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Post by texasgal on Jan 23, 2007 22:31:52 GMT -5
Lib, that documentary sounds really interesting. Thanks for telling us about it.
I've got two recommendations. In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess I haven't seen them yet. But I heard them recommended by "reliable sources":
Who Killed The Electric Car?
Iraq For Sale
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Post by texasgal on Jul 6, 2007 16:26:28 GMT -5
Has anyone seen Sicko yet? I've heard a lot of commentary about it, and I hope to see it this weekend.
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Post by texasgal on Jul 9, 2007 8:01:00 GMT -5
Triple posting...
I saw Sicko yesterday. I thought it was quite good but it's difficult to review the movie itself without discussing the subject of the movie. Michael Moore has been criticized for "grandstanding" and fudging his facts. In his defense, I think the grandstanding was done to make a point. And yes, while a couple of his facts are not quite accurate, I think that's a minor infraction in comparison to his general message.
There's more I could say about this movie but my thoughts might be considered too political so I'll stop here. Except for one observation: I noticed the vast majority of the audience I sat with consisted of people over age 40, and I saw nobody under age 30. Don't know how significant that is, if at all. Could be due to a number of reasons.
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Post by Nana on Jul 9, 2007 22:02:06 GMT -5
Have you guys been watching "30 days" on tv over there?
I've seen a couple here, before they changed it to Saturday afternoons (when I'm working), and thought it was really good.
Modified to add:
I'll go watch Sicko here when it comes out. Thanks for the tip Tex.
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Post by texasgal on Jul 10, 2007 5:27:10 GMT -5
Nana, I've never heard of "30 Days." I'll have to check it out. Thanks.
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Post by Gage51 on Jul 10, 2007 10:17:37 GMT -5
Have you guys been watching "30 days" on tv over there? I've seen a couple here, before they changed it to Saturday afternoons (when I'm working), and thought it was really good. Is this the series with Morgan Spurlock from "Supersize Me"? I loved that series. I caught the episodes where he had to serve 30 days in prison and another one where he and his wife had to survive on minimum wage with no health insurance for 30 days. He's great. I love him. He really shines a light on things. I haven't been able to find it recently so I'm hoping that they do a Season 2. Beth |
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Post by texasgal on Jul 10, 2007 17:05:29 GMT -5
Is this the series with Morgan Spurlock from "Supersize Me"? I loved that series. I caught the episodes where he had to serve 30 days in prison and another one where he and his wife had to survive on minimum wage with no health insurance for 30 days. He's great. I love him. He really shines a light on things. I haven't been able to find it recently so I'm hoping that they do a Season 2. Beth This sounds like a fascinating experiment. It sounds like he got his idea straight from Barbara Ehrenreich. She is a Ph.D. who worked in the minimum wage world for a year to see how she would or wouldn't make it. After her year, she wrote a book about her experience: Nickel And Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In AmericaP.S.: Anyone besides me feel like they are living the minimum wage life - even though they technically aren't? (Maybe this is a topic for another thread). |
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Post by WilsonFreak on Jul 10, 2007 20:57:04 GMT -5
Anyone besides me feel like they are living the minimum wage life - even though they technically aren't? ....quoth TexasGal
Ohh, yes. It is SO hard. I can't remember the exact stats, but Oprah has reported that a huge percentage of Americans/Canadians could be ruined, drowned in debt, if they missed out on just a couple of paychecks. It's very stressful.
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Post by Nana on Jul 13, 2007 21:24:33 GMT -5
Yes, Gage, that's the one. I've seen the minimum wages one too.
The last one I saw was a guy, not Morgan, who was doing the growth hormone therapy for rejuvenation. I caught I bit of it during a break at work, so I don't know how it ended.
I'm gonna google it later and check wheter it's watchable thru the net.
Tex, it's worth watching. Very interesting stuff. Did you watch "Supersize me"? It's also very good.
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Post by Natalie on Sept 24, 2007 7:05:30 GMT -5
If you can, watch the Discovery Atlas series from the Discovery Channel. Wikipedia describes it as: "Discovery Atlas is a documentary television series on the Discovery Channel and Discovery HD Theater which focuses on the cultural, sociological, and natural aspects of various countries by exploring their different peoples, traditions, and lands. The documentary follows the lives and individual struggles of locals, while taking in-depth looks at the countries' history and culture." I've seen the Italy and Australia ones so far. I'm going to watch Brazil and China next. I loved them, they are simply amazing. Wonderful cinematography and music. (Watching the one on Italy made me very homesick though! Especially because I've been to many of the places they showed... I was in Venice during Carnevale and it was the eeriest, yet the coolest thing ever. When I went, it was Feb 23rd of a few years ago, and it was really foggy, so walking around Venice, in the fog, and then the foggy darkness, with all the people in the masks and costumes was just sooo eerie. I felt like I had traveled back in time! But it was a very memorable experience.) But I definitely recommend them!! Especially if you love travel and cultures like I do. dsc.discovery.com/convergence/atlas/atlas.htmlen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_AtlasI've read that they are supposed to do either 20 or 30 countries, and I can't wait to see them all. They are quite interesting! |
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Post by texasgal on Sept 24, 2007 7:19:15 GMT -5
Oh, thanks for the great news, Natalie! I didn't know about this series and will definitely watch for it! It sounds fascinating. Loved your comments about your experience in Venice. Wish I'd been there.
I hope it won't interfere though with Ken Burns' "The War" (WWII) which just began last night on PBS. It's supposed to be even better than his masterpiece "The Civil War." Judging by last night's installment, I couldn't say, but it did have me teary-eyed and traumatized most of the way through it. (They do post a warning before the beginning that the photos and film footage will be disturbing).
Going back a couple of posts that I'd missed: WF, yes, it is said that the majority of Americans (and maybe Canadians too) are just 3 paychecks away from being homeless. That certainly is true of me.
Nana, no I missed "Supersize Me" but it's one I need to rent. Definitely. There have been recent documentaries about the poor nutrition and state of obesity of Americans and its connection to Big Oil and Big Corn, big money interests, and how easy it is to eat a horrible diet here. Very interesting.
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Post by Natalie on Sept 24, 2007 7:26:03 GMT -5
I'm watching Discovery Atlas on DVD, because I really don't know when it's airing or anything??
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Post by texasgal on Sept 24, 2007 19:07:50 GMT -5
Ah! OK, thanks Natalie!  |
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mixedberry
Anthony's Spanish Tutor
"Don't dilly-dally there, pretty lady. We're all gonna be down here talking about you."
Posts: 243
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Post by mixedberry on Oct 15, 2007 3:04:57 GMT -5
The last documentary i saw was Rivers and Tides. Its about an artist, Andrew Goldsworthy, who goes out into nature and makes art with whatevers around him. Then when nature decides to take it away, its gone. Pretty interesting stuff!
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tonks
Archer Avenue Resident
Never go to bed angry...stay up and plot your revenge
Posts: 343
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Post by tonks on Oct 17, 2007 20:28:32 GMT -5
I like documentaries but the one that maybe affected me the most was "Children of Beslan", about the siege and death of school children and relatives in 2005 in Beslan, Russia.
Another one I watched recently was "Thin", about anorexic girls.
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