running to a constellation ([info]dystempted) wrote,
@ 2007-10-05 07:40:00
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Entry tags:documentaries, movies

A Moment of Truth: This List is Sucky
The International Documentary Association Decides on its Top 25 Documentaries List

"Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the International Documentary Association (IDA) has announced a list of the 25 best documentaries, as selected by its membership (and presented by Netflix). The IDA's 3,000 members, including filmmakers, executives and educators, named Steve James, Peter Gilbert and Frederick Marx's "Hoop Dreams" as the best documentary, selecting the movie from a list of some 700 films. In the #2 spot is Errol Morris' "The Thin Blue Line." According to the IDA, its members ranked and submitted choices, with the option of also including write-in suggestions. "

The complete list of IDA's "25 Best Documentaries":

1. "Hoop Dreams," directed by Steve James, Peter Gilbert and Frederick Marx
2. "The Thin Blue Line," directed by Errol Morris
3. "Bowling for Columbine," directed by Michael Moore
4. "Spellbound," directed by Jeffery Blitz
5. "Harlan County USA," directed by Barbara Kopple
6. "An Inconvenient Truth," directed by Davis Guggenheim
7. "Crumb," directed by Terry Zwigoff's Crumb
8. "Gimme Shelter," directed by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin
9. "The Fog of War," directed by Errol Morris
10. "Roger and Me," directed by Michael Moore
11. "Super Size Me," directed by Morgan Spurlock
12. "Don't Look Back," directed by DA Pennebaker
13. "Salesman," directed by Albert and David Maysles
14. "Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance," directed by Godfrey Reggio
15. "Sherman's March," directed by Ross McElwee
16. "Grey Gardens," directed by Albert and David Maysles, Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer
17. "Capturing the Friedmans," directed by Andrew Jarecki
18. "Born into Brothels," directed by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski
19. "Titticut Follies," directed by Frederick Wiseman
20. "Buena Vista Social Club," directed by Wim Wenders
21. "Fahrenheit 9/11," directed by Michael Moore
22. "Winged Migration," directed by Jacques Perrin
23. "Grizzly Man," directed by Werner Herzog
24. "Night and Fog," directed by Alain Resnais
25. "Woodstock," directed by Michael Wadleigh


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[info]dystempted
2007-10-05 11:48 am UTC (link)
I take issue with the sheer predictability of this list, coming from the International freaking Documentary Association. Because apparently, they make 90% of documentary films in America.

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Death row is for the kidz.
[info]chocolatebark
2007-10-05 11:55 am UTC (link)
I'm sad that there's no Nick Broomfield on the list

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[info]vogdoid
2007-10-05 02:28 pm UTC (link)
and only in the past decade or so.

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[info]uberdionysus
2007-10-05 06:57 pm UTC (link)
That was my first thought.

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[info]being_in_itself
2007-10-05 12:05 pm UTC (link)
wattstax > list.

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[info]liamtheruiner
2007-10-05 01:29 pm UTC (link)
my favorite documentary is hated: the gg allin story.

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[info]celluloidlout
2007-10-05 01:58 pm UTC (link)
Yeah, this list is a big bag of suck. However, it's of note that IDA is sponsored by Netflix and by my count, all but one of these films are available through the service. Hmmm.

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[info]celluloidlout
2007-10-05 02:03 pm UTC (link)
Here's there 20th aniv. list to further prove this list is just as haphazard as AFI's top narrative films:

http://www.icommag.com/january-2003/january-page-16.html

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what.
[info]mistercreepy
2007-10-05 07:20 pm UTC (link)
20. Sherman's March (1986) - Ross McElwee documents the lingering effects of General Sherman's march of destruction through the South during the Civil War.

Have they even watched this movie??

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Hahahaha
[info]dystempted
2007-10-05 07:24 pm UTC (link)
I think they watched the first 2 minutes and turned it off when they were weirded out by McElwee pacing around in his Boston apartment.

(Reply to this) (Parent)
ARGH!!!
[info]dystempted
2007-10-05 07:28 pm UTC (link)
Ok, this pisses me off:

14. Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (1997) - This film by Errol Morris interweaves the stories of four obsessive men, each driven to create eccentric worlds of their dreams, all involving animals.

Way to crap all over my favorite film--this description doesn't even make any SENSE. And ok, I can see animal-shaped hedges being considered as 'involving animals'....BUT ROBOTS??

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Re: what.
[info]celluloidlout
2007-10-05 08:10 pm UTC (link)
Ha! I didn't even read the synopses but that on says so much about the ridiculousness of this list. Absolutely amazing.

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[info]dystempted
2007-10-05 07:22 pm UTC (link)
I should have clarified that I do not think these are necessarily bad movies. I just find it hard to believe that these are the very best 25. It seems like they only considered documentaries that are famously shown in film schools, and I'd expect more from the IDA (at least in theory).

Besides....

Welfare > Titticut Follies;
Time Indefinite > Sherman's March;
Little Dieter > Grizzly Man;
Sicko > Bowling for Columbine;
Fast Cheap & Out of Control > any of them (but Thin Blue Line in particular).

And I'm sick of hearing about Capturing the Friedmans everywhere I go at NS.

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[info]celluloidlout
2007-10-05 08:14 pm UTC (link)
Oh yeah, I totally agree...these are some amazing films but most are recent entries into the documentary canon are are by no means representative of the world...(Isn't Night and Fog the only foregn film here?) and yes many of these filmmakers have better films.

Anyways, the whole thing is laughable. Hopefully an enlightened group of folks will come up with a more representative and innovative list.

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*gurgle*
[info]vogdoid
2007-10-05 02:26 pm UTC (link)
what a snoozefest!!

recently viewed docs: I really liked "A" and "A2"

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[info]mistercreepy
2007-10-05 07:18 pm UTC (link)
there are 700 documentaries?

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[info]dystempted
2007-10-05 07:23 pm UTC (link)
There are 7,000 documentaries.

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i've only seen 7
[info]mistercreepy
2007-10-05 07:24 pm UTC (link)
of the 77,070 documentaries

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I must make a confession
[info]dystempted
2007-10-05 07:29 pm UTC (link)
I've only ever seen .7 documentaries.

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[info]dystempted
2007-10-05 07:32 pm UTC (link)
Morgan Spurlock?

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[info]kajmal
2007-10-07 02:04 pm UTC (link)
Hahaha! I hate that guy. I hope he eats a month of Taco Bell and poops himself to death.

And dude, where's Baraka, Nanook of The North and The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years!?

(Reply to this) (Parent)

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