documentaries - "life as it is"
I've never been a huge fan of documentaries because I like a little commentary to go along with my news.
That's why I like the new style of documentaries. I know that Ken Burns just signed a huge contract to crank out a bunch of commentaries, but for the most part it seems like documentaries are turning into "commentaries".
I'll throw out a premise that I believe, "PBS is a silly waste of government funding" that I know will tick people off...and then I'll build a straw man case for why we should keep it...and then I'll destroy the straw man.
This is the new format of the "documentary"
You no longer have to be objective - you just have to film things the way that you believe them to be... leave out any really strong case that would argue in the other direction.
It's like being the Harlem Globetrotters. You have another team out there...but really you're just there to show off your stuff.
I'd like to make a film called "March of the film makers" and discuss the art of "documenting" real life and show the disparity of just that and what is now become exactly what this blog post is - a rant against something that's just sort of silly...
Agreed. Documentaries no longer convey the truth that we all thirst for. That last honest piece I can remember seeing was "This is Spinal Tap".
ReplyDeleteLike the Globetrotters, I see documentaries for what they are - entertainment. I don't go to a Globetrotters game to watch compelling competition. It's all about expectations.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the PBS documentary "The Question of God"?
ReplyDeleteSigmund Freud vs. C.S. Lewis... could be good.
Also check out "Jesus Camp"
ReplyDeleteyou cannot deny the strength of Trekies. that's a documentary that will melt your face. i promise.
ReplyDelete