The best Steve Martin’s documentary movies
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer.
Martin was born in Waco, Texas, and raised in Southern California, where his early influences were working at Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm and working magic and comedy acts at these and other smaller venues in the area. His ascent to fame picked up when he became a writer for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and later became a frequent guest on The Tonight Show. In the 1970s, Martin performed his offbeat, absurdist comedy routines before packed houses on national tours. Since the 1980s, having branched away from stand-up comedy, he has become a successful actor, playwright, pianist, banjo player, and juggler, eventually earning Emmy, Grammy, and American Comedy awards.
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And the Oscar Goes To...
7.1/10
The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy itself, which began in 1927 when Louis B. Mayer, then head of MGM, led other prominent members of the industry in forming this professional honorary organization. Two years later the Academy began bestowing awards, which were nicknamed "Oscar," and quickly came to represent the pinnacle of cinematic achievement.
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind
7.9/10
A funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians, Robin Williams, told largely through his own words. Celebrates what he brought to comedy and to the culture at large, from the wild days of late-1970s L.A. to his death in 2014.
Howard
7.5/10
Though legendary lyricist Howard Ashman died far too young, his impact on Broadway, movies, and the culture at large were incalculable. Told entirely through rare archival footage and interviews with Ashman’s family, friends, associates, and longtime partner Bill Lauch, Howard is an intimate tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent and a rousing celebration of musical storytelling itself.
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Chris Farley
8.2/10
He's gone-but he'll never be forgotten. The best of Chris Farley's wildly funny SNL performances are here, including motivational speaker Matt Foley, an aspiring Chippendales dancer, the bashful host of The Chris Farley Show ( m 'member?") and more.
The Super Bob Einstein Movie
7.3/10
This documentary explores Bob Einstein’s unlikely discovery and enduring career, sharing the many evolving layers of his comedy from the people that knew him best.
The Kids Are Alright
8/10
Through concert performances and interviews, this film offers us an "inside look" at this famous rock group, "The Who". It captures their zany craziness and outrageous antics from the initial formation of the group to its major hit "Who Are You", and features the last performance of drummer Keith Moon just prior to his death.
The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch
5.8/10
Twenty-three years after the release of the original Beatles mockumentary, 'The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash', famous artists, actors and musicians speak out on how The Rutles influenced them.
Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
7.9/10
A documentary film detailing Glen Campbell's final tour and his struggle with Alzheimer's disease.
The Source
7.2/10
Traces the Beats from Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac's meeting in 1944 at Columbia University to the deaths of Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs in 1997. Three actors provide dramatic interpretations of the work of these three writers, and the film chronicles their friendships, their arrival into American consciousness, their travels, frequent parodies, Kerouac's death, and Ginsberg's politicization. Their movement connects with bebop, John Cage's music, abstract expressionism, and living theater. In recent interviews, Ginsberg, Burroughs, Kesey, Ferlinghetti, Mailer, Jerry Garcia, Tom Hayden, Gary Snyder, Ed Sanders, and others measure the Beats' meaning and impact.
Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary
7.2/10
Celebrities are interviewed about the social and working lives of Bugs, Daffy, Porky and the rest of the Looney Tunes.
Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life
7.1/10
Comedians and writers Steve Martin and Martin Short perform a live comedy set with music by The Steep Canyon Rangers and jazz pianist, Jeff Babko, at the Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Prince of Egypt: From Dream to Screen
The making of The Prince of Egyot (1998).
Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
7.9/10
The history of the irreverent "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" and the content battles it fought with its television network.
Live from New York!
6.8/10
Saturday Night Live has been reflecting and influencing life in the United States for forty years. LIVE FROM NEW YORK! goes deep inside this television phenomenon exploring the laughter that pulses through American politics, tragedy, and pop culture.
The World of Jim Henson
7/10
Episode of Great Performances about Jim Henson
Troubadours
6.9/10
In the wake of the turbulent 1960s, a new style of song and songwriter came to the fore – a style marked by vulnerable introspection and raw, naked emotion. Backed by little more than a lone acoustic guitar or simple piano, these exciting voices descended upon Los Angeles, now emerging as the center of the American music scene. Their epicenter for self-expression became an old beatnik folk club and a fitting name: The Troubadour. TROUBADOURS traces Carole King, James Taylor and the singer/songwriter scene during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The film also interweaves the intriguing story of the 'world famous' Troubadour club that cemented their musical legacy, the mercurial impresario named Doug Weston who ran it, and the performing careers of some of the best songwriters of their generation – and perhaps any generation: Carole King and James Taylor, as well as Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Joni Mitchell, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Eagles and many others.
Live from New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live
7.5/10
A retrospective of the first 5 years of Saturday Night Live.
Nichols and May: Take Two
7.4/10
A documentary made for the PBS program American Masters about the comedy team Nichols and May.
Big Family: The Story of Bluegrass Music
Examine the history of bluegrass music, from its origins to its eventual worldwide popularity, and hear from dozens of musicians who explain the ways bluegrass music transcends generational, cultural and geographic boundaries.
B.B. King: Into the Night
6.8/10
A short documentary about B.B. King and his time working on the score for the 1985 movie "Into the Night" starring Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer.
