Documentaries and IMAX Favorites
This list gets updated whenever I see another good one. I'm also including theatrical and TV documentaries, especially since most IMAX films are documentaries.
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- DirectorGary HustwitStarsManfred SchulzMassimo VignelliRick PoynorA documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.I was checking out a few things on the IMDb when someone mentioned about this particular documentary. So, not too long afterward, I got the kinda-hard-to-get blu-ray version for about $10 (sellers charging more than $10 on the DVD version). It's sorta like a film about modern art, but with letters. Now, I gotta check out "Urbanized" and "Objectified."
- DirectorDavid DouglasStarsRip TornMan's emergency creativity can be seen at its best, after Saddam Hussein had the Kuwait oil wells lit up, as teams from all over the world fought those fires for months, and had to save the oil resources, as well as reduce air pollution.My second IMAX movie I saw. The first was "Flight of the Aquanaut" which is not as good (that's why it's not on this list).
- DirectorBen BurttPhyllis FergusonJames NeihouseStarsLeonard NimoyRoberta L. BondarEric DeJongTravel up close astronauts as they repair the Hubble Space Telescope and soar above Venus and Mars whilst finding proof of new planets and the possibility of other life forming around distant stars.Out of the few IMAX films I saw in the theater, this one's my favorite.
- DirectorKieth MerrillStarsDaniel T. MajetichCoby JordanBruce SimballaFollow the scientific expedition of John Wesley Powell who mapped the canyon and boated the Colorado River rapids into modern times.Also saw this in the theater after "Destiny in Space". Also saw it on DVD. Although I recall hearing Jeremy Irons' voice when I saw it in the theater and the DVD release had a different narrator. Anyhoo, it's still one of the best.
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayStarsSteven K. KatonaMeryl StreepJudith ConnorFilmmaker Greg MacGillivray examines the world's oceans and their importance to life on Earth.I once had this on a 5 DVD set of MacGillivray Freeman Films. They were in the "non-widescreen" (4:3) ratio. I sold that set and bought the 50th Anniversary Set of 10 blu-ray discs in the 16:9 ratio. The other 9 on that set are listed below (up to "Arabia 3D").
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayStarsTom SelleckThe Magic of Flight places viewers in the cockpit of a Blue Angels jet aircraft so they can experience the thrill of high performance flight. Narrated by Tom Selleck, The Magic of Flight shows the path of flight starting with the Wright Brothers at Kittyhawk in 1903 all the way through to the supersonic maneuvers of today's aircraft. This high-energy film affirms the importance of training and skill as it conveys the pure joy of flight.My first time was on DVD. My second on Blu-ray. Another one of the best IMAX films.
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayStarsPierce BrosnanAlejandro Acevedo-GutiérrezDean BernalExperience how dolphins live and play, and unravel the mysteries of dolphin communication in this Academy Award-nominated IMAX film which takes you into the complex lives of these fascinating animals.
- DirectorStephen JudsonStarsLiam NeesonSteve AtteberryNancy Holler AulenbachMeet Dr. Hazel Barton and Nancy Aulenbach. These women are compelled to push their limits in hostile environments. They are cavers who risk fatal danger for the thrill of discovery. Barton and Aulenbach are extreme athletes and extreme scientists - scientists who gather their data in treacherous places where few dare to follow. In Journey Into Amazing Caves they travel to caves in Arizona, Greenland and Mexico searching for discoveries that may lead to cures for human disease.
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayStarsLiam NeesonHoward HallMichele HallTake a once in a lifetime journey across the South Pacific for a spectacular IMAX adventure. Joy, ecstasy, a spiritual high: these words describe the exhilaration of diving a pristine coral reef, and ocean explorers Howard and Michele Hall bring their love of the ocean into action. With Jean-Michael Cousteau, deep reef scientist Richard Pyle and Fijian diver Rusi Vulakoro, they explore and capture on film the dazzling underwater world of coral reefs, magical places here on Earth. This tropical excursion through the South Pacific will surprise and delight you as you fall in love with the reefs, and your heart will ache at the tragic, irretrievable loss of these fragile worlds.
- DirectorJordi LlompartStarsGordon BrownJoe LewisJoin a team of explorers on the expedition of a lifetime as they set off to become the first to navigate the Blue Nile from source to sea. The epic 3,260 mile descent down the world's greatest and deadliest river has eluded humankind for centuries - until now! Ride shotgun on the team's 16-foot rafts as they crash through the rapids in Ethiopia's desert canyons. Battle through some of the world's most extreme whitewater rapids with renowned kayaker, Gordon Brown. Over the arduous, four month journey, the team faces nearly in-surmountable challenges - from crocodile attacks to armed bandits and arrests. Through breathtaking cinematography, Mystery of the Nile reveals a wondrous region and abundant treasures, from Tissisat Falls and the wonders of Egypt to the forgotten black pyramids of Meroe and 12th century churches that were carved into sheer rock.
