A Decade Under the Influence and The Fog of War

[J.R. Hudson]

I have seen this title sitting in my local Ho Video for a long time now and just this weekend picked it up.

I loved it! It reminds me that it is okay to be serious when making a film and it is okay to try and say something. Not everything must be for pure entertainment purpose.

The Fog of War is stunning. Maybe the single best documentary I have ever watched; very engaging. Everybit of hype on this film turned out to be for once, true.

Pure intimate reflection on WW2, JFK, Vietnam ..... Awesome. The chapters dealing with Vietnam are real eye openers and a certain punchline on the Cuban Missle Crisis is a sobering moment.

This documentary is all to timeless and all too contemporary all at once.

They don't make guys like this anymore.

 

[Blaine]

A Decade Under the Influence was a good doc. I personally preferred American Cinema as it was more all-encompassing, not just the 70s. Still, I can never get enough on American filmmaking. The 60s/70s were a great time in American Film. Some of our best directors cut their teeth in that era. American was in turmoil (more in the 60s but it still spilled into the 70s) and we were treated to some GREAT movies.

Haven't seen the Fog of War, but I lived the Vietnam experience to some degree as well as the Cuban Missile Crisis. My father was career military and that played a huge part in my life's experience.

 

[Mark Harris]

I agree on Fog of War. That was amazing. Maybe the best doc I've ever seen as well. I saw it in the theater when it came out.

I just watched "Decade" as well. I thought it was all right, but in my opinion, they didn't cover the end enough, meaning the end of that period when Lucas and Spielberg completely re-wrote the industry and put an end to pretty much everything the documentary lauds. I wish they would have spent some more time on that.

 

[TC]

If you thought Fog of War was an eye opener, go check out March of the Penguins.

:evil:

 

[Filmjunkie677]

I have yet to see either of these.

But a Decade under the influence sounds like this documentary I saw.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359203/

It's based on one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time. If you liked A Decade...., you should check this one out as well.

 

[Blaine]

Yes, Filmjunkie, that's an excellent one, too. I think if you watch, American Cinema, A Decade Under the Influence, and Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood you'll get a great overview of the American motion picture industry.

 

[Yas Kassana]

The fog of war is a masterpiece.