I love documentaries and I am so glad this is finally getting some love here at Wandering Through The Shelves. Heck I could do only Ken Burns who is one of the best, ever, in providing an in depth look at whatever interests him. Last week, I watched "The American Experience" on the Flu Epidemic of 1918 which I have always been intrigued by. Considering what is going on in the world right now, I thought it apt to show this documentary again. Now, we will not be as bad as this flu epidemic was because a world war is not going on, people are not pushed on troop ships like sardines and we have better technology because of this 1918 virus. Also, it was killing the really healthy people and violently so. Most who do have this virus today are sick but not deadly which does not mean it should not be taken lightly...anything but. Hopefully, people do get the message, stay indoors, away from people unless they need to get groceries, don't panic and find unique ways to entertain themselves and their families. Ok, enough about this, I am writing about 3 documentaries that I truly liked and wish to see again(I want to see them all again) because it has been way too long.. Here are my 3...
1. THE WORLD AT WAR-1973-1976
My dad insisted on watching this much to my mom's chagrin. She was really upset and didn't want to see this at all but my dad put his foot down and so I was able to see much of it and was enthralled by it and saddened by it. It was the first time I saw the images from the holocaust which stayed with me to this day. My mom told me to go to my room but Daddy said that it was good for me to see what happened. I didn't quite understand everything but this series made me fall in love with documentaries as well as wanting to know more about what happened to my mom and dad since they both experienced the war but in different ways. My dad was a soldier who, although he was sensitive, could talk about his experiences. I wish I would have asked him more but I didn't. He had a good way of balancing the horrors that he saw mentioning that one has to look at things in black and white as the grey will haunt you. My mom, on the other hand, suffered much, much more as she was 17 when the war ended and was in the heart of the war before, during and after when the Russians came in, even though she lived near a small town, Wittenberg. I didn't quite understand why my mom was so upset about this series but it was only 28 years before when the war ended. 28 years for me, now, is 1992! I have been working at my present job longer so now I understand her anxieties and how she suffered from PTSD. This is a riveting 26 part series(narrated by Sir Lawrence Olivier) that truly captures the war including the Germans behind the scenes and was one of the first series to truly capture the horrors of the holocaust.
2. HOLLYWOOD-1980
I have this series in VHS and it is my "precious"! I am actually missing one which is about Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. This superb 13 part documentary is narrated by James Mason, who loved the Silent era, and was created by Kevin Brownlow, a great film historian and author on the silent cinema. This is not a boring rendering about the silent movies but a truly inspired depiction how the movies began. When Brownlow started this documentary, he thought that most people would be either dead or not wanting to talk about it but he was wrong. He talked to Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson, Douglas Fairbanks Jnr but also the old directors like King Vidor and Allan Dwan. Agnes DeMille talked how everything was in bloom and the roads were mostly unpaved. How she and others in the film industry were so mistreated because of the bigotry of the day. As she said she was only a "movie" which was a derogatory term back in the very early days. One of the best is about Stuntmen who did everything without the tricks they have today. You watch Viola Dana(I love her)talk about her fiancee, Ormer Locklear, and how they would go up in his airplane doing all sorts of stunts and fly low while she threw lipsticks only to have her heart crushed when he died doing a stunt (not his fault) which she was witnessed to. This series you can see on Youtube and it is one of the best documentaries about the beginning of film, the heights and the fall of the silents. My brother, who was not much into this type of film, found it excellent.
3. KEN BURN'S BASEBALL-1994
I can't believe that this documentary is from 1994 because I thought it was from 2004..My dim bulb above my head is getting dimmer by the day. Anyway, I am not into sports at all as my darling brother can attest and, in fact, I suck at playing it as well. My brother, on the other hand, has always been Mr. Sports(except football and basketball, he can correct me) who tried to teach me the Hockey teams back in the 1970's and would ask to watch baseball when I was watching Bugs Bunny(I usually won the round:)). His great love is baseball and has been playing baseball since he was knee high to a grasshopper! He is still playing despite his creaky knees and works at the Niagara Minor Hockey League Association. Because of my brother, I decided to watch this 9(of course) part series on the history of baseball. I thought if anyone can keep me interested in a sport it would be Ken Burns and he didn't fail me because I found it very informative and it kept my interest. I learned more about the Red Sox scandal, the controversial Ty Cobb and the brave Jackie Robinson. A worthy look indeed. I have missed some of his other documentaries like the one on Jazz but I do want to see it for sure.
Which 3 would you pick?
First two sure sound like eye openers indeed. And I won't go messing with your precious lol Seen the last, it was good for sure.
ReplyDeletethey are great documentaries.
DeleteHi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteMrs. Shady is a history buff and a war buff. She would be interested in watching The World At War (if she hasn't already done so). I'm sorry to learn that your mother suffered PTSD from her experience during the war.
