Tag: history

The Captain (2017)

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Streaming on Amazon Prime (as well as Kanopy and Plex) | imdb | trailer

My friend David recommended this one to me out of the blue. Wow. I have no idea how The Captain escaped me when it came out, but I was very glad to finally experience it. Well maybe “glad” is a poor choice of words. This is the dramatized story of real life German army deserter Willi Herold who just happens to get his hands on a captain’s uniform. He manages to fool enough people to cause a ton of mayhem in the last two weeks of WW2. Not good mayhem either. Yet somehow this dark as hell film manages to be funny at times too. If you’re not scared of some bleak fact-based viewing, give this one a try.

Available on Blu-ray from Music Box Films

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Cover Up (2025)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

This is a gripping documentary on the career of investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. You may know him from such scandals as the My Lai massacre, Watergate, and torture at Abu Graib prison, among many others. His name is not as well known as some who reported on these stories, but he was the reason they didn’t remain covered up. I found this a fascinating watch. It also benefits from an excellent ambient experimental score by Maya Shenfeld. This doc is very graphic at times, so if you’re squeamish about images of real-life violence, stay away.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Love+War (2025)

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Streaming on Hulu | imdb | trailer

This excellent doc follows Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Lynsey Addario capturing the Ukraine war while looking back on her career. Both her photography and the video of her life look so alternately beautiful and potent the overall effect is mind blowing. This should come as no surprise as it is a National Geographic production. There is a lot of disturbing content, as Addario is a conflict photographer, but that is balanced with her family life. The mix makes Love+War a well rounded documentary that I highly recommend.

Not available on Blu-ray

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Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (2023)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I first became aware of Anita Pallenberg from seeing the film Performance (1970) for the first time. I watched it on the IFC cable channel back in the ’90s, and they also aired the documentary Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance (1998). That doc truly expanded by understanding of the film, and about Pallenberg’s life at the time. Up until seeing Catching Fire, that was the extent of my knowledge of this person. There is so much more to know. What a life! Do yourself a favor and check out Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg, she’s someone every weirdo should know about. I also highly recommend you get a hold of the Criterion 4k / Blu-ray of Performance. It looks and sounds better than ever AND features a restored version of The Ultimate Performance.

Not available on Blu-ray

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The Insider (1999)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a dramatization of the true story of Jeffrey Wygand’s exposure of Big Tobacco in 1996. Yes, that does sound dull, but I just watched this for the first time recently and really enjoyed it. This is an intense and dark thriller that is well worth your time. It turns out that greedy corporations will go to extreme lengths to protect their interests. The more excessive retaliation by the bad guys has never been fully proven, but it all makes for a damn good film. Russell Crowe is at the top of his game here too.

Available on Blu-ray from Mill Creek

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Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (2022)

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Streaming on Max | imdb | trailer

The Chernobyl mini-series got a ton of well-deserved attention. However I have a feeling that only a small fraction of viewers also watched this fantastic documentary. It is just as sad and grim as you can imagine, but I think this is essential viewing for anyone not afraid to look at the dark side of history. I am astonished this was even made, as the sheer amount of source film and video footage must have been daunting. Director James Jones and crew did an amazing job assembling a tasteful and coherent documentary that succeeds in making the story of the Chernobyl disaster comprehensible. 

BONUS: You can watch an interview with the director discussing the making of the film here.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Nr. 24 (2024)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

This is an excellent docudrama on Gunnar Sønsteby, who worked his way up to be the leader of a group of resistance fighters in Norway during World War 2. He went on to become that country’s most decorated war hero. The film balances action, tension, drama, and ethical issues throughout in a really intelligent way. I found myself surprisingly invested in what was happening. Nr. 24 taught me about a part of WW2 history I was totally unaware of, and I give it an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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Lakota Nation vs. United States (2022)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is an excellent documentary on the Lakota Indians fight to reclaim The Black Hills. I was reasonably aware of this struggle, but still learned a lot here. The way the movie is constructed is really quite an achievement. Beautiful footage, poetic narration, and seriously detailed history, all combine for a moving experience. This is information that EVERY American should learn.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Zulu (1964)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a weird one to recommend to people nowadays, but this website ain’t called Conventional Cinema. It is based on the 1879 Battle of Rorke’s Drift between British soldiers and the Zulu nation. Should the English Empire have been in South Africa? Should a movie about white “heroes” vs native tribal Africans be taken seriously in contemporary society? If you automatically are saying “no” to both questions then you should skip this movie. Anyone with a brain knows that imperialism is evil and that racism is stupid. I look at this like other historical war movies where the people we’re supposed to be rooting for are mostly white soldiers, and the “bad guys” are Vietnamese, Afghani, Somali, etc. The racial aspect is disgusting, but in the case of Zulu at least, these are soldiers who are not gung-ho nationalists. They are just trying to help their cohorts and themselves survive. With all that in mind, I believe this is a fantastic, and seriously epic war film. Keep your ears open for the samples that Dead Can Dance used on their song “The Fatal Impact.”

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is Peter Jackson’s documentary on World War I using restored historic film footage. That sounds pretty dull, but trust me people, that definitely not the case. Jackson used every bit of technology available at the time to make the images look as if they were shot recently, including adding accurate color, sound, and dialog. This all makes the WWI footage far more real and visceral than anything seen before. The process of restoration itself is very engaging on its own, and the end results are stunning. I give this doc a 10 out of 10.

Available on Blu-ray from Warner Archives.

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