In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a helpless goner when it comes to movies about other movies or the workings of the film industry in general. I love them all, even the bad ones, because they draw back the curtain on what, in theory, we’re not always supposed to see.
Whittling down this list from my original 21 to the final 10 wasn’t easy. Neither was doing almost the same with part two of this series: the live action features. Please check back in February for it.
Titles are presented in chronological order.
For viewing options, go to justwatch.com.
‘Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse’ (1991)
For me, this behind-the-scenes look at the making of the landmark “Apocalypse Now” is the best of its kind ever produced. Secretly filmed by Francis Ford Coppola’s wife Eleanor before, during, and after principal photography, it finds her husband in complete meltdown mode as the movie he’s making hits one seemingly insurmountable roadblock after another.
‘Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures’ (2001)
Narrated by Tom Cruise and directed by Kubrick’s brother-in-law Jan Harlan, this cradle-to-grave bio flick of one of the industry’s most innovative and enigmatic filmmakers is indispensable. Detailed analyses of Kubrick’s features are intertwined with interviews from performers, collaborators, and other directors is a must-watch for any dedicated cinephile or those unfamiliar with Kubrick’s works.
‘Jodorowsky’s Dune’ (2013)
A rarity even within this razor-thin genre, this is a making-of movie about a film that was never even produced. Simply put, Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky was asked to adapt Frank Herbert’s “Dune” in 1974, long before the required technology would allow it. Making things worse, Jodorowsky’s dubious casting choices (Salvador Dali, Orson Welles) in major roles made the project financially untenable.
‘Life Itself’ (2014)
Easily the most famous movie critic of all time, Roger Ebert probably wasn’t the most influential (see “Pauline Kael” below). Based on Ebert’s memoir of the same name, director Steve James mixes archival footage of the “Siskel & Ebert” show, interviews with filmmakers and other critics, and Ebert himself in the last years of his life. I rarely agreed with Ebert, but without him, you wouldn’t be reading this now.
‘Listen to Me Marlon’ (2015)
With the complete cooperation of Brando’s estate and some very impressive CGI manipulation, director Stevan Riley slowly peels back the layers of one of the most mysterious, complex, and divisive figures in the history of the arts. Practically every word is spoken by the subject himself. It’s an unprecedented coup and perhaps the finest documentary about any entertainment icon ever made.
‘By Sidney Lumet’ (2015)
In his 50-year career making features, Sidney Lumet directed, among others, “12 Angry Men,” “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” “Fail Safe,” “Serpico,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” and “Network,” all of them classics. What most people don’t know is that Lumet started his a career as a child actor and how he cut his teeth directing live television in the 1950s. Nancy Buirski’s thorough summation of his life and career is superb.
‘What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael’ (2019)
Director Rob Garver’s indispensable doc presents a surprisingly balanced and unbiased overview of movie critic Pauline Kael’s life and career. It’s clear that Garver is among the many fans of Kael’s work, yet he isn’t shy to shine a light on her often bristly demeanor and questionable ethics. For my money, Kael was the G.O.A.T. movie critic and the only one whose writings changed the way future movies were made.
‘Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound’ (2019)
It would be understandable to think this doc focuses on movie scores and soundtracks, but that’s not the case. The sole effort to date directed by Midge Costin, “Waves” instead concentrates of the misunderstood and frequently underappreciated discipline of sound design. Each act of the movie spotlights three supreme masters of the craft: Walter Murch, Ben Burtt, and Gary Rydstrom.
‘Made in England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger’ (2024)
Barely known in the United States but considered geniuses in Europe, the filmmaking team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger is among the most influential of all cinematic trailblazers. Produced and hosted by Martin Scorsese, this movie is an in-depth study of the duo’s first 18 features released between 1939 and 1957. In particular, it addresses the movies they made during World War II, about it, or both.
‘Mr. Scorsese’ (2025)
Under normal conditions, a five-hour series about a single director might be too much, but in the case of the title character, it leaves us wanting more. Directed by Rebecca Miller, the series covers the well-known and more obscure titles in Scorsese’s canon, along with interviews from his contemporaries, actors, musicians, collaborators, and his three daughters.
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