Best 16 Documentary Movies Picks from 1966

The crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters. Look into The Endless Summer / IMDB / YouTube

The cruel acts of animal poaching and violence, executions, and tribal slaughtering, all taking place on the African continent. Get info on Africa: Blood and Guts / IMDB / YouTube

Completely topless. Completely uninhibited. The craze that began in San Francisco is now exploding across the USA and Europe. Explore Mondo Topless / IMDB / YouTube

The insane government bureaucracy at a state pension window. Info on The Office / IMDB / YouTube

BBC television program exploring Visconti’s mastery of cinema, theater, and opera direction. Read about Man of Three Worlds: Luchino Visconti / IMDB / YouTube

An examination of the lifestyles of female college students in 1966. Learn about A Modern Coed / IMDB / YouTube

The story of a poet's (Louis Aragon) love for his wife, the writer Elsa Triolet. Details on Elsa la rose / IMDB / YouTube

The film depicts the first band practice of The Velvet Underground and Nico at the Factory in New York in January 1966, and is essentially one long loose improvisation. Read about The Velvet Underground and Nico / IMDB / YouTube

Journalists from all over America meet Marlon Brando in a New York hotel room to interview him about his new film, Morituri. Seeing this as an opportunity to let the legendary actor promote the film, they find Brando unwilling to talk about it, instead he is more interested in larking about and turning on the charm when being interviewed by Bobbi Johnson (a reporter f. Details on Meet Marlon Brando / IMDB / YouTube

The outrageous life of the American dancer of the 1920s, Isadora Duncan, whom Ken Russell described as part genius and part charlatan. Learn about Isadora / IMDB / YouTube

Live performances by some of the top rock-and-roll acts of the mid 60s. Includes Ray Charles, The Byrds, Joan Baez, Ike and Tina Turner, Donovan, The Lovin' Spoonful, and several more. Check out The Big T.N.T. Show / IMDB / YouTube

John Huston, who directed Monroe in her first major film and her last completed role, pays tribute to the life and career of the tragic actress. Explore The Legend of Marilyn Monroe / IMDB / YouTube

Made in celebration of the Canadian centennial, this Oscar-nominated documentary offers aerial exploration of the country's vast and varied landscape, featuring impressive widescreen cinematography, amusingly irreverent commentary, and even a cameo by The Beatles. Explore Helicopter Canada / IMDB / YouTube

Following an introduction by Bing Crosby, the Cinerama screen widens for scenes of landscapes, cities, peoples, and entertainments of the Soviet Union. Highlights include the historic buildings and churches of Moscow, as the Kremlin; its subway and streets, a spring carnival, the seaside resorts on the Black Sea, a trip down the Voga River, skiers, a troika racing alo. Learn about Cinerama's Russian Adventure / IMDB / YouTube

Jonas Mekas' elegant report on a Poughkeepsie police department's raid of Timothy Leary's base-of-operations amply demonstrates the political potential of his diary filmmaking. The film's protest is lodged in the disjunction between sound and image, with Mekas' intimate, idyllic footage of the Millbrook property undercutting audio of the sheriff's fear-mongering ratio. Check out Report from Millbrook / IMDB / YouTube

THE FOUR ELEMENTS is a poetic and avant-garde documentary Curtis Harrington made for the United States Information Agency. Look into The Four Elements / IMDB / YouTube