Category: Documentary

The details of Major League Baseball’s Biogenesis doping scandal are told through interviews with some of its biggest non-athlete participants and reenactments of notable events. Delving deeply into full-blown Florida Man craziness on all fronts, the lunacy of the story is greatly benefited by the choice to hire only child actors to perform in the reenactments. I was certainly aware of the story as it happened, but I wasn’t prepared for the ridiculousness of the details and the stupidity of many of those involved. The documentary relies a bit heavily on being able to believe people who have tentative grasp on the truth, but it’s entertaining nonetheless.    

Exploring the realities of the death penalty, director Werner Herzog presents the story of Michael James Perry, a young man awaiting execution for a series of heinous crimes there is little doubt he committed. Herzog interviews Perry himself, family members, acquaintances, law enforcement officers, and family members of his victims to provide a thorough picture of the crimes but also context to what led to them and the after effects that ripple from them. I’m already against the death penalty as a general rule, but this further challenges people’s beliefs on the matter. Looking at another human being, even one who has committed ruthless, senseless acts, as he anticipates his own demise in a few short days puts a new perspective on the situation. 

In 1994, Oregon became the first state to pass a Death with Dignity law. This documentary details the experiences of some of the the individuals, their family members, and medical professionals who have been personally affected from the act. Discussion of these laws often feels very abstract and theoretical, but this film offers intimate, personal portrayals of what it is like when people are given a choice in their medical decisions, even if it’s the last one they will ever make, and what it is like to die on their own terms. I am somewhat haunted by the horror stories of family members who died in excruciating pain in their final days. While I have no idea what their own choices would have been if they had been given the opportunity, I remain grateful I live in one of the eight other states that have passed similar laws since.

The history of Black faces in film is presented in this miniseries by many who have spent their lives working in the industry. A fantastic companion to Donald Bogle’s Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies and Bucks, it didn’t offer a lot that I hadn’t read about in that book but offered much deeper context through visuals and the voices of those who have experienced it. I had this on my Netflix list for a long time and I’m glad, and sad, that it’s impending removal pushed me to finally watch the series. There are some actors and directors, such as Sidney Poitier and Spike Lee, who I would have loved to see rather just heard talked about, but those that are featured offer quite a breadth in eras and knowledge. I would love to see the series expanded past these three episodes.

The history of the Tacoma-Narrows Bridge from the original 1940 ‘Galloping Gertie’ to the current twin bridges that cover the span is documented here through interviews with people knowledgeable about the bridge and footage of the remaining pieces of the original bridge that now serve as an artificial reef in the strait. I find the story of the collapse of the first bridge fascinating and had higher hopes for this documentary. There’s not much to the film for anyone who has any knowledge about the bridge though some of the underwater filming is a bonus to see. For my interest level, it’s best to just stick with watching the available footage of the collapse.

Earlier this year when I was visiting the Mississippi Delta Chinese Heritage Museum in Cleveland, Mississippi, I saw a poster for this film and was excited when I got back home to see it is available on Kanopy through my library. Following one California family’s journey as they retrace their ancestors’ lives in the Mississippi Delta, the Museum features prominently in the early parts of the film as the group first begin to gather clues about the family’s presence in the area. Further along, they delve deeper into Chinese American history in the Delta and parts further, bits that often are relegated to only a couple of sentences or left out completely of American history books. Coming across a bit like a home movie made for a specific audience, the documentary still added some more details and a personalized touch to what I had learned in my own visit to the area.