1983’s “Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller” is a documentary I watched so much as a kid. I fondly recall my uncle owning a copy of it on VHS and while he lived with me and my family, we’d sit down with him and watch this almost everyday. Despite it being a pretty basic documentary by today’s standards, for 1983, “Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller” was humongous. Not only was it a look behind the scenes of the biggest video of 1983 and perhaps of all time, but it was an important video release that changed pretty much everything.
Tag Archives: Documentary
Thriller 40 (2023)
It’s such a breath of fresh air to watch something about Michael Jackson that is about the artist. “Thriller 40” is a ninety minute look in to the making of Michael Jackson’s historic album “Thriller” and how much it influenced a generation. As well director Nelson George digs in to how it continues to influence generations both far and wide, and the way every movement within the album was a calculated bit by Jackson to completely boost his status from superstar to near deity proportions. “Thriller 40” is a marvelous documentary that gets down to the nitty gritty of the making of “Thriller.”
Now and Then: the Last Beatles Song (2023)
Oliver Murray’s “Now and Then” is not only a testament to the continued unending popularity of the Beatles, but to the genius that technology is capable of. In a year where AI has officially stirred up a humongous debate among artists, “Now and Then” is a great exploration of how Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr implemented groundbreaking technology to produce one last outing with their dearly departed friend John Lennon.
Here Comes a New Challenger (2023)
Oliver Harper’s origin of the iconic “Street Fighter” video game is just the right rush of nostalgia that gamers and nineties kids just might end up loving. As someone who was notoriously bad at the game but still loved it, “Here Comes a New Challenger” is a wonderful deep dive in to the making of a franchise that impacted pop culture greatly. While some may be put off at the notion of this documentary Harper spends a lot of time on exploring what inspired the initial video game, and shockingly a lot of it is derived from the movies.
The Mission (2023)
Director Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s Nat Geo film “The Mission” is one of the most frustrating movies of the year. It’s a documentary that tip toes through its subject matter to its detriment, and avoids the outright reality of a situation that should have never happened and a life that should have never been taken. In 2018 American missionary John Chau was murdered in an illegal expedition to preach his religion to the isolated village of the Sentinelese tribe off the coast of India.
The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg (1993) [DVD]
Jerry Aronson’s 1993 documentary on the poet Allen Ginsberg offers a solid if uninspired consideration of one of the most intriguing literary figures of the post-World War II counterculture.
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Token Taverns: An Arcade Bar Documentary (2023)
Before the video game age, arcades were one of the biggest social spots for mainly kids and teenagers to commute, compete, and share their passion. Once home video game became a mainstay allowing kids a more personal and intimate video gaming experience. This prompted the unfortunate collapse of the arcade industry for a very long time. That is until the last twenty years when many folks that fondly recall the arcade age and the joy it brought them sought to revive not just the arcade, but the social experience of the arcade.