Lemmy (2010)

Director:

Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski

IMDB

Review:

Well years have passed and I haven't noticed this doc. What to say, Lemmy Kilmister in flesh and bones himself. The heavy metal legend that still shakes the ground with his highly recognizable bass riffs. My belief is that many people look as him as a person that doesn't give a f..k about fans and other stuff but this doc proves them wrong. Seeing him do regular stuff and living in his own way is simply marvelous. A must watch!

Blood Into Wine (2010)

Director:

Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenke

IMDB

Review:

As a huge Tool fan I cannot explain what it means to see Maynard do something that he likes in his own nature as he always has a strange veil of confusion around him. This doc is made totally to Maynard's style or the style that he wants us to see. Some scenes even made in classic Tool manor. Also there is a few words about his new project Puscifer and of course a lot of talk about wine. I enjoyed every minute of this doc and really made my day. This doc is a must have for every Tool, A Perfect Circle or Puscifer fan, but non the less for every other documentary lover.
P.S: Notice front cover.

Beer Wars (2009)

Director:

Anat Baron

IMDB

Review:

A contemporary David and Goliath story that takes you inside the cutthroat world of the big business of American beer. This is a must watch even if you are not a beer-drinker.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010)

Director:

Tamra Davis

IMDB

Review:

Centered on a rare interview that director and friend Tamra Davis shot with Basquiat over twenty years ago, this definitive documentary chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of the young artist. In the crime-ridden NYC of the 1970s, he covers the city with the graffiti tag SAMO. In 1981 he puts paint on canvas for the first time, and by 1983 he is an artist with “rock star status.” He achieves critical and commercial success, though he is constantly confronted by racism from his peers. In 1985 he and Andy Warhol become close friends and painting collaborators, but they part ways and Warhol dies suddenly in 1987. Basquiat’s heroin addiction worsens, and he dies of an overdose in 1988 at the age of 27. The artist was 25 years old at the height of his career, and today his canvases sell for more than a million dollars. With compassion and psychological insight, Tamra Davis details the mysteries that surround this charismatic young man, an artist of enormous talent whose fortunes mirrored the rollercoaster quality of the downtown scene he seemed to embody.

Genuine Nerd (2006)

Director:

Wayne A. Harold

IMDB

Review:

From his appearances in Harvey Pekar’s AMERICAN SPLENDOR comic book to MTV segments to movies like KILLER NERD, TOWNIES and the award-winning, big-screen AMERICAN SPLENDOR adaptation, Toby Radloff has achieved fame — for being a "Genuine Nerd!" Underground filmmaker Wayne Alan Harold (TOWNIES) profiles his friend and collaborator in this truly unique, truly nerdy documentary! See Toby’s customized "Nerd Mobile," check out his swinging bachelor pad and hear his hilarious musings on hamburgers, the Internet, world politics and (of course) being a nerd! Featuring appearances by AMERICAN SPLENDOR creator Harvey Pekar, Judah Friedlander (the actor/comedian who played Toby in the SPLENDOR movie) and comic book artist P. Craig Russell!

Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher (2005)

Director:

David Di Sabatino

IMDB

Review:

Lonnie Frisbee was a young hippie seeker fully immersed in the 1960s counter culture when he claimed to have experienced an encounter with God while on an acid trip. This event so transformed him that Lonnie became an itinerant Christian evangelist, something of a John the Baptist of Southern California who compelled thousands of fellow spiritual seekers to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. During the 1970s Lonnie Frisbee became widely known as California's "hippie preacher," the quintessential "Jesus freak" whose pictures frequented such magazines as Time and Life as the media told the story of a burgeoning "Jesus movement." Lonnie Frisbee provided the charismatic spark that launched the Calvary Chapel church into a worldwide ministry and propelled many fledgling leaders into some of the most powerful movers and shakers of the evangelical movement. During the 1980s Lonnie was at the center of the "signs and wonders" movement.

