kevinh
Junior Member
Posts: 66
|
Post by kevinh on Nov 5, 2021 12:46:00 GMT
I found a note that I look at that says "Watch the Jim Woodring Doc" that I wrote to myself years ago. What is this talking about? Where do I find this? I think it's the www.facebook.com/TheIlluminationofJimWoodring Is this worth watching? Also what are the good Tove Jansson related docs? and others worth watching, well-made, interesting? I guess posting links to clips is also possible. (I guess I'm using this board as like my research assistance, now) ___ update with list of recommendations from the thread (incomplete, links to come): - The Illumination of Jim Woodring - Manben, series (various manga artists) on Hayao Miyazaki - Never-Ending Man - The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness - 4 NHK ones - Crumb - Comic Book Confidential - In Search of Steve Ditko - Boiled Angels (Mike Diana) - The Story of Rock and Roll Comics - The Godfather of Manga (O. Tezuka) - Tell Them Anything You Want (Maurice Sendak) Other mentioned docs and films - Tove Jansson biopic - Dear Mr. Watterson - Bad Attitude: The Art of Spain Rodriguez - Lost Heroes: The Untold Story of Canadian Superheroes Not recommended -The Scrooge Mystery |
|
|
|
Post by wolfbaker on Nov 5, 2021 13:04:23 GMT
I enjoyed that Jim Woodring doc quite a bit. Found it interesting to see his workspace and thought process. Been looking forward to this Spain Rodriguez doc, but haven't found anywhere to watch it yet. www.badattitudemovie.com/Also there's a ton of Naoki Urasawa's Manben on youtube, which has a lot of fun behind the scenes information for many famous mangaka. |
|
|
|
Post by timbecile on Nov 5, 2021 14:36:03 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by manoopuesta on Nov 5, 2021 15:27:02 GMT
That Jim Woodring documentary is really good. There was a new Finnish biopic about Toven Jansson in 2020 ('Tove'), but I haven't watched it. I prefer better documentaries, so I hope also someone knows good docs about Jansson. And yes, the Manben series is quite nice! One of my favourites is the one about Moto Hagio |
|
|
|
Post by BubblesZine on Nov 9, 2021 4:38:17 GMT
I saw the Tove movie. It was alright. Best part is when they show her (the actress playing Tove) just drawing Moomin. I was like "Damn, she literally invented Moomin" and I just sat there in awe.
The classics to me are of course Crumb, Comic Book Confidential. I also like In Search of Steve Ditko
The Scrooge Mystery was sooo bad. I do not recommend that one.
I meant to watch Dear Mr. Watterson, never did. I also just came across a Todd McFarlane that I bet will be a hoot.
There's a new one called Bad Attitude: The Art of Spain Rodriguez that's coming out soon. I'm curious to see that one.
|
|
|
|
Post by andrewpilkington on Nov 9, 2021 8:58:47 GMT
One that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Mike Diana doc 'Boiled Angels', definitely worth a watch.
|
|
|
|
Post by tundrawizard on Nov 12, 2021 6:11:19 GMT
The Story of Rock and Roll Comics is a really good documentary, it's unfair Todd Loren was murdered because of his sexual preference. I rewatched it over the summer and I forgot how ruthless Gary Groth was to Todd and his unauthorized comics.
Lost Heroes: The Untold Story of Canadian Superheroes is kinda slow, but worth watching if you are drawing or something. It's about the Canadian Whites, which were Canada's first superhero comics. They had 4 colour covers & Black and White interiors. Nelvana of the Northern Lights got a reprint a couple years ago and is probably the most accessible comic to read from that era. You can watch this doc on amazon prime in canada, not sure if it's on the US version...
|
|
kevinh
Junior Member
Posts: 66
|
Post by kevinh on Nov 23, 2021 16:06:27 GMT
I've watched Never Ending Man like 50 times now. I keep it on when I work, sound off, no subtitles. It's background. The other day I finally watched the first 3 NHK documentaries. More father/son drama in those, less chilling out and drawing. Haven't watched the fourth NHK one yet. www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/3004594/ |
|
umwelt
New Member
Fathom the Concept
Posts: 14
|
Post by umwelt on Nov 23, 2021 16:40:31 GMT
Simplicity: The Life of Alex Toth available in its entirety here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia8XwiAHThEHave to appreciate an individual who can be an asshole in such a direct, confrontational way. |
|
|
|
Post by teemcgee on Nov 23, 2021 16:42:21 GMT
Comics tangental but I've watched at least a dozen times the Maurice Sendak doco "Tell Them Anything You Want"; I can only hope I'm as lucid as that when/if I grumble my way through old age.
