Documentaries about Cinema, Directors and Actors

by My_New_ID | created - 23 Oct 2017 | updated - 23 Oct 2017 | Public

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1. Listen to Me Marlon (2015)

Unrated | 103 min | Documentary, Biography

87 Metascore

A documentary that utilizes hundreds of hours of audio that Marlon Brando recorded over the course of his life to tell the screen legend's story.

Director: Stevan Riley | Stars: Marlon Brando, Stella Adler, Bernardo Bertolucci, Michael Borne

Votes: 7,913 | Gross: $0.43M

2. Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)

Not Rated | 142 min | Documentary, Biography

The career and life of Stanley Kubrick is explored through pictures, clips from his films, his old home movies, comments from his colleagues and a narration by Tom Cruise.

Director: Jan Harlan | Stars: Katharina Kubrick, Malcolm McDowell, Stanley Kubrick, Barbara Kroner

Votes: 12,203

3. Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015)

PG-13 | 79 min | Documentary

79 Metascore

Filmmakers discuss how Francois Truffaut's 1966 book "Cinema According to Hitchcock" influenced their work.

Director: Kent Jones | Stars: Wes Anderson, Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher, Bob Balaban

Votes: 7,178 | Gross: $0.30M

4. Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)

PG | 86 min | Documentary, Drama, History

70 Metascore

The story of the Disney Renaissance, an incredibly prolific, successful and prestigious decade lasting from 1984 to 1994 that saw the fallen Walt Disney Animation Studios' unexpected progressive triumphant return to excellence.

Director: Don Hahn | Stars: Roy Edward Disney, John Lasseter, Michael Eisner, Don Hahn

Votes: 3,270 | Gross: $0.08M

5. My Best Fiend (1999)

Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography

70 Metascore

The love-hate relationship between Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski, the deep trust between the director and the actor, and their independently and simultaneously hatched plans to murder one another.

Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, Eva Mattes

Votes: 12,189 | Gross: $0.10M

6. The Pervert's Guide to Ideology (2012)

Not Rated | 136 min | Documentary

71 Metascore

Philosopher Slavoj Zizek examines the hidden themes and existential questions asked by world renowned films.

Director: Sophie Fiennes | Star: Slavoj Zizek

Votes: 7,524 | Gross: $0.07M

7. Century of Cinema (1995–1998)
Episode: A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

225 min | Documentary, Biography, History

Martin Scorsese describes his initial and growing obsession with films from the 1940s and 50s as the art form developed and grew with clips from classics and cult classics.

Directors: Martin Scorsese, Michael Henry Wilson | Stars: Martin Scorsese, Allison Anders, Kathryn Bigelow, Francis Ford Coppola

Votes: 5,137

8. Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)

PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary

79 Metascore

The story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.

Director: Frank Pavich | Stars: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Michel Seydoux, H.R. Giger, Chris Foss

Votes: 27,538 | Gross: $0.65M

9. Lost in La Mancha (2002)

R | 89 min | Documentary

75 Metascore

Terry Gilliam's doomed attempt to get his film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018), off the ground.

Directors: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe | Stars: Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges, Tony Grisoni

Votes: 11,998 | Gross: $0.73M

10. The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? (2015)

Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary, Sci-Fi

A documentary about the proposed 1998 Superman Lives feature film that would have starred Nicolas Cage.

Director: Jon Schnepp | Stars: Jon Schnepp, Charlie Oliver, Aaron Blossom, Joey Romero

Votes: 4,703

11. Room 237 (I) (2012)

Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary

80 Metascore

An exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980).

Director: Rodney Ascher | Stars: Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns, John Fell Ryan

Votes: 23,108 | Gross: $0.26M

12. Fritz Lang Interviewed by William Friedkin (1975)

140 min | Documentary

American director William Friedkin interviewed Austrian director Fritz Lang on February 21st and 24th, 1975.

Director: William Friedkin | Stars: William Friedkin, Fritz Lang

Votes: 427

13. Cinéastes de notre temps (1964–1972)
Episode: Le dinosaure et le bébé: Dialogue en huit parties entre Fritz Lang et Jean-Luc Godard (1967)

61 min | Documentary

A one of a kind conversation between Lang and Godard, captured a year after the release of the film they had worked on together, Contempt.

