Mary's 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die

Documentaries are my favorite films.  When I was a student at IU, I was lucky enough to take a class that focused entirely on the documentary style.  It opened me up to a whole new world of entertainment!  Last fall, one of my favorite filmmakers, Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me), hosted a show on Current TV called 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die.  I was very proud to say that I had seen well over three fourths of the list, and over the past few months have been watching the rest.  There were several documentaries that I love that didn’t make the Spurlock list…….so I decided to compile my own “50 Documentaries to See Before You Die” list.  And, the great thing is, the library actually has them all! 

Check them out!!
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1. Hoop Dreams: I agree with Morgan Spurlock- it deserved to be #1.
2. The Fog of War: Errol Morris is my favorite director- he is amazing.
3. American Movie: didn’t make his list- but I LOVE this hilarious film.
4. Grizzly Man: hilarious and sad all at once.
5. Dark Days: this was one that I watched in my documentary class- fascinating.
6. Exit Through The Gift Shop: all about the amazing graffiti artist Banksy.
7. Tarnation: disturbing….but very original.
8. When We Were Kings: the best account of the famous "Rumble in the Jungle."
9. King of Kong: so great- and funny.
10. Catfish: wow.  a strange, strange, story.
11. When the Levees Broke: the most personal viewpoint of Hurricane Katrina I’ve seen.
12. Man on Wire: who walks a tight-rope between the World Trade Center towers?!?!?!  Crazy)
13. Vernon, Florida: Errol Morris’ first documentary.  It’s hilarious, and very quotable.
14. Garbage Warrior: about a very interesting man who builds sustainable housing from garbage.
15. I Like Killing Flies: a quirky man and his restaurant in Greenwich Village.
16. Devil’s Playground: about the Amish tradition of Rumspringa- much of it takes place in northern Indiana.
17. Capturing the Friedmans (hitting our shelves soon... be the first to check it out, then let us know what you think!): crazy story…..another one that was featured in my documentary class.
18. Street Fight: the mayoral race for Newark- fascinating, and somewhat troubling.
19. Waiting for "Superman": raises some interesting points concerning the state of the education system.
20. It Might Get Loud: Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge…..jamming.  What could be better?
21. Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock?: I first heard about this woman on 60 minutes- she’s very entertaining!
22. Bowling for Columbine: the always controversial Michael Moore. 
23. Fahrenheit 9/11: I’ll just name that one too…..sorry to those who hate him.
24. Marwencol: wow.  Just have to see it to believe it- a man and a world he created.
25. War Dance: a beautiful film about a dance competition in Uganda.
26. Young @ Heart: what is better than a group of 80 + year olds singing Radiohead??
27. Tabloid: Errol Morris’ latest film…..very, very quirky.
28. Spellbound: who knew a spelling bee could be so intense?
29. Word Wars: and who knew that scrabble was so involved!
30. Jesus Camp: I learned a lot from this one…..it was also on Morgan Spurlock’s list.
31. Gasland: Can You Light Your Water on Fire?: lighting tap water on fire!!  Scary stuff….
32. Crumb: about the comic book writer Robert Crumb.
33. Food, Inc.: somewhat disturbing, but I really learned a lot.
34. Rip!: A Remix Manifesto: about the remix musician Girl Talk- very cool.
35. The Hobart Shakespeareans: inspirational story about Rafe Esquith, a revolutionary teacher in L.A.
36. Anvil: The Story of Anvil: like Spinal Tap- only real.
37. Dancing Outlaw: wow.  Also, check out the recent follow up film The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.
38. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills: this story was recently in the headlines again- and there are two follow-up documentaries.
39. The Devil and Daniel Johnston: a genius songwriter who was respected by many- including Kurt Cobain.
40. Stevie: by the same director as Hoop Dreams.
41. Trouble the Water: a very personal documentary shot DURING Hurricane Katrina.
42. Dogtown and Z-Boys: the beginning of skateboarding.
43. Super Size Me: Morgan Spurlock’s often funny, but disturbing film.
44. This Film Is Not Yet Rated: a look inside the movie ratings system- surprisingly interesting.
45. The Eyes of Tammy Faye: I never realized that her story was so complex.
46. Best Worst Movie: Have you seen Troll 2?  It’s the Best Worst Movie ever!
47. Shut Up and Sing: about the Dixie Chicks and their controversy following 9/11.
48. Little Dieter Needs to Fly: this is the story that the Christian Bale film Rescue Dawn was based on.
49. Shut Up Little Man: this is a new one….the first half of it was very, very funny.
50. The Natural History of the Chicken: trust me on this one- it’s hilarious.

So, yes- that’s my list.  I highly recommend each of these titles.  Let me know if there are any that you feel should be included…..I always love to discover a new great documentary!


~Mary Glaser (film nerd)