Day 135 continued - Secrets of Underground London

This documentary was about what is under London, this is more of a history documentary. I mean that it showcases the history of important events like what occurred during the bombing of England during WWII. It features one of the rooms that Winston Churchhill used as the war was going on. If you are interested in that kind of history, then this is the documentary for you.

2/5

Day 135 - Crated (American-documentary)

Crafted is a documentary by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size me). It's a short documentary (less than an hour), that features several creative people. The documentary is very interesting, it showcases very interesting kind of art. From knife-makers to pottery makers in Japan. It may not be the best documentary, but it's interesting to say the least.

2.6/5

Day 134 continued - After Innocence (American - Documentary)

Do you ever wonder what happens to convicted criminals who were proven innocent? Then this is the documentary that you need to watch.



After Innocence is a 2005 documentary that follows the life of several people who were found innocent after spending several years in prison. The film shows that there is really no support for the men after they are released. Their records still show the crimes that were committed for. They receive no benefits from the government despite the fact that most of them spent over 10 years in prison for a crime they didn't commit.
It's not the best documentary, but it serves its purpose. This documentary shows you a different world that most people don't even think about.

2.5/5

Day 122 - Fame High (Documentary)

"Everyone dreams of fame. From the nail-biting freshman auditions to the spectacular year-end performances, Fame High captures the in-class and at-home drama, competition" -IMDb

Such a good documentary, It had a great subject matter with real people. Speaking on the style of the film, it had a lot poor edits and poor shots. The best thing was seeing the subject matter aka the students who were trying to either get into a good college or trying to start a career in such a hard field. Everyone present was realistic, nothing really seems forced. It was the kind of documentary that I really needed to watch. I suggest this documentary to everyone in college, high school that needs to be inspired. 

3/5

Day 120 continued - Freeway:Crack in the System (Documentary)

"The real Rick Ross is not a rapper. He's an urban legend in South Central LA, a black godfather figure whom most people have never seen, but know by name and reputation. He's 'Freeway' Rick Ross, the man who stood at the center of the crack epidemic, and whose name has been inextricably linked to the CIA-Contra-Cocaine connection. His story defies all odds and stereotypes and proves that truth is indeed stranger than fiction."

It was very interesting to hear the story of the real Rick Ross. It was entertaining and enlightening on many grounds. As his second conviction was able to show the truth about Crack in America. It is kind of close to home as one of the major reporters present in the documentary worked in my hometown of Sacramento. Now back to the main man, Rick Ross was enlightening to the experience of being a drug dealer, drug lord, convict, a freeman, a convict again and secondly as a freeman again. This is a great documentary for anyone interested in criminal justice. 

3.7/5

Remember the real Rick Ross is not a rapper

Day 119 continued - Usain Bolt: The Fastest Man Alive (Documentary)

"This documentary follows the life and career of Usain Bolt."

It was a nice insight into the life of the fastest man alive. Usain is quite an interesting man who comes from humble beginnings and humble dreams. The director did a good job with this film and it really had a personal touch to it. It's rare for me to watch a sports documentary but this film was totally worth it. If you are interested in learning more about the man, the sport of running, or looking for a good documentary then this is the one for one.

2.7/5

Day 115 - Nightmares In Red, White and Blue (Documentary)

"An exploration of the appeal of horror films, with interviews of many legendary directors in the genre." - IMDb

Many Horror icons gave interviews for this documentary, which was interesting to see but I felt the director of the documentary fumbled the ball on this film. At times it was nothing more than dull, sadly it could have gone more in depth and had better editing. If you are interested in horror movies than you should watch this documentary.

2.5/5

Little info

John Carpenter, George A. Romero, and others make an appearance

Day 111 continued - The Truth About Webcam Girls (Documentary)

"A documentary that follows three women who perform via webcam to paying customers."-IMDb

A very poor documentary about a semi interesting topic. The film felt a bit fake and the direction was poor. It felt more like something a rejected newscaster might make with no real understanding of documentaries. I would say skip this documentary with all of your might. By no means are the girls boring, they were interesting and would have been more interesting if the documentary was done in a different way. 

0.5/5

Day 111 - BMF: Rise of a Hip Hop Drug Empire (Documentary)

"THE BLACK MAFIA FAMILY explores the story of the 15-year investigation that resulted in 41 defendants across the country being charged in one of the largest drug conspiracy cases ever."- IMDb

BMF aka Black Mafia Family, was a hip hop label with only one artist. It was a front for a major crime ring as the label made millions of dollars but their solo artist wasn't all that popular. 
Anyway the documentary was poor, as it felt like some music video director directed it without really understanding how "cheap" the documentary felt. 
The  whole thing was weak but still watchable if you are interested in the premise. 

1/5

Little info

American rapper Young Jeezy has connections to BMF

Day 92 continued - Honor Flight (American)

"Honor Flight chronicles a community coming together to honor World War II veterans. The film follows a team of Midwest volunteers as they race against the clock to send every local WWII veterans to see the memorials built in their honor."

A truly amazing documentary, we should honor our veterans. It was a very eye opening documentary that all young people should watch.  These people fought for us and a lot of them died for us. So I salute all the people who were behind this project and all the veterans out there.

4/5

Day 92 - It's A Girl (American)

"In China and India plus many other places Mothers are killing their daughters in what people call 'gendercide'".

This is a powerful documentary that could of been handled better. I like how personal the film got by talking to some of the people in countries that deal with gendercide. Its a really powerful subject matter, all the facts were there and at times even emotion was seen. If you are a feminist or interested in this matter then please watch this film. It opened up my eyes to a whole new crime and a whole new world.

