Little Edie's Diary

This article from New York Magazine details the discovery (or perhaps rediscovery) of the diary of Edie Beale, in the wake of a new Broadway musical based on the eponymous documentary Grey Gardens, released in 1976.

Grey Gardens

Having seen Grey Gardens numerous times I have to stay that not only is it by far one of my favorite documentaries but it is one of those films that gets better every time you watch it. The Edies are eccentric people who have fallen out of the limelight and live in squalor in their East Hampton home. If you are looking for a documentary that follows real people in their real lives then this is it. The grittiness of the situation that the Edies are living in is truly shocking. Little Edie feeds the cats and the raccoons who inhabit their home as if there is no risk of catching disease. This documentary has gained a cult following and has lead to the creation of a Broadway musical of the same name and storyline as well as an HBO Docudrama which recreates much of the documentary but also adds in new scenes about the Edies in their younger years. These two women are truly staunch women. And although Little Edie mocks the idea of a staunch woman, she and her mother are the epitome of just that. Living in recluse and unsanitary situations seems to take over the minds of the Edies as they constantly hold on to the past and their fondest memories. David and Albert Maysles (the filmmakers) are two of very few people who were offered a voyeuristic look into the lives of these two fascinating women. When on camera Little Edie enjoys boasting about her younger years as a debutante to which her mother Big Edie comically chimes in to slap her daughter back into reality and out of her fantastical memories. Things such as Little Edie's revolutionary costume and her odd relationship with her mother show the audience that she is longing for more in her life but is afraid to leave her mother and the familiar life she has lived for years now. Perhaps some of the most heartfelt lines spoken by Little Edie comment on her life in Grey Gardens. "We better check on mother and the cats. She's a lot of fun, I hope she doesn't die. I hate to spend another winter here though. Oh God, another winter" I could watch this film over and over again and always find something new and interesting about the Edies. What do you think about these two infamous women? 

Roger and Me

Yesterday we discussed the four different types of documentary modes: Expository, Observational, Interactive and Reflexive. What kinds of modes are apparent in Michael Moore's film Roger and Me? Do you see any of these modes in other Michael Moore films? Does Moore tend to use more than one mode?

What aspects of filmmaking stand out in this film? What is the filmmaker's approach to the subject matter? Is it effective?

Bob Dylan

The film Don't Look Back has had an enduring impact on the world of music documentary, just as Bob Dylan's music has had an enduring impact on folk and popular music. But Dylan himself was enamored of traditional songs and often reworked them. This clip from last night's episode of The Colbert Report features a discussion of music folklorist Alan Lomax featuring Elvis Costello and Emmylou Harris and the song recording by Jean Ritchie (of "Nottamun Town") that inspired Dylan to write "Masters of War."

What sense did you have of Dylan's impact on music from the film? How does Pennebaker allow music to help tell some of Dylan's story?