A Brief History of Errol Morris (2000)

Director:

Kevin Macdonald

IMDB

Review:

What to say about Errol Morris? Man with vision, genius and a briliant director. All of his documentaries are  eyecatching and with a stunning stories. Unfortunately this is a vhs rip from an Israeli television broadcast with hebrew subs hardcoded and the sound's a little out of sync, but it's still perfectly watchable and since most of the sound is in voiceover it shouldn't bother you too much. This is as rare as it gets so make sure you get your "copy". My recomendation.

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within (2010)

Director:

Yony Leyser

IMDB

Review:

William S. Burroughs: featuring never before seen footage as well as exclusive interviews with his closest friends and colleagues. Born the heir of the Burroughs' adding machine estate, he struggled throughout his life with addiction, control systems, and self. He was forced to deal with the tragedy of killing his wife and the repercussions of neglecting his son. His novel, Naked Lunch, was one of the last books to be banned by the U.S. government. Allen Ginsberg and Norman Mailer testified on behalf of the book. The courts eventually overturned their decision in 1966, ruling that the book had an important social value. It remains one of the most recognized literary works of the 20th century. William Burroughs was one of the first to cross the dangerous boundaries of queer and drug culture in the 1950s, and write about his experiences. Eventually he was hailed the godfather of the beat generation and influenced artists for generations to come. However, his friends were left wondering, did William ever find happiness? This extremely personal documentary breaks the surface of the troubled and brilliant world of one of the greatest authors of all time. "William S. Burroughs: A Man Within" is the first and only posthumous documentary about this legendary figure.

Chevolution (2008)

Director:

Luis Lopez and Trisha Ziff

IMDB

Review:

ocumakers Trisha Ziff and Luis Lopez begin with an intriguing premise: Trace the history of the most frequently reproduced image of the 20th century, Korda's famous photograph of Che Guevara. "Chevolution" covers every conceivable aspect of the photo: its subject, its creator (a fashion photog turned revolutionary shutterbug), its initial obscurity, its explosion on the '60s politico-cultural scene and its final commodification, as capitalism co-opted the image to peddle everything from T-shirts to vodka. Offering multiple viewpoints on the mass phenomenon, docu seems tailor-made for Netflix distrib Red Envelope Entertainment. Steven Soderbergh's Cannes-premiered "Che" could add fuel to the fire.  Filmmakers manage to recap Guevara's short life succinctly and nonjudgmentally. Photographer Alberto "Korda" Diaz emerges as less fully fleshed out, though filmmakers interview several associates who recall the man and his work. But, as the title suggests, it is the evolution of one specific image the film addresses. But why this image, so replete with Mona Lisa-like ambiguity? What does it imply?  Diaz's iconic photo of Che in a beret staring (sadly? adamantly? pensively?) slightly off to the left of the frame, titled "Guerillero Heroico," was snapped during a mass funeral for those killed in a suspicious explosion at Havana harbor. Passed over for publication in the periodical Revolucion, the informally captured photo remained pinned up in Diaz's studio until a left-wing Italian entrepreneur turned it into an instantly recognizable worldwide symbol of '60s political ferment.  Cuba did not recognize copyright law until relatively recently, but Diaz initially had no objection to the unpaid proliferation of his work -- whether repurposed by artists (in the age of Warhol, such raw material proved irresistible) or used to adorn placards -- until corporations appropriated it to sell their products.  Filmmakers then examine what the photo became: Do those who wear images of Guevara on their shirts and bikini bottoms know who he was? The man-on-the-street answers are as generally amusing as they are potentially disturbing (most of "Chevolution" was shot in the U.S., though co-helmers Ziff and Lopez are Mexico-based).

