I don't really pay much attention to the Oscars, and I certainly don't make a habit of waking up early to hear the nominees, the moment they are announced, each January. But when I woke up this morning and heard the documentary Blackfish didn't even get a nomination? I was pretty surprised. I believe the term I used in response to a friend's tweet was, "fucking OUTRAGEOUS", but I digress.
Forget the Oscars. I've got my own list of must watch documentaries. And at the very top, of course, is...
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay
Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel
Happy People: A Year in the Taiga
Drew: The Man Behind the Poster
And like every complete list, there's always at least one dud, right? For me that would definitely be Room 237. While the premise of the movie is so good - so very, very good - all the theories of meaning and symbolism around Kubrik's The Shining. What does it all mean? The execution is...lacking. There were too many crackpot stories that didn't amount to much and weren't really that interesting. But what do I know. Apparently it has "generally favorable reviews" and a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Still, I would have rather watched The Shining one more time than waste those 2 hours that I'll never get back on Room 237.
