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- 27
My favourites are the cults and also scientology, there's something so creative about their wacky theories.
What was the last documentary you watched?
- Thread starter Richard Channing
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- Awards
- 25
Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal. Pretty good.
- Awards
- 27
I was in the mood for some mystery & misery but couldn't find anything that didn't look completely stupid so I figured a documentary could do the trick.
Considering how and where the murdered British couple lived at that time - kinda like a recipe for disaster - it is peculiar that the tragedy unfolded in this particular way.
Even though I hate to compare human sufferings, I think the #1 worst nightmare is when a loved one goes missing and never gets found. It's such an impossible kind of grief.
That's not what happens in this documentary but it does show how important closure can be even if it's just a symbolic one.
I don't think that confronting a sociopath with his/her misbehaviour will result in satisfaction or justice, but at least there's the public acknowledgment of what happened and by whom.
It's all very nasty and I got more misery than I had bargained for.
Btw, should you ever stumble upon a documentary about Marc Dutroux, think hard before you click on it.
I watched one on youtube (possibly made for television because it didn't look as slick as the streaming documentaries) and I was seriously disgusted and depressed for more than a week. Not that I didn't know what it was all about but I really wish I hadn't watched that video about unfathomable horrors.
Considering how and where the murdered British couple lived at that time - kinda like a recipe for disaster - it is peculiar that the tragedy unfolded in this particular way.
Even though I hate to compare human sufferings, I think the #1 worst nightmare is when a loved one goes missing and never gets found. It's such an impossible kind of grief.
That's not what happens in this documentary but it does show how important closure can be even if it's just a symbolic one.
I don't think that confronting a sociopath with his/her misbehaviour will result in satisfaction or justice, but at least there's the public acknowledgment of what happened and by whom.
It's all very nasty and I got more misery than I had bargained for.
Btw, should you ever stumble upon a documentary about Marc Dutroux, think hard before you click on it.
I watched one on youtube (possibly made for television because it didn't look as slick as the streaming documentaries) and I was seriously disgusted and depressed for more than a week. Not that I didn't know what it was all about but I really wish I hadn't watched that video about unfathomable horrors.
- Awards
- 6
I just finished OJ: Made in America on Netflix. It originally came out in 2016 and won an academy award, but at the time, I was so sick of OJ Simpson I couldn't bring myself to watch it.
It is one of the best documentaries on the case I have ever seen. The filmmakers struck a balance between making it absolutely clear OJ was guilty and explaining exactly why he was acquitted. The prosecution made so many HUGE mistakes, but it seems to be they lost the minute they added Christopher Darden to the team for no other reason than he was black. The interviews with two jury members make it very apparent that the jury was never going to convict - no matter what - but the prosecution team gave them every excuse under the sun.
If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it.
It is one of the best documentaries on the case I have ever seen. The filmmakers struck a balance between making it absolutely clear OJ was guilty and explaining exactly why he was acquitted. The prosecution made so many HUGE mistakes, but it seems to be they lost the minute they added Christopher Darden to the team for no other reason than he was black. The interviews with two jury members make it very apparent that the jury was never going to convict - no matter what - but the prosecution team gave them every excuse under the sun.
If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it.
- Awards
- 17
I felt just like you at first. What else could be said about this case that we hadn’t heard before? I was surprised at how engaging this was. By far the best documentary I’ve ever seen on his life and the case. They interviewed just about everyone you could ever think of for this. It deserved an award.
- Awards
- 6
Me and my kid re-watched Blackfish again last night. It saddened me to realize we really haven't come all that far since the film's original release. Yes - Sea World stopped capturing whales, but large magnificent wild animals are still being held in captivity for the amusement of humans all over the world.
The other thing that struck me watching this time was the emphasis on the danger to HUMANS working with these animals over the plight of the animals themselves.
The other thing that struck me watching this time was the emphasis on the danger to HUMANS working with these animals over the plight of the animals themselves.
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- 25
What a fascinating woman.
- Awards
- 25
Wow, this was really good. Mind blowing cinematography and also the fact that they both documented so much of what they do for social media means the makers had a lot of footage to work with. My heart was in my stomach for a lot of it though, severely vertigo inducing stuff!
- Awards
- 9
Lockerbie.
