Top Rated Documentary Movies - Page 396

Mix-Up

1986

Mix-Up

1986
7.3
One of the most remarkable and innovative documentaries ever made, this film follows the famous true story of two English women who as babies got switched in the hospital and 20 years later discovered that they'd been raised by the wrong sets of parents. Romand enlists all the surviving family members in her haunting and bizarre investigation, which involves not only a recounting but a reenactment of all the significant events in the two daughters' emotional histories.
Story of Night

1979

Story of Night

1979
6.8
It’s a black-and-white record of European cities in the dark (2-5am), from Basle to Belfast. Quiet, and meditative, what emerges most strongly is an eerie sense of city landscapes as deserted film sets, in which the desolate architecture overwhelms any sense of reality. The only reassurance that we are not in some endless machine-Metropolis is the shadow of daytime activity: a juggernaut plunging through a darkened village, a plague of small birds in the predawn light. The whole thing is underscored by a beautiful ‘composed’ soundtrack, from quietly humming streetlights to reggae and the rumble of armoured cars in Belfast. A strange and remarkable combination of dream, documentary and science-fiction.
Among Men

1960

Among Men

1960
5.6
Impressionistic study of the fate of a stray dog, trying to avoid the results of human indifference and cruelty.
The Saimaa Gesture

1981

The Saimaa Gesture

1981
6.9
A documentary film about a tour of three Finnish rock bands around Saimaa lake system in a steam boat in 1981. The bands (Juice Leskinen Slam, Eppu Normaali and Hassisen Kone) are shown playing songs in their gigs and, in between, the members give intimate interviews or just act plain silly and have a good time.
90° South

1933

90° South

1933
5.9
This is a documentary of Captain R.F. Scott's second Antarctic expedition, begun in 1910. The British, under Scott, attempted to reach the South Pole before Roald Amundsen's Norwegians. Scott's writings reveal that the British made it to the South Pole, only to find that the Norwegians had gotten there first. Scott, and the other four men who had made it to the Pole with him, died on the return trip.
The Reality of Karel Appel

1962

The Reality of Karel Appel

1962
5.4
Documentary about the work and the unconventional approach of the painter Karel Appel. The film shows him flinging vast amounts of paint onto the canvas, resulting in dynamic paintings showing an overful, raging, run-away world. In 1962 awarded with a Golden Bear at the Berlinale. (filmcommission.nl)
A Film About Coffee

2014

A Film About Coffee

2014
6.9
"A Film About Coffee" is a love letter to, and meditation on, specialty coffee. It examines what it takes, and what it means, for coffee to be defined as "specialty." The film whisks audiences on a trip around the world, from farms in Honduras and Rwanda to coffee shops in Tokyo, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and New York. Through the eyes and experiences of farmers and baristas, the film offers a unique overview of all the elements-the processes, preferences and preparations; traditions old and new-that come together to create the best cups. This is a film that bridges gaps both intellectual and geographical, evoking flavor and pleasure, and providing both as well.
The Singing Lesson

1967

The Singing Lesson

1967
4.8
Words for Battle

1941

Words for Battle

1941
6.2
Poetry by Rudyard Kipling, John Milton, and William Blake, and excerpts from speeches by Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, all read by Laurence Olivier, illuminate documentary footage of England during its defense against the Nazi blitz in World War II. This short film serves as both propaganda and as a rallying cry to the British people.
Two Captains II

1992

Two Captains II

1992
4.3
The beginning of the 20th century. The recklessness of fanatics is pushing humanity towards the abyss. A revolution begins in Russia. Crazy Dr. Farkus induces an orgasm of inanimate matter. White Moroccan dwarfs are becoming active. A second Sun appears in the sky. In this difficult environment, captains selflessly confront the forces of chaos, maintaining the cosmic balance of history.
The Koumiko Mystery

1965

The Koumiko Mystery

1965
6.7
While filming the Olympics, a filmmaker encounters a Japanese girl. Manchurian born and French educated, she's an intriguing anomaly. He films her around Tokyo, as she speaks of Japan, being Japanese and her unique perspective on life.
Soundtrack for a Revolution