Director: André S. Labarthe | Stars: Fritz Lang, Jean-Luc Godard, Howard Vernon, Peter Lorre

Votes: 165

14. Io e... (1972– )
Episode: Pasolini e... la forma della città (1974)

20 min | Documentary, Talk-Show

During the filming of Arabian Nights (1974), Pier Paolo Pasolini talks about his passion for protecting the complete form of ancient cities and shows us Orte and Sabaudia.

Director: Paolo Brunatto | Stars: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Ninetto Davoli

Votes: 144

15. Side by Side (2012)

Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary

82 Metascore

The documentary investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation.

Director: Christopher Kenneally | Stars: Derek Ambrosi, Michael Ballhaus, Andrzej Bartkowiak, Dion Beebe

Votes: 13,715 | Gross: $0.03M

16. Tokyo-Ga (1985)

92 min | Documentary

Moved by the work of director Yasujirô Ozu, Wim Wenders travels to Japan in search of the Tokyo seen in Ozu's films.

Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Chishû Ryû, Werner Herzog, Yûharu Atsuta, Chris Marker

Votes: 3,300

17. Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau (2014)

Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary, Adventure

A behind the scenes chronicle of how clash of vision, bad creative decisions, lack of interest and really bad weather plagued the disastrous production of the infamous The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996).

Director: David Gregory | Stars: Richard Stanley, Kier-La Janisse, Michael Gingold, Graham Humphreys

Votes: 4,412

18. Life Itself (2014)

R | 121 min | Documentary, Biography

87 Metascore

The life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert.

Director: Steve James | Stars: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Gene Siskel, Martin Scorsese

Votes: 16,247 | Gross: $0.81M

19. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)

R | 84 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy

79 Metascore

A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old.

Directors: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg | Stars: Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Kathy Griffin, Jocelyn Pickett

Votes: 3,816 | Gross: $2.93M

20. Meeting Woody Allen (1986)

26 min | Documentary, Short

Revolutionary French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard conducts a twenty-five minute interview with influential and acclaimed American director Woody Allen on the cultural radiation, the ... See full summary »

Director: Jean-Luc Godard | Stars: Woody Allen, Jean-Luc Godard, Annette Insdorf

Votes: 1,033

21. Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir (2011)

Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography

A documentary about Roman Polanski, the man and filmmaker. Roman Polanski speaks about his eventful life story and career in conversation with Andrew Braunsberg, his former business partner, producer, and friend of many years.

Director: Laurent Bouzereau | Stars: Roman Polanski, Andrew Braunsberg, Pedro Almodóvar, Catherine Deneuve

Votes: 1,273

22. The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

TV-PG | 98 min | Documentary, History

Documentary about the art of film editing. Clips are shown from many groundbreaking films with innovative editing styles.

Director: Wendy Apple | Stars: Kathy Bates, Zach Staenberg, Jodie Foster, Michael Tronick

Votes: 3,195

23. Arena (1975– )
Episode: Making 'The Shining' (1980)

35 min | Documentary

A look behind the scenes during the making of The Shining (1980).

Director: Vivian Kubrick | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Vivian Kubrick, Terry Needham, Stanley Kubrick

Votes: 2,386

24. The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013)

Not Rated | 118 min | Documentary

75 Metascore

Follows the routines of those employed at Studio Ghibli, including filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki as they work to release two films simultaneously, The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

Director: Mami Sunada | Stars: Hayao Miyazaki, Yumiko Miyoshi, Toshio Suzuki, Shinsuke Nonaka

Votes: 5,658

26. Cinéma, de notre temps (1989– )

Documentary

"Cinema of Our Time" is a documentary series about contemporary filmmakers from around the world, created by Janine Bazin and André S. Labarthe, as a follow-up to the acclaimed initial series "Filmmakers of Our Time" (1964-1972).

Stars: Jean-Claude Dauphin, André S. Labarthe, Jean-François Stévenin, Jean Douchet

Votes: 185

27. David Lynch: The Art Life (2016)

Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary, Biography

75 Metascore

Artist and filmmaker David Lynch discusses his early life and the events that shaped his outlook on art and the creative process.

Directors: Rick Barnes, Olivia Neergaard-Holm, Jon Nguyen | Stars: David Lynch, Lula Lynch, Edwina Lynch, Donald Lynch

Votes: 6,581 | Gross: $0.17M

28. Kyoto, My Mother's Place (1991 TV Movie)

50 min | Documentary

Story of Kyoto: its history, culture, and the role it has played in the director's life and the life of his mother.

