these are not in any order of preference :
ive also just realised they are not particularly jolly, and many of them are not suitable for children?
click on the film titles to get imdb page or links to website.
Oh well theyre all very good imho No fillers here >…
waco : the rules of engagement
In the last 10 years since waco, there have been a few documentaries about waco and one rather propagandist film, having seen all of them, this documentary appears to be the most balanced in portraying what actually happened, and how the the bureau of alhohol firearms and tobacco went in so heavy handed initially, that everything escalated out of all proportions, if there was ever an example of how the american gung-ho all guns blazin type approach is a bad one, this is it.
the most recent documentary to highlight large scale ecological disaster, by the accidental creation of a fishing monoculture in the largest tropical lake in the world, and its effects on the surrounding population and its unforseen ramifications of this fishing economy to surrounding countrys.
Dark Days is about the homeless subculture living undergound in one of New York’s subway tunnels and theyre struggles to live day to day, and get up an out from the dark that surrounds them, one of the best forerrunners of the documentary renaissance weve seen in the last few years, first film by Marc Singer a resident of the tunnel.
black tar heroine : the dark end of the street
A truly dark documentary showing how self destructive, people can become, on very addictive drugs. Theyre are moments in this film where if you have a conscious, you will probably well up in empathy for the plight of of these people, some drugs are evil and will drive you to the absolute bottom, black tar heroin is one such drug, if you have some teenagers who think all drugs are cool, give them this film to watch. I cant seem to find a trailer for this film on you tube, So in compensation Im going to highlight another great drug documentary.
Unlike black tar heroin, which documented five people over two years and is a much more intimate portrayal. “crackheads gone wild” is a grittier clip interview based doc, this documentary is now in edition 2, some people might say this documentary is more exploitative of those viewed, I would disagree and say that the filmmakers technique is different based on some of the circumstances in which they are filming, This film I think has found it hard to get a mainstream release certainly it doesnt get listed in imdb, perhaps this is because of some of the content, possibly this was filmed without release forms/consent ? etc, but none the less whether this film fits the standard film release model doesnt bother me, this film is obviously shot by people whos personality of bravado is necessary to get some of the shots in the first place, and I beleive that however sensitively or insensitivley the subject is portrayed, I think both the filmed subjects and the film maker are more concerned that you the viewer get a real view of what crack does to people, and that preventing just a few people from slipping into becoming crack users is worth it, please bear in mind the full documentary is 18 only and contains material you would not see on mainstream television, the trailer below is safe for teenagers up but view at your own discretion.
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Allot of these documentary’s seem a bit of an indightment on american culture, well lets complete the set, by looking at american business culture, in which this documentary shows that corrupt free market business practices were almost a mantra in this company. Where profits were accounted for before they were even earnt, and where california’s electricity price was held to ransom via artificial blackouts created by enron. I remember those blackouts being reported on the news years before the truth came out about enron. This is a prime example of corporate greed gone mad.
The corporation covers allot of ground in attempting to paint a real but often difficult to perceive picture, the film highlights some of the impact, of large corporate entities, on people, economics and environments. To a large extent these coporations are often operating with few moral laws, also that government/society has an ever lessening voice/control over their activity, and the extent of private ownership is racing way ahead of public ownership, leaving democracy itself often weakend by the corporates increase in power.
I probably dont need to introduce you to this film, youve probably seen it already, but for me one of the more interesting parts of this film is not that macdonalds food is often bad for you, but that facts about child brand recogntion, which it should be viewed for if nothing else as to highlight exactly how much power advertising has over young children.
side note : video of a guy who ate mcdonalds on a regular basis for twenty years :
who killed the electric car
crystal meth
Conclusion
Ultimately you may say what good are these documentarys in solving the issues they represent, well first the issue has to be highlighted and brought to your attention, and then only once you know about it, you can make the move to force the political set to initiate the changes necessary to alleviate these problems in society, but issues like these take allot of time and effort to fix.
Maybe the internet is beginning to highlight more and more, that which were previously oblivious of, but being aware of these things is a first and vital step.