Who’s up for some brilliant documentaries? At the moment, there are a few fresh Netflix documentaries trending in the Top 10. One of those is Tyson, a limited series about one of the “baddest men on the planet,” Mike Tyson. On the comedy side, Norm Macdonald’s documentary is winning over viewers thanks to the late comedian’s indelible humor.
I have my eyes on three docs this weekend. In honor of the NBA’s opening week, I’m revisiting a classic ESPN 30 for 30 about the rivalry between two landmark teams. Next, I’m heading into the world of Hollywood to learn more about an actor who has been in people’s lives for 50 years. My top selection of the week involves a hot-button issue that scares everyone: AI. Check out all three on Netflix U.S.
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Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies
No love lost in this rivalry
Credit: ESPNESPN’s 30 for 30 series revolutionized sports documentaries. It proved that there was an audience for sports-centric documentaries presented like television episodes. High-profile filmmakers like Peter Berg, Barry Levinson, and Ron Shelton legitimized the series as a whole. Some of my favorites include The U, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks, and The Best That Never Was. With the NBA season tipping off, it feels right to explore the heated rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The history of the Celtics and Lakers rivalry dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, when Boston’s Bill Russell and Bob Cousy would play L.A.’s Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. Told in three parts, Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies traces the origins of the rivalry, but spends the majority of the documentary in the 1980s. In Boston, Larry Bird and the Celtics ruled the Eastern Conference. In California, Magic Johnson and the “Showtime” Lakers dazzled the Western Conference. It culminated in three showdowns in the NBA Finals.
For any hoops junkie, you’re going to be right at home with Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies. It’s crazy to realize the two teams combined for eight NBA championships during the 1980s. As a Knicks fan, I dislike the Celtics and the Lakers. As a sports fan, I respect the history of both franchises.
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Sly
The life and times of the Italian Stallion
Sylvester Stallone was the living embodiment of an underdog. It’s easy to look back at his career now and think, “This guy was destined to be one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.” Most actors would kill to have a role as iconic as Rocky Balboa. Stallone is the rare actor to get a second career-defining role: John Rambo. To quote Rocky, Stallone’s life wasn’t all “sunshine and rainbows.”
Sly, a 2023 Netflix documentary, examines the unlikely path to stardom for Stallone. Most people will want to learn about the beginning of his career and how he came to write the first draft for Rocky in about three days. There’s this idea that if no one is going to give you the role you want, you should create the opportunity yourself. That’s what Stallone did with Rocky, refusing to sell the script and remaining adamant that he must play the titular character. Stallone got his wish. He played Rocky, and it became an award-winning movie, including an Oscar winner for Best Picture. It’s an inspiring story that will be dramatized in I Play Rocky, out in theaters next month.
Several of Stallone’s friends, contemporaries, and admirers provide interviews in Sly, including Frank Stallone Jr., Talia Shire, Henry Winkler, and Quentin Tarantino. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger, once Stallone’s fiercest rival in the 1980s and later his costar and friend, shares interesting insights about him. With Stallone currently starring in the latest season of Tulsa King, it’s inspiring to see the 80-year-old still thriving in Hollywood.
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Instadocs: AI Gone Wild
The artificial intelligence boom has only begun
In the trailer for Instadocs: AI Gone Wild, one of the interviewees says, “I don’t think we’re ready for AI to become smarter than us.” I mean, if you’re underestimating the power and capabilities of AI, you might want to sit down. I tend to picture hacking as something straight out of a movie, with a brainiac typing at lightning speed as multiple monitors light up.
This past July, Hugging Face, an open-source AI platform, experienced a security breach. The attack wasn’t carried out by a person sitting at a computer. In fact, the hackers weren’t even human operators. They were autonomous agents created by OpenAI researchers. If that doesn’t make the hair on your neck stand up, I don’t know what will.
Instadocs: AI Gone Wild reconstructs the incident, giving the AI agents voices. However, the idea that autonomous agents can execute a coordinated breach is no laughing matter. I pray this isn’t a sign of things to come.
Subscription with ads
Yes, $8/month
Simultaneous streams
Two or four
More Netflix content to stream
I’m always looking out for new and returning shows to hit Netflix. This weekend, Nobody Wants This is back for its third season, and I expect many fans to finish it by the end of the weekend. Elsewhere, the streamer has several exciting thrillers, including Animals and Point Break.