The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (2009)

Director:
Julien Nitzberg

IMDB

Review:
Riffing off of the original documentary "Dancing Outlaw," about tap dancer Jesco White and his dancing dad, director Julien Nitzberg headed down to the coal-mining heart of West Virginia to further exploit this drug-addled family for some film footage that's fairly unbelievable. Launching right into some current family drama between Sue Bob's son, Brandon, having landed in prison after shooting his uncle, among others, this documentary then goes back to trace hooligan behavior to the originators of the family, dancer and coal miner D. Ray and his tough-cookie wife Bertie Mae. Daughters and cousins Sue Bob, Mousie, and Kirk dominate the film, snorting pills in trashy bar bathroom stalls and getting tanked in cars while driving around with less-than-savory boyfriends and ex-husbands. Occasionally, interviews with the town's district attorney provide some background information on this infamous regional family.

I, Curmudgeon (2004)

Director:
Alan Zweig

IMDB

Review:
In this often very funny enquiry into crankiness, Toronto filmmaker Alan Zweig interviews notable curmudgeons like Fran Lebowitz, Harvey Pekar and Bruce LaBruce. Zweig wants to know what their frickin' problem is and, more importantly, whether it's the same as his. As in Vinyl, his equally irascible doc on record collectors, the endearingly dour filmmaker spends much of I, Curmudgeon spilling his guts directly to his camera and torturing himself with big questions that he can never answer satisfactorily. Zweig then confronts his subjects with the same questions, thereby making them even grouchier. (How grouchy? Andy Rooney is moved to kick Zweig out of his office.) Though I, Curmudgeon's meandering structure and incessant jump-cuts are irritants, they're also appropriate to the movie's abrasive, anti-social personality. Consider this a testament to the power of negative thinking.

The Pregnant Man (2008)

Director:
Elizabeth Mcdonald

IMDB

Review:
This Documentary reveals the Pregnant life of Thomas Beatie (the worlds first pregnant Man), with never been seen video footage, includes interviews with the couple and Oregon State Residents, along with there own personal home videos from their home life to her Delivery at the hospital.  When asked whether he considers himself gay when he met with Nancy — his wife now, Thomas said they were a normal couple although perceived by others as lesbians. “I lived my life as a woman at that point. Legally, I was female. But inside I still felt male. So the way other people perceived us, they saw us as a lesbian couple,” Thomas said. He said they could have normal kind of intercourse after reassignment surgery and hormone treatment. The pregnant man said they have legal problems with their first baby’s birth certificate. “I filled it out as me father, Nancy mother, and they changed it last minute, and they put her as father and me as mother. And then they changed it again and put us as parents. We’re not a same-sex marriage. We’re legal man and wife,” said Thomas.

Werner Herzog Gets Shot (2006)

Review:
This isn't an actual documentary but an interview with Werner Herzog.During this interview Werner was shot by an unknown air rifle sniper while talking to Mark Kermode. When Kermode suggested they postpone the interview Herzog insisted they continue. He later remarked,  “It is not significant. It does not surprise me to be shot at.”

The Mindscape of Alan Moore (2003)

Director:
Dez Vylenz

IMDB

Review:
ALAN MOORE -writer, artist and performer- is the world's most critically acclaimed and widely admired creator of comic books and graphic novels.  In The Mindscape of Alan Moore we see a portrait of the artist as contemporary shaman, someone with the power to transform consciousness by means of manipulating language, symbols and images.  The film leads the audience through Moore's world with the writer himself as guide, beginning with his childhood background, following the evolution of his career as he transformed the comics medium, through to his immersion in a magical worldview where science, spirituality and society are part of the same universe.  The Mindscape of Alan Moore is an audiovisual document of utmost relevance in the wake of current global developments.

Made in Serbia (2005)

Director:
Mladen Djordjevic

IMDB

Review:
A portray of the Serbian video porn industry presenting four life stories of domestic porn actors. Unlike their Western counterparts, these people work in porn industry in order to survive and obtain basic life supplies.  The film follows the young hot shot porn star who travels to a shoot in Hungary, a bisexual actor who visits hometown, a 40 year old actress that invites her husband into the porn business and a peasant who became a local legend thanks to working in porn industry.