The accepted narrative of the downing of Pan Am 103 is scrutinized here.
Law enforcement offer a very compelling case as to the guilt of Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi. The investigation, as detailed by the FBI, is cogent.
The loved ones of the deceased offer a very compelling case as to the innocents of Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi and how dubious the investigation was.
All against the backdrop of geopolitical sabre rattling and fingers being pointed.
All very interesting.
The accepted narrative of the downing of Pan Am 103 is scrutinized here.
Law enforcement offer a very compelling case as to the guilt of Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi. The investigation, as detailed by the FBI, is cogent.
The loved ones of the deceased offer a very compelling case as to the innocents of Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi and how dubious the investigation was.
All against the backdrop of geopolitical sabre rattling and fingers being pointed.
All very interesting.
- Awards
- 25
- Awards
- 44
Last night I began the BBC series Rise Of The Nazis:
As I embarked, I'd thought this was a three hour commitment, but I now realise it's four times this as this is just the first of four series. This is fine, though, because I found it compelling enough to want more. In fact I'd only planned to watch one episode last night but stayed up later to continue into the second.
There have, of course, been numerous documentaries about the Second World War era and the Holocaust, but the focus here on the early Thirties and the way the party gained political power is somewhat less well-documented. This is probably the most in-depth overview I've had of the beginnings since history class at secondary school. And fortunately this is far less dry.
Watching today, it's difficult not to draw parallels with more contemporary events, as the pendulum swings ever further to the right once again. This looking for similarities is even acknowledged in the documentary itself , but things have changed even since 2019 when this was transmitted and it's even more worrying today to see how quickly and how completely the tide can turn.
As I embarked, I'd thought this was a three hour commitment, but I now realise it's four times this as this is just the first of four series. This is fine, though, because I found it compelling enough to want more. In fact I'd only planned to watch one episode last night but stayed up later to continue into the second.
There have, of course, been numerous documentaries about the Second World War era and the Holocaust, but the focus here on the early Thirties and the way the party gained political power is somewhat less well-documented. This is probably the most in-depth overview I've had of the beginnings since history class at secondary school. And fortunately this is far less dry.
Watching today, it's difficult not to draw parallels with more contemporary events, as the pendulum swings ever further to the right once again. This looking for similarities is even acknowledged in the documentary itself , but things have changed even since 2019 when this was transmitted and it's even more worrying today to see how quickly and how completely the tide can turn.
- Awards
- 44
I've now watched all four series across twelve hour-long episodes.
The same is true for "The Manhunt" theme of the final series. After the compressed time of "The Downfall" - where all three episodes took place across 1945 - this is hugely expansive, spanning many decades following the end of the war. Once again, the political side of things is frightening, particularly the large percentage of Nazis who went on to influential positions, like Kurt Kiesenger who became Chancellor of Germany (him getting exposed with a public slap in the face from Nazi hunter Beate Klarsfeld was quite a moment.
Increasingly, real footage of actual persons involved was included, and it's quite sickening to see the denial from murderers like Klaus Barbie (exposed on TV when a canny interviewer suddenly asked him a question in French and he responded in that language) and spin from the likes of Albert Speer (who profited further from his Nazi career with an autobiographical book giving his distorted narrative in which he was a victim, and a series of interviews). And it's saddening to think how few were actually convicted for their crimes: only 1%, it's suggested.
- Awards
- 39
Ive always heard my dad go on about Duncan Edwards as a Busby Babe who was killed in the Munich air crash and was one of the best youngsters in the game and could have gone on the achieve great things
This was a documentary on his short life, cut tragically short in 1958 and was really quite moving
The remarkable journey of Duncan Edwards, Manchester United's legendary talent whose life tragically ended at 21 in the Munich air disaster, told through interviews and archival recordings.
This was a documentary on his short life, cut tragically short in 1958 and was really quite moving
England's Finest Football Player
The remarkable journey of Duncan Edwards, Manchester United's legendary talent whose life tragically ended at 21 in the Munich air disaster, told through interviews and archival recordings.
- Awards
- 44
Yesterday I found myself watching The Making Of Do They Know It's Christmas?
