Fascinating Documentaries
by moonlights | created - 27 Jan 2011 | updated - 24 Dec 2011 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity (1999 Video)
82 min | Documentary
Tough Guise systematically examines the relationship between pop-cultural imagery and the social construction of masculine identities in the U.S. at the dawn of the 21st century.
Director: Sut Jhally | Stars: Muhammad Ali, Steve Austin, Marlon Brando, James Caan
Votes: 244
2. Inside Job (2010)
PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Takes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Matt Damon, Gylfi Zoega, Andri Snær Magnason, Sigridur Benediktsdottir
Votes: 78,992 | Gross: $4.31M
3. Planet Earth (2006)
TV-PG | 49 min | Documentary, Family
A documentary series on the wildlife found on Earth. Each episode covers a different habitat: deserts, mountains, deep oceans, shallow seas, forests, caves, polar regions, fresh water, plains and jungles. Narrated by David Attenborough.
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, David Attenborough, Nikolay Drozdov, Thomas Anguti Johnston
Votes: 220,342
4. Sans Soleil (1983)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Drama
A woman narrates the contemplative writings of a seasoned world traveler, focusing on contemporary Japan.
Director: Chris Marker | Stars: Amilcar Cabral, Florence Delay, Arielle Dombasle, Riyoko Ikeda
Votes: 12,135 | Gross: $0.03M
5. Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992)
Not Rated | 167 min | Documentary, Biography, War
A film about the noted American linguist/political dissident and his warning about corporate media's role in modern propaganda.
Directors: Mark Achbar, Peter Wintonick | Stars: Noam Chomsky, Mark Achbar, Karin Aguilar-San Juan, Paul Andrews
Votes: 4,936
6. Gonzo (2008)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A portrait of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp, Joe Cairo, David Carlo
Votes: 8,503 | Gross: $1.25M
7. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
Director: Banksy | Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Space Invader, Debora Guetta
Votes: 68,833 | Gross: $3.29M
8. Cosmos (1980)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary
Astronomer Carl Sagan leads us on an engaging guided tour of the various elements and cosmological theories of the universe.
Stars: Carl Sagan, Jaromír Hanzlík, Jonathan Fahn, Jean Charney
Votes: 44,175
9. I Am (III) (2010)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary
Director Tom Shadyac speaks with intellectual and spiritual leaders about what's wrong with our world and how we can improve both it and the way we live in it.
Director: Tom Shadyac | Stars: Tom Shadyac, Desmond Tutu, Noam Chomsky, Ray Anderson
Votes: 3,900 | Gross: $1.57M
10. Why We Fight (2005)
PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary, History, War
Is American foreign policy dominated by the idea of military supremacy? Has the military become too important in American life? Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions.
Director: Eugene Jarecki | Stars: Gore Vidal, John McCain, Ken Adelman, John Ashcroft
Votes: 10,233 | Gross: $1.44M
11. Occupation 101 (2006)
90 min | Documentary
A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S. political involvement.
Directors: Abdallah Omeish, Sufyan Omeish | Stars: James Akins, Arik Ascherman, Bishop Barltlett Jr., Phyllis Bennis
Votes: 1,908
12. The Tillman Story (2010)
R | 94 min | Documentary, Biography, Mystery
Chronicles the life of the late Pat Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals in 2002 to join the Army but died from friendly fire in Afghanistan.
Director: Amir Bar-Lev | Stars: Pat Tillman, Josh Brolin, Mary Tillman, Russell Baer
Votes: 5,431 | Gross: $0.80M
13. The Yes Men (2003)
R | 83 min | Documentary, Comedy
Anti-corporate activists travel from conference to conference, impersonating member of the World Trade Organization.
Directors: Dan Ollman, Sarah Price, Chris Smith | Stars: Andreas Bichlbauer, Mike Bonanno, Andy Bichlbaum, Michael Moore
Votes: 6,177 | Gross: $0.20M
14. Children Underground (2001)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary
A profile of homeless Romanian children who were born victims of the nation's reckless population growth policy during its communist era.
