Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

R.J. Cutler returns to the pod to dig in deeper to his Netflix documentary on Martha Stewart, “Martha”.  R.J. and Mike turn their eyes to a few minutes early on (starting about minute 15 if you want to watch along), when a young Martha Stewart pursues motherhood, Wall Street, and ultimately Turkey Hill to become “Martha”.  R.J. explains how every element–cinematography, archive, editing, graphic design, music–both propels Martha forward towards her seemingly inevitable iconic status while simultaneously pulling her back towards her humble roots.     Follow: @rjcutler928 on Instagram and @rjcutler on X @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter/X   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Thom Zimny (“Springsteen on Broadway”, “Springsteen: Letter to You”) can tell you a lot about Bruce Springsteen. Through the course of Thom’s many documentaries featuring Bruce and the E Street Band, including his latest film, “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” Thom has delved deeply into the music, personalities, and rollicking performances that have made the band one of the most beloved rock-and-roll acts of all time. Thom joins Ken for a return visit to the pod (“Sly”) to discuss his 25-year collaboration with Bruce and the rich cinematic body of work that Thom has created over the course of Bruce’s many albums and tours. With “Road Diary,” Thom documents the band’s first tour in six years. At first, the question hangs in the air: “Does the band still have it?” But, once the tour begins, the rust falls away quickly. Soon, the band, which features new musicians as well as returning veterans, is rocking stadiums from Tampa to Barcelona. Thom is there to capture not only what is happening on stage but to show the profound impact that Bruce and the band continue to have on multiple generations of fans. It’s the kind of special relationship that endures. “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band” is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.   Hidden Gem: “Zappa”   Follow: @tzimnyc on Instagram and @ThomZimny on X @topdocspod on Instagram and X   

As explained by director Liz Garbus ( Bobby Fisher Against the World),  ”Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is, “A documentary series that follows  the case of young women who went missing from New York City and Long Island.  Ultimately, it's a story about what victims are valued and how when justice fails, people have to step up and demand it for their loved ones.”  You can watch the series on Netflix.   This documentary follows on the success of her docudrama “Lost Girls”, which features a fiery Amy Ryan as Mari Gilbert, the mother of a young woman, Shannan Gilbert, last heard on a 911 call pleading for help from the danger she believed threatened her life. Mari insistently sought justice for her lost child, a crusade which subsequently led to the discovery of the bodies of several other young women on the Southern shore of Long Island.  In the wake of the recent identification of a likely killer of these women (and eventually others), Garbus felt compelled to return to tell the story afresh.  What she reveals is one of a police department that went wrong, and an investigation that long lay fallow, only to be brought to a seeming revelation when key evidence and an indicted killer are recognized for what they truly are.   Hidden Gem:  No Other Land   Follow: @lizfgarbus on Instagram @lizgarbus on X @topdocspod on Instagram and X    The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

More than 50 years after the conviction of Charles Manson and members of the Manson Family for the shocking Tate-LaBianca murders, acclaimed filmmaker Errol Morris takes aim at the case. Inspired by author Tom O’Neill, whose book (“CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties”) attempts to debunk the thesis of famed prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, Errol dives deep into Bugliosi’s “Helter Skelter” theory that convinced the jury — and then captivated the world as chronicled in his true crime bestseller.   Errol joins Ken on the pod to talk about what attracted him to O’Neill’s skepticism of the Helter Skelter scenario in which Manson’s apocalyptic vision of inciting a race war allegedly compelled his followers to carry out the massacre. But, even as the film delves into O’Neill’s alternative theory involving the CIA’s Project MKUltra (the subject of Errol’s earlier Netflix series “Wormwood”), the narrative shifts once again, as Errol’s nose for the truth leads him to Manson associate and convicted murderer Bobby Beausoleil. It’s a convoluted path that may lead to the truth or, more likely, to more questions. It’s just the kind of quest that Errol Morris fans and true crime buffs have been waiting for.   “CHAOS: The Manson Murders” is streaming on Netflix.   Hidden Gem: “The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On”   Follow: @errolmorris on X @topdocspod on Instagram and X    The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

As Director Matt Wolf shows in his  insightful and fun 2-part HBO series “Pee-wee as Himself”, in Pee-wee, Paul Rubens found a persona that allowed him to both reveal and yet hide some core truths about who he was.     Fascinated with television and show business since he was a boy, Rubens combined elements of his childhood’s pop culture with the art world of Southern California in the 70s and early 80s to craft a character that would both conquer the then punkish milieu of Melrose Avenue as well as create a nationally televised children’s TV show.  To achieve this, Wolfe delineates how Rubens deliberately foreclosed both his potential love life as well as cast aside long-held friendships.  Wolfe’s series demonstrates both the costs as well as the benefits of outsized talent and ambition.   You can watch “Pee-wee as Himself” on HBO and HBO Max starting Friday, May 23rd.   Follow: @mattpwolf on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and X    The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

On the pod today, Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro return to discuss their latest for Netflix, American Murder: Gabby Petito.   Mike previously had Julia and Michael on to talk about Murdaugh Murders, and like that effort, this series both fulfills the expectations of the true crime genre, while finding deeper themes to explore.  While in Murdaugh Murders, Julia and Michael turned their lens on the socioeconomic fissures in the heart of a Southern county, here, in telling the story of Gabby Peitio–a young woman who was killed by her fiance Brian Laundie, who later killed himself–Julia and Michael both explore how a seemingly normal relationship between young people can go terribly wrong. And they do so while depicting how this relationship–as well as others Gabby had with friends and family–are intermediated by social media and influencer culture.    Hidden Gems: Becoming Led Zeppelin Into the Fire   Follow: @topdocspod on Instagram and X    The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

In March 1988, when the Board Chair of Gallaudet University, the world’s only Deaf university, announced Gallaudet’s new president, she had no idea what was about to happen. As chronicled in Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim’s riveting new documentary, “Deaf President Now!”,  the students revolted against the decision to hire yet another hearing person to lead the university and took over the campus. In the span of just over one week, their struggle would not only transform Gallaudet but write a powerful new chapter in the history of the Civil Rights Movement.   Nyle and Davis join Ken on the pod to describe this remarkable protest movement and their own dynamic creative partnership. The result is a film that combines thrilling archival footage with moving contemporary interviews and deep insights into the Deaf experience. The film’s original use of the Deaf POV and innovative sound design demonstrate that the revolution that began at Gallaudet has profoundly changed the culture and, now, the documentary form itself.   “Deaf President Now!” premieres on Apple+ on May 16.   Hidden Gems: Davis: No Other Land, Black Box Diaries Nyle: Crip Camp   Follow: @nyledimarco on Instagram X @davisguggenheim on Instagram @topdocspod on Instagram and X    The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Our guest today is  Garret Price, who Mike speaks to about his HBO Series “Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary.” In addition to editing dozens of narrative and documentary series and films, Garret directed “Love, Antosha”. This is his second directorial effort for “Music Box”, the previous being, “Woodstock 99: Peace Love and Rage.”  In “Yacht Rock”, Garret not only burnishes his archival and editorial chops, but digs in for simply charming interviews with the creators of this putative outgrowth of the 70s Southern California sound.   This was a fun one folks!  Garret was game for the sort of back and forth jousting that comes when you try to nail down just what comprises this retrospectively imagined subgenre of music. And, in the process you'll hear that Mike outed himself as a Steely Dan fan. Despite that, we hope you'll take a listen!   Hidden Gems: Documentary: “Finders, Keepers” Yacht Rock: “Hey Nineteen”   Follow: @topdocspod on Instagram and X    The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.  

As we continue Season 5, Mike speaks with Alex Gibney (Agents of Chaos, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Taxi to the Dark Side)  about his documentary series for HBO Max, “Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos”.   If you are familiar with Gibney’s work, you will know that his documentaries often have a political topic or a political edge, so it won't surprise you that while he doesn't overly focus on it, he does explore the ways in which the legendary HBO series was a commentary on America. But the true pleasure of this documentary is to witness the incredibly deep ways that Chase's own life informed his work and–this may actually be connected–the ways that Chase used techniques that he learned from directors like Polanski, Lucci, and Kubrick to shape his own cinematic language.   Follow: @alexgibneyfilm on X @topdocspod on Instagram and X    The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

We're kicking off our 5th Season and the beloved Netflix doc series “Chef’s Table” is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the new release of “Chef’s Table: Legends,” a special four-part series spotlighting the achievements and life lessons of four extraordinary pioneers of the kitchen who have changed the food world and culture writ large.   Joining Ken on the pod for the kickoff of Top Docs Season 5, “Chef’s Table” creator, EP and director David Gelb (“Jiro Dreams of Sushi”) and cinematographer/DP Adam Bricker (“Hacks”) describe what drew them to visionaries Jamie Oliver, José Andres, Thomas Keller and Alice Waters, and how they got these much-celebrated icons to open up about their lives and careers. In addition, David and Adam engage in a bit of introspection themselves as they reflect on the incredible cinematic edible journey that “Chef’s Table” has taken over the course of the last decade. Keep the courses coming.   Hidden Gems: David: The Fog of War, Baraka Adam: Parts Unknown – Singapore (Season 10, Episode 1)   Follow: @thisisdavidgelb on Instagram and X @realadambricker on Instagram and X @topdocspod on Instagram and X    The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.