Released in 2024 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the single, I was unaware of this until a short appeared in my suggestions which showed George Michael negotiating the notation of his "but say a prayer" line so he comes in higher:
My main reason for starting to watch was - bizarrely - simply to rule out watching. I thought I'd watch the intro and see if anything appealed. At best I might skip through and watch a couple of select scenes. Instead I watched beginning to end (albeit in stages, of fifteen minutes here, twenty minutes there).
It feels both fascinating and surreal to watch something that is now so well-known when it was new (it transpires in the video that those in attendance aren't even aware of the "Band Aid" name). It really captures a moment in time for pop culture and for everyone involved. At one point, George Michael treats a giddy Paula Wilcox by singing a snippet of his band's new song, Last Christmas, and how refreshing to imagine a world where someone doesn't know what that sounds like.
As young as I was when this was released, it was easy to imagine that every pop star in Britain and Ireland knew every other pop star in Britain and Ireland, and yet here they are with Bob introducing George Michael to Midge Ure and George shaking Simon Le Bon's hand before they continue with others present:
The dynamics between these people in the studio are compelling. Everyone works together, but there's also a bit of a wariness. As they sing round the mic, Paul Young can be seen glancing at George Michael several times with a very serious look on his face which is open to interpretation.
Boy George revels in observing how many bitchy comments different artists have made about others present over the years, but proves himself a pro when it comes to singing his lines. I was possibly more impressed by his vocals here than with anyone else, because I think I've greatly underestimated his talents.
It's a sign of how full these artists schedules were that the small talk mentions what time their flight arrived that morning and in which country they've been.
The speed with which this was done and the lack of preparation for attendees really showed what pros they were. When they arrived, nobody knew which lines they would be singing, and probably hadn't even heard the song. They were going in blind on a Sunday morning and given lines that Midge and Bob thought would suit their voices and ranges, but they really pull it off. While George Michael has input on the delivery of his lines, Paul Young does exactly as he's told and knocks it out of the park, as does Sting. Boy George does his own thing and appears to throw in some ad libs without discussion and nobody objects because they sound great. Tony Hadley seems to take a good while to get his take which surprised me considering how powerful his voice sounds on some Spandau tracks. Phil Collins comes in and wows everyone with his drumming.
But poor Rick Parfitt's tin ear is quickly exposed (and his lines were ultimately given to others). Still, he showed up, which is more than can be said for Holly Johnson who claimed to have a cold and who literally phoned in his spoken message after he received a call from several present to say they were disappointed.
Outside the heavy hitters, others are on the peripheries. Kool & The Gang are barely shown in the video. Bananarama show up, pout and smoke then get in the front for the group shot. Still, at least their arrival - wearing casual clothes piling out of a mate's all-white VW Golf sends out friendly signals, unlike Martin Kemp and Tony Hadley who get out of a chauffeur-driven limo, completely overdressed and over-coiffed for a Sunday morning studio session and look as though they're trying altogether too hard. The Nanas oblige the press with a photo, as does Paul Young, while dapper Paul Weller walks up and manages to acknowledge them while slipping inside without getting roped into the media circus. It's admirable to watch.
The Celtic Geldof/Ure team keep the engine running and aren't shy with their input if a line isn't right. One can almost see deep breaths being taken and egos swallowed before these pros take on what's said and run with it. Trevor Horn seems to be very busy as well.
All in all, this series of edited behind-the-scenes footage, shown without comment or narration, provides a magical little window into the British pop scene of the mid-Eighties. I only watched yesterday, but I found myself re-watching some of it today. I might even do the same tomorrow.
Released in 2024 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the single, I was unaware of this until a short appeared in my suggestions which showed George Michael negotiating the notation of his "but say a prayer" line so he comes in higher:
My main reason for starting to watch was - bizarrely - simply to rule out watching. I thought I'd watch the intro and see if anything appealed. At best I might skip through and watch a couple of select scenes. Instead I watched beginning to end (albeit in stages, of fifteen minutes here, twenty minutes there).
It feels both fascinating and surreal to watch something that is now so well-known when it was new (it transpires in the video that those in attendance aren't even aware of the "Band Aid" name). It really captures a moment in time for pop culture and for everyone involved. At one point, George Michael treats a giddy Paula Wilcox by singing a snippet of his band's new song, Last Christmas, and how refreshing to imagine a world where someone doesn't know what that sounds like.
