Five Films to Keep your Brain Active During Quarantine
Who here thinks that watching a movie is a waste of a good two hours? Why not spend 30 minutes on Tik Tok instead of a couple hours on a film and get right back to work? Well I'm here to tell you that you'd be surprised how many great and informative stories are told for a small toll of 1.5 hours.
Here are 5 informative films that 'flew by', taught me something new and made my quarantine a little more bearable-
1. Grizzly Man - 2005
Were you a fan of Netflix's monumental doc-series Tiger King? Were you shocked at the seemingly docile relationship between man and beast? Well here is the penultimate man vs. nature documentary by Werner Herzog. Grizzly Man is an even more shocking tale of how man often thinks he belongs in the wild, but comes face to face with reality. The star of the film, Timothy Treadwill, is a man beaten down by society who retreats to the remote Alaskan wilderness every summer to live with the real life incarnation of his childhood stuffed best friend, the grizzly bear. Watch as a gentle, eccentric environmentalist spends every waking day recording his interactions with the magnificent, giant, deadly creatures. Great film depicting a man's attempt to bridge-the-gap between human and bear and the consequences that come along with it.
Available for rent on Prime: Link
2. Jodorowsky's Dune - 2013
"The Story of the Greatest Film Never Made"
Oh boy, where do I start with this one? Dune, written by Frank Herbert, is the bible of science fiction work. Anyone who considers themselves a fan of the sci-fi genre has most likely read this novel, and if this weren't a film recommendation blog, Dune would be on the top of my reading list. While Dune received immense global acclaim, Hollywood was always hesitant about undertaking this sci-fi epic due to its complex prose and extreme length. After all, this was before Starwars... Ultimately, one great film director, an auteur, planned to undertake this project with his 'dream team' cast and creators. Alejandro Jodorowsky, known for his surrealist films, went on a quest to find the perfect cast who would serve as his disciples, essentially in a religious sense. This is an unbelievable story about a film that could've rivaled the success of Starwars and could have been as good as 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The hypothetical cast included, Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger, Orson Welles, artists H. R. Giger, Chriss Foss, and Jean Giraud and of course, music by Pink Floyd.
Available for rent on Prime: Link
3. Exit Through the Gift Shop - 2010
Banksy, the guy who shredded a multi-million dollar painting made a film?! A hilarious one at that! This film starts off with the story of a man who never turns his camera off, not even during the most sensitive moments of his life, often to his love ones dismay. He soon meets up with his cousin who is a famous street artist and finally finds a purpose for his camera, to document the world of graffiti. After shooting every renowned street artist, including spending a lot of time with the famed Shepard Fairey (OBEY and Obama's 2008 picture), he is left with one more artist to film... the highly elusive Banksy. Watch as an eccentric LA-based Frenchman tries to track down Banksy, until Banksy turns the camera back on him...
Available for rent on Prime: Link
4. Life Itself - 2014
An in-depth look into the beautiful and hectic life of renowned film critic and Pulitzer Prize winner Roger Ebert, a man I aspire to be. Shortly before Ebert's death in 2014, a documentary crew went to Ebert's hospital room to attempt to ask him the 'big questions' of life before his cancer would ultimately take him. As a man who truly loves film, this documentary showed me that film criticism is an art and everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter if its right or wrong. Watch a heartwarming story about the greatest film critic to ever live, who worked right up until the day he died doing what he loved.
Available for rent on Prime: Link
5. Bowling for Columbine - 2002
Wow, where to start with this one? How about the very first scene where Michael Moore walks into a bank, creates an account, and is gifted a gun for doing so. This sets the tone of the film as interview after interview shocks the viewer through the utter lack of compassion and stupidity that American's entailed following the Columbine Massacre. I've always pushed this documentary to the end of my watch-list due to the sensitive content I'd imagine I'd see. Yet, this isn't a film about the evils of Columbine, it is a film about how America let it happen and will continue to do so. Michael Moore is obviously ahead of his time here and Bowling for Columbine remains ever-so-present in today's age. I recommend everyone watches this informative and funny documentary and I hope it hits home for its intended viewership (MAGA).
Available to stream on HBO: Link