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayStarsChristos SourmelisMarissa BeckerDain BlantonThe magic of ancient Greek civilization comes to life in a giant screen adventure! From the Academy Award-nominated producers of Everest, comes a dynamic tale of science, archeological adventure and discovery.
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayGlen PitreStarsBear BadeauxTab BenoitPeggy BurgardA documentary on the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayStarsTara DavisWade DavisFlo Di ReA documentary about a 15-day river-rafting trip on the Colorado River aimed at highlighting water conservation issues.As compared to the other Grand Canyon Film (The Hidden Secrets), I couldn't decided which one I prefer. "The Hidden Secrets" is good for the history and "River at Risk" is good for sending an important message.
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayStarsHamzah JamjoomReem AlHabibAhmad Zaki HammadDiscover a land as exotic as it is extraordinary. Arabia 3D offers an in-depth understanding of one of the most fascinating lifestyles and cultures. Cross the dunes with a caravan of camels, dive in the treasure-filled Red Sea, explore the ruins of a lost city, and relive the golden age of Islamic inventions. A precious land imprinted with myths and mysteries.
- DirectorMorgan SpurlockStarsMorgan SpurlockDaryl IsaacsChemeeka WalkerWhile examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.You'll be informed about fast food and stuff.
- DirectorAl ReinertStarsJim LovellKen MattinglyRussell SchweickartAn in-depth look at various NASA moon landing missions, starting with Apollo 8.First saw this on PBS, then on VHS from a local library. NOW, I gotta see it on blu-ray by The Critereon Collection.
- DirectorJames AlgarStarsWinston HiblerStory of the American prairie as it was when vast herds of bison and elk grazed there.Something I would like when I was a kid. I knew that my niece would like it when she was a little kid. I wonder why the blu-ray releases of Disney's true-life adventures are so expensive?
- DirectorJamie UysStarsPaddy O'ByrneHilarious documentary on the wildlife of the Namib Desert.I thought it was one of those Disney true-life adventures, which it isn't. But it's sooo much like it. I also noticed that the director behind this movie also did "The God's Must Be Crazy."
- DirectorJacques PerrinJacques CluzaudMichel DebatsStarsJacques PerrinPhilippe LabroDocumentary on the migratory patterns of birds, shot over the course of three years on all seven continents.
- CreatorAnn DruyanCarl SaganSteven SoterStarsCarl SaganJaromír HanzlíkJonathan FahnAstronomer Carl Sagan leads us on an engaging guided tour of the various elements and cosmological theories of the universe.One of the shows I've managed to see more than once back in the day (thanks to our first VCR). A few changes were made in the 1990's to update the series (including a scene of people getting Internet access via PCs). Still a good series. NOW, I gotta see the one with Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
- DirectorMick GoldStarsAntonin ArtaudJoan BakewellSimon CadellDada came out of the craziness of World War One. "The birth of Dada was not the beginning of art but of disgust." Surrealism tried to systematize Dada's anarchy into an artistic blend of Freudian psychoanalysis and Marxist provocation. In the interests of conquering the irrational, Salvador Dali opened exhibitions dressed in a diving suit, Marcel Duchamp turned himself into woman, Benjamin Peret assaulted priests, and Yves Tanguy ate spiders. Andre Breton, nicknamed "the Pope of Surrealism", led an inspired gang of artists, lunatics and writers. By the 1950s they were denouncing each other for betraying the movement, but their ideas had infected Hollywood, advertising agencies and were turning up as TV humor and album covers.This was shown on PBS. If you're interested in Modern Art, check this out.
- DirectorGeorge CaseyStarsRobert FoxworthNorman BanksLawrence BlairThis spectacular presentation explores the volcano belt known as the Ring of Fire. Breathtaking cinematography displays close up shots of past and present Pacific Rim volcanoes from Chile, the USA, Japan, and the Philippines.
- DirectorBen BurttStarsJames BuchliToni MyersOn several Shuttle missions, Earth has been portrayed from places that nobody else could reach. We also are shown the different locations and environmental problems mankind created there because of our wish to exploit our planet for our own benefit.First saw it on DVD (in the 4:3 ratio). Then on a Blu-ray Disc that has "The Dream Is Alive" (in 16:9 widescreen). I'm not sure which one I prefer.
- DirectorGraeme FergusonStarsWalter CronkiteDavid LeestmaGeorge NelsonTraveling on the Space Shuttle, covers training, launch, flight, deployment of LDEF from Challenger in April 1984 (STS-41C).Mabye this other one. Both are good, anyways.
- DirectorLuke CresswellSteve McNicholasStarsJohn KaniWild Ocean is an uplifting cinematic experience capturing one of natures greatest migration spectacles through the magic of IMAX. Plunge into an underwater feeding frenzy amidst the dolphins, sharks, whales, gannets, seals and billions of fish. Filmed off the Wild Coast of South Africa, Wild Ocean is a timely documentary that celebrates the animals that now depend on us to survive and the efforts by local people to protect this invaluable ecological resource. Hope is alive on the Wild Coast where Africa meets the sea.I saw and liked in 2015.
