The best Woody Harrelson’s documentary movies
Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actor Woodrow Tracy Harrelson was born on July 23, 1961 in Midland, Texas, to Diane Lou (Oswald) and Charles Harrelson. He grew up in Lebanon, Ohio, where his mother was from. After receiving degrees in theater arts and English from Hanover College, he had a brief stint in New York theater. He was soon cast as Woody on TV series Cheers (1982), which wound up being one of the most-popular TV shows ever and also earned Harrelson an Emmy for his performance in 1989.
While he dabbled in film during his time on Cheers (1982), that area of his career didn't fully take off until towards the end of the show's run. In 1991, Doc Hollywood (1991) gave him his first widely-seen movie role, and he followed that up with White Men Can't Jump (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993) and Natural Born Killers (1994). More recently, Harrelson was seen in No Country for Old Men (2007), Zombieland (2009), 2012 (2009), and Friends with Benefits (2011), along with the acclaimed HBO movie Game Change (2012).
In 2011, Harrelson snagged the coveted role of fan-favorite drunk Haymitch Abernathy in the big-screen adaptation of The Hunger Games (2012), which ended up being one of the highest-grossing movies ever at the domestic box office. Harrelson is set to reprise that role for the sequels, which are scheduled for release in November 2013, 2014 and 2015. Harrelson has received two Academy Award nominations, first for his role as controversial Hustler founder Larry Flynt in The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) and then for a role in The Messenger (2009). He also received Golden Globe nominations for both of these parts. In 2016, he had a stand-out role as a wise teacher in the teen drama The Edge of Seventeen (2016).
Harrelson was briefly married to Nancy Simon in the 80s, and later married his former assistant, Laura Louie, with whom he has three daughters.
Kiss the Ground
8.1/10
Sheds light on an alternative approach to farming called “regenerative agriculture” that could balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world.
The Earth Day Special
5.8/10
The Earth Day Special is a television special revolving around Earth Day that aired on ABC on April 22, 1990. Sponsored by Time Warner, the two hour special featured an all-star cast addressing concerns about global warming, deforestation, and other environmental ills.
How to Make Money Selling Drugs
7.6/10
Ten easy steps show you how to make money from drugs, featuring a series of interviews with drug dealers, prison employees, and lobbyists arguing for tougher drug laws.
Nanking
7.7/10
The story of the rape of Nanking, one of the most tragic events in history. In 1937, the invading Japanese army murdered over 200,000 and raped tens of thousands of Chinese. In the midst of this horror, a small group of Western expatriates banded together to save 250,000. Nanking shows the tremendous impact individuals can make on the course of history.
Grass
7.2/10
Marijuana is the most controversial drug of the 20th Century. Smoked by generations to little discernible ill effect, it continues to be reviled by many governments on Earth. In this Genie Award-winning documentary veteran Canadian director Ron Mann and narrator Woody Harrelson mix humour and historical footage together to recount how the United States has demonized a relatively harmless drug.
David Blaine: Real or Magic
7.6/10
David Blaine's signature brand of street magic mystifies the most recognisable celebrities in the world, such as Jamie Foxx, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Ricky Gervais, Katy Perry, Woody Allen, and Robert DeNiro, to name a few. He goes to the homes of Kanye West and Harrison Ford, Will Smith and Olivia Wilde. He pays a visit to Stephen Hawking at his office in Cambridge University. Blaine also travels the world, astonishing people from all walks of life with never-before seen, inconceivable magic.
Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Special
7.2/10
Celebration of Disneyland's 35th Anniversary
The Outsider
6.4/10
Nicholas Jarecki follows director James Toback on the 12-day shoot of his thriller, When Will I Be Loved -- a movie made without a script or distribution deal.
Ethos
7.4/10
Hosted by twice Oscar nominated actor and activist Woody Harrelson, Ethos lifts the lid on a Pandora's box of systemic issues that guarantee failure in almost every aspect of our lives; from the environment to democracy and our own personal liberty: From terrifying conflicts of interests in politics to unregulated corporate power, to a media in the hands of massive conglomerates, and a military industrial complex that virtually owns our representatives. With interviews from some of todays leading thinkers and source material from the finest documentary film makers of our times Ethos examines and unravels these complex relationships, and offers a solution, a simple but powerful way for you to change this system!
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
Go Further
6.4/10
"Go Further" explores the idea that the single individual is the key to large-scale transformational change. The film follows actor Woody Harrelson as he takes a small group of friends on a bio-fueled bus-ride down the Pacific Coast Highway. Their goal? To show the people they encounter that there are viable alternatives.
Breakthrough
7.6/10
Breakthrough tells the story of a renegade scientist’s quest to find a cure for cancer, the disease that killed his mother. Texan Jim Allison is a 2018 Nobel Prize winner for discovering how to prompt a cancer patient’s own immune system into defeating their disease, but for decades he waged an often-lonely struggle against the painful skepticism of the medical establishment.
Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis
7.2/10
It will surprise few to discover that star of stage and screen Jerry Lewis has sought to amuse others since he was five years old. Since that early age, audiences split their sides watching his wacky antics, whilst wannabe comics aspired to his prolific career, from his solo work to his double act with Dean Martin. Indeed, many of his famous fans share stories of affection and admiration for the now 86-year-old performer and filmmaker in Gregg Barson’s documentary. Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld are among those waxing lyrical about Lewis’ particular brand of genius, and his place in the annals of history. Including a cavalcade of hilarious clips from eight decades in the spotlight, Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis examines the icon and his influence, and is essential viewing for aficionados of the man and his legacy.
Miloš Forman - What Doesn't Kill You…
7.7/10
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.
2012: Roland Emmerich - Master of the Modern Epic
5.4/10
This documentary features the 2012 film's cast and crew praising the work, vision, and style of the famed Disaster movie director (i.e. Roland Emmerich.)
Three Stooges 75th Anniversary Special
7.5/10
Woody Harrelson hosts a special tribute to the Three Stooges in honor of their 75th Anniversary. In addition to classic Stooges routines, there are feature film clips, ultra-rare shorts, solo appearances, and TV performances, rare home movies, and interviews with Stooge family members and special guest stars. A must for any Stooge fan? Why soitenly!
Pawns No More: The Making of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
7.2/10
This making of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 is presented in 8 parts. Each part gives an in depth view of one aspect of creating the movie. You can see how special effects were used; costumes and make-up was done; all about the casting and location of the movie; and much more. This is done by interviews with the cast and crew as well as with fragments from the movie and images from behind the scenes.
- Walking through Fire: Concluding the Saga (13:07)
- Real or Not Real: Visual Design (9:57)
- High Value Targets: The Acting Ensemble (16:33)
- From Head to Toe: Costumes, Make-up and Hair (13:38)
- Navigation the Minefield: Production in Atlanta, Paris and Berlin (13:06)
- Collateral Damage: Stunts, Special Effects and Weapons (18:04)
- Tightening the Noose: The Post-production Process (28:43)
- A Different World: Reflection (22:33).
No Country for Old Men: Josh Brolin's Unauthorized Behind the Scenes
7.8/10
A piece featuring additional cast and crew interview snippets and behind-the-scenes footage. We find comments from Joel and Ethan Coen, Jones, Bardem, Graf, Brolin, Macdonald, production supervisor Karen Getchell, associate producer Dave Diliberto and actor Woody Harrelson.
