Docu-Binge

Its been a while since I've posted.. been busy watching some movies! Over the past week I've been watching many documentaries. Two of my favorite were 'Exit Through the Gift Shop' and 'Waking Sleeping Beauty'.

Waking Sleeping Beauty
This was a very detailed and well-made documentary chronicling Disney during the critical period of the late 80s and Early 90s. Because this period birthed the most famous and iconic Disney movies, and the movies I grew up such as "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin" and other classics. The path that Disney was going down in the late 80s focused less on the disney staple of animation, and more on merchandising and attractions.

The animation department was actually downsized, and animators feared that they could lose their job at any time. Because of the executives that were brought in at the time to shift the business around, there was a special spark of success that was a 180 degree from the lull of the 80s. Disney had a lot of footage that was used in the documentary, and it really helped the production of the movie. It was a very interesting inside-view of one of the biggest names in the film industry, and the problems they overcame. Overall, I would give the film four out of five stars: ★★★★☆

Exit Through the Gift Shop
This was a very special documentary, with a twist. The infamous British street artist, Banksy, made this documentary centering around a Frenchman who thought he was making the documentary about Banksy. Up for an academy award this year,  this documentary dives deep into the secretive world of rising street art.

I think that the concept of the street art phenomenon is truly fascinating. Thierry Guetta, the focus of the documentary, is the Frenchman who obsessively video records his life. He stumbles into the scene of street art while in France, and gets addicted to the rush of the situation. Through a series of circumstances he gets involved and starts to follow around street artists in the LA area, claiming he would make a documentary. The tables get turned when he meets his idol Banksy, the famed British street artist. Because Thierry has literally documented everyday of his life, and has a room devoted to holding his thousands of tapes, the documentary was very well pieced together, capturing some great moments. The 'rush' of street art even seeps through the screen and is contagious to the viewers while educating them of the history and underground profession. I'd give the documentary FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! 'Enter Through the Gift Shop' is the first movie to get this rating and presitgious honor. ★★★★★