Director: Edet Belzberg | Stars: Cristina Ionescu, Mihai Alexandre Tudose, Violeta 'Macarena' Rosu, Ana Turturica
Votes: 2,452
15. An Unreasonable Man (2006)
Not Rated | 122 min | Documentary, Biography
A look at the career of consumer advocate Ralph Nader.
Directors: Henriette Mantel, Steve Skrovan | Stars: Ralph Nader, Pat Buchanan, Howard Zinn, Eric Alterman
Votes: 1,767 | Gross: $0.18M
16. Cronos (1992)
R | 94 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A mysterious device designed to provide its owner with eternal life resurfaces after four hundred years, leaving a trail of destruction in its path.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, Margarita Isabel
Votes: 33,136 | Gross: $0.62M
17. Man on Wire (2008)
PG-13 | 94 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Philippe Petit, Jean François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Annie Allix
Votes: 58,684 | Gross: $2.96M
18. The Most Hated Family in America (2007 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary
Louis meets the Phelps family, who protest against an America that tolerates homosexuality
Director: Geoffrey O'Connor | Stars: Louis Theroux, Lauren Drain, Steve Drain, Fred Phelps
Votes: 4,837
19. The Bridge (I) (2006)
R | 94 min | Documentary, Drama
Filmmakers use hidden cameras to capture the various suicide attempts at the Golden Gate Bridge - the world's most popular suicide destination. Interviews with the victims' loved ones describe their lives and mental health.
Director: Eric Steel | Stars: Eric Geleynse, Chris Brown, Susan Ginwalla, Caroline Pressley
Votes: 12,220 | Gross: $0.18M
20. A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake (2002)
48 min | Documentary, Biography
A study, mostly chronological, of the life of Nick Drake (1948-1974). Gabrielle, his older sister, tells us of her brother's birth in Burma, childhood in Warwickshire, life at Cambridge and... See full summary »
Director: Jeroen Berkvens | Stars: Nick Drake, Paul Weller, Gabrielle Drake, Rodney Drake
Votes: 752
21. American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein (2009)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary, Biography, History
About the life and work of controversial American Jewish academic Norman Finkelstein.
Directors: David Ridgen, Nicolas Rossier | Stars: Musa Abu-Hashhash, Nidal Barham, Noam Chomsky, Alan Dershowitz
Votes: 805
22. Baraka (1992)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
A collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion.
Director: Ron Fricke | Star: Patrick Disanto
Votes: 40,998 | Gross: $1.33M
23. The Corporation (2003)
Not Rated | 145 min | Documentary, History
Documentary that looks at the concept of the corporation throughout recent history up to its present-day dominance.
Directors: Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott | Stars: Mikela Jay, Rob Beckwermert, Christopher Gora, Nina Jones
Votes: 21,787 | Gross: $1.88M
24. Food, Inc. (2008)
PG | 94 min | Documentary, News
An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
Director: Robert Kenner | Stars: Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb, Vince Edwards
Votes: 52,226 | Gross: $4.42M
25. Sicko (2007)
PG-13 | 123 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Tucker Albrizzi, Tony Benn, George W. Bush
Votes: 76,832 | Gross: $24.54M
26. Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)
R | 127 min | Documentary, Crime, History
An examination of the social costs of corporate interests pursuing profits at the expense of the public good.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, William Black, Jimmy Carter, Elijah Cummings
Votes: 43,876 | Gross: $14.36M
27. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
G | 90 min | Documentary, History
Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Jean Clottes, Julien Monney, Jean-Michel Geneste
Votes: 17,795 | Gross: $5.23M
28. Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)
86 min | Documentary, History
Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.
