One Strange Rock

This documentary series is now available on Netflix and I recommend it. I tried watching the documentary on the Fyre festival but the vapid people involved made me turn it off after just a couple of minutes.

Andre the Giant

Watched the HBO documentary Andre the Giant and I give it two big thumbs up! If you were a WWF fan in the 1980's you knew Andre was the man. If you are a fan of the movie The Princess Bride you got a glimpse of the gentle spirit behind the "brute squad".

If you don't want to take my word for it - the documentary also has a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Barkley Marathons

If you are looking for a good documentary - check out The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young. 

The people who run this definitely have a different mindset. I can't comprehend having that mindset where a simple marathon simply isn't challenging enough. Don't get me wrong - I'd love to try to make a single loop of the Barkley even welcoming the "stigma" of being runner number 1 (the human sacrifice) but I'd hate taking up one of the 40 slots for the race.

What got me thinking of the Barkley was this article in Outside Magazine on The Women of the Barkley Marathons.

Good article - good documentary - both well worth your time.

Long Strange Trip

I would say I' a fan of the Grateful Dead but I'm hardly a Deadhead. Last night I finished the documentary on the Dead - Long Strange Trip - on Amazon Prime and I highly recommend it.

First thing to discuss is the length. Some may be scared off the documentary because they've heard it is 4 hours long, which is true. However, Amazon Prime has broken it into 6 cohesive "acts" or episodes which is very manageable. This is easily one of the top 5 music related documentaries I've ever seen (I'll have to do that list soon).

The documentary follows the band from its formation and its crucible of the "acid test" to the death of Jerry Garcia. From a band going out on the road and coming back as broke as when they departed to the money making machine they became at the end. Some very amusing and insightful stories were told along the way.

Now I know some would argue that there has not been an end and that the Dead lives on but Dead and Company or the other band offshoots are just not the same (although I must admit I'm thinking about seeing them at Fenway Park this summer).

So watch the documentary. I think you'll enjoy it.

John Milius

John Milius is a screenwriter and a director who was involved in some of the most important movies of my childhood. Yet I had never even heard his name until I came across a documentary on Netflix called appropriately enough - Milius. Here's just a few of the watershed movies John Milius was involved in:

Apocalypse Now (written by)
Magnum Force (screenplay)
Jeremiah Johnson (screenplay)
Conan the Barbarian (written and directed by)
Clear and Present Danger (screenplay)
Red Dawn (screenplay and directed by)

In addition he created the HBO show Rome (one of my favorites) and he wrote the "Indianapolis" speech in the movie Jaws for his good friend Stephen Spielberg. How did I not know this guy's name? Fascinating guy. Well worth the time to watch the documentary.

Documentaries

The next few days are prime time for watching TV. Here's a couple of documentaries I would recommend you place in your Netflix queue:

- Who is Harry Nilsson? (And why is everyone talking about him)

- Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay

- Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. I was a so-so Rush fan but after watching this documentary I haven't been able to not listen to a Rush song I come across on the radio because the guys were just so nice.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Sorry Canadians but this is how many in the US think of our neighbor to the north

- Interesting read on the eroding legacy of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. One basic truth of the US is that most Americans aren't interested in history or the past - they are only interested in today and the promise of tomorrow.

- BC and Holy Cross to play football again in 2018 and 2020. I won't consider it a rivalry renewed until a game is scheduled at Fitton Field or Holy Cross wins a game. I'm hoping at least Holy Cross was paid a pretty penny for these two games.

- Cool - volcanic eruption as seen from space

- Five ways Oculus Rift will go beyond gaming.

- Documentary Heaven. I can't wait to spend hours on this site.