Forget about the informative movies they made us watch in school. No more instructional videos about the rules of the road or long, outdated histories of medieval castles. It turns out that documentaries don’t have to be boring. From video game rivalries to an unknown unhinged artist, the following docs explore the odd side of humanity and leave you in disbelief. Honestly, you can’t make this stuff up.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
When Donkey Kong appeared in 1981, it was an instant arcade hit. The platform puzzle video adventure quickly became the must-play, and must-beat, game for arcade players. The documentary follows two men vying to be the undisputed king of Donkey Kong. Unfolding like a 1980s movie, it pits the slimy cool kid against the nice underdog. I was honestly tense waiting to see if good would triumph over evil in real life.
Finders Keepers (2015)
What begins as an odd story that might get mentioned in the weird news section, becomes a full blown legal battle. A man buys a used grill at a storage unit auction. When he gets ready to use his new purchase, he discovers an amputated leg on the grate. The purchaser learns who the leg belonged to but refuses to return it. They buyer uses the leg as a way to make money and the amputee sues to get it back.
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles (2011)
In cities across the Western hemisphere, messages made of vinyl are pressed into asphalt streets. The nonsensical messages vary in size and color but almost always mention the phrase: “Resurrect Dead.” The filmmaker investigates the tiles’ makeup, placement, and cryptic language to attempt to discover their maker and possibly what they may be trying to tell us.
The Imposter (2012)
On a cold, rainy night in Spain, the cops get a call from a phone booth. On the other end is a scared kid who claims to be a lost teenager named Nicolas Barclay. They bring him in, run the name and find there is a child is Texas reported missing who matches the description. The trouble is, Nicolas is actually Frederic, an accomplished confidence trickster but what unfolds is a con even he couldn’t have imagined.
‘Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris (2006)
Jackie Paris was an esteemed jazz vocalist popular in the 1950s. He was admired by Ella Fitzgerald and friends with Nat King Cole. He could have been part of the Rat Pack, become a household name. Why didn’t he? Director Raymond De Felitta, a jazz enthusiast himself, searches out old recordings and eventually the man himself to solve the musical mystery of a promising career that disappeared.