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Assorted links
1. New libertarian economics MP3s, including on monetary policy
2. The paradox of thrift; excellent
4. The best documentaries? What about Robert Flaherty's Louisiana Story?
Posted by Tyler Cowen on August 1, 2008 at 03:41 PM in Economics | Permalink
Comments
Where's Nanook of the North?
The big problem with that list if the Michael Moore films.
Salesman should be number 1.
Posted by: Dirk at Aug 1, 2008 4:47:35 PM
Don't tell me you buy into the ludicrous theory promoted on that blog. Andy Karsner was a political appointee. It is in fact totally unsurprising that he would resign at this point.
Posted by: anonymous at Aug 1, 2008 4:53:08 PM
These were chosen by the International Documentary Association, so it's no surprise they would pick films that confirm their anti-American biases.
Posted by: John S. at Aug 1, 2008 4:59:04 PM
Not sure I get the logic of the piece on the "Paradox of thrift". If people buy "gold, or oil, or art, or whatever", don't the people who sold them that "gold, or oil, or art" earn income which they can then spend/invest? Exactly where does the pipe spring a leak? Again, I remember reading somewhere that, historically, consumption is fairly stable during a recession, but investment falls off. Which seems to imply that businesses are holding back investment even as households are consuming away. Still don't know where the leak is..
Posted by: nextinline at Aug 1, 2008 5:04:13 PM
I'd like to second Dirk in objecting to Michael Moore's movies on the list. The thing is, I actually find most of his movies to be entertaining. But they're really not so much documentaries as they are performance art.
Posted by: Lars at Aug 1, 2008 5:13:35 PM
#2- yay
#3- I wonder sometimes why we even need umpteen different kinds of cables to care a positive and a negative. Lack of standardization is the closest I'd come to admitting a market failure.
Posted by: Andrew at Aug 1, 2008 5:21:46 PM
Agree 100% that M. Moore films are anything but documentaries. When a filmmaker cuts together two clips from two different speeches given months apart by the same person, and presents them as one continuous thought that is completely out of context, he has crossed the line from documentarism to misleading editorialism. That's what M. More did in Bowling for Columbine, and while it helps him make his point, it's terribly dishonest to distort reality that way.
Posted by: Anon-y-mouse at Aug 1, 2008 5:55:57 PM
On the paradox of thrift -- to quote Axl Rose "What we have here is a failure to cooperate."
Posted by: Michael F. Martin at Aug 1, 2008 9:20:43 PM
Errr... to misquote Axl Rose that is. I guess it was "failure to COMMUNICATE."
Posted by: Michael F. Martin at Aug 1, 2008 9:46:13 PM
the real problem with that list is that it doesn't include march of the penguins. come on!
Posted by: at Aug 2, 2008 1:00:49 AM
Michael Moore seems to be a very capable documentary maker, according to the list.
I remember some time ago there was some discussion about his work, but I am glad that is all sorted now and he gets the recognition he so greatly deserves.
Posted by: richard at Aug 2, 2008 4:15:08 AM
Axl Rose?! Okay. I thought it came from Cool Hand Luke (and maybe earlier than that).
Anyhow, why is _Quest for Fire_ not in that list of documentaries?
(ht: Robin Williams)
Posted by: Eric H at Aug 2, 2008 10:57:24 AM
what about recommending something good once in while?
The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals
by Jane Mayer
HC
Posted by: Happy Camper at Aug 2, 2008 12:50:47 PM
I always thought Sans Soleil by Chris Marker was pretty good. Probably better watched when a bit stoned.
Posted by: themightypuck at Aug 2, 2008 1:24:47 PM
Fred Wiseman takes 5 out of 25. Not bad and probably not undeserved.
Posted by: themightypuck at Aug 2, 2008 1:29:41 PM
Mea culpa. I was looking at the wrong list. Wiseman got 1 out of 25. Times change though. 20 years ago Le Sang des bêtes and Battle for Algiers would surely be on the list.
Posted by: themightypuck at Aug 2, 2008 1:33:49 PM
Also, Gap Toothed Women by Les Blank (hell a lot of his crazy films) are brilliant and rarely seen by people who don't have degrees in Film. I think you should find a copy and send it to Megan McCardle.
Posted by: themightypuck at Aug 2, 2008 1:39:41 PM
Nextinline,
Your intuition is spot on, and I thought the counters given in the link were completely missing your point, though they both seem to be aware of this.
Posted by: Yancey Ward at Aug 2, 2008 2:08:12 PM
Ballets Russes is tops in my book. Even if you hate ballet, the footage, stories, and interviews are stirring and memorable.
Posted by: David Lehr at Aug 2, 2008 3:15:46 PM
Roger and Me making the list... that's like If Bowling for Columbine made the list after we had banned all guns and the murder rate had quadrupled the next day. It's reaaaalllly stupid to complain about what GM did back then looking at what's happened in the last 20some years
Posted by: Careless at Aug 3, 2008 12:07:36 AM
Tyler,
When you have a bunch of "assorted links", would you consider making each link a separate blog entry? It might look a little silly, but then the comments for the respective links would be organized. It'd be much better than sifting thru all these comments and finding responses to link #3, for instance.
Posted by: Chuck E at Aug 3, 2008 11:07:26 AM
I think "Spellbound" is a little too high up. Good documentaries that are missing are "Born into Brothels," "Mad Hot Ballroom," and "The King of Kong" (though there's not a lot of intellectual depth in that last one). BTW, "Quest for Fire" is not a documentary because it is a fictional depiction.
Posted by: RZ at Aug 4, 2008 4:49:09 PM
My bad - "Born into Brothels" is on the list.
Posted by: RZ at Aug 4, 2008 4:49:51 PM
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