Documentaries you have loved.

The Ascent of Man (1973) was a groundbreaking BBC documentary series, produced in association with Time-Life Films, written and presented by Jacob Bronowski.

read the book, but never saw the documentary

another good british series is the 7 up series, it is a seven year cycle of films documenting the lives of some british children, now adults

the latest film, 49 up, was released in september 2005; filming for the next installment in the series, 56 up, is expected in late 2011 or early 2012.

Up Series

i've also enjoyed anything that ken burns has had a hand in, especially the baseball series, am quite looking forward to the new one about war

about six years ago or so the CBC showed a three part series dealing with the cola conquest

THE COLA CONQUEST

Year: 1998
Runtime: 150 min
Produced In: USA
Directed By: Irene Angelico
Language: English


A three-part series shot in the US, Canada, Russia, England, France, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, the Sahara Desert and China, THE COLA CONQUEST takes us from Cokes invention by a morphine-addicted Civil War vet to the brink of the 21st century. Along the way we explore the delicious paradox at the heart of Coke: how does a soft drink, more than 99% sweetened water, come to wield enormous power and assume such significance in so many peoples lives?

PART 1: THE BIG SELL - Through a century of image-making with master artists - including the creation of our modern version of Santa - Coke sheds its patent medicine image to become first the drink for young moderns, and finally the most recognised brand name on earth. Cokes success spawns numerous imitators, including Pepsi, which is just another cola until it targets the "Pepsi Generation". With Pepss launch of the Michael Jackson campaign, the Cola Wars explode.

PART 2: COLA WAR AND PEACE - During World War II, Coca-Cola becomes an essential morale booster for the troops and a worldwide symbol of the American way of life. As the Cold War turns frigid, former Pepsi lawyer, Richard Nixon, gives Pepsi a decade-plus jump on Coke behind the Iron Curtain. But when the Berlin Wall falls, Coca-Cola is there passing out "the taste of freedom". Back at home, Coca-Cola plays a significant role in the American Civil Rights movement, and offers a Vietnam War-weary nation the ultimate commercial for world peace.

PART 3: COCA-COLONIZATION - Tea spills in China, wine in France and blood in Guatemala, as Coca-Cola teaches the world to acquire a taste for "The Real Thing". But as Coke - and Pepsi - are busy abroad conquering new markets, upstart colas are nipping at their heels back home. From the jungles of Papua New Guinea to the "Coca-Cola Olympics" in Atlanta, we see the globalisation of American pop culture, and corporate influence on the souls of the nation.

Checking in.

ditto Osso..... most of the documentaries I've seen have been Rockumentaries - and unfortunately, sometimes mockumentaries.

I'm taking notes, even if I don't check in very frequently.

I remember documentaries from the fifties, early sixties, but not quite...

I always liked them, and missed them when they were gone, and am amused and gladdened by new interest.

I only hated one. That was Jackie Kennedy's trip to India, shown all five times I ever saw Breakfast at Tiffany's in the theater, with the concommittent music. Sorry, Daggie, that primed me for not liking Indian music for years.

Are there websites with lists of early documentaries? UCLA, maybe.

I'm feeling slovenly now, re research, but will check it out if no one posts, manana.

Re Breakfast at Tiffany's, it made sense to get to the theater early or at least on time, re the lineup of people. I remember it as being in only one theater in Beverly Hills or just east of there, on Wilshire. Small venue, re the whole city of Los Angeles. Thus, infinite ragas, or whatever.

one rockumentary that stands out for me, is the beatles movie let it be, the music scenes are great, including the famous roof top concert, but the mood of the non music parts is quite tense, and clearly shows a band being torn apart

my one and only viewing of this film is made even sadder by the fact that upon returning from the theater that night i turned on the news to hear of john lennon's death

I subscribe to the Documentary Channel. More to like than not.

One of my favourites has been Wild Man Blues, following Woody Allen on a jazz tour in Europe. Not at all what I expected.

The Iconoclasts is always interesting, as are The Taxicab Confessions.

I always wait eagerly for the next installment of the Up series - and will happily re-watch any of them.

Lick Salt is the documentary I hope to catch up with this week.

hmmmm ... David Attenborough's The Life of Birds comes to my mind. Me and the cats can watch it endlessly.

Grizzly man
click

Woody's Allen's "Wild Man Blues" was released in theaters as well as "Grizzly Man," but "Iconoclasts," "The Taxicab Confessions" and "The Life of Birds" are TV documentary series. My favorite recent big screen documentary was "Winged Migration."

I saw the film and liked it. About 10 years ago I heard Treadwell speak at a environmental conference. Well meaning guy, but you could just tell he was as nutty as squirrel poop.

Who Killed The Electric Car?

That is a good one....so says the Southern Republican...so you know it has to be good.

Like I said on another topic: Eyes on the Prize.

The biy whose skin fell off.
Im also intrigued by a documentary/film called Jesus Camp which Ive not seen but a friend is very keen to watch.

saw somw clips from jesus camp, and was so intrigued i bought the dvd, but haven't had time to watch it yet

"Alone in the Wilderness" is one documentary they trot out during fund raising weeks on our public tv stations. Its the filmed account of how this guy, at 58 , moved from the lower 48 to a wilderness area of Alaska. He built his own place and settled in for 30+ years of comfy living . The documemntary has a grainy 8mm 1950's look to it , but was fascinating as to how this guy not only survived, but thrived , and it went into real detail about how he made tables and doors and a fireplace for his cabin.

The Documentary Channel, theres another one I need to press my cable company to carry. Weve been noodging them to carry CSpan-2, which has "Book TV" every weekend . Our cable company feels that its customers are primarily Home shopping network, NAscar watchin, Evangelicl Christians. We have a relatively small number of actual stations worth watching on our cable system. Its name is ARmstrong Cable and its stated policy is to "promote God-fearing AMericanism" in its programming bundling. So they get huge packets of these goofy stations, and we dont have any ability to do an "ala carte" program selection. I hope somwone is working on ala carte choices for cable.