Apr 25 2010

3 Documentaries You Should See

7 Lashings
Dropped Apr 25th, 2010 by Ted Murphy in life

I gave up cable television some time ago in favor of an all-internet entertainment lifestyle. As a result I have been downloading a lot of content via my AppleTV. While I still enjoy the occasional Hollywood blockbuster I have found myself drawn to documentaries as of late. Here is a short list of some of my recent favorites (overviews provided by the film studios).

Objectified (5 Tongues)

Great for : Design Junkies

Objectified is a feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. In his second film, director Gary Hustwit (Helvetica) documents the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential product designers, and looks at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. What can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves? (Buy on Amazon)

Food, Inc. (5 Tongues)

Great for : Health and animal lovers

Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing how our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it’s produced and who we have become as a nation. (Buy on Amazon)

Tapped (4 Tongues)

Great for : Anyone who drinks water or cares about our planet

Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? Stephanie Soechtig’s debut feature is an unflinching examination of the big business of bottled water. From the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car and I.O.U.S.A., this timely documentary is a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water. (Buy on Neoflix)

Disclosure : I am an iTunes and Amazon affiliate.

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Tammy McDaniel (@tammymcdaniel) said on April 25th, 2010 at 9:46 am

I am terrified to watch Food, Inc; but I am interested in it. I hadn’t heard of the other two – thanks for the tip.
Ted Murphy said on April 25th, 2010 at 9:57 am

@Tammy McDaniel (@tammymcdaniel):
You will definitely think twice the next time you want to eat a burger or chicken sandwich. I am by no means a vegetarian, quite the opposite… I love meat. However, Food Inc. does raise your awareness of where the food we eat each day comes from.

There is no easy fix. World food demand is outpacing world food production. We all want our food fast, cheap and good for us but the reality is we can’t have it all.

For my part I have made a conscious decision to buy more organic food but I realize that may not be an option for all people. Organic food is way more expensive and the availability is minimal. In my grocery store less than 5% is dedicated to organic food. I am hoping the more organic products I buy the more they will eventually carry at a lower cost to all shoppers.
Dan Meneely said on April 25th, 2010 at 10:59 am

There’s a great documentary about IKEA, how it was founded, how they design products and basically everything about the ethos of their company. Don’t remember the title of the doc, but it aired on the Trio channel (before they shut down). Look around for it, it was very informative.
Ted Murphy said on April 25th, 2010 at 11:03 am

@Dan Meneely:
IKEA is one of my favorite companies. I will have to check that out.
Stan Makowski said on April 25th, 2010 at 11:51 am

Site for some odd Docs, and old school weird tv:
http://5minutestolive.com/

Best one I have ever seen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjlhjdHREFs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_at_Your_Heels
Ted Murphy said on April 25th, 2010 at 1:34 pm

@Stan Makowski:
That video is crazy!! I am buying a jet car… you want to be the driver?
Stan Makowski said on April 25th, 2010 at 6:33 pm

Sure, now If I could just squeeze in a fire proof suit….damn you ihop pancakes!!!!@Ted Murphy: