Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

Colin Hanks likes John Candy. That much is clear from his Primetime Emmy-nominated documentary “John Candy: I Like Me.” But what drew him to the project was the idea that there had to be something more to the story than the saintly portrait drawn by so many who knew and loved this jovial Canadian comedian, television and movie star who died at age 43, over 30 years ago now.

 

Colin joins Ken on the pod to talk about how, once he got to know Candy’s wife, Rose, and two children, Jennifer and Chris, a fuller portrait of Candy started to emerge. Candy was marked for life by the tragic death of his father, who died at age 35 on Candy’s 5th birthday. In later years, Candy suffered from panic attacks and anxiety. In addition to the family, Colin interviews the pantheon of Second City and Hollywood stars who achieved some of their best work collaborating on screen with Candy, including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Martin, and (of course) Tom Hanks. It turns out there was more to know about John Candy than we all suspected. And, a helluva lot more to like as well.

 

“John Candy: I Like Me” has been nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special; Outstanding Music Composition; Sound Editing; Picture Editing; and Sound Mixing. The film is streaming on Prime Video.

 

Hidden Gem:

“Funky Monks”

 

The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

 

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You will likely, as Mike did, stare on in wonder as directors of “Ocean with David Attenborough”–Toby Nowlan, Colin Butfield, and Keith Scholey, the last of whom joined us on “Top Doc”s–show you the wonders of the deep seas.  And you will as well likely fall into shock and despair when they present you with the never-before seen devastation caused by industrial sea trawling.  But what will assuredly bring you hope is the calm, nearly mythic presence of David Attenborough, nearing 100 years of age, serving as co-watcher, century-long witness and unmatched narrator of this fine documentary.  And too, you may find optimism in his promise that if we can truly protect just ⅓ of the ocean we can maintain this place of natural wonder, one which in its consumption of carbon and production of oxygen is actually more effecient than all land-based flora combined.

 

“Ocean with David Attenborough” can be seen on Disney+

 

The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Ted’s mother shows up unannounced, Jamie’s “lost his wings”, and the Richmond players want Nate to rejoin the team.  Join Cathy and Mike as they break down “Ted Lasso” S3E11, “Mom City” with an eye towards adult development and leadership.  How is “Ted Lasso” like “The Wizard of Oz” and what can we learn from Jamie about leveling up your complexity of mind?

“Beware of your local librarian!” The idea that this could be a concern held by some Americans seemed unthinkable to director Kim A. Snyder (“Death By Numbers”, “Newtown”) back in 2021 when she embarked on the project that would end up being her latest documentary “The Librarians.” But as the latest wave of the culture wars has crested over the last few years, librarians — and books on local public and school library shelves — found themselves in the crosshairs of school board members, Christian Nationalists, and well-funded conservative organizations.

 

Kim joins Ken on the pod to explain the evolving public image of librarians and to connect the dots between conservative political strategy, attempts to remove books from school libraries, and threats of criminal prosecution of librarians who dare to stand up for the rights of their students. Kim discusses the list of 850 books created by a Republican Texas state representative with the intent of identifying and removing the books from school library shelves. Not surprisingly, these titles feature LGBTQ+ characters (over 60% of the books on the list), as well as books about race and Black history, and authors of color. While Texas and Florida may be ground zero for these attacks on literature and librarians, Kim describes how the movement has gone national. Fortunately, for those who value the importance of young people (and adults) having access to these books, a group of librarians known as “The Freedom Fighters” — and other librarians across the country — are now speaking out.

 

“The Librarians” is nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. It is available for streaming on the PBS YouTube Channel.

 

Hidden Gem:

“Cutting Through Rocks”

 

The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

 

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In February 2023, Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl, escaped from the Central Park Zoo through a hole cut in the netting of his enclosure and soon found himself alone on a Manhattan sidewalk. But, as director Penny Lane (“Hail Satan?”, “Our Nixon”) shows in her inquisitive, insightful and irresistible documentary “Wild Inside,” Flaco would not be alone for long. Soon, he became the toast of the town, with his own devoted followers including owlers, tourists, apartment dwellers, TV late night hosts, and the news media.

 

Penny joins Ken on the pod to discuss how this enigmatic, majestic bird with the penetrating pumpkin eyes won New Yorkers’ hearts from one end of Manhattan to the other and touched off a debate about how the wild animals in our midst should be treated and protected. Penny talks about how she, a birder herself, first heard about Flaco from a filmmaker friend who happened upon Flaco on his first night of freedom, and then embarked on her own journey to tell this multi-layered story from different perspectives. Flaco’s point of view on all of this remains unknowable, but Penny succeeds wildly in illuminating how one bird can give us new eyes to see the world anew.  

 

“Wild Inside” is from HBO Documentary Films and has its world premiere in Central Park on July 29th, followed by screenings in select theaters across the U.S. See more details at FlacoDocumentary.com.

 

Hidden Gem:

“Best Worst Movie”

 

The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

 

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