Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

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Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

Mike and Ken interview award-winning documentary filmmakers on their latest projects, their art, and their process

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  1. EPISODE 186

    "Albert Brooks: Defending My Life" with Rob Reiner

    Already famous as an actor, Rob Reiner made his directorial debut in 1984 with the landmark mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap”, which kicked off a new subgenre and inspired countless references to turning the knob “up to 11.” But, it has taken 40 years for the legendary creative hyphenate (director of “Stand by Me”, “When Harry Met Sally”, “A Few Good Men” and many more) to direct his first “real” documentary, “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life”, a loving embrace of his lifelong friend, the comedic genius Albert Brooks. Joining Ken on the pod, Rob shares insights into what makes Albert tick, why it took his friend so long to agree to the film, and how he was inspired by “My Dinner with Andre” to sit down over cheesecake with his former Beverly Hills classmate. With his first documentary, Rob proves to be equally adept as an interviewer as he is chronicler of Albert’s career through a selection of Albert’s’ brilliant stand-up appearances, clips from his movies, and testimonials from a who’s who of comedy heavyweights. The result is a thoroughly charming and, ultimately, inspiring portrait of friendship itself. What took you so long, Rob?   “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” is available now on Max.   Follow: @robreiner on twitter/X @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

    34 min

  2. EPISODE 187

    "Power" with Yance Ford

    Yance Ford’s voice is key to his new documentary on Netflix, so here’s how he describes “Power”:  “Driven to contain threats to social order, American policing has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. Now it can be described by one word: ‘Power’”.   Yance’s narrative is deeply rooted in a historical analysis of the roots of American policing–Indian removal, slave patrol, the anti-Labor municipal police of the 18th and 19th centuries; in his analysis, all driven by the protection of property.  But his focus ultimately resolves on the deeply personal effects that policing has on individuals and communities.    “Power” can now be streamed on Netflix.    Follow: @yford on twitter/X @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

    31 min

  3. EPISODE 188

    "American Nightmare" with Felicity Morris & Bernadette Higgins

    In 2015, a young California couple, Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins, was awakened by a home invasion, drugged, and blindfolded; Denise was kidnapped. But that isn’t the only disturbing horror at the heart of the harrowing Netflix docuseries “American Nightmare”. Sensitively and imaginatively directed by Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins (“The Tinder Swindler”), this true crime drama focuses as much on the local police department’s disturbing disregard for the couple, and for the facts of the case, as it does on the original crimes.   Joining Ken on the pod, Felicity and Bernadette describe how their approach to “The Tinder Swindler” and “American Nightmare” avoids the tropes and traps of the standard true crime formula, resulting in documentaries that feature the victims as the primary storytellers. From their choice of lighting and interview staging, to how the series is structured, every element of the production supports the directors’ vision and gives power back to Aaron and Denise — one more step in the couple’s journey to awaken from their American nightmare.   “American Nightmare” is streaming on Netflix.    Follow: @felicityhmorris on Instagram and  @fliss_morris on twitter/X  @bernadetteberniehiggins on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gem: “Pamela, a love story”   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

    39 min

  4. EPISODE 189

    "Our Planet II" with Huw Cordey

    Sir David Attenborough’s still got it. As he proves in Netflix’s extraordinary nature series “Our Planet II”, the 98-year-old legendary British biologist, natural historian, narrator, and writer remains one of the documentary world’s great talents.   Joining Mike and Ken on the pod, “Our Planet II" Series Producer Huw Cordey discusses the ins-and-outs of collaborating with narrator Sir David and the tremendous challenges of this mind-blowing nature series. Picking up where Our Planet left off, the sequel explores how and why a vast array of species embark on their annual migratory journeys. Along the way, Huw describes how all the key creative elements, from the extraordinary cinematography to the finely-honed scripts, come together to make stars of these remarkable creatures, great and small. They are the real legends of this story.   “Our Planet II” is streaming on Netflix.    Follow: @huwcordey on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gem: “Big Oil v the World”

    44 min

  5. EPISODE 190

    "Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York" with Anthony Caronna & Howard Gertler

