Any good documentaries?

[Giant Saguaro]

There is a plethora of Reagan documentaries out right now and unfortunately there's typically one of two ways that the ones I have or have seen fall short: (1) they're either a re-hash of the same old stuff or (2) they're good but a bit too scant on the documentary end. Now the one out called NBC Presents Ronald Reagan wasn't bad - the documentary only runs 41 minutes, but they make up for it in the special features. It's good, but kind of ho-hum. The tear down the wall speech is there, stuff on him and Nancy, and one real positive is his 1981 inaugural address. IMO, he brought down the house with that address.

Anyone see any good documentaries about Reagan or any President? If so about Reagan, are there any really comprehensive documentaries that anyone might know of? PBS did a series called The American Experience: The Republicans and The Democrats, which had a 4 hour documentary on Reagan. It was good, but it would be neat to find the debates with Carter and Mondale (should have had my VCR running back then at least, but I didn't), for example, as there were some real, reel - pun intended - classic moments and quips in those. They're historical documents and they would be good for the occasional '80s nostalgia buzz too, I might say. PBS also did a series called The Presidents or something like that in which they examine every president from Washington up to Clinton's first term, but I can't seem to find anything on it and it probably wouldn't be that in-depth; they probably give a flat 30 mins. or so to each one.

As far as documentaries go in general, NOVA does excellent ones, but they're mainly scientific. Politics is probably a bit far out of their realm. Oh, and the Michael Moore garbage is out - I'm talking about a serious presentation.

If not about Reagan, anyone see any good documentaries period? Maybe they're too boring, but some of the NOVA stuff has some good footage (like of tornadoes) and special effects.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

good documentaries:

Fahrenheit 9/11
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
any Oliver Stone movies

[Akno21]

good documentaries:

Fahrenheit 9/11
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
any Oliver Stone movies

Add on Bowling for Columbine.

[Giant Saguaro]

Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man was excellent. I'd write the script and direct it for free if somebody would film it.

[Akno21]

Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man was excellent. I'd write the script and direct it for free if somebody would film it.

So is Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, if I could force every Conservative to read it, I would. Have you seen any of Moore's movies?

[PBrunsel]

The PBS "American Expierience" Documentaries of Truman, Nixon, Reagan, LBJ, the Kennedys, Carter, and FDR are all good ones.

I bought a great Herbert Hoover documentary at the Hoover Presidential Library in West branch, Iowa.

[zachman]

Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man was excellent. I'd write the script and direct it for free if somebody would film it.

So is Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, if I could force every Conservative to read it, I would. Have you seen any of Moore's movies?

Moore's books are better. In my mind Franken is the traditional Democrat and Moore is the new Revolutionary Democrat. Franken is far more civil and kind to the right. He also seems to just adopt policies from the Democratic Party while Moore is a true ideological liberal. I have seen both of them speak and Franken got the more mainstream audience, while Moore got the hippie Kucinich types (actually Kucinich was Moore's opening speaker when he came to Manchester last year). Franken has been kind of invisible lately- I should give his show another listen to when I'm home some afternoon.

[freedomburns]

The following are EXCELLENT documentaries.  Must see for any American.

Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq

The Corporation

Control Room

Go Further


I mean it.  Must see!

freedomburns


The Hunting of the President is also good.  It's about exposing the real, true right-wing conspiracy to hurt Clinton's presidency.

[Giant Saguaro]

Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man was excellent. I'd write the script and direct it for free if somebody would film it.

So is Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, if I could force every Conservative to read it, I would. Have you seen any of Moore's movies?

Parts of them, as much as I could stand, Akno. I would ask you in turn how often you read a Sean Hannity book, but Ann Coulter and Hannity considered, I don't think there is a right wing equivalent of this monster. At least not in Hollywood, by any stretch of the imagination. Bowling for Columbine started out as a good idea, even from a left wing perpespective - America's fascination with guns and weapons - but dissintigrated into a bashfest of the NRA. Roger and Me I've seen parts of, but it's been a while.

Franken's book actually isn't all that bad; it's not unreadable and he actually has a basis for much of what he says, unlike Moore.

I would ask, Akno, where was Michael Moore during the Branch Davidian complex situation in 1993? Where was he when Elian Gonzalez was dragged out of his home at gunpoint? How about when Clinton was bombing? And where was he during the Kosovo war? Well, I don't know, but somehow now he suspects the Bush administration of knowing about 9/11 beforehand, among lots of other things. Half-baked conspiracy theories fueled by paranoia; baseless. What if somebody made a movie about Clinton knowing about 9/11 since the planning of it started in 1994 and secretly hoped it would happen on his watch? It would never get made and if it would, it would just be nuts - more questioning Clinton's patriotism, among other stuff.

[Akno21]

Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man was excellent. I'd write the script and direct it for free if somebody would film it.

So is Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, if I could force every Conservative to read it, I would. Have you seen any of Moore's movies?

Parts of them, as much as I could stand, Akno. I would ask you in turn how often you read a Sean Hannity book, but Ann Coulter and Hannity considered, I don't think there is a right wing equivalent of this monster. At least not in Hollywood, by any stretch of the imagination. Bowling for Columbine started out as a good idea, even from a left wing perpespective - America's fascination with guns and weapons - but dissintigrated into a bashfest of the NRA. Roger and Me I've seen parts of, but it's been a while.

Franken's book actually isn't all that bad; it's not unreadable and he actually has a basis for much of what he says, unlike Moore.

I would ask, Akno, where was Michael Moore during the Branch Davidian complex situation in 1993? Where was he when Elian Gonzalez was dragged out of his home at gunpoint? How about when Clinton was bombing? And where was he during the Kosovo war? Well, I don't know, but somehow now he suspects the Bush administration of knowing about 9/11 beforehand, among lots of other things. Half-baked conspiracy theories fueled by paranoia; baseless. What if somebody made a movie about Clinton knowing about 9/11 since the planning of it started in 1994 and secretly hoped it would happen on his watch? It would never get made and if it would, it would just be nuts - more questioning Clinton's patriotism, among other stuff.

I did read Let Freedom Ring, by Sean Hannity. Micheal Moore is no fan of Bill Clinton. In his book, Moore calls Clinton "just another Republican", and in Bowling for Columbine, well, attacking the NRA was kind of part of the movie, about how we are obsessed with guns and what the NRA has to do with it.

[CollectiveInterest]

Unprecedented is quite good and under-recognized.