Young @ Heart (2007)

Director:
Stephen Walker and Sally George

IMDB

Review:
As early as autumn 2006, surreal and hilarious video clips of Stephen Walker's documentary (which originally aired on the BBC) were making the rounds on YouTube and in email inboxes all over the U.S.--tantalizing, out-of-context glimpses of the Young At Heart vocal choir, composed of elderly men and women, having a go at chestnuts by Sonic Youth, the Clash, and the Ramones. It seemed that the feature film, re-released for the screen in 2008, would perhaps be an uncomfortably comic look at a bunch of geezers set up to look ridiculous for the smug delectation of hipster audiences everywhere. The reality is not so far off-base, at least on first glance, but Walker's film, tracking the progress of the chorus as they prepare for a big gig, provides enough good-natured humour, personal narrative, and intimate details to inspire respect and admiration--and some major heart-string-plucking--in filmgoers.  Viewers witness the blossoming of long-buried or completely latent musical talents in the elderly folks; learning the new, unfamiliar material, under the direction of irascible 50-something conductor Bob Cilman, keeps their neurons firing and their emotions kindled, while communing with and trusting each other staves off the isolating effects of old age, even as they cope with heartbreaking losses within their ranks. It is undeniably funny to watch them struggle with the more challenging punk, classic rock, and soul songs as their leader kvetches wearily, but Walker skilfully ensures that, by the end of the film, we are laughing with the intrepid Young At Hearters, and not at them.

Fetishes (1996)

Director:
Nick Broomfield

IMDB

Review:
In Fetishes Broomfield invades the demimonde of dominatrix Mistress Raven, who runs a pricey Manhattan parlor, Pandora's Box, catering to fetishists. The documentary opens with black and white footage from an Irving Klaw film depicting models, including Bettie Page, wearing fetish attire. Nick Broomfield and his film crew then arrive at Pandora's Box on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue and are given a tour of the facility by Mistress Raven, including the dungeon and the medical room.

You're Gonna Miss Me (2005)

Director:
Keven McAlester

IMDB

Review:
Documentary about rock n roll pioneer Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson, whose band the 13th Floor Elevators coined the term "psychedelic rock" in the 60's. Struggling with drug abuse and schizophrenia, he spent 3 years in Rusk State Hospital after pleading insanity on marijuana charges. His new band, Roky Erickson and the Aliens managed to stay vital during the 70's with a darker and more aggressive rock sound. After losing interest in music, he became a recluse, living in poverty and filth. The movie details the rise and fall of Roky Erickson and his brothers struggle to get Rokys life back on track.

Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008)

Director:
Chris Bell

IMDB

Review:
Finally an honest look into the steroid world. These days in order to compete with your peers/teammates, you almost have to take some sort of performance enhancing drugs. If you don't, you'll fall behind. Standard case of "keeping up with the Jones's". I feel it is very obvious to the world and sports fans that this is going on, but NO ONE is honest about it! And when one guy gets busted, he's looked down upon and singled out. Not fair to single them out and criticize when everyone else on the team is doing it.  This doc doesn't really detail team sports, but it is still the same concept. You finally get a good look into this world and a good look into why people do these types of drugs. Very informative, well done documentary. I am so glad to have seen it, and for anyone curious, it's worth watching.

Desperate Man Blues (2003)

Director:

Edward Gillan

IMDB

Review:

Record collector Joe Bussard parties like it's 1929! A cultural scavenger, musician and broadcaster, he was a pioneer in the preservation of 78rpm records and the roots music produced in pure and undiluted form in the 20s and 30s. Bussard has rescued priceless shellac artefacts from attics and basements across the US for more than 50 years. He has amassed a vast collection of more than 25,000 rare discs. At 65 Bussard has the enthusiasm and energy of a 16-year-old and will happily spin 75-year-old records all day for anyone who will listen. All the while he gives a running commentary on the music and performer, reliving the day it was made and relating some crazy tale of how he came to rescue the record!