frequenting the internet, I became more up to date on documentaries and learning more and more about them as time went on. I fell in love with certain filmmakers, like Spurlock and Frederick Wiseman (his amazing film "Titicut Follies" is among my list of films that I dub "required viewing"), but paid more attention to the subject matter when seeking out a documentary rather than the actual filmmaker. Many ask me what my thoughts are on Michael Moore? What can I say? His documentary Bowling for Columbine was an important one, but I find his other films to be a tad out of my league. I don't necessarily agree with the majority of his views, but will always be open to the idea of reviewing a documentary by him. He goes for the level of wit I like, yet seems to always miss the board when it comes to matching my personal views.

 I saw my first documentary in theaters just one week ago. It was Lee Hirsch's wonderful Bully, one that has been causing a great deal of controversy with the MPAA. I found it to be an emotionally-challenging, but rewarding documentary shedding light on an issue that sadly remains unreported in some places. Unfortunately, the film's release is anything but wide, and many mainstream theaters are not showing the film. At least it's out with, an unnecessary yet tolerable, PG-13 rating. I'm sure parents wouldn't object to the idea of having their kid being exposed to harsh language if it was for educational purposes, documenting the true horrors of bullying. Could this be another effort to sugarcoat the act of bullying, by stamping the film with an R-rating? Just furthers my thoughts that it is a big deal that needs to be addressed with. If something that happens to kids is so bad, a film about it deserves an R-rating, it needs to be seen.

The documentary is a little vacant, but pleasing, necessary, and wonderfully shot, and I would say it should be required home/classroom viewing for people of all ages. Back on track; it was said by film critic Roger Ebert, one of my strongest writing influences, that a fictional account of bullying would've been more beneficial (you can't find that in his review of "Bully"). I completely disagree. We've seen kids get bullied in comedies, but it's dramatized, a tad sugary, and resolved and thrown aside so the real action can continue. We needed a documentary centering around legitimate facts and people, not characters. And we finally got one.

Documentaries go under the radar far too often. I was stunned when I came to the realization that Bully had been the first I witness in theaters. One could count Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, but I treat those films as concert films, rather than documentaries. They're documenting the life, but fail to provide a catalyst, a lesson, or a true healthy discussion on a moral issue. Another one I recently watched was Miss Representation, a documentary discussing women's positive yet, mostly negative, role in the media. Most of the time, they are treated as caricatures with no feelings, quibbles, or objections to society. In a comedy revolving around males, take a Judd Apatow comedy for example, women are the objects men want to obtain. They get little screen time, and their characters always seem to be a thought in our heads rather than the plot; the usual issue or main concern. Thankfully, Apatow is showing bravery by creating Bridesmaids and a newly launched HBO show titled Girls.

Other documentaries I've watched are Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope, showcasing four different people as they hope to achieve greatness in their respected field by attending San Diego Comic-Con (a wonderful journey directed by Spurlock, as well), Hell and Back Again, showing the life and rehabilitation of a wounded marine in Afghanistan and his trials and tribulations he has endured since he enlisted, and Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, depicting how Kevin Clash, a puppeteer on Sesame Street, rose from humble and concise beginnings to become the voice and controls of one of the most beloved TV characters in history. As I sift through old reviews, I realize I have written a plethora of them on documentaries, all of them ranging from simple cases to big, current ones. One of the most controversial I reviewed was a Republican documentary by Ray Griggs called I Want Your Money, comparing and contrasting Reaganomics with Obamaonomics and showing that Conservative-Republicans can actually be knowledgeably, informative, and remain civil when they're are usually the underdog. My review, which I posted on IMDB, was met with harsh reception, before being somewhat accepted by peers.

So, the inevitable question comes into play; what is the point of this blog and why did I feel inclined to discuss documentaries and practically demand you seek some out? The answer is we can all gain knowledge and watching documentaries is a great way to start. For one last honorable mention, a film called Tabloid discusses an issue and a news event that I believe many people would've really found interesting if coverage were presented relentlessly like it was in England. My review will be below for people to seek out the plot, because explaining it here would do no help. To conclude, documentaries are just some of the many ways we discover information. I could name a list that are, what I dub, "required viewing," and below this post will be a link to where one could seek out my reviews of those films. All of the films I talked about are available on Netflix or On Demand. Happy watching.



My review of the "Paradise Lost" franchise, http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=franchise&thread=2405&page=1 My review of "Super Size Me," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=reviews&action=display&thread=1521 My review of "Titicut Follies," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=reviews&thread=2250&page=1 My review of "Bowling for Columbine," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=reviews&action=display&thread=1653 My review of "Bully," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=reviews&action=display&thread=2940&page=1 My review of "Miss Representation," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=reviews&thread=2939&page=1 My review of "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=reviews&action=display&thread=1645&page=2 My review of "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=reviews&action=display&thread=2925 My review of "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=reviews&action=display&thread=2909 My review of "Hell and Back Again," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=reviews&action=display&thread=3013&page=1 My review of "I Want Your Money," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=reviews&action=display&thread=1935 And finally, my review of "Tabloid," http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=reviews&thread=2230&page=1