Documentaries That Will Knock You Out

List creator: terryogara Created on: March 21, 2004 - 5:31 AM PST Description: From A to Z; spanning a variety of topics; sometimes funny; at times intense; all damn good documentaries.

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	movie title	related list	average rating	MPAA rating	watch	rent	buy
	American Movie (1999)
The indie auteur profiled in this documentary might be Hollywood player if he didn't have such miserably comic social skills. Well, it's entertaining for the rest of us. Double Feature Recommendation: Beyond The Mat or The Kid Stays in the Picture
	The Atomic Cafe (1982)			Not Rated
Cold War propaganda almost laughable in retrospect.
	Beyond the Mat (1999)			Not Rated
Wrestling is job, like anything else, except you get the sh*t beat out of you on a regular basis.
	Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary (2002)
Brilliant documentary about the woman who took memos for Hitler. Double Feature Recommendation: The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl
	Brother's Keeper (1992)
Illiterate lost boys sustain life long unorthodox friendship; when one dies the other is accused of his murder and a media circus ensues. Follow this with 'Capturing the Friedmans' for a quick lesson in ambiguity.
	Buena Vista Social Club (1998)
Bob Seger sings he'd rather listen to 'that old time rock and roll' than say, a tango. But after this documentary, I'll take whatever they're playing in Havana. Double Feature Recommendation: Scratch
	Capturing the Friedmans (2002)			Not Rated
A family falls apart under the duress of child molestation charges. Follow this with 'Crumb' and a Xanax.
	Children Underground (2001)			Not Rated
12 year old Romanian orphans with more punk rock attitude than Sid Vicious. Guaranteed to break your heart. Double Feature Recommendation: Dark Days
	Crumb (Criterion) (1994)
You've heard cult comix book artist Crumb was eccentric? Wait till you meet the rest of the family.
	Dark Days (2000)			Not Rated
The life and times of NYC's disenfranchised tunnel dwellers. DJ Shadow delivers a unconventionally effective score. Double Feature Recommendation: Children Underground
	A Decade Under the Influence (2003)			Not Rated
The '70's were great and because we're all sorry you weren't born yet, here's a consolation prize. Double Feature Recommendation: The Kid Stays in the Picture
	Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)
Good Doc even if you're not into Skateboarding. Dogtown is an athropological study as much as anything elese.
	Hearts and Minds (Criterion Collection) (1974)
It's simply impossible to view this Academy Award-winning documentary and not be shocked by the parallels between US involvement in Vietnam versus US Involvement in Iraq.
	Hell House (2001)			Not Rated
How to scare the bejesus out of you. Not.
	How to Draw A Bunny (2002)
New York collage artist Ray Johnson -the 'father of correspondence art'- lived his life as though it were a performance piece.
	Let it Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles (1998)			Not Rated
Composer, author, nomad, pre-beat inspiration. Allen Hibbard writes, "Bowles journeyed into the heart of darkness, saw the horror of it all, returned, and gave it exquisite aesthetic form."
	The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
Even when Robert Evans was down on his luck, he lead a charmed life. A Hollywood insider's guide to chutzpa. Double Feature Recommendation: A Decade Under The Influence
	One Day in September (1999)
Hostage Tragedy at 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Law enforcement failures turn out to be mind boggingly idiotic.
	Paragraph 175 (2000)
Slow to start; suddenly riveting; skip the History Channel tonight and watch this striking documentary instead.
	Primary (1960)
A classic Cinema Vérité portrait of the John F. Kennedy/ Hubert H. Humphrey 1960 campaign tour. Set the standard for everything after. Double Feature Recommendation: The War Room
	Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working With Time (2001)			Not Rated
Reminiscent of Mario Merz, British environmental artist Goldsworthy appears able to create art out anything. A must see for those interested in the creative process.
	Roger & Me (1989)
Calling for corporate responsibility before anyone else gave a damn.
	The Saltmen of Tibet (1997)			Not Rated
Not for those with Attention Deficit Disorder; this documentary requires your full attention, so stop multitasking and maybe you'll learn a thing or two about real hardwork, edge-of-the-earth survival, cultural identity, and cinematography.
	Silverlake Life - The View From Here (1993)			Not Rated
A compelling documentary dealing with the power of love in the face of AIDS. Equal parts social commentary, tragedy and romance. Not for the faint of heart.
	South: Shackleton & the Endurance (1919)
More balls than Superman.
	Scratch (2001)
Are DJ's musicians? These cats definitely are. Mandatory viewing for music historians. Double Feature Recommendation: Buena Vista Social Club
	Startup.com (2001)
New economy dreams that capture the zetigeist of the bubble.
	Unzipped (1995)
Equal parts comic biopic and business exegesis.
	Vakvagany (2003)			Not Rated
10 viewers gave this film an average score of 2.90, but I was fascinated. Long lost Hungarian home movies of a dysfunctional family shredded to pieces by highly questionable and definitely narcissistic 'experts' .
	Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
Will make a conspiracy theorist out of you yet. Double Feature Recommendation: The Atomic Cafe
	The War Room (Criterion) (1992)
An inside look into the 1992 Clinton campaign. James Carville emerges a charasmatic star. Double Feature Recommendation: Primary
	The Weather Underground (2003)
In the old days, you didn't just oppose the war, you sought to overthrow the United States Government.
	When We Were Kings (1996)
Not just a portrait of Ali, but a portrait of an era.
	Winged Migration (2001)
Show some respect and skip the chicken dinner while watching this beautiful documentary about bird migrations. Why not make it a soy night? And watch it with the Director's Commentary ON.
	The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993)			Not Rated
How does one reconcile great artistic contributions from a film maker who accepts no personal responsibility for sustaining a professional relationship with Hitler? Double Feature Recommendation: Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary