Awesome Documentaries

Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have teamed up to purchase a football club in Wales. In order to greet the local fans, they hired a translator to relay their messages in their native tongue – and it doesn’t go as expected. Keep an eye on FX for their documentary series about the team and their involvement.

Ahoy is back with another of their great, deadpan videos about weaponry. This time, they provide a in-depth look at the fiery death-dealers known as flamethrowers, and their appearances in video games, movies, TV, and real-life combat. We had no idea flamethrower tanks were a thing.

Famed nature show host David Attenborough returns with a three-part series about how color plays a role in the biology and evolution of animals. Colors can be used for camouflage, to scare off predators, or to help win mates. The series used specially-developed cameras in order to reveal what other animals see from their perspective. On Netflix now.

“Weird Al” Yankovic narrates this film about the enigmatic and entertaining showman known as Tiny Tim. Known by most for his falsetto voice and ambiguous appearance, Tim brought joy to millions with his ukulele and Tip Toe Through the Tulips, but also helped pave the way for other performers who refused to be pidgeonholed.

We’ve been featuring Nathan Barnatt on The Awesomer for over a decade. Inside a Mind digs into the story of the multi-talented actor who has been entertaining us for years with his dance moves, comedy, commercials, and filmmaking. Along the way, Nathan talks about the ups and downs of being “internet famous.”

Did you know that the same person gave us Cool Whip, Pop Rocks, Tang, and Jell-O? Food scientist William A. Mitchell worked at General Foods for more than 30 years, leaving a legacy of iconic manufactured food products that are still enjoyed by junk food connoisseurs today. Great Big Story tells his tale.

The opening credits from Malcolm in the Middle featured a number of memorable images, accompanied by a great They Might Be Giants tune. For a brief moment, we see a man performing a ski jump while completely ablaze. Kid Leaves Stoop digs into the mystery behind this burning man, and who he really was.

The Nintendo 64 is known for games like Super Mario 64 and Star Fox 64. But there was another potentially big N64 title that never came out. In this short film from Adam Butcher, he takes a look back at Catastrophe Crow!, a highly-anticipated game that vanished along with its creator under strange circumstances. Or did it?

Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver) directed this documentary about musicians Ron and Russel Mael, aka Sparks. The enigmatic and criminally underappreciated duo has been defying conventions since the 1970s and continues to make compelling music today. It’s tentatively scheduled for release 10.2021.

In the 1970s, Liz Carmichael tried to go up against the big-three automakers with her own car company. The three-wheeled, two-seater Dale was marketed as something revolutionary, but as HBO’s documentary explores, Liz was a master of smoke and mirrors, and eventually went down in a blaze of controversy. Drops 1.31.21.

(PG-13: Language) Nicolas Cage hosts this six-part documentary series about the origins of expletives. Along the way, Nic drops an 8-second F-bomb, and you might learn a thing or two about the importance of swear words in our vocabulary. Coming to Netflix 1.5.2021.

(PG-13: Language) Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow, Kumail Nanjiani, and Tracy Ullman head up the cast of this documentary special to send off the worst year most of us have experienced. It’s from the creators of Black Mirror, so we expect the comedy to be especially dark. Coming to Netflix 12.27.2020.

98-year-old Eddy Goldfarb is one of the world’s most prolific toy designers. Eddy has invented over 800 toys, including those chattering teeth, the game KerPlunk, and the Bubble Gun. Filmmaker Lyn Goldfarb’s documentary paints an endearing portrait of the man who has brought joy to so many, and also happens to be her father.

Auroras create some of the most awe-inspiring visuals you can see on our planet. SciFri introduces us to Don Fairbanks, a scientist who has dedicated the last two decades to studying these polar lights. His recent research is focused on how they can impact communications satellites and the Earth’s power grid.

With animated classics like Toy Story, Up, Wall-E, and Finding Nemo to their credit, every animation company on the planet aspires to be as good as Pixar. This new documentary series takes us inside Disney’s famed CG-animation studio to meet the creative minds behind the movies. Premieres on Disney+ 11.13.2020.

Coolest Thing introduces us to self-proclaimed mad scientist Lance Greathouse. Among his many builds is a motorized wheelchair that packs a flamethrower on its front end. But he doesn’t just build silly stuff, Lance and the folks from the Wheelchair Labs helps refurbish wheelchairs for people in need.

It’s a story that’s been told in books, movies, and articles, but we still don’t know who D.B. Cooper really was. HBO’s documentary shines new light on the story of the unidentified hijacker who extorted $200,000 in ransom, parachuted out of the airplane, and vanished along with the money. Premieres 11.25.2020.

Directed by Alex Winter (of “Bill and Ted” fame), this documentary takes us deep into the world of musician Frank Zappa. The film features never-before-seen footage and interviews with Frank’s friends and peers to help paint a picture of a man who defied labels and genres and fought to preserve America’s freedom of speech.

Ted Ngoy came to America from Cambodia in search of a dream, and he made it happen. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s he dominated the donut business on the West coast. Then it all came crashing down due to his gambling addiction. Director Alice Gu’s documentary goes inside of Ted’s meteoric rise and fall. Drops 10.30.2020.

Walton Goggins stars in this mockumentary about a legendary pitchman who helped put the Ford Bronco on the map. Among it’s “facts” are how Ford named the Bronco after the man, who became so popular that he had his own breakfast cereal, action figure, and cologne. The 40-minute film premieres on Hulu on 10.15.2020.

Back in the 1980s, Rax Roast Beef was a popular fast-food chain. But the company lost its way, trying to reinvent itself in the face of competition and is down to its last few locations. And then there’s this disastrous ad campaign which certainly didn’t help. The Vlogbrothers offer their take on the one and only Mr. Delicious.

From his earliest comic book days to incarnations brought to life by Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Hamill, and Adam West, The Joker is one of the greatest supervillains in history. Warner Bros. interviewed filmmakers, authors, and actors to talk about what makes The Clown Prince of Crime tick.

After riding into stardom as a little kid back in 2010, Jackson Goldstone has become a force to be reckoned with on his mountain bike. Ride Shimano and Anthill Films take us inside of Jackson’s world, set against the beautiful mountainous backdrop of Squamish, B.C., which has certainly played a part in him honing his craft.