movie talk--relevant to urban nature

[urbpan]

I realized today, after watching Okie Noodling, a documentary about the dying art of catching catfish by letting them bite your hand, that there's a certain subgenre of film I'm interested in. I would have told you before that what I like are nature documentaries for example Microcosmos and Winged Migration are two that I actually own. But what really excites me are documentaries about the human/animal interface.

As much as I love animals, I happen to be a human, and live in human society. I tend to be more interested in non-human animals than human society, but human society does hold some fascination for me as well. Documentaries that address the effect that animals have on humans and on society--this is the subgenre I've discovered. Rather than continue to gibber on, I'll list some movies in this new subgenre that I just thought of: (these are taken from my Netflix "movies you've seen" list--they include television docs on dvd)

Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I recently posted a review of this. It's not really that great a movie, but it spoke to me so perfectly. I watched it twice in one week and was moved to tears several times during both viewings. I can't say that it would have the same effect on other people, unless they also had trouble finding meaning in their lives, and found meaning in nature (especially urban nature) and among animals.

Dogs and More Dogs. This is a Nova documentary, basically bringing the best current theories of dog evolution (wolves that ate human garbage evolved into dogs) to a mass audience.

Cane Toads: An Unnatural History. An Australian short film about the varied human responses to an invasive species (the giant American toad Bufo marinus. Made with wit.

Nanook of the North. A 1922 film showing how an Inuit man survives in his harsh environment, depending on his dogs for transportation and consuming an entirely animal-based diet.

Off the Chain. This unflinching look at dogfighting tells it like it is, and while it dispels the media myths, it isn't always easy to watch.

Natural History of the Chicken. This is not about natural history, unfortunately. I would love to see a documentary about how a wild ground bird in India became sacred, then profane, and then ubiquitous, but this is not it. It is about various American eccentrics and their beloved chickens, and is definitely quite interesting and entertaining. See the fancy Japanese chicken wearing a diaper!

Falkens öga. A pair of European kestrels live high in the wall of a busy church. Read my mini-review.

Coming Soon to my Netflix Queue:
Grizzly Man -- I haven't seen it so I can't comment beyond what is public knowledge: A man who loves animals but may not fully respect them, and his tragic demise.

Animals Gone Wild
Program 1: Animals Behaving Badly - Searching for shelter, food and water, untamed animals are in our cars, our yards, and our homes. This program explores the escalating battle for space between animals and humans. Program 2: The Good, the Bad, and the Grizzly - America's greatest predator struggles on a modern frontier and homeowners find themselves under siege from foraging grizzlies while wildlife managers try to keep the peace.

Do you know of any others?

Comments

[iheartoothecae.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting to see Okie Noodling ever since I read this:
http://jenafi.livejournal.com/139398.html

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Holy cow! Her dad is one of the most interesting characters in that movie--I liked her uncle Red, too. Small Goddamn world!!

[bunrab.livejournal.com]

Natural History of the Chicken is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. That one woman and her fluffy lap chicken!!!

[droserary.livejournal.com]

I have now seen the Cane Toads movie three times (grade school, high school, and just yesterday in grad school). It's a movie you only need to see once. Subsequent viewings are near torture.

[aemiis-zoo.livejournal.com]

Muahahah I should get a copy and make my students watch it! *wrings her hands together*

[meryddian.livejournal.com]

Grizzly Man has been airing on one of the cable channels... I managed to watch about half an hour before I wanted to throw up. Not from like, anything gross going on in the movie! But because since he's handholding the camera and sometimes films himself, the camera can swing around kinda wildly at times. Be warned. :)

Yeah, Blair Witch Project and The Perfect Storm also both made me quesy from weird camera angles/camera bounce too.

[ideath.livejournal.com]

The guy who made Cane Toads (and, it turns out, the Natural History of the Chicken) also made a documentary called Rat (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0124092/) about, um, rats. I thought it was great.

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

It's not a documenatary, but how about Never Cry Wolf about Farley Mowat?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed that, when I saw it years ago. I've half-heartedly tried to convince cottonmanifesto to watch it, but I've already told her what I think is the best part: when he's eating the mice and all the mice are watching him.

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

The mouse-eating part is great, but also when he decides to mark his territory and drinks all that beer to...uh...facilitate the process.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Does he shit in obvious places and scratch around it to call attention to the turds?

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

Nope. Just pees. Although I've never seen the extended edition director's cut.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

iirc, the poop is how wolves define territorial lines (usually placed somewhere high up and obvious with scratch marks on the ground to call attention to it). urine marking is more like a message board type thing.

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

You'll have to watch the movie and then write a critique.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

I might just! :)

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Somehow, that doesn't make me want to watch the movie... :)

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

Oops. That was supposed to be a general reply, and not really directed at you, ideath.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Dang it! Netflix doesn't have it. I'll look into requesting it from my library. Exactly what I was looking for.

[momomom.livejournal.com]

waves

[aspenparkland.livejournal.com]

Being Caribu (http://www.beingcaribou.com/) Five months on foot with the endangered Porcupine Caribou Herd

I haven't seen it yet (it's in the VCR) but I've heard it's a must see.

[joannajanis.livejournal.com]

grizzly man made me want to puke too. that guy is an absolute moron. ever read into the wild? he reminds me of that guy, only the guy from that book seemed to make sense and have true respect for nature. this grizzly man is just shitballs crazy which becomes more and more apparent as the the film progresses. some parts made me laugh (while dave was just dumbfounded) such as when he screams at a fly for landing on a dead animal and plays with bear poop. like i said...shitballs crazy. more of a mental illness documentary than a nature one.

[jenafi.livejournal.com]

hi. oddly enough i just "accidentally" searched for my livejournal address and saw this. also, oddly enough i just posted about this subject again.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Hello! It's nice to make your acquaintance. Do you find that anyone knows who you are because of your father? It's a strange way to be famous--probably just a slice of the public knows who he is. Even though I loved the movie, I could probably meet him and not realize who he was (unless he had his forearm buried in a catfish).

I have my picture in Boston's smallest weekly newspaper this week, and I keep wondering if anyone will recognize me. But I haven't been out in the city, commuting or working (took the week off to do some ecological work for hire) so I haven't really talked to anyone. Maybe today, maybe never. Weird.

I still recommend Okie Noodling to anyone who asks. Should I tell them anything about it , from your point of view? I love the internet. Small goddamn world indeed.