Director: Nagisa Ôshima | Stars: Nagisa Ôshima, Ina Funatsuki, Tomi Shimada, Hikohachi Yamamoto

Votes: 84

29. Deux de la Vague (2010)

Not Rated | 91 min | Documentary

59 Metascore

Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, their careers, their friendship and their impact on the French New Wave of the 1960s.

Director: Emmanuel Laurent | Stars: Isild Le Besco, Anouk Aimée, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Charles Aznavour

Votes: 881 | Gross: $0.03M

30. A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

R | 138 min | Documentary

67 Metascore

A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time.

Directors: Ted Demme, Richard LaGravenese | Stars: Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin, Robert Altman, John G. Avildsen

Votes: 2,802 | Gross: $0.03M

31. The Making of Fanny and Alexander (1984)

Not Rated | 110 min | Documentary

A chronicle of the making of Ingmar Bergman's Oscar winning film.

Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Daniel Bergman, Ingmar Bergman, Gunnar Björnstrand, Allan Edwall

Votes: 1,025

32. Woody Allen: A Life in Film (2002 TV Movie)

90 min | Documentary, Biography

A series of interviews with Woody Allen interlaced with clips from his films.

Director: Richard Schickel | Star: Woody Allen

Votes: 454

33. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008)

Unrated | 99 min | Documentary, Crime

78 Metascore

Examines the public scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary filmmaker Roman Polanski's sudden flight from the United States.

Director: Marina Zenovich | Stars: Andrew Braunsberg, Richard Brenneman, Douglas Dalton, Marilyn Beck

Votes: 5,205 | Gross: $0.06M

34. Liv & Ingmar (2012)

Not Rated | 89 min | Documentary

74 Metascore

The 42 year long relationship between legendary actress Liv Ullmann and master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman.

Director: Dheeraj Akolkar | Stars: Liv Ullmann, Ingmar Bergman, Samuel Fröler, Erland Josephson

Votes: 1,779 | Gross: $0.01M

35. A Letter to Elia (2010)

Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary

A documentary on the late Elia Kazan.

Directors: Kent Jones, Martin Scorsese | Stars: Martin Scorsese, Elia Kazan, Elias Koteas

Votes: 1,121

36. The Beast Within: The Making of 'Alien' (2003 Video)

178 min | Documentary, Sci-Fi

This made-for-DVD documentary treats horror and science fiction film fans to a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Alien, the terrifying classic about a spaceship crew trapped with a ... See full summary »

Director: Charles de Lauzirika | Stars: Bolaji Badejo, Martin Bower, Gordon Carroll, Veronica Cartwright

Votes: 692

37. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary

96 Metascore

A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.

Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova

Votes: 27,964

38. Michael Caine: Breaking the Mold (1994 TV Movie)

61 min | Documentary

Caine discusses his life from childhood to stardom. Includes family photos, movie clips, and interviews with many who've worked with him.

Directors: Gene Feldman, Suzette Winter | Stars: Michael Caine, Shakira Caine, Dyan Cannon, Angie Dickinson

Votes: 87

39. Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles (2014)

PG-13 | 91 min | Documentary, Biography

67 Metascore

A look at the life and work of the great theatre, radio and film artist.

Director: Chuck Workman | Stars: Orson Welles, Simon Callow, Christopher Welles, Joanne Hill Styles

Votes: 973 | Gross: $0.02M

40. And the Oscar Goes to... (2014 TV Movie)

87 min | Documentary, History

The history of the Academy Awards.

Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman | Stars: Anjelica Huston, Billy Crystal, Tom Hanks, Cher

Votes: 1,523

41. Altman (2014)

TV-PG | 96 min | Documentary, Biography

A look at the life and work of American film-maker Robert Altman.

Director: Ron Mann | Stars: Michael Murphy, Robert Altman, Kathryn Reed, Sally Kellerman

Votes: 1,412

42. Milius (2013)

PG | 103 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama

59 Metascore

A look at the life of filmmaker John Milius.

Directors: Joey Figueroa, Zak Knutson | Stars: John Milius, Ethan Milius, Amanda Milius, Walter Murch

Votes: 2,194



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