Ten Must-See Documentaries

You asked for it (well, Ryan did at least) and here it is. The list of the ten best documentaries I've ever seen. Granted, it's always hit-or-miss with documentaries but these are the creme-de-la-creme, so go out and find them today! Expand your minds, kiddies!

#10 No Direction Home
Plot: This documentary follows the life of legendary folk musician Bob Dylan. From his arrival in New York City to his high-profile "retirement" from touring in 1966, this Scorsese-directed journey gives the audience an insight into the mysterious and influential young man.
Why It's A Must-See: Any music fan will love this documentary. Dylan is one of the most influential musicians in the world and the messages in his songs transcend generations of fans. The fact that we are allowed a peek into the artistic mind of this man is reason alone to want to see this film. Not to mention it was directed by the great Martin Scorsese.


#9 A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies
Plot: Legendary director Martin Scorsese recalls some of his favorite films and how they inspired him in his childhood and young adult life.
Why It's A Must-See: Martin Scorsese is a brilliant director, and to see and hear how his inner mind works is absolutely riveting. His love for movies staggers even the biggest part of film buff in me. It's simply amazing to hear him so tenderly speak of the movies he loves to watch over and over again.


#8 Grizzly Man
Plot: This film is compiled of video footage shot by wild-life enthusiast Timothy Treadwell who, out of his love for Grizzly bears, decided to live among them for thirteen seasons.
Why It's A Must-See: Okay, I'll admit, I have this in here for a few contradictory reasons. First, it's a good hippie movie. If you love nature and wildlife, it's a good ride for you. Second, it's unintentionally funny. I mean, this guy starts to go nuts toward the end, and embedded in that granola-crunching, nature-loving, bear-cuddling, madness is pure comedy genius. He even created a popular meme and became the Chris Crocker for bears. Oh, and did I mention that he got eaten by the bears he was living with? Irony!


#7 Larry Flynt: The Right To Be Left Alone
Plot: This documentary follows the life of legendary smut magnate Larry Flynt, creator of Penthouse magazine.
Why It's A Must-See: As a girl, I shouldn't be saying "Oh, a documentary about a Porn King is thought-provoking and interesting!" But I am. This documentary follows Flynt's continuous battle for First Amendment rights and the quote-unquote "right to be left the hell alone." This film will give you a new look on freedom of press and just how far one American can take it.

Indie Sex: Censored, Teens, Taboo, and Extremes
Plot: This IFC-sponsored documentary, four-part mini-series follows the journey of sex on-screen in both independent and mainstream films. Filmmakers such as James Cameron Mitchell, John Waters, and Atom Eyogan give their insight on sex and the art of film.
Why It's A Must-See: Sex is always interesting, whether you want to admit it or not. The journey that some of these filmmakers have made with sex in movies is a long and arduous one-- all of done in the name of art. This film could possibly make you see sex in film a totally different way: as art. Filmmakers, artists and actors give their views on sex in cinema here at IFC.com. But ultimately it's up to the audience to decide-- sex: part of filmmaking or just exploitation?


#5 Taxi To The Dark Side
Plot: Take a journey to the dark side of America's military forces. See what really goes on behind prison camps closed doors. This riveting tale asks the question, "When are American soldiers crossing the line in interrogation?"
Why It's A Must-See: If you've ever wondered when scare tactics cross over into sheer sadism, this is the film for you. Taxi shows us an inside look on American-run POW camps like Guantanomo Bay, and shows us for the first time what really happened in the Abu Ghraib prison. If you've ever felt some kind of pang for the value of human life-- this is the film for you.


#4 The Drug Years
Plot: When drugs hit the US scene in the 1960's, American youth never looked back. This VH1 Rockumentary chronicles the invention, use, and popularity of LSD, marijuana, heroin, and every other All-American drug that ever got us high.
Why It's A Must-See: Drugs, sex, and rock-n-roll is a time-tested Grade-A good time guaranteed. This is no exception. This mini-series shows the halcyon days of innocence when all drugs were was "a little bit of puff and some LSD" as if they were the better times. In a moment of drug-justification, the filmmaker makes us long for the days of that Summer of Love innocence and enlightenment. It makes us wanna trade the blood-riddled meth and cocaine of today for the good-intentioned blotter acid of Then and that, my friends, is what makes this documentary so great: it makes the viewer long for a simpler drug world.

#3 At The Death House Door
Plot: This film delicately documents the lives of Pastor Carroll Pickett and Carlos De Luna, whose existences intertwine at the Walls prison unit in Hunstville Texas. De Luna, a man wrongly convicted and sentenced to death, confided in Pickett, the "death house" pastor who gave peace to men on death row in their last hours.
Why It's A Must-See: Whether you're for or against the death penalty, this film will definitely make you rethink the American justice system. De Luna was presumed, posthumously, that he was indeed innocent--meaning that the state of Texas had murdered an innocent man. This fact still haunts Pickett, a 15-year veteran of the Death House, and the message this film leaves will also haunt you.

#2 Year of the Yao
Plot: Twenty-one year-old Yao Ming transferred from China to the Houston Rockets in 2002, and the transition was not an easy one. Yao spoke next to no English, was younger than most of his teammates, and had never been to the US before. With the help of a young translator, Colin Pine, Yao manages to settle down in America and become one of the biggest basketball phenomenons of the decade.
Why It's A Must-See: This lighthearted documentary is a fun look into the life of basketball phenom Yao Ming. We never get to see much of the big guy (and by big, I mean 7 foot 6 inches big) outside of the courts, so seeing him as a normal person with his friends is family is a nice change. Basketball fans will love the chronicling of his early days in China, to his rocky start in Houston, to his dominance in the game today. Unlike most documentaries that focus on catastrophic, depressing, or terrible events, this is just your good old-fashioned, feel-good, success story!


#1 Born Into Brothels
Plot: This 2004, Academy Award-winning documentary tells the tale of Calcutta, India's red-light kids-- the sons and daughters of prostitutes. In an attempt to let these children escape from their grim reality, they are given cameras and told to take photographs of their surroundings. The raw talent these kids possessed helped to raise them up out of the brothels and into a brighter, better world.
Why It's A Must-See: In a word: inspiring. These children, who are born with nothing, take simple pleasures in photographing what they see in life around them. Through these photographs, they help change both our perceptions and their own. This film is bound to open your eyes to the poor conditions in third-world countries like India. You can see some of the children's works here.