Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Two Sentence Documentary Reviews

Yesterday, I watched three documentaries and thought I would let you all know what I thought of them.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster: Interesting perspective on steroids and America's attitude toward both the drug and winning/competition. I did not know a great deal of the information presented and was interested to learn new facts about steroids.

Bonus: Learned about the craptasticness that is the supplement industry as well as other kinds of doping among musicians, students, and porn stars.

Side Note: Did people really seriously believe that pro-wrestling was real?

Small Town Gay Bar: Looks at life in a small town in a gay community, focusing the attention on several gay bars in the deep south. Nothing to revolutionary in this one, just interviews with people during which you learn it is, suprise, hard to be gay in a small town in the south.

Bonus: There is a fundamentalist pastor, Fred Phelps, whose extreme statements about Gods feelings on gay people are entertaining...but sad, because people believe them.

Side Note: I wish I had me some drag queen friends, even in rural Mississippi these ladies had a great attitude.

Lake of Fire: Intense yet even handed look at the abortion debate in America containing opinions from a wide variety of people on both sides of the debate. Not for the squimish as the film shows footage/images of actual abortion procedures, fundamentalist propaganda films, crime scene photos of murdered doctors, and images of women who died during illegal "coat hanger" abortion procedures.

Bonus: This is the first documentary I have ever watch that the filmmakers opinion wasn't immediately apparent so I applaud him.

Side Note: I am deeply afraid to live in a country where fundamentalists (of an kind...in this case Catholic and Christian) gain power.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The last one sounds like the kind of documentary I like the best. I enjoy hearing both sides, now I have to find it on netflix...

Casie said...

It actually is available on the "watch instantly" section

Anonymous said...

I recommend the documentary "Why We Fight". It's about how our military-industrial complex has become such a powerful part of our economy/workforce that it changed our national perspective on getting into wars and military action. It starts with Eisenhower's farewell address, which was almost entirely a warning about the potential of this happening, then goes on to show how it did.

Casie said...

Hmmm....sounds interesting but I ten to lean more towards the ones about people: their opinions, subcultures, etc.

Anonymous said...

I second Walter's recommendation by the way. Saw it with them and it was interesting for sure. Also left me with an unnatural desire to learn more about Eisenhower... Interesting views for his time I think...

PS Also sincerely appreciated your reference to drag queens as 'she' in your blog. Not a natural habit that I have yet mastered, want to though because I feel it shows an ingrained respect for the life style...