Biography – DocumentaryNow.org

56 Up

When a cross-section of seven-year-olds were interviewed for 7 Up in 1964 it was immediately evident that their social backgrounds influenced their attitudes towards life. While the upper class children were confident and self-assured, those from middle and working class backgrounds were resigned to a challenging life of hard work. This premise was put to the test every seven years when the same group were interviewed about the progression of their lives. 49 years in the making, the changes that occurred to the original 14 make for fascinating television and are in many ways the stories of all our lives. From success and disappointment, marriage and childbirth, to poverty and illness, nearly every facet of life has been captured on film. Now, at the age of 56, the group are once more brought together and, with the benefit of hindsight, assess whether their lives have been ruled by circumstance or self-determination.

Run time: 144m Tagline: Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man Release: 2012-05-14

Stars: Jacqueline Bassett John Brisby Lynn Johnson Neil Hughes Paul Kligerman Peter Davies Susan Sullivan Suzanne Dewey Symon Basterfield Tony Walker

49 Up

49 Up is the seventh film in a series of landmark documentaries that began 42 years ago when UK-based Granada's World in Action team, inspired by the Jesuit maxim "Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man," interviewed a diverse group of seven-year-old children from all over England, asking them about their lives and their dreams for the future. Michael Apted, a researcher for the original film, has returned to interview the "children" every seven years since, at ages 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and now again at age 49.In this latest chapter, more life-changing decisions are revealed, more shocking announcements made and more of the original group take part than ever before, speaking out on a variety of subjects including love, marriage, career, class and prejudice.

Run time: 135m Tagline: Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man Release: 2005-09-15

Stars: Andrew Brackfield Bruce Balden Jacqueline Bassett John Brisby Lynn Johnson Neil Hughes Paul Kligerman Susan Sullivan Suzanne Dewey Symon Basterfield

The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling

The story of legendary comedian Garry Shandling, featuring interviews from nearly four dozen friends, family and colleagues; four decades’ worth of television appearances; and a lifetime of personal journals, private letters and home audio and video footage.

Stars: Conan O'Brien Dave Coulier Garry Shandling James L. Brooks Jay Leno Jim Carrey Jon Favreau Judd Apatow Kevin Nealon Sacha Baron Cohen

Bobby Kennedy for President

Historic footage and leading voices of the era examine the "Bobby Phenomenon" of the 1960s and the legacy of the man who helped redefine the country.

Stars: Edward R. Murrow Ethel Kennedy Jacqueline Kennedy Jimmy Hoffa John F. Kennedy John Lewis Marian Wright Edelman Paul Schrade Robert F. Kennedy William Vanden Heuvel

Elvis Presley: The Searcher

The story of Elvis Presley the musical artist, a comprehensive creative journey from his childhood through the final 1976 Jungle Room recording sessions.

Stars: Bruce Springsteen Elvis Presley Emmylou Harris Hal Blaine Priscilla Presley Tom Petty

Lorena

This four-part docuseries investigates the events of 1993, where Lorena Bobbitt sliced off her husband's penis after years of abuse. John and Lorena Bobbitt's stories exploded into a 24-hour news cycle. She became a national joke, her suffering ignored by the male-dominated press. But as John spiraled downward, Lorena found strength in the scars of her ordeal.

Stars: John Wayne Bobbitt Lorena Bobbitt

Trump: An American Dream

Friends, associates and critics reveal the truly American story of Donald Trump, the brash businessman who defied the odds to become U.S. president.

Stars: Colin Tierney Donald Trump Nikki Haskell

Pistorius

A four-part documentary about the South African Paralympic and Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who shot and killed his girlfriend in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013. The story of a man and a nation both born to great disadvantage, the film follows the challenges, hopes and triumphs of both and the demise of their dreams under the glare of the world media.

Crumb

This movie chronicles the life and times of R. Crumb. Robert Crumb is the cartoonist/artist who drew Keep On Truckin', Fritz the Cat, and played a major pioneering role in the genesis of underground comix. Through interviews with his mother, two brothers, wife, and ex-girlfriends, as well as selections from his vast quantity of graphic art, we are treated to a darkly comic ride through one man's subconscious mind.

Run time: 119m Tagline: Weird sex · Obsession · Comic books Release: 1994-09-10

Stars: Aline Kominsky Charles Crumb Martin Muller Maxon Crumb Robert Crumb Robert Hughes

Mandela

A documentary that chronicles the life of South African leader Nelson Mandela. Mandela is probably best known for his 27 years of imprisonment, and for bringing an end to apartheid. But this film also sheds light on the little-known early period of Mandela's life.

Run time: 118m Tagline: Son of Africa, Father of a Nation Release: 1996-10-11

Stars: Eugene Terre'Blanche F.W. de Klerk Nelson Mandela Winnie Mandela

Bruce Lee: A Warrior’s Journey

Legendary martial artist Bruce Lee is the subject of this thoughtful documentary by Lee aficionado John Little. Using interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and action sequences from Lee's last (unfinished) film, Game of Death, Little paints a textured, complex portrait of the world's most famous action hero

Run time: 100m Tagline: You know the legend. Now meet the man. Release: 2000-10-22

Stars: Bey Logan Bruce Lee Chuck Norris Dan Inosanto Jackie Chan James Tien Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Linda Lee Cadwell Sammo Hung Yuen Biao

Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures

With commentary from Hollywood stars, outtakes from his movies and footage from his youth, this documentary looks at Stanley Kubrick's life and films. Director Jan Harlan, Kubrick's brother-in-law and sometime collaborator, interviews heavyweights like Jack Nicholson, Woody Allen and Sydney Pollack, who explain the influence of Kubrick classics like "Dr. Strangelove" and "2001: A Space Odyssey," and how he absorbed visual clues from disposable culture such as television commercials.

Run time: 141m Release: 2001-05-02

Stars: Alexander Singer Barbara Kroner Jack Nicholson Matthew Modine Nicole Kidman Paul Mazursky Shelley Duvall Stanley Kubrick Steven Marcus Tom Cruise

The Legend of Leigh Bowery

Welcome to the over-the-top, extravagant world of Leigh Bowery, a key figure in New Romanticism and London nightlife in the 1980s. With his bizarre outfits, a mix of kitsch and fetish, and his eccentric performances, he influenced artists, musicians and stylists like Boy George, Lucian Freud (of whom he became the muse), Vivienne Westwood, Anthony and the Johnsons, John Galliano and David LaChapelle. Born in Australia into an intensely religious family and brought up in a Melbourne suburb, Leigh moved to London where he worked as a fashion designer and a promoter, and started the legendary disco club night "Taboo", the first outrageous polysexual party in London. The documentary offers a fully rounded portrait of this artist, including interviews with the people who knew him, who describe a complex, extreme, and ironic personality, a performer, actor and designer ahead of his time, from his difficult early life to international success, up to his death in 1994.

Run time: 83m Release: 2002-04-13

Stars: Boy George Leigh Bowery

Tupac: Resurrection

Home movies, photographs, and recited poetry illustrate the life of Tupac Shakur, one of the most beloved, revolutionary, and volatile hip-hop MCs of all time.

Run time: 112m Tagline: In his own words Release: 2003-01-23

Stars: Tupac Amaru Shakur

Mayor of the Sunset Strip

A look at the history of fame in the world through the eyes of pop star impresario, Rodney Bingenheimer

Run time: 94m Tagline: One unlikely man made America listen Release: 2003-06-17

Stars: Alice Cooper Courtney Love Debbie Harry Exene Cervenka George Wendt John Doe Kim Fowley Neil Young Pete Townshend Rodney Bingenheimer

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