Documentary Spotlight: 10 Terrific Documentaries

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41NSgA6d7cL. SS500 Documentary Spotlight: 10 Terrific Documentaries

With the American Teen documentary currently playing in theatres (and hopefully expanding shortly), I’ve put together a list of 10 awesome documentaries that both entertain and inform.  From the powerful to the ridiculous, from religious nuts to video all the way through a videogame competition that turns into no less than a battle between good and evil. 

Here’s my top 10, in no particular order:

The King of Kong- The King of Kong is a hilarious and deadpan documentary about a quest for a Donkey Kong record score between good guy Steve Wiebe and the smarmy super-villain Billy Mitchell.  Selling hotsauce and self importance (with a fondness for sneering), Billy is a far more intriguing villain than we get in most fictional films these days.

Paradise Lost 1 and 2- AMAZING documentaries about 3 teenagers who were convicted of murdering 3 young boys because they wore black and listened to metal music.  One of the most damning films I’ve ever seen on the US justice system and a terrifying reality about the way people in a small town (or any town really) can be manipulated by their own ignorance and fear.  The brooding Metallica music (a group I despise) fits the film like a glove.  Sidenote:  Both films will be available as a boxed set on October 30th on DVD for around 20 bucks, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Roger and Me- Michael Moore’s funny, brilliant and incendiary first documentary.  Love him or hate him, Roger and Me is a terrific and entertaining film with more than a hint of sadness to the proceedings.

Wal Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices- A devasting look at perhaps the most evil corporation (besides Comcast Cable) currently operating in the United States.  Well worth a look next time you are bragging to your friends about how great Wal Mart’s prices are…..you’re paying a lot more than you’ll ever know for that 6 dollar t shirt.

Bowling for Columbine- Michael Moore examines our love of guns and ultraviolence.  It takes a look at all sides of the issue.  Yes, Moore is biased, but the film openly searches for answers and when it finds none, it asks intriguing questions that to this day, were never answered.

Jesus Camp- The scariest look yet at the religious freaks right here in the United States and their kids.  The closest thing to psychological child abuse I’ve seen yet in a documentary. 

Fahrenheit 9/11- Michael Moore’s record breaking documentary on the Bush administration and all of their lies.  Hardly fair and balanced, its still excellent filmmaking.  Moore wisely stays out of most of the film and lets his research and ideas do most of the talking.

Mad Hot Ballroom- Crowd-pleasing documentary that sadly hasn’t been seen by enough people.  Put down your 5th Iraq war documentary and pop this into the DVD player for some pure joy. Winner of every audience award at every film festival it played, including the one right here in Philly. 

No End in Sight- The best documentary yet on the missteps and blunders of this long running ocupation of a country that didn’t attack us.  This is the only Iraq doc that is required viewing.

True Life (MTV series)- OK, this is a bit of a cheat, but I love MTV’s long-running True Life series.  A great group of 1 hour documentaries on everything from people living with ADD and OCD to interracial dating, to coming out of the closet.  Despite some notable missteps (the episode about the Jersey Shore skanks), this is must see bite size documentary viewing that won’t rot the brain and actually engages the mind.

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