Author: Derek Beres / Source: Big Think

10 documentaries to inspire you, from the origins of hip-hop to the psychedelic journey of Gonzo journalists. (Image: Thierry Ehrmann on Flickr/Shutterstock/Big Think)
One of the great pleasures of the Internet is discovering old documentaries. While there are many rabbit holes to drop into, Open Culture’s list of 265 free documentaries is a wonderfully curated excursion to educate and entertain yourself. As that’s a rather vast list, below are ten worth watching.
Of course, this is a personal list aligned with topics I write about on this site. Check out the full entry to satisfy personal tastes.Atheism: A History of Disbelief
British theater and opera director Jonathan Miller thought seriously about monotheism after 9/11. Dismayed by the atrocity that occurred under the name of religion, this three-part BBC series, first broadcast in 2004, traces disbelief from the time of classical Greek and Roman skeptics up to the present day. Interestingly, this series aired in America on PBS in 2007 with the word ‘atheism’ removed. Regardless, Miller calls it for what it is.
Beat This! A Hip-Hop History
While hip-hop documentaries will likely be made for centuries, this 1984 BBC film about the burgeoning culture is an incredible time capsule. The story of the poetic stylings of ingenious lyricists on Bronx street corners, borrowed from Jamaican sound systems and toasters (reggae emcees), has already been told and retold too many times to recount. Watching it unfold as it happened is another story altogether.
Black Coffee
There’s a sentiment that as California goes, so does the nation. (It’s also been said about New York City and Texas, depending on context.) When it comes to health fads, this is certainly true. Yet it’s also the case that crazy ideologies emerge here. This trend continues in the recent fight against trace amounts of acrylamide in coffee, which caused one judge to rule that the bean must include a cancer warning. Instead of wasting more ink on this ridiculous legislation, why not watch this three-part 2007 documentary on one of the planet’s great gifts?
Cyberpunk
One of the greatest acts of foresight to come out of the eighties is William Gibson’s Neuromancer, a futuristic mythology about a downtrodden hacker fighting A.I. Gibson is featured in this 1990 documentary about the genre he became king of. The film is a deep dive on the influence of science fiction on the emerging computer technologies of the era.
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