top-list Top 10 Documentaries on Making Movies

sonnyboo

sonnyboo

This is my personal top 10 list of docs on the making of movies. These are actual documentaries, not DVD extras that got some kind of release as an actual film independent of the movie(s) they are about.

  1. The Cutting Edge - a documentary on film editing, staggeringly well made.
  2. Hearts of Darkness - the making of APOCALYPSE NOW with all kinds of crazy insight into Coppola's process.
  3. American Movie - a profile of an unknown horror filmmaker and his merry band of friends making a horror feature (then short) in Wisconsin.
  4. Full Tilt Boogie - an interesting look at the making of FROM DUSK TILL DAWN with very little from director Robert Rodriguez, but focusing on the crew positions and assistants. Fairly unique movie.
  5. Overnight - The in depth look at hubris and ego, but I was greatly affected by a review that reminded me that all the enablers surrounding the ego maniacal writer/director of BOONDOCK SAINTS Troy Duffy. Watch how all of his friends can clearly express silently their buddy is crazy, but don't say a peep as they hope he comes through with money and power for them.
  6. Visions of Light - The best documentary on cinematography in film ever made.
  7. Official Rejection - an indie documentary on film festivals, the bureaucracy, the horror stories, and fun of touring with your film.
  8. Double Dare - A comparison documentary on two stuntwomen, one a legend of the past and another up and coming. It inadvertantly enveloped the beginning of Tarantino's KILL BILL because he hired the latter, Zoe Bell to double for Uma Thurman during this doc.
  9. Cinematographers Style - a close 2nd best documentary on cinematography, but minus any sample clips from anything the subjects are discussing, it still has some incredible insights and histories of the best DP's of the last 20 years.
  10. Lost in LaMancha - Originally intended to be for the DVD extras for the eventual release of Terry Gilliam's attempt at making Don Quixote, LOST IN LAMANCHA became a feature release of the failed movie. Seeing the passion and creative process of one of the most unique directors is priceless.

Anyone have any other ones to add to the list?
 
Thanks for the list. There are a handful of those I haven't seen/heard of.

I'd throw This Film is Not Yet Rated into the mix. It's basically about how the ratings system works (or rather how no one knows how it works) and who does the rating. The docu filmmaker hires a private detective and eventually submits the docu itself to the ratings board and goes through the process (all the way through appealing an NC-17 rating). It tends to focus on filmmakers who have received the dreaded NC-17.
 
Great list.

I'd throw the new Morgan Spurlock one into the mix (I haven't seen it but my Dad did and he liked it). Also check out My Best Fiend if you're interested in actor/director relationships.
 
Thanks -- a few I haven't seen yet.

In 2000 I met Mark Borchardt of "American Movie" fame at SXSW, and interviewed him over a beer for Film Threat. He was there with his co-star and good buddy Mike.

They are both exactly like they are in the film. Mark is a cool, really nice, regular guy, and he's really funny and eccentric. A pleasure to have talked to him.
 
Just out of curiosity-

Has anyone seen The Five Obstructions, the Lars Von Trier movie? If so, is it any good? I kind of want to see it but I want a strong recommendation first...
 
I really liked "The Five Obstructions," and it's enjoyable as long as you know going into it that Von Trier is basically an insufferable ass.

But it's an entertaining film about filmmaking, and about how the artistic point of view is often about strong personalities interpreting the same things in wholly different ways. I suggest you check it out.
 
I think "The Pixar Story" should be added. I watched in on netflix and it's great. It basically goes behind the scenes at pixar animation studios
 
USNFilms said:
I think "The Pixar Story" should be added. I watched in on netflix and it's great. It basically goes behind the scenes at pixar animation studios
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Seconded. I just saw it the other day. I knew that Steve Jobs played a big part in it but I didn't know it was born at Skywalker Ranch/ILM. Plus I always saw Pixar as a rival Disney, but it turns out that every feature film has been a collaboration.
 
I just finished watching The Cutting Edge, and I thought it was an amazing insight. It's a shame that editors aren't that well known in the public eye, as it's clear that those in the industry, and especially the directors they collaborate with, hold them in the highest esteem. Watching some of them at work is truly amazing.

Thanks for the list :) I think I'll check out Visions of Light next, and after that a few others
 
At the other end of the spectrum, especially for filmmakers working at our level, is an excellent Australian documentary called "Making Venus". About a couple of guys who set out to make a low-budget $100,000 indie comedy, and five years later are in debt for a couple of million, with a basically unsellable film. A great look at how not to make a film.

http://www.madman.com.au/catalogue/view/2471/making-venus
 
Watching EASY RIDERS RAGING BULLS, the documentary that goes along with the book. It's already 30 minutes in, worthy of the list....
 
While you already named a few of my favorites, I do have one to add to the mix:
"Burden of Dreams" about Herzog's filming of Fitzcarraldo. Talk about practical effects! If you haven't seen Fitzcarraldo (and you should) it's about a man hauling a steamship over a mountain, very loosely based on an actual event. Loosely because the real ship was much smaller, and they took it apart and reassembled it. Herzog being Herzog, he took no such shortcuts.
 
JoshL said:
While you already named a few of my favorites, I do have one to add to the mix:
"Burden of Dreams" about Herzog's filming of Fitzcarraldo. Talk about practical effects! If you haven't seen Fitzcarraldo (and you should) it's about a man hauling a steamship over a mountain, very loosely based on an actual event. Loosely because the real ship was much smaller, and they took it apart and reassembled it. Herzog being Herzog, he took no such shortcuts.
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I threw in 'My Best Fiend' but not 'Burden of Dreams'??? What was I thinking?!?!?

The whole story behind Fitzcarraldo is, if I had to name one inciting event, the reason I got into filmmaking.
 
-JK- said:
I just finished watching The Cutting Edge, and I thought it was an amazing insight.
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I just re-watched it last weekend. It almost made me cry to see Sally Menke, Quentin Tarantino's editor, because of her death a few months ago. One his last 2-3 DVD's there were montages of actors saying "Hello Sally" to her so when she watched dailies, everyone would talk to her from set.
 
Magnolia's DVD has a terrific doc from beginning to end of creating Magnolia.

Also, I remember when Peter Jackson was filming King Kong there were I believe daily video clips behind the scenes being posted to the web. I assume they all were compiled into a DVD extra or maybe they're still available on the web someplace.
 
WideShot said:
Also, I remember when Peter Jackson was filming King Kong there were I believe daily video clips behind the scenes being posted to the web. I assume they all were compiled into a DVD extra or maybe they're still available on the web someplace.
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Those were the 2 DVD set of PRODUCTION DIARIES, then the POST PRODUCTION DIARIES were released as the bonus disc of the movie. They start off kind of sketch-y, as in sketch comedy, but half way through start getting technical because fans on the site started requesting techie info on the cameras. From there it got very educational.
 
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