Seven documentaries

I recently put together some thoughts about a number of movies (for the CDDB project) that I've never written capsules about before. So I figured I might aswell put them here too. I'm pretty determined to dust off this blog and update it more often, btw.

A History of the Blue Movie (Alex de Renzy, 1971) – con
A weak effort to tell the history of dirty movies, from early quickies (heh) via pinup penny arcades and stag films, up to the DIY of “today” (circa 1970). The parts chronicling the “dirtification” of the burlesque of the 40s and 50s are interesting, but much of the later material is inadequate and crudely exploitative. And the big, big irony of this movie is of course its timing – premiering right at the beginning of the decade that probably meant more for the smut industry than any other makes it lose a lot of its relevance.

***

Wattstax (Mel Stuart, 1973) – PRO
Supreme musical documentary/concert film which, just like Wadleigh’s Woodstock, manages to go beyond the music and capture the people, the attitudes and the atmosphere of the Watts Summer Festival of 1972 – as far as I can tell, that is. Just as well-made as many other concert docs of the time, but for my money, Wattstax’s music alone blows both the Woodstock and Monterey pics out of the water. For a long time, this was only available on bootleg, but with the new DVD out, there are no excuses not to check it out.

***

Radio Bikini (Robert Stone, 1987) – mixed+
Oscar-nominated documentary about the Bikini test bombings following the end of WWII. Lots of clips from radio broadcasts that the navy did from Bikini (hence the title), but main focus is placed on a former chief and native Bikini resident who had to pack up and move when the tests began, and a former navy lieutenant who now suffers severly from the radiation he was exposed to during his time at the test sight. Amusing clips displaying the naïvete concerning the consequences of radiation at the time are effectively juxtaposed with examples of the destructive power of the atom bomb.

***

Wisconsin Death Trip (James Marsh, 1999) – mixed+
Was expecting more of this documentary, which has a macabre and intriguing premise: to go back in time to the late 1890’s, and meditate on a number of bizarre occurrences, most of which involve death and despair, in the small town of Black River Falls, Wisconsin. The film is inspired by a book, which in turn was based on a number of old photographs from the region, taken by a local photographer. The filmmakers employ a lot of ambitious dramatizations in order to recreate many of the gruelling stories, but the dull, pretty-looking retellings mostly fail to match the actual events.

***

Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky, 2000) – PRO
Although it re-hashes some material from the first Paradise Lost, this sequel is equally effective, and at times simply mind-boggling. [SPOILER ahead] Thanks to his presence in both films, John Mark Byers comes across as one of the most compelling villain characters in recent years – fiction or non-fiction.

***

Dark Days (Marc Singer, 2000) – pro+
The homeless situation of many cities in the world was hardly an unknown phenomenon before this hard-hitting documentary, and while it’s not an eye-opener in that respect, it provides some great insight in the details of the everyday struggle many homeless people face. Surprisingly solid b&w photography and a soundtrack soaked in beats by DJ Shadow add to the experience.

***

Scratch (Doug Pray, 2001) – PRO
A turntablist’s wet dream, this outstanding documentary goes well beyond being just a fanboy concern; like all good documentaries it manages to enthuse enough about its subject – the world of hiphop DJs – to invite even people not that familiar with it. Of course, it helps if you know your Roc Raida from your Kool Herc, but I don’t think it’s necessary. It looks really good too, none of the sloppy DV footage you’d expect, instead slick 16mm photography – and most importantly, it sounds amazing.