Top 5 Documentaries on Netflix for Creative Type

Inspiration can be hard to come by when you’re a creative type of person. Everyone has their own way of getting inspired.  Every creative is familiar with their own version of writers block. It doesn’t matter what media or expression your art manifests itself in, you know what its like to experience a blockage in your creative arteries.  Whenever I get a creative block I turn to 2 places I like to go and they are Netflix and Youtube.  Youtube is good but quality can be low and you never really know what you’re going to get. On the other hand Netflix has a library of awesome material with a star rating system that lets you know basically what level of content you’re going to get.  The problem with Netflix is sifting through their entire library to find what it is you don’t know you’re looking for.  It makes it that much sweeter when you find something that you can go to your friends with and you know they will enjoy it too.  You are my friends and here is my list.

#5 Stripped

Stripped is a documentary about Comic Strips and their creators.  They interview and talk about the top comic strip creators of comics like Penny Arcade, Calvin and Hobbes, Luann, Foxtrot, Peanuts, Garfield, Pogo, and many more. It’s a perfect documentary for anyone looking for a little comedy writing, drawing, self publishing type of inspiration.  This documentary not only talks about comics with comic creators they also delve into the future of comics as print media is fading out.

#4 Comedians of Comedy

Comedians of Comedy follows comedians Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford, and Zach Galifianakis on a comedy tour called The Comedians of Comedy.  The Documentary follows these leading alternative comedians as they talk about comedy and live day to day on the road.  There are clips of each of their comedy and how the push the boundries of whats known at conventional stand up comedy.  They tell old comedy stories and talk about thing they have been through while they create new memories.

#3 Dear Mr. Watterson

Dear Mr. Watterson is basically a love letter to arguably one of the greatest comic creators to ever live.  The documentary explores the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes and its creator.  The doc interviews people from all walks of life and they discuss how Calvin and Hobbes has impacted their life. They also delve into how Calvin and Hobbes changed and continues to influence comics today.

#2 I Know That Voice

This is one of those documentaries that gives you a peek into something you always wished you could find out more about. Featuring voice actor such as John Dimaggio (Bender from Futurama), Kevin Conroy (Batman), Mark Hamill (The Joker), and many more.  They discuss the process of being a voice actor and making a career with their voices. Some of cartoons more recognizable voices are in it and it’s a lot of fun to see the people behind your favorite characters like SpoungeBob, Tommy Pickles, Bender, and many many more.

#1 Tig

This one holds a special place in my heart because it chronicles the journey of stand up comedian Tig Notaro to notoriety.  This is the documentary that should be called “A Series of Unfortunate events” because it talks about the horrible trials she had to endure that eventually led up to what would be the stand up performance of a lifetime.  Its sound like a bit much but even one of the things she endured would have been overwhelming but she endured.  It also covers her journey afterwards and all the things that came from the bad and are still in development.  On a personal note, the reason this one sticks hard with me is because I was just getting out of the hospital wondering how I was going to deal with the pain and trials I was going through so I was in bed and I turned on Netflix and there it was being promoted in the big window like it was calling to me.  It helped me so much.

This is my list of the best documentaries on Netflix. Enjoy and your welcome.

UFO Conspiracy- A Not So Quick Review

I just saw an awesome documentary on Netflix called The UFO Conspiracy. This movie was good with the usual cases to show that something weird is happening out there. That’s all well and good but the really cool part came later on in the doc. It presented an idea at the end that was something uncommon among ufo theories.

I have to be honest here before I go on, I freakin love ufo conspiracy not because I believe in aliens but its mostly out of pure fascination. I look at this type of stuff the way a child watches it. Do your remember watching Signs, you know the M. Night Shyamalan movie, the way they were watching the tv when they aliens were showing themselves, that’s how I watch all the documentaries about ufos. I just sit there with my mouth open completely hypnotized by the possibilities of UFOs.

Now that I’ve shared a little of my morbid fascination with UFOs let me tell you what this doc was about. Like I said before it was some pretty standard stuff through out the whole thing. But I think it was the last 15 minutes or so that just blew me away. I have seen some docs talk about like the Sumerians and the Bible and aliens but I have never heard anyone talk about aliens as demons themselves. Its very strange but still at the same time as a christian how powerful do you believe demons to be.  It’s a very uncomfortable thought for a very comfortable christian, I know there are the groups that believe the devils do all kinds of stuff but that is not the point here. The thought that aliens are just demons for a new age, teaching that who cares about Jesus and a whole lot of new age type philosophy.

They liken the alien abduction phenomenon to haunted houses, not only do they all seem crazy to the regular person but all the strangeness around the houses are more than just a little similar. From the dreams to the strange noises and occurrences this doc was trippin me out by comparing the two, the thought had never even crossed my mind.

I say check this documentary out if only for the last half of it. Its made to blow the christian mind.

Why Do You Think I’m Gay, Netflix?

I have recently subscribed to Netflix and I got to say its awesome. I have been streaming movies on my Xbox 360, which is the only thing I’ve really used it for because of my anger management issues when it come to playing video games, and they don’t have the latest stuff but they have movies you might have never heard of that are some of the best movies you have ever seen. I have to confess one day I just sat there with my bag of Cheetos and just let Netflix please my eyes and ear holes. That’s when I started to notice not only is Netflix my new Bestie but its suggest movies that I might like. My inner child was so happy to finally have a friend that understood me.

Time and time again Netflix proved itself as the only one that could nurture my inner child. Then it happened, the Gay and Lesbian Movies title appeared on my list. “What the hell Netflix, I thought you understood me.” My best friend had now just implied that I might be gay, that’s an accusation that our friendship just might not be able to survive. But Netflix hasn’t been wrong so far, is there a possibility that Netflix might be right again? Then I finally watched Black Snake Moan, Christina Ricci boobs answered that question fast, Netflix was wrong.

So why did Netflix make that suggestion after all, I think I finally know. I had watched about 3 movies with where the subjects were gay, seems like I should have know but I didn’t…. I’ll explain. Chasing Amy is a Kevin Smith movie that I had never seen, I love Kevin Smith movies. Howl is a movie about the trial and a graphic depiction of the poem written by Allen Ginsberg, didn’t know that guy was gay. Fall From Grace is a documentary about the Westboro Baptist Church and it turns out they hate the gays. So Netflix didn’t think I was gay, Netflix just thinks that gay people are fascinating. Netflix you might be right about that…. Netflix you wily bastard.