Not to pump up the Netflix thing to much but I’ve been a long time customer. Since they introduced the streaming service I have been watching tons of documentaries. Here is a short list of what I consider must see. If your already a member each link will take you to the actual stream of the video.
- King of Kong (2007) – When Steve Wiebe got laid off, he turned to the classic arcade game Donkey Kong for solace; soon, he decided to challenge Billy Mitchell’s long-standing record score. So began the bitter rivalry that lies at the heart of this curiously compelling documentary. Providing a history of competitive video gaming and a look at some of the key players, The King of Kong is at its best when revealing just how far Mitchell will go to retain his crown.
- Cocaine Cowboys (2006) – This penetrating and sometimes harrowing documentary from director Billy Corben pulls out all the stops to explore the many dimensions of Miami’s cocaine-trafficking boom of the 1980s, from how the drug was moved and the financial impact on the city to the havoc and violence that followed in its wake. Told by the smugglers, cops and average citizens who were there, this film is an unflinching study of Miami’s most notorious and lethal vice.
- Helvetica (2007) – We use it every day on our computers, we see it on street signs — and we take it for granted. Now, Gary Hustwit’s unique documentary introduces us to Helvetica, whose readability has made it the most popular font in the world. Interviews with designers and artists offer insight into the development, use and universal acceptance of Helvetica as the typeface of choice for everything from writing letters to creating corporate logos.
- Crumb (1994) – Director Terry Zwigoff spent six years compiling this portrait of the underground cartoonist whose characters Fritz the Cat and Mr. Natural became counterculture icons. Candid interviews with Robert Crumb and his spouses, offspring, siblings and peers render a compelling profile of a tormented man who transcended a harrowing upbringing to produce stunningly original art. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