Director: Stanley Nelson | Stars: Rebecca Moore, Janet Shular, Tim Carter, Stanley Clayton
Votes: 5,642
29. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson, Salvador Allende
Votes: 148,763 | Gross: $21.58M
30. The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Daniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.
Director: Jeff Feuerzeig | Stars: Daniel Johnston, Mabel Johnston, Bill Johnston, Laurie Allen
Votes: 10,535 | Gross: $0.33M
31. Jeff Buckley: Live in Chicago (2000 Video)
Not Rated | 125 min | Documentary, Music
Jeff Buckley - Live in Chicago includes songs from Grace, classic cover tunes (from sources ranging from Nina Simone to the MC5!), a previously unavailable Buckley composition ("What Will ... See full summary »
Stars: Jeff Buckley, Michael Tighe, Mick Grondahl, Matt Johnson
Votes: 410
32. Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley (2004)
60 min | Documentary
In Europe, they speak of him in holy whispers. In America, he's a mysterious footnote. Poised for huge commercial success, Jeff Buckley's untimely death kept him on the periphery of popular... See full summary »
Directors: Nyla Bialek Adams, Laurie Trombley | Star: Jeff Buckley
Votes: 174
33. Jeff Buckley: Everybody Here Wants You (2002 TV Movie)
60 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Retrospective look at the life and music of Jeff Buckley through the eyes of family, friends, and fans.
Director: Serena Cross | Stars: Steve Berkowitz, Brad Pitt, Jimmy Page, Badly Drawn Boy
Votes: 210
34. Jeff Buckley: Remembered (1999 TV Movie)
60 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
French documentary examines the all-too-brief career of American singer/musician Jeff Buckley.
Director: Don Kent | Stars: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Jeff Buckley, Tim Buckley, Michael J. Clouse
Votes: 58
35. Jeff Buckley: Goodbye and Hello (2000 TV Movie)
41 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Director: Jasmina Fekovic | Stars: Jeff Buckley, Ellen Cavolina, Merri Cyr, Mick Grondahl
Votes: 35
36. Jeff Buckley: Live at Sin-é (2003 Video)
11 min | Documentary, Short, Music
Star: Jeff Buckley
Votes: 48
37. The Self-Destruction of Gia (2003)
80 min | Documentary
Documentary on the life of Gia Carangi, often considered the first supermodel, who died from complications due to AIDS, at the age of 26.
Director: J.J. Martin | Stars: Gia Carangi, Janice Dickinson, Sandy Linter, Zoë Lund
Votes: 103
38. Nanking (2007)
R | 88 min | Biography, History, War
Through readings of historical account by actors and the testimony of survivors, the events of the Nanjing Massacre are recounted.
Directors: Bill Guttentag, Dan Sturman | Stars: Hugo Armstrong, Rosalind Chao, Stephen Dorff, John Getz
Votes: 3,589 | Gross: $0.16M
39. Religulous (2008)
R | 101 min | Documentary, Comedy, War
Bill Maher's take on the current state of world religion.
Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Bill Maher, Tal Bachman, Jonathan Boulden, Steven Burg
Votes: 60,252 | Gross: $13.00M
40. Invisible Children (2006)
55 min | Documentary
Invisible Children is an American documentary which shows the human rights abuses by the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) in Uganda.
Stars: Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole, Jason Russell
Votes: 570
41. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Drama, War
Michael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after September 11 and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Ben Affleck, Stevie Wonder
Votes: 132,403 | Gross: $119.19M
42. Born to Be Wild (1995)
PG | 100 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Margaret teaches a gorilla sign language etc. When the gorilla owner takes it back to make money from shows, Margaret's rebellious teenage son steals it. They're off on a road trip to the Canadian border.
Director: John Gray | Stars: Wil Horneff, Helen Shaver, Jean Marie Barnwell, John C. McGinley
Votes: 1,679 | Gross: $3.67M
43. Jesus Camp (2006)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary
A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady | Stars: Mike Papantonio, Lou Engle, Becky Fischer, Ted Haggard
Votes: 28,779 | Gross: $0.90M
44. Waiting for Superman (2010)
PG | 111 min | Documentary
An examination of the current state of education in America today.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Charles Adams, Jonathan Alter, Robert Balfanz, Harriet Ball
Votes: 11,635 | Gross: $6.41M
45. Marjoe (1972)
PG | 88 min | Documentary, Biography
This Oscar-winning documentary explores the life of one-time child evangelist and faith healer Marjoe Gortner. The son of professional evangelists, Gortner was preaching on the Southern tent-revival circuit by the age of 3.
