The best Donald Sutherland’s documentary movies
A Canadian character actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as "The Dirty Dozen" in 1967, and "MASH" and "Kelly's Heroes" in 1970, as well as in such popular films as "Klute", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", and "Ordinary People". His more recent credits include "Reign Over Me" with Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler; "Ask the Dust," written and directed by Robert Towne; "Land of the Blind," with Ralph Fiennes; "An American Haunting," opposite Sissy Spacek; "American Gun," with Marcia Gay Harden and Forest Whitaker; and "Fierce People," directed by Griffin Dunne. He is the father of actor Kiefer Sutherland.
Terror in the Aisles
6.3/10
A non-stop roller coaster ride through the scariest moments of the greatest terror films of all time.
Trumbo
7.4/10
Through a focus on the life of Dalton Trumbo (1905-1976), this film examines the effects on individuals and families of a congressional pursuit of Hollywood Communists after World War II. Trumbo was one of several writers, directors, and actors who invoked the First Amendment in refusing to answer questions under oath. They were blacklisted and imprisoned. We follow Trumbo to prison, to exile in Mexico with his family, to poverty, to the public shunning of his children, to his writing under others' names, and to an eventual but incomplete vindication. Actors read his letters; his children and friends remember and comment. Archive photos, newsreels and interviews add texture. Written by
JFK Revisited: Through The Looking Glass
7.5/10
Thirty years after his film JFK, filmmaker Oliver Stone takes viewers on a journey though recently declassified evidence in the assassination of President Kennedy - the most consequential American murder mystery of the twentieth century. Joined by Oscar-winning narrators Whoopi Goldberg and Donald Sutherland, as well as a distinguished team of forensics, medical and ballistics experts, historians, and witnesses, Stone presents compelling evidence that in the Kennedy case “conspiracy theory” is now “conspiracy fact.”
FTA
6.4/10
A documentary about a political troupe headed by actors Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland which traveled to towns near military bases in the US in the early 1970s. The group put on shows called "F.T.A.", which stood for "F**k the Army", and was aimed at convincing soldiers to voice their opposition to the Vietnam War, which was raging at the time. Various singers, actors and other entertainers performed antiwar songs and skits during the show.
Stonehenge Decoded: Secrets Revealed
6.3/10
Journey back 4,500 years to unlock the secrets of the world's most enduring archaeological mystery—Stonehenge. Stonehenge Decoded presents world-renowned archaeologists as they reveal a revolutionary new theory about who built Stonehenge and why. Thanks to a recent discovery of a lost city just two miles from the famous stone circle, our understanding of this era is now transformed. Featuring dramatic recreations, groundbreaking new discoveries, and fascinating interviews, Stonehenge Decoded transports us back to an ancient time to shed new light on this mysterious monument in ways never before possible.
Night of 100 Stars
7.1/10
The most glittering, expensive, and exhausting videotaping session in television history took place Friday February 19, 1982 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The event, for which ticket-buyers payed up to $1,000 a seat (tax-deductible as a contribution to the Actors' Fund) was billed as "The Night of 100 Stars" but, actually, around 230 stars took part. And most of the audience of 5,800 had no idea in advance that they were paying to see a TV taping, complete with long waits for set and costume changes, tape rewinding, and the like. Executive producer Alexander Cohen estimated that the 5,800 Radio City Music Hall seats sold out at prices ranging from $25 to $1,000. The show itself cost about $4 million to produce and was expected to yield around $2 million for the new addition to the Actors Fund retirement home in Englewood, N. J. ABC is reputed to have paid more than $5 million for the television rights.
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
7.7/10
Hollywood careers are full of make-or-break moments. For Clint Eastwood, one such moment came when studio powers agreed to let him make his directing debut. That story and others comprise this portrait of the famed Hollywood icon. His career is explored via an array of film clips, interviews and more.