I would enjoy Hollywood because I am fascinated by the process of movie making and that includes films of the silent era. I would be keenly interested in the segment about the extreme risks taken by stuntmen. (Speaking of stuntmen, Mrs. Shady, her son and I just watched Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, and loved it.)
Yessum, Mrs. Shady is a baseball fan and I remember her watching this Ken Burns docuseries. She watches anything produced by Burns.
Have a safe and happy Thursday, dear friend BB!
I can see your wife having seen World At War...a great series. I never thought of my mom dealing with shell shock or battle fatigue as it was called back in the day. I only figured it out in the last 20 years when PTSD started being talked about. Having survived the bombings of Hamburg and Dresden, being shot at, taken away from her home, having 2 brothers die, rape and starvation by the Russians, how could one not be affected. On a nocer note, you must youtube Hollywood: Hazards of the Game. This is the one about stuntmen. Trick of the Light is about the cameraman which you would also enjoy.
DeleteI remember The World at War.
ReplyDeleteAll I can think of are animal series, like Planet Earth and Blue Planet.
They are great series! I love Nature and National Geographic presents as well
DeleteI love documentaries too. And Ken Burns. The one he did on the Vietnam War took me forever to watch because it was so upsetting. Saw several episodes of the World at War. My high school history teacher was German and we spent a lot of time learning about the wars and the horrors of them. Never heard of the Hollywood series and only saw a few of the baseball ones. Currently I am watching the Oland Murder on CBC. Four-part series that ends tonight.
ReplyDeleteThe Vietnam War was a tough one to get through but so informative. I bet your teacher gave more insight about the war since he was German. I haven't seen the Oland Murder which sounds interesting. I do like true crime series.
DeleteActually the 'he' was a she, Miss Kreuger.
DeleteI'm 0 for 3 on your picks this week but I'm somewhat familiar with A World at War. I ended up going the true crime route.
ReplyDeleteIf you are into Hollywood you should watch a couple of the series like Hazard of the Game or End of an Era. I do love true crime as well and watch some shows
DeleteKen Burns always does such amazing work. Some of his series are tough to watch-Vietnam for example, but you learn so much. I've watched a few on Netflix like Bill Gates Brain which I really enjoyed also. This is my type of watching. Hope you are healthy and washing your hands. Stay safe! Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteHands are rough from all the washing but have hand cream when I get home. The Vietnam War series was excellent. i love watching documentaries
DeleteHi Birgit I will watch anything by Ken Burns...and by the dvd to watch again...he is brilliant...
ReplyDeleteWe are on day 6 and still finding lots of jobs to do,gardening and crafting just hard not seeing anyone ...we will get through this xxxx
Iam enjoying my isolation. I can craft, organize stuff, watch movies. I love Ken Burns with his baby face but so intelligent
DeleteI've seen most of the Hollywood documentary series through the years and bits of The World at War. Though I'm familiar with the baseball one I'm not too big of a fan of the sport so I've never followed up on watching it. I've heard raves though.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a docuseries watcher so I'm sitting the week out. Be safe.
oh I thought you would love documentaries like The American Experience or Extraordinary Women which is on TVO here in Canada. I look forward to what you write next week
DeleteHi Birgit, hope all is well with you and yours.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen The World at War, many times in fact as it has been repeated meany times over the years. I found it a most fascinating series, even with all it's horrors, and I've always had an interest in WW2. I would love to see the Hollywood documentary, as I love film, especially the old ones, before all the digital components that help to make films now, Kate x
World At War has not been repeated here in years. The Hollywood documentary is excellent and you can see them on you tube...there are 13 episodes. One of the best is Hazards of the Game
DeleteBirgit,
ReplyDeleteThose first two documentaries sound quite interesting. I wonder if I might find these on the History channel? I will ask Google. With today's modern technology and not being in a horrible situation like a world war then we're far better off than those poor folks were in 1918. You'd think with all that we've learned that people would safe guard to not repeat mistakes. The biggest thing I know that people do repeatedly without thought is walking through sneezes/cough and they do not wash their hands properly or not at all. Two common sense things that folks don't want to practice anymore. *sigh* Oh well..thanks for sharing your reviews on some interesting documentaries and for stopping by my place earlier. Now, be safe and well, dear friend! xx
You can find the Hollywood series on Youtube. I would love to own World At War. People are gross and don't think. I can't believe the number of women I saw come out of the bathroom stall and not wash their hands or flick their hands under the water for 2 seconds.
DeleteI trust it doesn't get as bad as the 1918 version but I am concerned. There's already 20K deaths world wide and its just getting a good toe hold in the US (over 1100 deaths so far). There're not enough hospitals, ventilators, masks, etc. What's it like in Canada?
ReplyDeleteThank goodness we aren't in the middle of a World War.
Stay safe. Stay healthy.