- DirectorJohn WeileyStarsAlex ScottSolarmax is a 40-minute giant-screen documentary that tells the story of humankind's struggle to understand the sun. The film will take audiences on an incredible voyage from pre-history to the leading edge of today's contemporary solar science.Another good one. Also includes bonus documentaries from the 1970's: "Spirits of the Polar Night - The Aurora" (30 min) and "Earthspace - The Magnetosphere" (47 min).
- DirectorLuke CresswellSteve McNicholasFrom the Academy-Award nominated creators of the Broadway show STOMP and the award-winning film Wild Ocean, The Last Reef is an uplifting, inspirational large-format and 3D cinema experience capturing one of nature's more vibrant and diverse wonderlands. Exotic coral reefs, vibrant sea walls in the sub-arctic pulsating with anemones and crustaceans: these biodiversity hot spots are as vital to our lives as the rainforests. Shot on location in Palau, Vancouver Island, French Polynesia, Mexico, and The Bahamas using groundbreaking 3D cinematography, The Last Reef takes us on a global journey to explore the connection of our cities on land with the ocean's complex, parallel world of the coral reefs beneath the sea.Not THE LAST IMAX movie I'll see. There are more I'm gonna see.
- DirectorMarc FafardStarsDonald SutherlandRodolfo CoriaIf it weren't for a series of cataclysmic events, a comet impact being first on the list, our planet could well still be the domain of dinosaurs. Following Pr Rodolfo Coria, a world-reknown Argentinian paleontologist, we visit sites of major discoveries he has contributed to in Patagonia and travel back in time to see these amazing beasts come to life in 3D. Patagonia has given us the largest living animal to ever walk the Earth: the titanesque plant-eating Argentinosaur, and its nemesis, the Giganotosaur, a bipedal carnivore that could easily challenge the famous T-Rex.In fact, here's something I've seen AFTER "The Last Reef". Not the best but not a waste of time.
- DirectorDavid ClarkBayley SilleckStarsMichael DouglasSterling NesbittAlan H. TurnerThis program presents some of the more recent ideas about dinosaurs that are gaining acceptance while following paleontologists searching for fossils over the decades in the Gobi Desert and New Mexico.Also, NOT a waist of time to see this.
- DirectorStephen LowStarsMichael HanrahanIn the hundred-year-plus history of aviation, truly radical new aircraft designs come along only once in a generation, and since the early '70s, there's been very little new in the skies...that is until now."Ultimate G's" is like a LAME after-school special. Watch this, instead!
- StarsSigourney WeaverDavid AttenboroughNikolay DrozdovA documentary series on the wildlife found on Earth. Each episode covers a different habitat: deserts, mountains, deep oceans, shallow seas, forests, caves, polar regions, fresh water, plains and jungles. Narrated by David Attenborough.Gotta include this.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughPierce BrosnanPeter ScoonesMammoth series, five years in the making, taking a look at the rich tapestry of life in the world's oceans....and this.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughChadden HunterGordon BuchananDavid Attenborough returns with a new wildlife documentary that shows life in a variety of habitats.One of my favorite "Planet" mini-series.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughAlec BaldwinChadden HunterFocuses on life and the environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic.Another one of my favorites.
- StarsPeter CoyoteWilliam CrononDayton DuncanThe history of the U.S. National Parks system, including the initial ideas which led to the world's first national parks and the expansion of the system over 150 years.Being a fan of nature and history, I knew this is something I wanna see. I've seen it twice, as well as the worthy extras, due to owning it on blu-ray.
- DirectorKen BurnsStarsPaul RoeblingJulie HarrisArthur MillerThis documentary chronicles the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The difficult construction process is described in interesting detail; later parts of the film interview current notables who describe the effects that the Brooklyn Bridge has had upon New York society and beyond.I've seen it on PBS. I've also seen it on DVD thanks to a local library.
- DirectorGreg MacGillivrayStarsEwan McGregorAn in-depth look at the lives of humpback whales and the challenges they face to avoid extinction.Another one of the MacGillavry-Freeman films. Worth a watch.
- DirectorDavid LickleyWonders of the Arctic 3D centers on our ongoing mission to explore and come to terms with the Arctic, and the compelling stories of our many forays into this captivating place will be interwoven to create a unifying message about the state of the Arctic today. Underlying all these tales is the crucial role that ice plays in the northern environment and the changes that are quickly overtaking the people and animals who have adapted to this land of ice and snow.After seeing "Humpback Whales," I saw this one (by a different team of filmmakers). It happens to have a whale on the cover, which is a Bowhead Whale. I think this film I like better.