As young as I was when this was released, it was easy to imagine that every pop star in Britain and Ireland knew every other pop star in Britain and Ireland, and yet here they are with Bob introducing George Michael to Midge Ure and George shaking Simon Le Bon's hand before they continue with others present:
Bob said:
The dynamics between these people in the studio are compelling. Everyone works together, but there's also a bit of a wariness. As they sing round the mic, Paul Young can be seen glancing at George Michael several times with a very serious look on his face which is open to interpretation.
Boy George revels in observing how many bitchy comments different artists have made about others present over the years, but proves himself a pro when it comes to singing his lines. I was possibly more impressed by his vocals here than with anyone else, because I think I've greatly underestimated his talents.
It's a sign of how full these artists schedules were that the small talk mentions what time their flight arrived that morning and in which country they've been.
The speed with which this was done and the lack of preparation for attendees really showed what pros they were. When they arrived, nobody knew which lines they would be singing, and probably hadn't even heard the song. They were going in blind on a Sunday morning and given lines that Midge and Bob thought would suit their voices and ranges, but they really pull it off. While George Michael has input on the delivery of his lines, Paul Young does exactly as he's told and knocks it out of the park, as does Sting. Boy George does his own thing and appears to throw in some ad libs without discussion and nobody objects because they sound great. Tony Hadley seems to take a good while to get his take which surprised me considering how powerful his voice sounds on some Spandau tracks. Phil Collins comes in and wows everyone with his drumming.
But poor Rick Parfitt's tin ear is quickly exposed (and his lines were ultimately given to others). Still, he showed up, which is more than can be said for Holly Johnson who claimed to have a cold and who literally phoned in his spoken message after he received a call from several present to say they were disappointed.
Outside the heavy hitters, others are on the peripheries. Kool & The Gang are barely shown in the video. Bananarama show up, pout and smoke then get in the front for the group shot. Still, at least their arrival - wearing casual clothes piling out of a mate's all-white VW Golf sends out friendly signals, unlike Martin Kemp and Tony Hadley who get out of a chauffeur-driven limo, completely overdressed and over-coiffed for a Sunday morning studio session and look as though they're trying altogether too hard. The Nanas oblige the press with a photo, as does Paul Young, while dapper Paul Weller walks up and manages to acknowledge them while slipping inside without getting roped into the media circus. It's admirable to watch.
The Celtic Geldof/Ure team keep the engine running and aren't shy with their input if a line isn't right. One can almost see deep breaths being taken and egos swallowed before these pros take on what's said and run with it. Trevor Horn seems to be very busy as well.
All in all, this series of edited behind-the-scenes footage, shown without comment or narration, provides a magical little window into the British pop scene of the mid-Eighties. I only watched yesterday, but I found myself re-watching some of it today. I might even do the same tomorrow.
- Awards
- 8
Breakdown: 1975 (Netflix)
Starting premise is that America was going through a national, collective (mental) breakdown in 1975 and then explores how that was reflected in the movies and TV of the era. Interesting idea, but the implementation is shallow and muddled.
Starting premise is that America was going through a national, collective (mental) breakdown in 1975 and then explores how that was reflected in the movies and TV of the era. Interesting idea, but the implementation is shallow and muddled.
- Awards
- 27
It's trending, apparently.
And then I realised, too late, that Mel had posted the complete video (I assumed it was a trailer)
Or could there be another christmas band aid documentary?
And then I realised, too late, that Mel had posted the complete video (I assumed it was a trailer)
Or could there be another christmas band aid documentary?
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- 44
It's trending, apparently.
It seems a little surprising considering it's from 2024, but then I suppose certain songs become of interest each December. Also, it's just about to drop off BBC's iPlayer (which was where I watched it), so perhaps that urgency somehow increases visibility in algorithms.
If it's trending, this would also explain why that clip popped up in my suggestions.
- Awards
- 44
This afternoon whilst I was cooking I put on 2024's Wham! Last Christmas Unwrapped.
The funny thing is, both Do They Know It's Christmas? and Last Christmas are songs that have long since fallen out of favour with me through over-saturation every December for over four decades now.
As mentioned, I didn't expect too much of The Making Of Do They Know It's Christmas? (in large part because it was so well-documented even at the time) yet found myself compelled to watch the entire thing because it was so fascinating. The Wham! thing was suggested by iPlayer off the back of the Band Aid feature, which makes sense with them both being 40th Anniversary retrospectives of a hit 1984 Christmas single.
