There have been a handful of fun documentaries highlighting either the business side or the behind-the-scenes details of entertainment and Hollywood. For some reason, even the best of these don’t stay on streaming platforms for very long. Which is a shame, because they are informative and entertaining, and easy to watch more than once… and not always readily available on disc.
I understand wanting to maximize revenue by having it on more than one platform for a time, and for independently produced niche documentaries it makes even more sense, but I’d also love to know what math determines when that film is just not profitable to make available for people to watch anymore.
Hence, also wanting to have them on physical media.
Here are my current “top five” Hollywood documentaries from recent years that should be more easily available on disc.
Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show (2015) is a good place to start, and as of now, that film is still available and affordable on DVD. There’s even a book that the film is based on, Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show by Tara Bennett.
This documentary is frequently on Tubi, Pluto TV and Apple TV.
I Know That Voice (2014) is a documentary by executive producer John Di Maggio, in association with Dundee Entertainment and Cinovative, that focuses on the “mysterious world” of voice over and voice acting. It is said to put a “face to the voices we all know and love.” Di Maggio is the voice actor for Bender of Futurama, Jake the Dog of Adventure Time and more.
This one does pops up on streaming now and again (Prime Video and Tubi), and can still be found on DVD (although not always at reasonable prices).
Website: I Know That Voice
But there are a few other recent good ones that aren’t easy to find reasonably priced on disc anymore (you’re more likely to find a “premium” priced copy on eBay). These really should still be in print and available:
That Guy… Who Was in That Thing (2015)
Sixteen male actor – who are highly recognizable but not stars – detail their ups and downs as they struggle to forge careers in Hollywood. These men are great actors but you probably don’t know their names. They’ve played cops, lawyers, bosses, best friends, psychopaths, politicians, and everything in between. They have recurring roles in television series and many have appeared in 50 to 100 films, some even more. Now you’ll know who they are.
While the DVD for this one at times can be hard to find, it does exist, and it also pops up on Prime Video now and then.
That Gal… Who Was in That Thing (2015)
You know their faces, but do you know their names? They’ve played cops, lawyers, bosses, best friends, politicians and everything in between. In the sequel to “That Guy…Who Was in That Thing”, follow 8 actresses as they detail their experiences in Hollywood with plastic surgery, race, sexism, nudity, recognition, double standards, age and family.
That Gal… appears regularly on Prime Video, but the DVD is extremely hard to find.
Dream On Silly Dreamer (2006)
On March 25, 2002, more than 200 Disney artists working at the studios legendary Feature Animation department in Burbank, California, were told that their services were no longer needed by the company. It took only one uncomfortable gathering with then president of Feature Animation Thomas Schumacher, now dubbed “The Tom Meeting,” to kill 75 years of a beloved animated tradition. A similar series of events soon played out at Disneys other animation studios in Paris, Tokyo and Orlando, Florida. Doors were closed for good and in total nearly 1,300 skilled artists and craftsmen were fired. The company best known for its handcrafted animated features no longer wanted artists to draw for them.
Dream On Silly Dreamer is the new animated documentary from director Dan Lund and producer Tony West that tells this tale. Featuring interviews recorded soon after the now infamous “Tom Meeting,” viewers will learn the reasons offered by the company and feel the emotional responses from those affected. A handful of artists tell their side of the story and share their recollections of the “good old days” at Disney.
The DVD for this one sold out pretty quickly, and copies turn up on eBay for sometimes ridiculous prices. I wish this one was available on streaming or disc again, because this story needs to be seen again, especially given the developments with Disney 10 and 15 years after this release.
The website is still active: “Dream On Silly Dreamer” homepage
A more than honorable mention goes to Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2021), because it’s still available on DVD and blu-ray, and on Shudder and Prime Video, and the book this documentary and TV series is based on recently came out with a new & updated edition.
I say honorable mention, because while the book stays in print, the DVD and blu-ray become “unavailable” now and again. Maybe that means people keep buying them and they go out of print and have to wait for new batches? Either way, a documentary still well worth watching.
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