If you love movies, then you probably love ALL the stories about them. Okay, movie fans, check out these documentaries highlighting some of the best stories about movie makers and movie culture.
All of these documentaries are available on various free and subscription streaming services or YouTube. Links to trailers and/or the full documentaries are included in the descriptions.
Everything is Copy–Nora Ephron: Scripted & Unscripted
Directed by Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooke, 2015
Do you ever wish you could say the perfect thing at the perfect time? Well, if Nora Ephron’s voice lived in your head, you could.
The late writer and director was honest, funny, tough and had an uncanny ability to display human relationships with searing accuracy in print and on film. She’s the creative talent behind movies such as "Harry Met Sally," "Heartburn" and "You've Got Mail."
Jacob Bernstein, the film's co-director and Ephron's son, brings her talents and life into sharp focus through home movies, television interviews and reflections by colleagues and friends, such as Meryl Streep.
Dotted throughout the documentary are clips of Ephron's films and excerpts of her work read by actors, such as Meg Ryan and Reese Witherspoon.
The film is a fun and delightful walk through Ephron’s life that’s sure to make you smile and possibly help you go through life with a more observant eye. You’ll certainly wish you could have met Ephron and basked in all that swirled in her creative mind.
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Directed by William Conlin, 2019
An interesting, and at times even moving, look at the talented team of artists led by John Chambers who helped propel movie making through their special-effects makeup for the 1968 sci-fi film "Planet of the Apes."
The documentary also spotlights how "Planet of the Apes" was a game-changer in filmmaking and the industry at-large.
From its incredible visual and sound effects to some of the most shocking film reveals and quotable lines in film history, "Planet of the Apes" was a HUGE success and influenced generations of filmmakers.
Even if you've never seen "Planet of the Apes," (please watch it!) there's much to enjoy and learn through this documentary. It's also the perfect time to learn more about the franchise’s deep influence and why it's endured while so many others have failed with the latest apes installment, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” set to release in May 2024.
Fun fact, "Making Apes" touches on Chambers’ real-life role with the CIA to use a fake, sci-fi film ruse in 1980 to free American embassy workers in Iran. Ben Affleck chronicled the events in the 2012 Academy Award winning film, "Argo." The National Museum of American Diplomacy has a nice article about the unusual rescue.
De Palma
Directed by Jake Paltrow and Noah Baumbach, 2015
De Palma was part of the 1970s cinema renaissance along with George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg. He's wowed and shocked audiences with incredible stories and shot sequences in films, such as "Carrie," "Dressed to Kill" and "The Untouchables."
For the documentary, the director discusses his career from the beginning and the result is revealing, insightful and entertaining. Through the documentary, we learn about his childhood and filmmaking influences, his role in redefining filmmaking, and the challenges of navigating the entertainment industry as an artist.
De Palma fans, and even those unfamiliar with the director's work, will appreciate how the documentary dissects filmmaking through De Palma's evolution from one film to the next. It’s refreshing to hear an accomplished artist speak frankly about his creative process and career, especially what worked, what didn’t and why.
Plus, the documentary offers a peek behind Hollywood’s illusive curtain with De Palma’s amusing insider stories that make you feel privy to a different world.
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
Directed by Midge Costin, 2019
Can you imagine "Jaws" without the “da, duh” as the shark chases its prey? Or, "Star Wars" without the sound of lightsabers colliding? Of course not. Sound is intrinsically linked to the movie-watching experience as it helps ignite our emotions and move the story forward.
"Making Waves" is a wonderful and entertaining look at music and sound in film. From iconic scores to special sound effects, this documentary explains it all while delighting viewers with film clips, a look at the evolution of sound in film, and commentary by acclaimed directors, sound professionals and actors.
The documentary also traces technological advances that propelled sound forward in film. Fun fact, Barbara Streisand insisted on Dolby stereo audio (a first in film history) for her 1976 movie, "A Star is Born." Her use of recording industry advances in movie making was groundbreaking and a turning point in film sound.
The Last Blockbuster
Directed by Taylor Morde, 2020
Going to the video rental store was once a weekend ritual for all, but times changed and the stores shuttered. Blockbuster, the biggest and most recognizable video rental chain, filed for bankruptcy in 2014 and things came crashing down from there.
All corporate-owned locations closed first followed by independently owned franchises, except for just one in Bend, Oregon, which is still going strong in 2024. "The Last Blockbuster" is a charming, nostalgic look at the video rental craze and the survival of a small business.
Fun fact, the Oregon Blockbuster store has great merch! After watching the documentary, we loaded up on T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the iconic Blockbuster logo.
What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael
Directed by Rob Garver, 2018
Influential film critic Pauline Kael was loved and hated, which she probably considered a sign of doing her job well. "What She Said" examines the career of Kael, who spent the majority of her career writing for "The New Yorker."
Today, anyone with internet access can write film criticism, but in Kael’s day it was an exclusive circle of writers at newspapers and magazines. Kael broke from the traditional, academic approach to film criticism. “She turned movie review…into an expressive art form,” writer Lili Anolik explains in the documentary.
Kael never minced words. Her opinions – in reviews and interviews – were witty, eloquent, clever, sarcastic and honest to a fault.
Kael never caved to the review wishes of studios or advertisers and her opinions could make or break a film. She celebrated filmmaking that broke new ground and helped launch the careers of directors Brian De Palma, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.
This documentary is an interesting look at Kael’s career, the subjectivity of art and the evolution of film criticism. The story is told through Kael’s own writings, her television interviews, film clips, and commentary by actors, producers, directors and fellow critics.
