alison the wilca Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Has anyone else here started watching the HBO summer documentary series? Last week was an interesting look at Roman Polanski and his sexual assault case (including a fascinating look at the judge in the case). I am currently watching this week's documentary called Resolved. It is about high school debate and it is INSANE. I had NO clue what real debate was about. They basically speak as fast as they can in some crazy jargon to make their cases. The debate judges WRITE DOWN what the debaters are saying in a special "flow." These judges have GIANT callouses shooting out of their fingers from writing so fast all the time. Next week's doc is about an inner city high school in Baltimore, which I am looking forward to so I can see if The Wire got it right (I suspect they did). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Maybe you'll get to see some of the documentaries made by Barbara Kopple. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moltisanti Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Lately I've been questioning why it is that I pay more money to have HBO. But after watching that doc about the high school debating teams, it was once again confirmed for me why that money is worth it. Absolutely riveting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radiokills Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 i havent watched any of the documentaries, but i just watched Recount and was thoroughly entertained. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I watched the Polanski one last week. I've been into documentaries lately. Off the Grid, on On Demand (Sundance channel) was excellent. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I am currently watching this week's documentary called Resolved. It is about high school debate and it is INSANE. I had NO clue what real debate was about. They basically speak as fast as they can in some crazy jargon to make their cases. The debate judges WRITE DOWN what the debaters are saying in a special "flow." These judges have GIANT callouses shooting out of their fingers from writing so fast all the time.I did that shit in high school. I couldn't hack it, and my inability to write fast (and legibly) had a small part in my decision to drop it (it's not only the judges who keep a "flow"). I usually argued in the affirmative, which I found a bit easier ... you had the burden of proof but you didn't have to think quite as quickly on your feet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 We keep resisting the urge to get HBO, I think between all the quality shows they have + Tivo, we'd be glued to the TV. Looking forward to renting the John Adams DVD though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
viatroy Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 I just finished watching HBO's John Adams series from Netflix, and I was really disappointed that it ended. The best thing I've seen in a LONG time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big Perm Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I finally saw RESOLVED, it was solid and nuts, see it if you can Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 We don't have HBO, but I saw some amazing documentaries at the Full Frame festival in Durham, in April. If you get a chance to see any of the following (film descriptions from the Full Frame website, */**/***/**** ratings by me ), definitely check them out: Forbidden Lie$ ***The life and deceptions of a con artist, Norma Khoury, who wrote a "non-fiction" best-seller about an honor killing in Jordan. 34x25x36 (short) **An inside look at the Patina V Mannequin Factory, where model women are sculpted with perfect proportions. The Siamese Connection **Quirky and unpredictable, this film tells the story of conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker, who lived in Mt. Airy, North Carolina from 1839 to 1874. My Daughter the Terrorist ****This rare, inside portrait of two young female Tamil Tigers provides sobering insight into the psychology and motivations of people who are firmly committed to a life of terrorism. To See If I'm Smiling **Female Israeli soldiers recall their mandatory military service in the Occupied Territories and reveal the real horror of war: it corrupts and destroys everyone it touches. Stranded: I've come from a plane that crashed on the mountains ***The incredible story of the famous 1972 plane crash in the Andes reveals the importance of friendship and solidarity in the face of extreme obstacles. Trouble the Water ****In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Ninth Ward resident Kimberly Roberts turns on her video camera and so begins an inspiring story of heroism and resilience. The Fight **This extraordinary fight movie, starring Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, tracks Ali's first effort to reclaim his heavyweight title from Joe Frazier after it was stripped from him because of his radical politics. The Order of Myths ****The secret societies and young kings and queens of Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama, inhabit a world invested in many traditions, including segregation. American Teen *An intimate look at the lives, hopes, and dreams of four high school seniors living in a small Indiana town. Man on Wire ***In 1974, young Frenchman Philippe Petite spent an hour balancing on a high wire suspended between the new Twin Towers of the World Trade Center before being hauled off by police. Through meticulous recreations and intimate interviews with all involved, this moving film unveils the intricate preparations for what was to become the "artistic crime of the century." El cielo gira (The Sky Turns) **The filmmaker travels to the village in Northern Spain where she was born to produce this breathtakingly beautiful meditation on place. Just as she thinks the village is on the brink of extinction, she finds it renewed by a wave of new migrants. La Corona (The Crown) (short) ***Four inmates compete fiercely for the crown in the annual beauty pageant of a Bogot Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncle wilco Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Looking forward to renting the John Adams DVD though.the John Adams series was the best thing i'd seen in years. i highly recommend it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I just finished watching HBO's John Adams series from Netflix, and I was really disappointed that it ended. The best thing I've seen in a LONG time. Well...docudramas about real people usually have to end...after all, John Adams did DIE. I was a bit disappointed that they felt the need to pander to the audience with the silly and gratuitous sex scene. VERY Disappointed. But overall, I felt it was a worthy effort. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Well...docudramas about real people usually have to end...after all, John Adams did DIE. I was a bit disappointed that they felt the need to pander to the audience with the silly and gratuitous sex scene. VERY Disappointed. But overall, I felt it was a worthy effort.But after all, John Adams did HAVE SEX. Probably silly sex, too. I thought it was a decent series, yet Giamatti reminded me too much, in John Adams' later years, of Chris Elliot's character in There's Something About Mary when he gets all itchy during his obsession with Mary. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 I watched Resolved last week: very good. A world I knew nothing about and pretty fascinating, actually. Last night I watch Ganja Queen, about a young Australian woman who was found with 10 lbs. of weed in her boogie board bag while taking a trip from Australia to Bali with her family. Certainly looks like a case of wrong place/wrong time/wrong bag, but there's still just a hint of "maybe she did...." Next up is the HARD TIMES AT DOUGLASS HIGH: A NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REPORT CARD one about the inner-city struggles of HS students in Baltimore. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spawn's dad Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 'just a hint' http://www.schapellecorbytours.com/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 'just a hint'Well, the documentary put a fairly good spin in favor of her case if there is a lot of doubt floating around. i had heard absolutely nothing about the case prior to viewing the doc. I did watch that Douglass High documentary last night (though I fell asleep 3/4 through) and I think it did a great job of highlighting the many factors that contribute to the situation that a lot of schools/teachers/principals/superintendents are put in with the No Child Left Behind Act. It really is an uphill battle and one that is almost impossible to win at many inner city schools when dealing with apathetic students, apathetic parents, larger societal issues, and yes, sometimes shitty/incompetent/unqualified teachers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 'just a hint' http://www.schapellecorbytours.com/ appalling. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alison the wilca Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 Its not a documentary, but the new Ed Burns/David Simon (The Wire) mini-series starts Sunday night- its called Generation Kill. Having been a huge fan of The Wire , I'm guessing this will be filmed with just as much care taken to project real and interesting characters and places. There was an actual recent veteran of the Iraq war that assisted them on the accuracy and the characters are all based on real soldiers. Should be interesting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Not to stray too far from the HBO series, but I watched an excellent documentary from The Sundance Channel last night called "Horse Redemption" which profiled prisoners from a CO prison breaking/training wild mustangs for public use. Really well put together and pretty fascinating for the therapeutic possibilities for the prisoners as well as the well-being of the mustangs, which need to be thinned out of wild population, to a degree, for domestic use per quota, anyway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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