|
|
|
|
Post by timbecile on Nov 24, 2021 12:56:31 GMT
I've watched Never Ending Man like 50 times now. I keep it on when I work, sound off, no subtitles. I can understand wanting to have someone to draw with; it's a lonely business. I think I might enjoy these documentaries more than his movies. Since the films seem like they were all shot by the same crew I get them mixed up though. The part where he walks out of his son's screening is pure cringe lol. He was in the NY Times yesterday announcing a new movie, and I'm just thinking, "All right, another hour and a half documentary of smoking ahead!" |
|
kevinh
Junior Member
Posts: 66
|
Post by kevinh on Nov 24, 2021 18:13:13 GMT
I love his movies, but it's gone beyond that into something impossible to talk about. Talking about films is something that I really dislike. It brings out the worst, is very boring to me. And it's too embarrassing to go on and on about them, like being a Disney stan or something, because they are so obviously widely beloved that one gets suspicious or annoyed, etc., Because if they're so great, then why are they so beloved by so many people with obviously garbage taste in other things, and what you REALLY should be into is this rare impossible to find thing I'm into from the 1970s, etc. etc. there is no disputing taste, and so on. They are moving to me, and useful to me. The presentation of his character in these documentaries is interesting. When he walked out of his son's movie, I was like wow, imagine the freedom to feel like you could get away with that! on camera! I like to imagine his day. He works and complains all the time, and holds forth a lot. The spaces seem rational and well-lit. And he definitely draws a lot. He seems to draw most of the day. He's probably "tough" to be around, and to work with. But sure, of course. It’s clear too that he is managing the presentation. He’s in on the jokes, he plays himself. But it is hard for me to read body language as a midwestern American with little experience of Japanese culture... He retires 6 times and throws press conferences to announce them, then puts out a new movie, over and over, and he just did it again ( link to NYTimes article). That is commitment to a bit! The thing where film crews spend all day with someone and film them drawing for hours is a peculiar thing—see also the Tezuka documentary, the one where he inks like 6 or 7 pages in the taxi to the airport. Both he and Miyazaki have corporate minders, and young, bewildered coworkers, and generate cartoon empires. The Tezuka documentary is also incredible. I would show that to my comics students at MCAD, who would slowly get how doomed they were, how cursed is our path. |
|
kevinh
Junior Member
Posts: 66
|
Post by kevinh on Nov 24, 2021 18:13:38 GMT
So much smoking
|
|
|
|
Post by timbecile on Nov 24, 2021 21:30:19 GMT
I've only seen Spirited Away and parts of others at my old caption/subtitles job and liked them, but I watched him drawing Ponyo in the documentary with his Schulz-like earthquake line and was disappointed that was lost in the actual movie I tried to watch after. Shrug emoji.
You articulated his character better than I could've there. I'm not sure "freedom" to walk out is the right word though, cuz I feel like he just can't help it.
(I have similar father issues where you're supported and hobbled at the same time, so I just laughed...)
Yeah, showing the Tezuka one to your students might be like showing them "Scared Straight."
|
|
|
|
Post by MilleniumDibber on Nov 26, 2021 0:20:16 GMT
This isn't a documentary, but have you guys read the book of Miyazaki's essays? The first one is called Starting Point, 1979-1996. I haven't read the second one, but I really recommend the first. Get a good look inside his head and how he sees his contemporaries.
I'm also always on the hunt for anything concerning Isao Takahata, who to me is the Guts to the Miyazaki's Griffith (lol this comparison doesn't work... but could only think of Lennon and Mccartney as another option...) He comes off as way more chilled than Miyazaki and a proper mensch. Wish there was more of him in Kingdom and Nightmares.
|
|
