Featured
Documentaries
Sugar Editorial Picks
Oscar Movie Preview: The Betrayal For Best Documentary
Since it can often be hard to see some of the Oscar-nominated documentaries in theaters, it's nice to get a taste of them before Oscar night — not to mention that it might help you when you fill out your Oscar ballot. So this week I'll feature as many of the Best Documentary previews as I can.
The New York Times writes that while the topics in The Betrayal are big and heavy (war, revolution, immigration), the film maintains an "intimate mood and a lyrical tone."
Gonzo: Focusing on the Work of Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson isn't always associated with terms like "brilliant writer" or "inventor of gonzo journalism" or even "patriot." By the time his famous work Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was adapted for film in 1998, he was becoming a caricature and a symbol of a bygone era.
Shine a Light: Long Live the Rock Doc
When I realized that Martin Scorsese's new rock doc Shine a Light chronicles two Stones concerts from 2006, I was slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong: I devour rock documentaries (Scorsese's The Last Waltz is one of my faves), and I love me some Rolling Stones. But I've never had much interest in seeing the band live in its modern incarnation (or in paying the high-ticket price for a stadium show).
Sundance Review: American Teen
What is it about teenagers that fascinates us so? In the case of many TV shows — from The O.C. to My Super Sweet 16 — there's an obsession with wealthy teens, kids who seem to have way too much way too young.
What to Netflix: Red Without Blue
The premise of Red Without Blue pretty much sells itself: The documentary follows two identical male twins as one of them undergoes gender reassignment surgery to become a female. I attended the local premiere of this movie last year, but since it was made by three first-time filmmakers from SF, I didn't expect to be blown away. Boy, was I wrong: Since then, it has become the little documentary I cannot stop recommending to people.
What to Netflix: The Times of Harvey Milk
Okay, all you documentary fans, have I got a recommendation for you. The Times of Harvey Milk, winner of the 1985 Academy Award for Best Documentary, left me speechless and filled with mixed emotions. In the 1970s in San Francisco, good-natured camera store owner Harvey Milk was elected onto the board of city supervisors, becoming the first gay city official in the U.S.
Do You Go to the Theater to Watch Documetaries?
In recent years, documentaries (like today's Sicko) have enjoyed a surge in popularity, perhaps due to the genre becoming more entertaining, or because bigger studios are now seeing the genre as a viable money-maker and are pumping more funds into the production.
Whatever the reason, I'm happy about it because we've been treated to intriguing documentary fare like March of the Penguins, Murderball and An Inconvenient Truth.
Now the question has become: To shell out money on a theater ticket, or to rent?
Movie Preview: Sicko
Along with the animated rat chefs and dying ladies with stories to tell this Friday, there is Michael Moore and his latest documentary, Sicko, in wide release. The film explores health insurance in the U.S. and how it compares to that of other countries.
Adrian Grenier's Dad-umentary
Before he was Vincent Chase on "Entourage," Adrian Grenier was a kid who wanted to know his dad better. In 1999, Grenier set out to reconnect with his estranged father, and filmed the process as his first directorial project.
The result is Shot in the Dark, a documentary which the publicity materials describe as "a poignant, often-amusing road trip from New York to Ohio, spiced by interviews with strangers and relatives about the meaning of fatherhood – and a parent's impact on one’s sense of self."
Planet Earth Miniseries: Just ... Wow
I watched the first three installments of the Discovery Channel's 11-part Planet Earth miniseries on a friend's 42-inch high-definition TV last week, and I can say hands down that it is one of the most incredible things I have ever seen on TV.
No, seriously. It's amazing.
More on BuzzSugar
Fall Award Season
Top Brands
Betty Barclay
Only
Pedro Garcia