2009

Soundtrack for a Revolution

2009
6.6
Tells the story of the American civil rights movement through its powerful music - the freedom songs protesters sang on picket lines, in mass meetings, and in jail cells as they fought for justice and equality. Features new performances of the freedom songs by top artists; archival footage; and interviews with civil rights foot soldiers and leaders. Freedom songs evolved from slave chants, from the labor movement, and especially from the black church. Music enabled blacks to sing words they could not say, and it was crucial in helping the protesters as they faced down brutal aggression with dignity and non-violence. The infectious energy of the songs swept people up and empowered them to fight for their rights. This film celebrates the vitality of this music.
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'

1999

Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'

1999
6.9
Starting with "The Wolf Man" (in 1941), Universal Studios made five movies featuring The Wolf Man, a character portrayed by Lon Chaney, Jr. Monster by Moonlight! explores these movies. Rick Baker explains how the make-up was done on Chaney's character. Screenwriter Curtis Siodmak took very little from earlier werewolf legends, providing his own story for some of the films. This documentary displays clips from several other movies, including "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948) and "House of Dracula" (1945).
Vampira and Me

2013

Vampira and Me

2013
7.4
Though most people knew her as Vampira, a late-night, creature-feature host in Los Angeles, Maila Nurmi was so much more. From her relationships with James Dean and other Hollywood luminaries to her significant contributions to the eventual Goth craze, Nurmi was a multifaceted woman, with more than a few amazing stories to share. Having befriended Nurmi while she was still alive, Greene finds himself perfectly situated to give us the complete story on this fascinating individual, blending extensive interviews with remarkable found footage of Nurmi's long and varied career. Whether being groomed by a major Hollywood director or making a surprising foray into music, Nurmi proves herself to be so much more than a scream queen. Still, when it comes to snappy one-liners cracked at the stroke of midnight, it's certainly safe to say that no one did it better than Vampira.
Further

2012

Further

2012
8.3
Further explores some of the world’s most remote mountain terrain while continuing Jones’ mission to camp deep in the backcountry and on the summits of unridden lines to access nearly vertical spines and wide-open powder fields.
Shipyard

1935

Shipyard

1935
5.3
Documentary about the building of ships at Barrow-in-Furness.
The Game of Their Lives

2002

The Game of Their Lives

2002
6.8
A BBC documentary producer is given unprecedented access in North Korea to chronicle the story of the famed 1966 World Cup team from the North that advanced to the quarterfinals. The feature includes interviews with surviving members of the team, English fans and soccer pundits who saw the North Koreans upset Italy, 1-0.
Umbracle

1972

Umbracle

1972
5.8
This film turns on two basic axes: the inquiry into ways of cinematographic representation and a critical image of official Spain at the time of the Franco dictatorship. “Montage of attractions” and Brechtianism in strong doses. Umbracle is made up of fragments (some are archive footage) that resound rather than progress by unusual links, with dejá vu scenes that promise us more but remain tensely unfinished. Jonathan Rosembaun said: “few directors since Resnais have played so ruthlessly with the unconscious narrative expectations to bug us”. Learning from the feeling of strangeness caused by Rossellini as he threw well known actors into savage scenery in southern Europe. Portabella makes Christopher Lee wander around a dream-like Barcelona. Without a doubt Portabella’s most structurally complex and most profoundly political film, that is ferociously poetic.
Fogo

2012

Fogo

2012
5.6
The deterioration of a small community in Fogo Island is forcing its inhabitants to leave and resettle. Places once occupied by humans are now becoming part of the tundra landscape. In spite of a condemn future, there are some residents who decide to remain, holding on to their memories and grieving for the past, when life in Fogo was different.
No Logo

2003

No Logo

2003
6.3
There's a bad mood rising against the corporate brands. No Logo is the warning on the label. In the last decade, No Logo has become a cultural manifesto for the critics of unfettered capitalism worldwide. As the world faces a second economic depression, No Logo's analysis of our corporate and branded world is as timely and powerful as ever. Equal parts cultural analysis, political manifesto, mall-rat memoir, and journalistic exposé, No Logo is the first book to put the new resistance into pop-historical and clear economic perspective. It tells a story of rebellion and self-determination in the face of our new branded world.

Top Rated Documentary Movies - Page 396

1986

1986

1979

1979

1960

1960

1981

1981

1933

1933

1962

1962

2014

2014

1967

1967

1941

1941

1992

1992

1965

1965

2009

2009

1999

1999

2013

2013

2012

2012

1935

1935

2002

2002

1972

1972

2012

2012

2003

2003