Movies that matter…
Posted on | February 1, 2010 | 15 Comments
Friends, I just finished watching Food Inc.. All I can say is WOW, what a powerful movie. Everyone should definitely see it but prepare to be horrified and a little afraid. It is scary stuff but the movie reminded me that as consumers we’re the ones with the power, we just have to use it. Yes it’s more expensive and more annoying to buy local/organic but if you can afford to do so, you absolutely should. This movie will make you want to.
It also reminded me how much I frickin’ love documentaries! And now that I have a fancy Netflix membership I figured I should make a special effort to add the occasional documentary to my queue. This list of Top 25 Documentaries from The International Documentary Association is a good place to start. What about you? Have you seen many of these? Any favorites?
1. Hoop Dreams (1994)
2. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
3. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
4. Spellbound (2002)
5. Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976)
6. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
7. Crumb (1994)
8. Gimme Shelter (1970)
9. The Fog of War (2003)
10. Roger & Me (1989)
11. Super Size Me (2004)
12. Don’t Look Back (1967)
13. Salesman (1968)
14. Koyaanisqatsi (1983)
15. Sherman’s March (1986)
16. Grey Gardens (1976)
17. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
18. Born into Brothels (2004)
19. Titicut Follies (1967)
20. Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
21. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
22. Winged Migration (2002)
23. Grizzly Man (2005)
24. Night and Fog (1955)
25. Woodstock (1970)
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15 Responses to “Movies that matter…”
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February 1st, 2010 @ 12:29 pm
I just watched ‘Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price’ and it was a real eye-opener. I watched it streaming on Netflix so you shouldn’t have a problem finding it.
February 1st, 2010 @ 1:17 pm
One of my all time faves is Spellbound. And I like Word Play and the ones about competitive Scrabble players. Because I have some nerd in me apparently.
February 1st, 2010 @ 1:36 pm
I’ll have to check out this movie. I’ve really wanted to see An Inconvenient Truth as well. The two movies on that list I’ve seen are Super Size Me (I don’t eat fast food anymore) and Bowling for Columbine (which I don’t remember very well).
February 1st, 2010 @ 2:00 pm
I am ALWAYS disappointed with Best Documentary lists because they always leave off my favorite, “Word Play.” Super amazing, fantastic and hilarious with appearances from some of my personal heroes! (Bill Clinton, Jon Stewart, Indigo Girls? Need I say more?)
Sicko is my favorite of Michael Moore’s movies. The next docus on my list to see are “Lake of Fire” (about abortion in america) and “Mugabe and the White African” (about land owning drama in Zimbabwe). I love documentaries too!
February 1st, 2010 @ 2:15 pm
I agree, I definitely need to watch more documentaries, but I never know which ones are the best – this list is fantastic, thanks for sending it! One film that isn’t mentioned and that I highly recommend is “The King of Kong.” It’s hilarious!
February 1st, 2010 @ 3:49 pm
I love eye opening documentaries, and there are quite a few on that list of yours I have yet to see, but am excited to! A favorite film of mine (though it’s not really a documentary) is Fast Food Nation. It originated as a book by Eric Schlosser, and was later made into a movie.
February 1st, 2010 @ 5:06 pm
I love this film. Even after going vegan, I noticed there was still so much more I can do. Great choice!
February 1st, 2010 @ 6:06 pm
I. Love. Spellbound. (#4 on the list). One of my favorite movies ever, not to be missed
February 1st, 2010 @ 6:19 pm
Great list! I’ve been wanting to see Food Inc., but have been a little hesitant because I know I’ll be heartbroken, angry, etc. I know that it’s something I SHOULD see though.
February 1st, 2010 @ 11:57 pm
i think i have seen 8 of those movies…we just watched spellbound…my daughter won it for being a runner up in the spelling bee at school…those kids are amazing.
February 2nd, 2010 @ 12:33 am
i just saw this. it’s really good. i’ve seen roger & me & born into brothels. love documentaries.
February 2nd, 2010 @ 10:12 am
woohoo. love documentary talk. spellbound is hilarious. watch now.
February 2nd, 2010 @ 7:09 pm
Thanks for all the great reccos. I’ve actually seen some of these too.
I loved – Mad Hot Ballroom, Spellbound, King of Kong and Murderball.
Hoop Dreams still to this day might be the saddest movie I’ve ever seen.
February 3rd, 2010 @ 10:59 pm
To me, a documentary’s duty is to document things.
A number of the films on this top 25 list have fairly blatant political and social agendas.
I suppose that nobody gives you money or attention for something that’s neither controversial nor heart-wrenching, but to call the films — for example — that Michael Moore does documentaries demeans the ideal of the category.
I know that my view isn’t popular, because many excuse bias by saying that it’s necessary to balance out one bias with an alternate one; yet I reject doing so in the name of objectivity or “documentary”. I could get behind exposé, and even root for it. But it’s not objective by any means.
Truth doesn’t need balance, it simply is.
Discussions need balance, to ultimately find the truth.
February 3rd, 2010 @ 11:46 pm
I’m right with ya! I went vegan a year & 1/2 ago after reading “Fast Food Nation” and watching “Meet Your Meat” and other behind the scenes type videos. “Food, Inc.” just reiterated my desire to do SOMETHING even more. I feel like I’ve learned so much already through research, but it still clued me in on some practices – like I had no idea that e-Coli only exists because of the corn being fed to the cows. E-Coli shouldn’t even exist! That blows my mind.
Anyway, another great documentary I didn’t see mentioned is “Anvil! The Story of Anvil.” Having been married for 10 years to an on & off touring musician, it really struck a chord. I absolutely loved it.
