Sample This (2012)

Sample This is a documentary about The Incredible Bongo Band, the group who created Apache, a song which had a great influence on hip-hop music years later.  Unfortunately, this documentary suffers from a lack of focus.
Let's begin with the presence of Gene Simmons.  While he has a great voice for narration, Gene Simmons has very little (if any) business being in a documentary about hip-hop.  While his appearance is eventually explained, it still doesn't bear enough of a connection to the subject to satisfy me.  Thankfully, there is a good deal of interview footage with people like Questlove and Grand Wizzard Theodore, which does give this doc some element of credibility.
The documentary covers a range of topics through interviews and some archival footage.  It looks at the cultural background of the 1970s, provides profiles of the band members and their producer, and finally gets into the influence of Apache on hip-hop culture via artists such as DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash.  For me, this wide view of the subject makes this documentary suffer.  While the stories of things like political assassinations and music production are somewhat interesting, many of them have very little connection to hip-hop culture, which is supposedly what this documentary is all about.  I was left feeling frustrated to find that the parts I wanted to see only made up the last half hour or so of the film.
Sample This is an interesting documentary that examines some interesting people who unknowingly changed the culture of music.  However, if you're most interested in the song itself and its influence, there's a lot of irrelevant material you'll have to sit through.  There are many better films and documentaries on the subject available, and they won't make you wait for the payoff.

I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2014)

I Am Big Bird is, in reality, two films in one.  It's as much the story of Big Bird as it is the story of Caroll Spinney, the man inside the bird.  This critically acclaimed documentary is a delight for those of us who grew up watching Sesame Street (which, really, could be just about anybody), and it fosters great respect for the hard work that goes into the production of the show.
Caroll Spinney has performed both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for over forty years, and this documentary shines some light on both the cultural impact of these characters as well as Spinney's personal journey.  Through interviews and archival footage, along with a few brief animations, we are told the story of how Caroll Spinney overcame an abusive childhood, a failed first marriage, and on-set tensions early in his career, to bring life to one of the best loved characters on Sesame Street.
One of the first things that we notice in this documentary is Caroll Spinney's personality.  Despite his troubled past, he is a kind-hearted, fun loving man with a very gentle spirit, much like Big Bird himself.
While detailing Spinney's life, we also are treated to a brief history of Big Bird, and to a lesser extent, Oscar the Grouch.  Though not as recognizable as, say, Mickey Mouse, there was definitely a time when Big Bird became a cultural phenomenon, at least in the world of children's TV.  In fact, Big Bird became so popular, it resulted in a trip to China with Bob Hope (and a subsequent TV movie), as well as his own feature film.  This popularity is explained by the fact that Big Bird is as relatable as he is recognizable.  The documentary examines the details, and we are shown how Big Bird is an emotionally intelligent character, which is something that resonates with both children and adults.  Arguably, Sesame Street would not be the icon it is today without Big Bird.
For those interested in puppetry, there are some eye-opening scenes that detail exactly how performing inside of the Big Bird suit works.  These scenes highlight how difficult this kind of performance is, and the kind of endurance that's necessary for the job.  I appreciated how this documentary didn't shy away from discussing the realities of Spinney's age as a performer, or even the shifts in popularity of other Muppets featured on Sesame Street.  While these facts were somewhat saddening, I found that they were presented with realism, and not played as being overly negative.
One small issue I had with the film is that there are no name labels for the people who were interviewed, aside from in the end credits.  So, unless you're a giant Henson nerd like me, you probably won't recognize performers such as the late Jerry Nelson, among many others.  While the real story is about Caroll Spinney, I find that this was a rather large oversight of this film, which doesn't give proper respect for these talented people.
It's only appropriate that the story of such an emotional character is told with equal emotion.  Some scenes, such as the footage of Big Bird's musical performance at Jim Henson's funeral, are incredibly moving.  Knowing Caroll Spinney's personal relationship with Henson makes an already emotional moment that much more meaningful to the audience.
Towards the end of this documentary, Caroll Spinney notes that while he will one day be gone from this Earth, Big Bird will live on.  It's a powerfully real statement from a man who overcame many hardships early in life, but never let his past define who he was.  As kids, many of us learned from Big Bird watching Sesame Street.  I find it only fitting that as adults, we can learn just as much from Caroll Spinney watching I Am Big Bird.