Directors: Sarah Kernochan, Howard Smith | Stars: Agnes Benjamin, Marjoe Gortner, Vernon Gortner, Sarah Kernochan
Votes: 1,745
46. Wordplay (2006)
PG | 94 min | Documentary
An in-depth look at The New York Times' long-time crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz and his loyal fan base.
Director: Patrick Creadon | Stars: Will Shortz, Ken Burns, Jon Stewart, Merl Reagle
Votes: 3,782 | Gross: $3.12M
47. Jimmy Carter Man from Plains (2007)
PG | 125 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A chronicle of the former president's tour recent for his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid."
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Lillian Carter, Elizabeth Hayes
Votes: 956 | Gross: $0.11M
48. The Elegant Universe (2003)
Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary
A documentary examining string theory.
Stars: Brian Greene, Leonard Susskind, Amanda Peet, Steven Weinberg
Votes: 2,279
49. Stephen Hawking's Universe (1997– )
Not Rated | 360 min | Documentary
6-part documentary series from arguably the greatest scientific mind in the world, the wheelchair-bound Stephen Hawking, which describes all current thinking on the Big Bang, origins of the... See full summary »
Stars: Stephen Hawking, Jeff Rawle, Eugene Babaev, Frank Langella
Votes: 1,047
50. Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed (2004)
Not Rated | 76 min | Documentary
A documentary on Brooklyn-based Congresswoman Shirley's Chisholm's 1972 presidential bid.
Director: Shola Lynch | Stars: Shirley Chisholm, Walter Cronkite, George Wallace, Ralph Abernathy
Votes: 325
51. The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till (2005)
PG-13 | 70 min | Documentary, Biography
Never-before-seen testimony is included in this documentary on Emmett Louis Till, who, in 1955, was brutally murdered after he whistled at a white woman.
Director: Keith Beauchamp | Stars: Mamie Till Mobley, Wheeler Parker, Simeon Wright, Ruthie Mae Crawford
Votes: 519 | Gross: $0.20M
52. When We Were Kings (1996)
PG | 88 min | Documentary, Sport
Boxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.
Director: Leon Gast | Stars: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, James Brown
Votes: 19,137 | Gross: $2.79M
53. Blue Gold: World Water Wars (2008)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
Wars of the future will be fought over water as they are over oil today, as the source of human survival enters the global marketplace and political arena. Corporate giants, private ... See full summary »
Director: Samuel Vartek | Stars: Jim Olson, Tony Clarke, Maude Barlow, Octavio Rosas Lando
Votes: 1,230
54. Stealing a Nation (2004 TV Movie)
56 min | Documentary, History
This tells a story literally 'hidden from history'. In the 1960s and 70s, British governments, conspiring with American officials, tricked into leaving, then expelled the entire population ... See full summary »
Directors: John Pilger, Sean Crotty | Star: John Pilger
Votes: 408
55. Camp FEMA (2009)
88 min | Documentary
Recent legislation attempting to legitimize the use of internment camps to detain U.S. citizens in the event of an uprising or civil unrest has many people asking what nation they live in. ... See full summary »
Director: William Lewis | Stars: Alex Jones, John Stadtmiller, Chuck Baldwin, Michael Badnarik
Votes: 78
56. Life on Earth (1979)
54 min | Documentary
David Attenborough's groundbreaking study of the evolution of life on our planet.
Star: David Attenborough
Votes: 3,250
57. Human Planet (2011)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary
A cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth
Stars: John Hurt, Roger Munns
Votes: 27,801
58. Helvetica (2007)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.
Director: Gary Hustwit | Stars: Manfred Schulz, Massimo Vignelli, Rick Poynor, Wim Crouwel
Votes: 8,171 | Gross: $0.20M
59.
Nova (1974– )
Episode:
E=mc²: Einstein's Big Idea
(2005)
TV-PG | Documentary
E = mc2 is not about an old Einstein, it's about a young, energetic, dynamic, even a sexy Einstein.
Director: Gary Johnstone | Stars: John Lithgow, Aidan McArdle, Shirley Henderson, Steven Robertson
Votes: 169
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