image credit: the outbound life
Calling all my savvy, in-the know friends! Can you help a lady out?
Dustin has this thing, y’all. He can not stay awake while looking at a screen. At all. I am not exaggerating. It sounds funny, BUT IT IS NOT FUNNY, PEOPLE. Okay, maybe a little funny. Mostly incredibly annoying, though.
It doesn’t matter where we are or what time of the day it is, the man will fall asleep within 5 minutes of watching a television show or movie. And it goes wayyyy back…apparently at HIS OWN birthday/slumber party as a child, when “Raiders of The Lost Ark” had just been released on VHS (gawwwwd, we are old), he fell into a deep slumber within minutes of the movie commencing. Yes, he missed his entire party due to SIN. (Not “sin,” for crying out loud…clean up that mind, you heathen! But S.I.N. – a very serious and very plausible disorder, Screen-Induced Narcolepsy, the name of which I personally created. About five minutes ago. We’ll be selling a SIN wristband to raise awareness for this calamitous disorder very soon.)
Due to this disorder, we have seen a grand total of…wait for it…5 movies in the theater since we started dating in 2001. Let me do the math for you…that equals 15 years. One movie every 3 years. Fabulous. And guess what, friends? I like movies. I would enjoy seeing a movie with my husband once in awhile. Alas, not in the cards.
Until last week. Upon hearing about the death of Bill Cunningham, I mentioned interest in watching this documentary released a few years back. Dustin agreed that he was also interested. I sharply inhaled when I heard this statement. Could it be? COULD THIS BE THE ONE?! I prayed to the screen gods as I accessed the documentary via Amazon Prime.
And you guys. He stayed awake. For 124 blessed minutes. (And that’s pronounced blesid, like the adjective. Say it aloud with me, one-hundred and twenty-four blesid minutes. Feeeeeel that important distinction in pronunciation.) Dustin did not suffer the ill effects of SIN. Glory be to the highest!
As we finished the documentary, and I brushed away my tears of happiness, he said to me, “I think I might like to see some more documentaries.”
FRIENDS. HE WANTS TO SEE SOME ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARIES. Could this be our turning point? Could his SIN go into remission due to a robust supplement of varied documentaries?
Help me, dear friends. Help us. Keep Dustin in SIN remission, and please share the best documentaries you’ve seen – any and all subject matter welcomed. #putanendtoSIN
SGG
June 29, 2016 at 10:28 am“Muscle Shoals” – available on Netflix. If you enjoy music, at all, this is utterly fascinating. Here’s the description from IMDB:
Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music. Under the spiritual influence of the ‘Singing River’ as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals changed the world and sold millions upon millions of copies. At its heart is Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios. Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, he brought black and white together in Alabama’s cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations while giving birth to the ‘Muscle Shoals Sound’ and ‘The Swampers’. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge, Gregg Allman, Clarence Carter, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Bono, and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals’ magnetism, mystery, and why it remains influential today.
Heidi
June 29, 2016 at 10:37 amI watched the Iris Apfel one on Netflix and loved it… Such a unique individual. So inspiring, too.
Meg
June 29, 2016 at 10:52 amMy longtime favorite is Dancemaker about Paul Taylor and his dance company. I don’t know why that one has stuck with me for so long. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf7GQTpfpRM
Chris Castro
June 29, 2016 at 11:09 amHands on A Hardbody
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter
Born into Brothels
Jill
June 29, 2016 at 11:10 amThe Stories We Tell is a beautiful documentary about a filmmaker and actress (Sarah Polley) searching to understand who her mother was. Here’s the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytq4VZ2Nyxg
Also, this one is looonng but really good–the OJ Simpson: Made In America documentary series that recently aired on ESPN. I’d highly recommend it, though it’s 5 parts and very dark.
Chrissy barr
June 29, 2016 at 11:25 amMaking a murder is so good. It’s a series on Netflix. Dear Zachary, meet the Patels, the Queen of Versailles, ballet 422, blackfish, and Actress. I think they are all on Netflix. Love documentaries!!
Anita
June 29, 2016 at 11:29 amIf you like sports, the 30 for 30 ESPN documentaries are all well done and there are a lot on Netflix. I particularly like the basketball stories, with the ones about Christian Laettner and Reggie Miller being my favorite. HBO has excellent documentaries as well, The Jinx and Citizenfour are both good. I did not enjoy Making a Murderer on Netflix – too one sided. I have heard great things about The Roosevelts on PBS and it is creeping up my to-watch list.
Mandy Burt
June 29, 2016 at 11:38 amSuper interesting in the ‘what did you say?’ way; “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”
Hilarious and heart-warming: “Tig”
Made me google the documentarian and the subject to lean more: “Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson”
Happy Viewing!
lynn
June 29, 2016 at 11:44 amAgree on The Jinx. If you are into photography/art/strange people, check out Finding Vivian Maier. For armchair psychoanalysis/political weirdness, Weiner was fascinating. And if you like The National (maybe even not, but I love so I’m biased), Mistaken for Strangers is fun. Also loved First Position, but very much about the dance world.
Kim
June 29, 2016 at 11:44 amJust rented “Weiner” about Anthony Weiner and it was really good and interesting! I also tend to fall asleep when watching movies (although to a lesser extent) and this one definitely kept my interest. I also second Making a Murder, Made in America (OJ), and Blackfish. Also – not really a documentary but “Game Change” on HBO was REALLY good about the 2008 election.
Catherine
June 29, 2016 at 12:02 pmJiro Dreams of Sushi. It’s about an older Japanese man and his top-rated sushi restaurant.
Going Clear. Fascinating look at the origin, history, and present-day “religion” of Scientology.
Gasland: The Movie and Gasland 2. They’re about the environmental impacts of fracking in different parts of the U.S.
Making a Murderer. You’ll have to build up to it because it’s a series. but it’s really good and worth the watch and ensuing feelings of rage and disbelief. Watch it especially if you liked Serial.
Lana
June 29, 2016 at 12:04 pmI’ve been watching the OJ doc “OJ: Made In America” and it’s loooong, but really well done and fascinating. Cup of Jo posted about it today actually, if you want more info. Tig was another recent favorite. Surfwise is one that I saw many years ago and has stuck with me more than any other….so interesting…about a nomadic family of surfers travelling and living together in a camper (11 of them!). Also, for episodic docs, “A Chef’s Life” on PBS is really great, and “city.ballet” about the NYC Ballet on AOL is really well done!
Laurie
June 29, 2016 at 12:10 pmKing of Kong
Finding Vivian Maier
OJ Made in America
American Movie
Sarah
June 29, 2016 at 1:03 pmJiro Dreams of Sushi
Exit Through the Giftshop (so good!)
Maria LeCrone
June 29, 2016 at 2:21 pm1. Iris
2. Valley Uprising
3. The Barkley Marathons
These are some recent watches that my husband & I loved. Some documentaries exist to put fear in us. These 3 are thankfully not at all in that category. Please share with us if you find some good ones! PS-I lovvvvve when you post Odds & Ends! My fave.
Maria LeCrone
June 29, 2016 at 2:41 pmAlso-Chef’s Table on Netflix. It’s a series and it is SO GOOD. The music. The stories. The creativity??