Good Documentaries Thread

[Plenum]

The Rise of Mexican Black Tar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_PQ407GkOs

this is fascinating on so many sociological angles.

[Jade]

Thanks plen, that was a good one.

One of the interesting statistics that has come out after the legalization of marijuana in some states is that across the board, opiate painkiller deaths are down 25%. That's huge!!! It really is fascinating to hear though that it's basically not worth Mexico's time anymore to cultivate marijuana - that's also a huge shift, and it makes sense. Of course, my first thought was, "Well obviously we should just legalize heroin" - but we already have legalized heroin. It's just so expensive here (vicodin, oxycontin) that heroin is the logical shift once you become really hooked.

I also found it insightful when he described the experience as feeling his chest lighten - it's a chemical unblocking of the heart chakra. Of course it is!! All is right in the world for those glorious 4 hours of an opiate high. Then your body recoils as it comes down and you have to go from there...

[Plenum]

[driving for uber]

On Wednesday at 2:30 AM, Uber driver Terri White left her home in Stockton, California, and drove 83 miles to San Francisco for work. She wouldn’t be home until Friday afternoon. White naps in her car between rush hours and heats up her lunch at a local gas station. She says one in five Uber drivers she meets sleeps in their car.

“I love people, I love being able to breathe the air, I’m not confined to a desk, and I can do what I want,” White told VICE News correspondent Nellie Bowles. “I don’t have to wait for someone to relieve me for a break or a lunch, I just do it.” Uber’s biggest competitor, Lyft, locks drivers out of the platform after they’ve worked 14 hours in a day. Uber does not.

just a 5 minutes piece.  Not sure it fully constitutes a 'doco', but it's definitely a peek into the real-life of someone, unadorned.

[Plenum]

just watched 'Going Clear' (2015).

oh man, what an eye opener!

[Diana]

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

You can stream it on Netflix.

They are a testament to individuality, not caring what's popular, following their passion even if it meant losing record contracts, and they are loving, intelligent, spiritual people.

[Jade]

Spin: This documentary is an amazingly voyeuristic trip into a time capsule. The year is 1992 in America, and it is an election year. Large satellite receivers were becoming affordable and usable by the average American. Brian Springer bought 2 and set them up to pick up satellite feeds - which often showed the "off time", when a show wasn't on air/on a station, or if there was a commercial break, you were able to watch the banter inbetween. He spent a few years recording this stuff, but this focuses on the Bush/Clinton/Perot election. Really interesting look at the seams of the media.

The True Cost: This documentary is significantly less "fun" to watch, but if you want to help this planet and be a responsible consumer, this documentary will help you make better choices. It focuses on the hyper-manufacturing process of the fashion industry, and the workers (slaves) who provide our cheap clothing. Please watch. If you don't have Netflix, it's pretty easy to get a free trial.

The Smash Brothers: If you like video game culture at all, this documentary is great! It's over four hours long (!), split into several episodes for easier watching. It focuses specifically on the competitive Super Smash Brothers: Melee scene, that has had its rise and falls. Mostly, we just get human drama of the friendships and rivalries in this unique group of people. We watched it over a couple of days (Sat/Sun), and yesterday, my husband exclaimed sadly, "I miss the Smash Brothers." Another endorsement from the reddit thread I found it said "I watch this movie all the time!" A good time to be had.

[Bring4th_Austin]

I've been on a bit of a UFO kick lately.

I recently re-watched my favorite UFO documentary, I Know What I Saw. It is hands down the best documentary about UFOs in my eyes. The field of UFOlogy varies greatly in quality of material and presentation. In an era where it seems the primary mainstream representation of UFO research is corny History Channel shows where outrageous claims are made and wild conclusions are drawn, this filmmaker took a stricter attitude towards investigating the nature of UFOs. It is focused on a press conference in which some of the world's most "credible" witnesses discuss their own encounters with UFOs. Some of the stories are incredible, documented by governments and military, and demand attention from the greater public.


I also recently watched The Curse of the Man Who Sees UFOs. It is available to stream on Netflix. Based on the name, I assumed it would be about the stigma behind reporting UFO sightings and coping with public ridicule, but it is not about that at all. It basically centers around a man named Christo Roppolo who wants to make a documentary about UFO sightings and footage he has collected. He sees UFOs with an alarming frequency and has captured a lot of footage, at least some of it is decent. The filmmaker he highers to edit the documentary decided that this guy was so eccentric and fascinating that he wanted to make a documentary about him. As Christo takes us on a journey of UFO sightings, we slowly learn more and more about his personal life. We figure out the deeper nature of his motivations and passions. There is plenty of focus on his UFO sightings and his footage, but the documentary is really about the man and his incredible life. I enjoyed it a lot.

[sunnysideup]

A few years back I watched "The act of killing" and more recently saw the companion piece "The look of silence" both directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, both very powerful documentaries.

[jacrob]

I thoroughly enjoyed the Zero Point series.  A nice rehashing of interesting things from Terence McKenna to Nassim Haramein.  Spliced together rather well.

Zero point 1
Zero point 2
Zero point 3
Zero point 4 - Left Brain
Zero point 4 - Right Brain

[sillypumpkins]

I watched this one a while ago. It's about Ben McBrady, who was the last Druid in Ireland. I think some of you might find it interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIrYD7djFH8

[RitaJC]

[David_1]

Are your savings vanishing as the markets crater?
Are politicians constantly bickering instead of helping?
Is the virus going to wipe out lots of people?
Are stores going to run out of supplies?
God loves you with an everlasting love, and will not forsake you.
Is it time to look on the bright side of life?
https://tinyurl.com/8gbqebj