We are having a shortage as well over here. Canada is providing help to people who have been laid off or are sick and can't go to work and are losing money. If Employment Insurance stops or you don't qualify, the government is providing $2,000 per person to help them through these tough times. We are all working from home and if anyone is not obeying the rules they can be heavily fined or even jailed. For example, there is one dumb ass woman from Newfoundland who was to quarantine herself because she was on a cruise/trip. She didn't listen and was caught twice being out and about. It is very strict here. Ontario is over 800 people sick with Covid19. Quebec is over $1,200
DeleteSounds like Canada has really stepped up to the plate. Hopefully, that will pay off.
DeleteStay safe, stay healthy.
The U.S. is now up to 3K deaths.
I do enjoy docs, too. Ken Burns was able to make country music interesting to me (and I'm not a fan). I don't think I could sit through the first one, but I'll have to check the 2nd one out.
ReplyDeleteThe Country one is one I did sit out because I am so not into country. You would like the Hollywood documentary
DeleteI an glad your dad had you watch the World at War. It is a very significant part of the world's history. My dad refused to talk about it but I wished he would have with my mom because now that I am older I am do curious about his experiences and there is no one alive who would know.
ReplyDeleteBetty
I am glad too. I was back then but I just remember my mom being in a tizzy! I got my dad's war information from the war museum in Ottawa so I bet you could get something similar in your State
DeleteI haven't seen any of these but they all sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteThey are!
DeleteMy dad told me only his funny stories about being in the Army. I'm grateful that he did. We've been watching a lot more documentaries lately. Ken Burns does amazing work. I don't like country music but I got hooked on his documentary about it.
ReplyDeleteI don't like country music at all so I didn't watch it but...maybe I should
DeleteI haven't heard of these but I can see how the first two would interest me a lot. But also the first one will make me really sad.
ReplyDeleteThe first one is sad even the music is very haunting. I love the Hollywood series..it really is excellent
DeleteI haven't seen those.
ReplyDeleteI hope you do one day
DeleteKen Burns does such great documentaries! I feel like he could have his own TMP category!
ReplyDeleteYes..he should!
DeleteI got excited when I saw the TMP edition this week. Sadly, I've not even heard of any of these. However, if the World at War is as interesting as Ken Burns Vietnam series, I am sure I would love it. I knew NOTHING about Vietnam before Ken Burns gave us his series. I became not just fascinated, but impressed. So much so, I was able to find six vets from that war who I interviewed and created art based on what each told me, as a result.
ReplyDeleteI would love to learn more about the Holocaust. So many people, even today, are SO ignorant. I had a Jewish prof in grad school who said there were still people who denied the Holocaust even existed. I'm glad you got to see it and got the information from your dad. I can see why your mother was opposed to the series. It brought back too many bad memories for her and probably reinvigorated her PTSD.
One person I wanted to interview for my Vietnam series flatly said NO. He said I didn't want to know what he had seen and wasn't interested in sharing. I fear I triggered PTS in him as a result.
For many vets, it is still too painful and they rather keep that part shut out. I am disgusted by the people who think that the Holocaust never existed...I just don't get their minds.
DeleteThank you for sharing these. I don't know the first two but I'm certainly intrigued. Have you watched the Celluloid Closet? So good!
ReplyDeleteAs for Burns, I know Baseball well. The chapter on the 1940s, including Jackie Robinson, should be required viewing for all North Americans. Jazz is amazing. I think we may be watching that one soon as a family. Our daughter is already an accomplished musician in her own right and would get a lot out of it now, I think. We also enjoyed his series on National Parks, Prohibition, the Roosevelts... He is a living national treasure.
I agree with you that some episodes need to be shown in schools. I would love to see the one on Jazz and Theother you mentioned. I did watch the one on the Roosevelts which was very interesting.
DeleteI saw parts of World at War. There was also a series here called All Our Yesterdays which told the history of that week 25 years before. That must have been a little earlier because I remember, or I think I do, it moving from wartime to peacetime. However, the documentary I was most riveted by growing up was Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski. Basically just one man lecturing. We watched it as a family, my sister and I would have been in our early teens. I absolutely would not have the powers of concentration to do this now.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see All Our yesterdays. It reminds me of a series I watched but they looked at the year. I don't know the Ascent of man but not sure I could watch it either.
DeleteYour mom lived through some horrific times. She was an amazing woman.
ReplyDeleteStay safe. Stay healthy.
She did for sure and she was amazing and I miss her
DeleteI love documentaries--I wish my wife liked them more. I enjoy the PBS docs like Nova and others. The Ken Burns series about country music was very interesting to me. Lately I've started watching a series about the South Pacific islands which has some incredible footage and fascinating information.
ReplyDeleteAs far as film documentaries that were originally in the theater. there are two about the making of particular films which I liked a lot because I like the films they were about. These are Francis Ford Coppola's Hearts of Darkness based on the making of Apocalypse Now and Burden of Dreams which is about the making of Werner Herzog's Fitzcaraldo--kind of cool to watch the films first and then the making-of documentaries.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out