A Guide to Must-See Documentaries

The space era documentary In the Shadow of the Moon, featuring interviews with Apollo astronauts as well as some never-before-seen footage they shot on the moon, is now in theaters. But you don't have to leave the planet, or even your sofa, to catch some great documentaries. Check out these wonderful -- and true! -- stories on DVD:

Gimme Shelter (1970): Not just a concert film, a bookend to the '60s culture of free love and good times.

Grey Gardens (1976): A sad tale of eccentric aristocrats in decline.

The Times of Harvey Milk (1983): A powerful portrait of the pioneering gay rights politician.

Stop Making Sense (1984): Some fans of the genre consider this Jonathan Demme flick the best concert documentary ever made.

The Thin Blue Line (1988): From Errol Morris, this is perhaps the most important crime documentary ever; it vindicated a man wrongly convicted for a murder he did not commit.

Roger & Me (1989): Michael Moore takes on the head of General Motors ... and launches a career as a wildly entertaining troublemaker.

Paris Is Burning (1990): A celebration of drag, continental-style.

Hoop Dreams (1994): The hopes of young athletes come face-to-face with reality.

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996): About the railroading of three teens accused of a satanic murder.

American Movie (1999): Funny and bittersweet flick about an aspiring filmmaker whose dreams are nigh unreachable, except he doesn't realize it.

Grizzly Man (2005): Horrifying and fascinating look at a truly unique personality.

Capturing the Friedmans (2003): How does a family cope after one of its own is accused of a terrible crime? Not well.

The Corporation (2003): Are corporations psychotic? Here's an intriguing argument suggesting that they are.

Murderball (2005): Guys in wheelchairs can be macho, aggressive jerks too. Oh, and they still love sports.

An Inconvenient Truth (2006): Could this movie actually save the world? If we're not all drowning under melted icecaps in 10 years, then we'll know.

For more suggestions of great docs, see GreenCine's Official 50 Best Documentaries, which was enormously helpful in putting together my list.

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MaryAnn Johanson (email me)

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