Documentary Movies
Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)
Three decades after German-American pilot Dieter Dengler was shot down over Laos, he returns to the places where he was held prisoner during the early years of the Vietnam War….
Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas (1997)
Christmas abounds with traditions, from neighborhood carolers to lovingly decorated trees, but from where did all these rituals emerge? This enlightening program looks at the origins of the Western world’s…
Trekkies (1997)
Denise Crosby takes a first look at the huge fans of “Star Trek” from around America and how the series has affected and shaped their lives.
Mission to Mir (1997)
This film shows how far we have come since the cold-war days of the 50s and 60s. Back then the Russians were our “enemies”. And to them the Americans were…
Fast Cheap & Out of Control (1997)
Errol Morris’s Fast, Cheap & Out of Control interweaves the stories of four men, each driven to create eccentric worlds from their unique obsessions, all of which involve animals. There’s…
Their Frozen Dream (1997)
Poetic documentary about the polar expedition of S. A. Andrée which Troell had previously dramatized in “Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd” (1982).
Project Grizzly (1997)
Documentary about the lifelong project of Troy Hurtubise, a man who has been obsessed with researching the Canadian grizzly bear up close, ever since surviving an early encounter with such…
The Long Way Home (1997)
The story of the post World War II Jewish refugee situation from liberation to the establishment of the modern state of Israel.
As Time Goes By (1997)
1997 documentary, part of the Taiwan-produced series “Personal Memoir of Hong Kong”, is both a self-portrait and a depiction of Hong Kong during the 40 years preceding the handover by…
Still Love You After All These (1997)
A personal memoir reflecting upon director Stanley Kwan’s career and identity, set upon the backdrop of the 1997 handover of Hong Kong. Kwan adopts a complicated cinematic structure which includes…
Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember (1997)
In 1996, Marcello Mastroianni talks about life as an actor. It’s an anecdotal and philosophical memoir, moving from topic to topic, fully conscious of a man “of a certain age”…
The Big One (1997)
The Big One is an investigative documentary from director Michael Moore who goes around the country asking why big American corporations produce their product abroad where labor is cheaper while…
4 Little Girls (1997)
On September 15, 1963, a bomb destroyed a black church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young girls who were there for Sunday school. It was a crime that shocked the…
Hands on a Hardbody: The Documentary (1997)
Filmmaker S.R. Bindler profiles Texas contestants trying to win a truck by keeping one hand on it longer than everyone else.
Rhyme & Reason (1997)
A study in the world of hip-hop, done mostly with interviews, in order to see why it is as popular as it is today and what the future holds.
George Carlin: Personal Favorites (1997)
After starring in a dozen or so HBO Special Presentations, comedian George Carlin has amassed a substantial body of work in the cable channel’s vaults. Personal Favorites is a greatest-hits…
The Final Insult (1997)
This video work intermingles fiction with actuality in a poignant confrontation with homelessness.
Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan Supermasochist (1997)
The story of Robert Flanagan, a man who was born with cystic fibrosis and told he wouldn’t live past 20, who through a unique odyssey of masochism, art and love…
Licensed to Kill (1997)
A riveting journey into the minds of men whose contempt for homosexuals led them to murder. Attacked in 1977 by gay bashers on the streets of San Francisco, filmmaker Arthur…
Screwed (1997)
A raw, rough-hewn look at the life of Screw publisher Al Goldstein.
Penthouse – Island Girls (1997)
Take a wild trip to the tropics with those ultimate tour guides, the Penthouse Island Girls.
Playboy: Jenny McCarthy – The Playboy Years (1997)
Jennifer McCarthy is featured in this special Playboy tape.
Penthouse – Sun Surf & Centerfolds (1997)
The sun heats up the scene, adding to the sultriness of the atmosphere. The surf provides that touch of paradise.
Penthouse: Sultry Sensations (1997)
The lush surroundings of Costa Rica provide the backdrop for this special collection of sexy centerfold moments. In this tropical paradise several of the world’s most gorgeous models have gathered…
Almost True: The Noble Art of Forgery (1997)
Film about art forger Elmyr de Hory. He was also one of the subjects of Orson Welles’ documentary F for Fake (1974). A Norwegian production directed by Knut W. Jorfald,…
Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y (1997)
An acclaimed hijacking documentary that eerily foreshadowed 9/11. We meet the romantic skyjackers who fought their revolutions and won airtime on the passenger planes of the 1960s and ’70s. By…
Super Speedway (1997)
We follow the Newman-Haas (Andretti) racing team through the process of building, testing, and racing for a season. This includes extensive race speed on-track footage, including some pre-race footage with…
Playboy’s Voluptuous Vixens (1997)
Get ready for excitement with Playboy’s spectacular tribute to well-endowed women.
Autopsy 4: The Dead Speak (1997)
Pine needles. Chewing gum. Cat hair. Paint. They’ve all been important clues that aided America’s ‘detectives of death’ in solving mysterious cases of unnatural or violent death. This fascinating sequel…
Year of the Dogs (1997)
The people of Footscray are battlers and so is their football team. The ‘mighty’ Bulldogs haven’t won a premiership since 1954. The club is close to broke and the AFL…
Frank Capra’s American Dream (1997)
A documentary looking at the life and career of film director Frank Capra. Hosted by Ron Howard.
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.
Hype! (1996)
This documentary examines the Seattle scene as it became the focus of a merging of punk rock, heavy metal, and innovation. Building from the grass roots, self-promoted and self-recorded until…
The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of ‘Twelve Monkeys’ (1996)
A documentary following Terry Gilliam through the creation of “Twelve Monkeys.”
When We Were Kings (1996)
It’s 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don…
Mandela (1996)
A documentary that chronicles the life of South African leader Nelson Mandela. Mandela is probably best known for his 27 years of imprisonment, and for bringing an end to apartheid….
Looking for Richard (1996)
Al Pacino’s deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare’s significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of “Richard III.”
Frantz Fanon: Black Skin White Mask (1996)
Explores the life and work of the psychoanalytic theorist and activist Frantz Fanon who was born in Martinique, educated in Paris and worked in Algeria. Examines Fanon’s theories of identity…
Gray’s Anatomy (1996)
The film documents, in an often dramatic and humorous fashion, Gray’s investigations into alternative medicine for an eye condition (Macular pucker) he had developed.
Microcosmos (1996)
A documentary of insect life in meadows and ponds, using incredible close-ups, slow motion, and time-lapse photography. It includes bees collecting nectar, ladybugs eating mites, snails mating, spiders wrapping their…