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October 2007

The Archives

• 10.18.07
  Review – ‘Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea’ Jay CcloseAuthor: Jay C Name: Jay C
  Site:
  About: Jay loves the films of Werner Herzog, Errol Morris and The Maysles, and is currently in production on his own first feature-length documentary Beauty Day.
  
  Twitter: @jaycheelSee Authors Posts (465) | News, Reviews | (3)

  Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea Directed by: Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer Narrated by: John Waters Having lived only fifteen minutes away from Niagara Falls my entire life, I’m pretty familiar with the idea of a tourist trap. What’s more interesting than six million cubic feet of rushing water? Well how about the WWE Museum, Burger King, the Casino and Dracula’s Castle? Luckily, the falls itself has remained intact and environmentally protected; even if it’s surroundings have had a major face lift. In the case of California’s Salton Sea, an accidental man-made lake turned world class tourist attraction ultimately became one ...
• 10.15.07
  The Documentary Blog’s Top 25 Documentaries Jay CcloseAuthor: Jay C Name: Jay C
  Site:
  About: Jay loves the films of Werner Herzog, Errol Morris and The Maysles, and is currently in production on his own first feature-length documentary Beauty Day.
  
  Twitter: @jaycheelSee Authors Posts (465) | Features, News | (145)

  A couple of weeks ago (Yikes. The post is right underneath this one, dated October 5th. My blogging is definitely lacking.) the International Documentary Association released it's list of 'Top 25 Documentaries of All Time', and although their list did cover some essential territory, there were a few surprises that I felt didn't really belong. (Supersize Me??) So I thought it'd be fun to throw up my own list here on The Documentary Blog, covering what I consider to be essential films that are both personal favourites and 'must-see' recommendations for friends. Here it goes: 1. Gates of Heaven ...
• 10.05.07
  IDA Lists Its Top 25 Documentaries Jay CcloseAuthor: Jay C Name: Jay C
  Site:
  About: Jay loves the films of Werner Herzog, Errol Morris and The Maysles, and is currently in production on his own first feature-length documentary Beauty Day.
  
  Twitter: @jaycheelSee Authors Posts (465) | News | (18)

  Everybody loves lists, and documentary film lovers are no different. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the International Documentary Association has just released a list of the 25 best documentaries of all time, and although I agree with most of it, there are a few omissions that surprised me. First off, here's the list in its entirety: 1. Hoop Dreams 2. The Thin Blue Line 3. Bowling for Columbine 4. Spellbound 5. Harlan County USA 6. An Inconvenient Truth 7. Crumb 8. Gimme Shelter 9. The Fog of War 10. Roger and Me 11. Super Size Me 12. Don’t Look Back 13. Salesman 14. Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance 15. Sherman’s March 16. Grey Gardens 17. Capturing the ...
• 10.04.07
  Errol Morris and Werner Herzog to Reunite Jay CcloseAuthor: Jay C Name: Jay C
  Site:
  About: Jay loves the films of Werner Herzog, Errol Morris and The Maysles, and is currently in production on his own first feature-length documentary Beauty Day.
  
  Twitter: @jaycheelSee Authors Posts (465) | News | (5)

  Here's a feud that I was completely unaware of, which is strange considering it involves two of my favourite documentary filmmakers of all time. Many of you are most likely aware of the story behind Morris' first film 'Gates of Heaven', in which Herzog presented a challenge claiming that if the film was seen through to completion, he would eat his own shoe. Not only was the film finished, but it has become an American classic with heavy support from film critics alike. Most vocally, Roger Ebert has included Gates of Heaven in his top ten films of all time. ...