Surviving the Game: Making The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
7.7/10
An incredibly in depth and informative compendium of nine featurettes that address virtually every aspect of the film, from the adaptive process through the special effects, stunts and production design. There are a number of really well done interviews with most of the principal cast and crew.
The Mockingjay Lives: The Making of the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
6.8/10
Documentary film about the making of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.
An impressively in depth assortment of seven featurettes that look at a variety of subjects, from casting to visual effects.
- Hope and Rebellion: Continuing the Saga
- Designing Dystopia: Visual Aesthetic
- Rebels and Warriors: The Cast
- Fusing Form and Function: Costume, Make-Up and Hair
- Fighting the System: Shooting on Location
- D13: Rebellion Tactics: Stunts and Special Effects
- Perfecting Panem: The Post-Production Process
A Reindeer's Journey
6.8/10
Narrated by Golden Globe winner, Donald Sutherland, this is the incredible story of Ailo, the little reindeer. This uplifting tale follows the journey of baby Ailo as he navigates his first year of life in the snowy landscapes of a picturesque Lapland. Frail and vulnerable, Ailo must learn to walk, run, leap and hide to ensure he survives the long, treacherous journey with the herd. Ailo’s Journey is an inspirational story, in which a bleak wilderness is warmed by a mother’s endless love as she watches over Ailo in his incredible adventures with other creatures of the Arctic.
The Magic of Fellini
6.7/10
Documentary with interviews and clips of Fellini's movies.
Armed and Deadly: The Making of 'The Dirty Dozen'
7.7/10
A featurette documentary that looks into the making of "The Dirty Dozen," containing interviews with the main cast, film scholars, and production personnel.
The World Is Watching: Making the Hunger Games
8.5/10
A feature length, eight part documentary that covers everything from pre-production to adapting the source novel to casting to shooting to post and marketing. This is an amazing in-depth piece and it's notable how many women were involved in this production, from several Lionsgate executives to novelist Suzanne Collins herself. Jennifer Lawrence talks about her "hypocrisy" in not wanting to do a big budget blockbuster after having devoted herself to indies (despite X-Men, which she seems to discount somewhat). There's also a nice sequence on the strength and weight training the actors went through and the stunts that are so notable in the film, as well as having to dance around the violence implicit in the story due to the planned PG-13 rating the filmmakers were aiming for.
Fellini: I'm a Born Liar
7/10
A look at Fellini's creative process. In extensive interviews, Fellini talks a bit about his background and then discusses how he works and how he creates. Several actors, a producer, a writer, and a production manager talk about working with Fellini. Archive footage of Fellini and others on the set plus clips from his films provide commentary and illustration for the points interviewees make. Fellini is fully in charge; actors call themselves puppets. He dismisses improvisation and calls for "availability." His sets and his films create images that look like reality but are not; we see the differences and the results.
Abicinema
Klute in New York
6/10
A closer look at the making of Klute (1971). The project follows the complex shooting on multiple locations in New York with major stars Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland, under the direction of Alan J. Pakula. The two actors and the director share a little about their perspectives on the film and the experience of being part of it.
Operation Dirty Dozen
6/10
A short film looking behind the scenes at the making of The Dirty Dozen. Showing many scenes being filmed just north of London, the short focuses mostly on star Lee Marvin enjoying his pursuits on his one day off a week.
Sir! No Sir!
7.6/10
Sir! No Sir! is a documentary film about the anti-war movement within the ranks of the United States Military during the Vietnam War. It consists in part of interviews with Vietnam veterans explaining the reasons they protested the war or even defected. The film tells the story of how, from the very start of the war, there was resentment within the ranks over the difference between the conflict in Vietnam and the "good wars" that their fathers had fought. Over time, it became apparent that so many were opposed to the war that they could speak of a movement.
Bertolucci secondo il cinema
7/10
Documentary on the filming of Novecento by Bernardo Bertolucci
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is an account of the life of Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little in 1925, who became a human rights activist. Malcolm X was assassinated in New York's Audubon Ballroom in February 1965.
