4.16.2011

Best of Netflix Watch Instantly: the Documentaries of Errol Morris

If I put my nose to the cinematic grindstone and compiled an objective, clear eyed, unbiased list of my Top Ten Documentaries of All Time, Errol Morris would still have most of it to himself. And I just noticed that several of them are available on Netflix streaming- win!

In chronological order:

Gates of Heaven
The story of a man, a dream, and the pet cemetery he birthed.
No trailer I can find, but here's a great clip:


Vernon, Florida
Definitely my favorite documentary, and maybe my favorite movie of all time. Sui generis, capturing the eccentricities of a small town in the days before the global network made everyone a potential filmmaker and/or potential star.
Again, no trailer- here's one of my favorite clips.


The Thin Blue Line
The film that invented the 'dramatic reenactment' and that should have won the Oscar.
Again, no trailer, just a mini-feature:


Mr. Death
Vernon, Florida is my favorite Morris film but Mr. Death is his best, digging deep into a particularly vile, myopic strain of American conspiracy mongering & delivering as scathing a portrait of its protagonist as any you'll see committed to film. The evenhanded, nonjudgmental style of Morris' work magnifies the devastating impact of his films revelations, making it a rarity in his ouvre- a film I rarely re-watch.

That said, if I ruled over earth like Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydow edition), I'd make it required viewing for all adult citizens.



I note that the poster needed to make this comment:
Anyone posting anti-holocaust propaganda expectthat your replies will be deleted.

2 comments:

Good Enough Woman said...

None of these video images appear for me. Hmmm.

That said, I taught Mr. Death in my critical thinking class for years. I can't remember teaching critical thinking without Mr. Death. Just haven't taught the class in a while.

baxie said...

my flash blocker blocks them unless I tell it not to- are you running any countermeasures?

A critical thinking class is a great excuse to screen Mr. Death. And I do watch it every once in a while...but not with anywhere near the frequency I watch most of his other films.