3/5

In India, China and many other parts of the world today, girls are killed, aborted and abandoned simply because they are girls. The United Nations estimates as many as 200 million girls⁽¹⁾ are missing in the world today because of this so-called “gendercide”. - See more at: http://www.itsagirlmovie.com/en/synopsis#sthash.LnSL3RTr.dpuf

In India, China and many other parts of the world today, girls are killed, aborted and abandoned simply because they are girls. The United Nations estimates as many as 200 million girls⁽¹⁾ are missing in the world today because of this so-called “gendercide”. - See more at: http://www.itsagirlmovie.com/en/synopsis#sthash.LnSL3RTr.dpuf

Day 91 continued - Judith Kerr: Hitler, the Tiger, and me

"Judith Kerr is a famous children's book creator and this is her true story."

A very interesting documentary and a different kind of film about leaving Germany in fear of the Nazis and worse death. Judith kerr is a very interesting person and artist. I can't believe she made children's books about her struggles before and after leaving Germany. This is a good documentary if you are interested in Nazis, Judith Kerr, or the time period.

2.8/5

Day 91 - The Flat (Israel)

"As a documentarian cleans out the flat that belonged to his grandparents - both immigrants from Nazi Germany - he uncovers clues pointing to a complicated and shocking story."

A little too slow and a tad bit boring for me to be honest. It has an very interesting subject matter but its delivery was lacking. I enjoyed how personal this was but it could have been a lot better. This really isn't for people who are interested in Nazis and this is more about two families that have a connection together. 

2/5

Day 90 - Return to the Philippines (American)

"Leon Cooper, a WWII, Navy landing craft officer, landed assault troops on six Japanese island strongholds. To this day, Mr. Cooper feels a debt to the thousands of US soldiers who died during battles in Europe and in the Pacific (80,000) who lie where they fell, in unmarked graves, and are listed as "missing-in-action." (MIA) He recognizes that there are thousands of families who are still affected by the lack of closure that results when a loved one is declared MIA"

An eye opening documentary that exposes something that must people have forgotten. The bodies of the fallen American soldiers, the ones who died in the service of the USA. If you are interested in this subject then please watch this delightful documentary. 

2.8/5

Side note

Narrated by Ed Harris

Leon Cooper formed a charitable trust called "MIA-You Are Forgotten"

Day 89 - Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show (Irish)

 

" A documentary that explores the world of U.S. television showrunners and the creative forces aligned around them."

A very good documentary into the world of running a TV show. It was nice to hear advice and to see into the world of making a TV show. It was quite impressive, as we get to hear from the people who work on some very popular shows like Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy), JJ Abrams (Person of Interest), Kirsten Bell,  Matthew Carnahan (House of Lies), Hart Hanson (BONES), and many more.

It could have been better directed though, maybe a bit longer with more in depth interviews with the showrunners. It should have shown more of the world that these people live in. 

3/5

Little info

Took four years to make this film

First Irish film to screen at the San Diego and New York Comic Con and the first to have booths

It is the first feature documentary to be screened by the Television Academy of America

Day 88 - Intangible Asset No. 82 (Documentary)

 

" The search for an enigmatic South Korean shaman, and the inspiration found on the journey, renews a jazz musician's faith in the power of music."

I think this documentary was poorly done but had a really good subject so in a way it was successful. If you are interested in traditional Korean music then this is the film for you.

0.8/5

Day 84 - Double Headed Eagle: Hitler's Rise to Power (Belgian)

"Lutz Becker lets newsreels, home movies and other archive footage tell the tale of Hitler's rise to power after WWI." IMDb

It wasn't as bad as I thought but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. It was nice to see actual videos and pictures yet I was slightly bored. It was made in 1973, so there could have been a lot of in-depth interviews with people that were in Germany during Hitler's time. I will suggest this film to those that are interested in history.

2/5

Day 83 continued - Holes in my Shoes (American)

 

" 94-year-old New Yorker, Jack Beers, has broken the age barrier full force. He can do what most young men can, and his diverse lifetime achievements would take many to accomplish"

A documentary that could have been shot better but Jack Beers is the ultimate documentary subject. He is such a fascinating person, 94 years old and he tore a phone book in half on camera.  The documentary discloses a lot of interesting topics you would not expect but Jack Beers had a hand in building some of the most famous buildings in New York City, he also had a hand in the Manhattan Project, he has also acted in a few movies, and was in the show dog business for a while. With Jack beers this is a lot to talk about but I will not spoil it for you. I suggest you watch this wonderful documentary about such a remarkable man that maybe it will inspire you to live more.

3.8/5

Day 83 - Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (Documentary)

 

" The life and work of the renowned film visual effects artist and producer."-idmb

A very interesting in depth documentary about an important figure in the visual effects world. Ray had a lot of good things to say, so I am glad that they made this documentary. The insights to the beginning of visual effects was pretty cool as well, as it wasn't boring like it might be in a technical book.  I would suggest this film to anyone in interested in the film industry and for people interested in visual effects. 

3/5

Little info

There are appearances by Guillermo Del Toro, James Cameron, Tim Burton and many more famous people in the industry.

Day 82 continued - Traces of a Dragon (Documentary)

 

" The film explores the touching and history-filled background of Jackie Chan as we have never seen him before" - Wikipedia

This is a very poorly done documentary, it has a lot to do with Jackie Chan but its more about his father than anything else. I think it is a little weird as to why Jackie has not met with his elder siblings but his father has gone back to meet with them several times. I honestly no longer like Jackie Chan due to his political thinking and I don't wish to spoil the documentary for anyone. If you are a Jackie Chan then watch the film if not then skip it. 

1/5