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story
Directed by Daniel Raim, 2015
This sweet, delightful and entertaining documentary is one part love story and one part movie-making magic. Harold and Lillian Michelson were behind-the-scenes masters of their fields – research for her and storyboarding and art direction for him.
They contributed to hundreds of movies, including award-winning classics and fan favorites such as, "Rocky," "The Birds," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest," and "Scarface."
Harold helped directors visualize their pictures as a skilled storyboard artist and won an academy award for his art direction and production design. For instance, the iconic shot of Dustin Hoffman through Anne Bancroft’s bent leg in "The Graduate" was Harold’s idea.
Lillian brought believability and authenticity to films through her research. Everything from accurate military uniforms and props for "Full Metal Jacket" to what a drug lab looks like for "Scarface." A tenacious researcher, she actually interviewed a retired drug lord and a DEA agent at the same time to gather needed insights about the drug trade.
The couple was so beloved in Hollywood that the Dreamworks studio team behind "Shrek 2" created the movie’s character’s King Harold and Queen Lillian in their honor.
The documentary takes you on an enjoyable trip through aspects of filmmaking that are often overshadowed, as well as through the ups, downs and funny adventures of a couple raising a family.
As a nice touch, cartoon drawings depicting the couple’s life are used among the one-on-one interviews, photographs, and film clips.
A Hitchcock Documentary Double Feature:
78/52
Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, 2017
There is a reason the shower scene in the 1960 film "Psycho" still shocks audiences today–it's Alfred Hitchcock’s brilliant direction.
For the iconic scene, Hitchcock used 78 camera set ups and 52 cuts, hence the documentary's title. Philippe's delves into the designing of the scene and how it influenced future movie making.
Hitchcock fans will relish the insights by film critics, directors, writers and actors as they discuss the scene, the film as a whole, and Hitchcock’s style and symbolism that’s thread throughout "Psycho" and his other work.
Hitchcock/Truffaut
Directed by Kent Jones, 2015
Kent Jones’ documentary explores the lasting impact of the 1966 book "Hitchcock/Truffaut." In 1962, French filmmaker Francois Truffaut spent weeks interviewing Alfred Hitchcock about his work and approach to film.
The two directors discussed in great detail Hitchcock’s work, even going frame-by-frame. The recordings were turned into a 1966 book that helped elevate Hitchcock’s status as a director who makes movies of substance and not just entertainment.
The book also served as a filmmaking bible for legions of artists to come. Director Wes Anderson, for example, says his copy is so worn from years of continued reading and referencing it’s basically now an unbound "stack of papers."
Jones’ documentary includes clips of Hitchcock’s films and audio excerpts from the original interviews. In addition to Anderson, the film includes commentary from directors Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher and others influenced by the book.
Spielberg
Director Susan Lacy, 2017
Steven Spielberg’s movies are part of our cultural fabric. His films make the hair on arms stand up and tears roll down our faces in both laughter and sadness. Through it all, he keeps our eyes glued to the screen.
Only with Spielberg’s magical touch, for instance, do we believe an alien can be a father figure for a little boy. Anyone who doesn’t cry witnessing that special relationship is surely made of stone.
This wonderful documentary by Susan Lacy is a trip through Spielberg’s career and a walk down movie-memory lane. Spielberg discusses his evolution as a filmmaker with each picture, his influences, and his artistic hopes and goals.
Insights are provided by movie-making friends and colleagues, including Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, J.J. Abrams, Drew Barrymore and more.
If you enjoyed "The Fablemans," Spielberg’s 2022 semi-autobiographical movie about his childhood and early film influences, then you’ll especially like tying it all together with this documentary. Once you’re done, you’ll want to re-watch all your favorite Spielberg films.
Inside Jaws: A Filmumentary
Directed by Jamie Benning, 2015
It’s a miracle Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" ever made it to the big screen considering its difficult production. But it did, it was a huge success and the phrase "summer blockbuster" was coined.
Even though "Jaws" was released in 1975 (and the mechanical shark looks unrealistic against today’s CGI sharks), the film is just as engaging, scary and suspenseful today as it was then.
Filmmaker and podcaster Jamie Benning successfully breaks down the making of "Jaws" with his unofficial documentary using a non-traditional format called a "filmumentary."
Benning takes the entire film and skillfully adds in deleted scenes, interesting facts and audio commentary culled together from Spielberg, the actors, and others involved in the production. It’s a deep dive that "Jaws" fans and movie makers in general will enjoy sinking their teeth into (pun intended).
If you like a more traditional documentary format check out "The Shark is Still Working: The Impact and Legacy of Jaws" by Erik Hollander or "The Making of Jaws," by Laurent Bouzereau.
Becoming Mike Nichols
Directed by Douglas McGrath, 2016
Mike Nichols was a legendary writer, director, and comedian. Known for his naturalistic directing style that drew in audiences, Nichols' career spanned six decades and along the way he joined the exclusive club of EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award) winners.
In this sit-down interview, filmed just four months before his death, Nichols discusses the early part of his career from his start in improv through his Best Picture Academy Award win for "The Graduate."
Throughout the documentary are clips of his work, including entertaining skits when he was part of the comedy duo, Nichols and May.
Fun fact, when Nichols was making "The Graduate," he listened to Simon and Garfunkel’s "Sounds of Silence" album everyday before leaving for the studio.
On one of those days, it hit him that the duo's music was perfect for the soundtrack. When he asked the pair for a new song to represent the character Mrs. Robinson, they simply switched the name of a song they were already working on called Mrs. Roosevelt. All of the "dee deets" in the song were space fillers because the lyrics were unfinished.
Ok, fans, dim the lights, grab the remote, get comfortable and indulge your love of movies. Happy viewing!
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