    In the early 1990s, a serial killer stalked his victims not by slipping into houses under cover of darkness or by abducting victims from isolated highway rest stops, but rather by haunting crowded, lively gay bars in Manhattan–he even interacted with others in these bars, sometimes the very friends of his victims.     What makes “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” so compelling is the way director Anthony Caronna and executive producer Howard Gertler bring to bear a chronicling of gay life in the city at that time–with both its joys and its terrors during an era of widespread crime against queer New Yorkers–to explain how the killer managed to get away with his crimes for so long.  And on the way they pay both great respect to the full, complicated lives of those who were lost, as well as those they left behind.   You can watch “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” on Max.   Follow: @hgertler on Instagram and  @auntyanthony on Instagram and @AnthonyCaronna on twitter/X @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gems: Licensed to Kill Split Screen

    31 min

  6. EPISODE 191

    "STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A." with Jamila Wignot

    In the 1960s and 1970s, the Memphis sound was everywhere: Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes — the list goes on. Not only did the Memphis sound (a.k.a. Memphis soul) bring an amazing range of musical talent to the world, it also shined a light on the unsung city of Memphis, Tennessee and on a remarkable record company called Stax Records. In her expansive HBO docuseries “STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.”, director Jamila Wignot (“Ailey”) goes inside the recording studio and widens her lens to look at the deep cultural impact that the musicians and executives of Stax had on American culture.   Joining Ken on the pod, Jamila discusses what drew her into this epic, constantly surprising story of a small record label that grew to be one of the centers of the music world — only to see the entire enterprise come to a tragic end. How did Stax records become a magnet for Black musicians and producers and a beacon for experimentation and improvisation in popular music? In what ways did Stax, with its interracial musical acts, break down racial barriers, while, at the same time, fall short in confronting the issue of race in the South? And what made the 1972 Wattstax concert in Los Angeles, with over 100,000 mostly Black fans, the “most badass thing” you can imagine? This docuseries is stacked with one fascinating, enlightening story after another.   “STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.” is streaming on max.    Follow: @jamilaw on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gem: “Pumping Iron”   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

    42 min

  7. EPISODE 193

    "Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa" with Lucy Walker

    “Climbing the mountain” is a fitting description of the uphill struggle that all documentary filmmakers face when taking on any new project. Acclaimed filmmaker Lucy Walker (“Bring Your Own Brigade”, “The Crash Reel”) takes that metaphor to new heights with “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa,” her ambitious, multilayered new documentary portrait of world class mountain climber Lhakpa Sherpa.   Joining Ken on the pod for a return visit, Lucy talks about her deep admiration for Lhakpa, who, growing up in the Himalayas of Nepal, always felt a strong spiritual connection to Mount Everest. But, as a woman climber and a Sherpa, Lhakpa had to fight to overcome rampant discrimination and a series of seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve her dreams. “Mountain Queen” masterfully documents Lhakpa’s attempt to summit Everest for a world record-breaking 10th time and reveals that her ultimate quest may be to inspire her daughters to climb their own mountains.   “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa” streams on Netflix beginning on July 31st. You can find our 2022 convo with Lucy about “Bring Your Own Brigade” here.   Follow: @lucywalkerfilm on Instagram and twitter/X @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   Hidden Gem: “Maya and the Wave”   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

    40 min

  8. EPISODE 194

    "Telemarketers" with Adam Bhala Lough & Sam Lipman-Stern

    Continuing our Emmy coverage, today we speak with the creators of the  Emmy-nominated HBO documentary series, “Telemarketers”.  Co-director Adam Bhala Lough describes the 3-part series this way: “Two scumbag telemarketers discover that there are cogs in the wheel of a multimillion dollar scam. And so they band together to try to take down the scam and then take down the industry.”   Adam joins Mike on the pod along with one of the characters he lovingly calls a scumbag: his co-director and cousin Sam Lipman-Stern.   They discuss  the other scumbag, Pet Pespas, who despite being an recovering if accomplished telemarketer as well as a recovering if chronic heroin addict–or maybe because of both those things–is the driving moral center of the series.  In addition to exposing the scam that is telemarketing for the local chapters of several powerful charitable organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Police and the Police Benevolent Association, the series provides the  depiction of friendship despite the odds as well as  the seemingly unlikely growth of Sam as a talented documentary filmmaker.     Hidden Gems: “The Land of Look Behind” “Crazy Rulers of the World”   Follow: @AdamBhalaLough on twitter/X @samlipmanstern on Instagram and twitter/X @patrickjpespas on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

    31 min
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Mike and Ken interview award-winning documentary filmmakers on their latest projects, their art, and their process

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