Truthfully, I expected even less of the Wham! documentary, because I knew it was a more traditional "talking heads", with fewer players and one of the key elements no longer around to be part of it. And how can a making of for one four-and-a-half-minute music video be spun out to a full hour's worth of insight.
What we got was actually a documentary that covered the entire Wham! story, from Andrew and George's schooldays to The Final, with probably less than half of it focussing explicitly on the Christmas single. And it's done in a way that's respectful and loving, without the salacious tabloid stuff. I was surprised that I found myself grinning as I watched the friendship group - then and now - enjoying fun and laughter, with the 2024 versions also indulging in walks down memory lane.
Most of the contributors are people who knew the band well (Pepsi & Shirley and the like), or who were there at the time (Martin Kemp, Bob Geldof, Neil Tennant), which added some depth. I'm not quite sure why Sam Smith was there, however, and would imagine practically any old bod could have sat there and reeled off the same superlatives ("incredible" "amazing") while listening to George's voice.
The film may not be entirely necessary, but this certainly hit the spot for my current mood.
The funny thing is, both Do They Know It's Christmas? and Last Christmas are songs that have long since fallen out of favour with me through over-saturation every December for over four decades now.
As mentioned, I didn't expect too much of The Making Of Do They Know It's Christmas? (in large part because it was so well-documented even at the time) yet found myself compelled to watch the entire thing because it was so fascinating. The Wham! thing was suggested by iPlayer off the back of the Band Aid feature, which makes sense with them both being 40th Anniversary retrospectives of a hit 1984 Christmas single.
Truthfully, I expected even less of the Wham! documentary, because I knew it was a more traditional "talking heads", with fewer players and one of the key elements no longer around to be part of it. And how can a making of for one four-and-a-half-minute music video be spun out to a full hour's worth of insight.
What we got was actually a documentary that covered the entire Wham! story, from Andrew and George's schooldays to The Final, with probably less than half of it focussing explicitly on the Christmas single. And it's done in a way that's respectful and loving, without the salacious tabloid stuff. I was surprised that I found myself grinning as I watched the friendship group - then and now - enjoying fun and laughter, with the 2024 versions also indulging in walks down memory lane.
Most of the contributors are people who knew the band well (Pepsi & Shirley and the like), or who were there at the time (Martin Kemp, Bob Geldof, Neil Tennant), which added some depth. I'm not quite sure why Sam Smith was there, however, and would imagine practically any old bod could have sat there and reeled off the same superlatives ("incredible" "amazing") while listening to George's voice.
The film may not be entirely necessary, but this certainly hit the spot for my current mood.
- Awards
- 8
Over the past few weeks. a trio of documentaries about 80s comics. Each documentary is very reflective of its subject.
JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME and BEING EDDIE (Murphy) were both great. John’s was sweet and warm, with just a touch of pathos; Eddie’s was sharp and humorous, even 4 decades into his career he's just as funny.
I'M CHEVY CHASE AND YOU'RE NOT was, like its subject, anti-interesting and anti-funny. I don't know how he was ever the breakout star of the first cast of SNL. I think he was the least interesting of the bunch, which is saying a lot with Lorraine Newman there. Sure he made a couple funny movies in the early 80s, but I don't find them funny because of him. They'd have been just as funny, if not more so, with Bill Murray or Steve Martin. Watching him dodder around at 80 trying to do schtick reminded me of the elderly Three Stooges.
JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME and BEING EDDIE (Murphy) were both great. John’s was sweet and warm, with just a touch of pathos; Eddie’s was sharp and humorous, even 4 decades into his career he's just as funny.
I'M CHEVY CHASE AND YOU'RE NOT was, like its subject, anti-interesting and anti-funny. I don't know how he was ever the breakout star of the first cast of SNL. I think he was the least interesting of the bunch, which is saying a lot with Lorraine Newman there. Sure he made a couple funny movies in the early 80s, but I don't find them funny because of him. They'd have been just as funny, if not more so, with Bill Murray or Steve Martin. Watching him dodder around at 80 trying to do schtick reminded me of the elderly Three Stooges.