The 25 Best Documentaries of the Decade (2001-2010)
by phil-833 | created - 24 Dec 2010 | updated - 25 Dec 2010 | PublicPretty self-explanatory...The 25 Best Documentaries of the Decade (2001-2010). What am I missing?
From #1 on down....
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1. Comedian (2002)
R | 82 min | Documentary, Comedy
A look at the work of two stand-up comics, Jerry Seinfeld and a lesser-known newcomer, detailing the effort and frustration behind putting together a successful act and career while living a life on the road.
Director: Christian Charles | Stars: Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Garry Shandling, Greg Giraldo
Votes: 7,289 | Gross: $2.74M
Jerry Seinfeld bombs on stage. Ever comedian's favorite documentary.
2. My Kid Could Paint That (2007)
PG-13 | 82 min | Documentary, Family, Mystery
A look at the work and surprising success of a four-year-old girl whose paintings have been compared to the likes of Picasso and has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Director: Amir Bar-Lev | Stars: Marla Olmstead, Laura Olmstead, Mark Olmstead, Amir Bar-Lev
Votes: 3,505 | Gross: $0.23M
Did their kid paint that? You decide.
3. Rock the Bells (2006)
Not Rated | 103 min | Documentary, Music
An inside look at what it took to bring the Wu-Tang Clan together for their final performance at the Rock the Bells Hip-Hop festival.
Directors: Denis Henry Hennelly, Casey Suchan | Stars: Chali 2na, D.J. Abilities, Babu, Jerome Baldwin
Votes: 361
Imagine putting together a Wu-Tang Clan concert. ...With Old Dirty Bastard!
4. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
PG-13 | 79 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Die-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.
Director: Seth Gordon | Stars: Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchell, Mark Alpiger, Adam Wood
Votes: 37,580 | Gross: $0.68M
Video game fans will LOVE this. Watch two geeks battle for the King of Donkey Kong.
5. 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: 68,831 | Gross: $3.29M
A documentary about a documentary. Street art and crazy people.
6. 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
7. 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
How to create 12-year old evangelic ministers.
8. 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
Shocking. Amazing footage.
9. 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
Never completed a crossword puzzle in my life, yet loved a documentary about it, and so will you.
10. Murderball (2005)
R | 88 min | Documentary, Sport
Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Directors: Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro | Stars: Joe Soares, Keith Cavill, Mark Zupan, Robert Soares
Votes: 10,458 | Gross: $1.52M
Don't fuck with a guy in a wheelchair.
11. Best Worst Movie (2009)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Comedy
A look at the making of the film Troll 2 (1990) and its journey from being crowned the "worst film of all time" to a cherished cult classic.
Director: Michael Paul Stephenson | Stars: George Hardy, Pita Ray, Micki Knox, Tommy Bice
Votes: 8,525 | Gross: $0.10M
Reuniting the cast and crew of the worst movie on IMDB.
12. Devil's Playground (2002)
77 min | Documentary
Amish teenagers experience and embrace the modern world as a rite-of-passage before deciding which life they will choose.
Director: Lucy Walker | Stars: Velda Bontrager, Mark Bontrager, Dewayne Chupp, Dylan Cole
Votes: 2,703
13. Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)
PG | 92 min | Documentary
A documentary that investigates the birth and death of the electric car, as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in the future.
Director: Chris Paine | Stars: Martin Sheen, Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, Reverend Gadget
Votes: 12,757 | Gross: $1.68M
HINT: You did!
14. The Art of the Steal (2009)
Unrated | 101 min | Documentary
Documentary that follows the struggle for control of Dr. Albert C. Barnes' 25 billion dollar collection of modern and post-impressionist art.
Director: Don Argott | Stars: Julian Bond, David D'Arcy, Richard Feigen, Richard H. Glanton
Votes: 2,493 | Gross: $0.54M
Art geeks are insane.
15. Grizzly Man (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Biography
A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog, Carol Dexter
Votes: 61,905 | Gross: $3.17M
Guy lives out in Alaskan wilderness.
16. 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
This will make you a vegetarian. For 90 minutes at least.
17. 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
Why America invaded Iraq. And how they screwed it up.
18. Control Room (2004)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary
A documentary on perception of the United States's war with Iraq, with an emphasis on Al Jazeera's coverage.
Director: Jehane Noujaim | Stars: Samir Khader, Josh Rushing, George W. Bush, Hassan Ibrahim
Votes: 5,265 | Gross: $2.59M
19. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes.
Director: Andrew Jarecki | Stars: Arnold Friedman, Jesse Friedman, David Friedman, Elaine Friedman
Votes: 27,135 | Gross: $3.12M
Child-raping family. On film.
20. The Comedians of Comedy (2005)
R | 103 min | Comedy, Documentary
Follow four comedians as they tour the States.
Director: Michael Blieden | Stars: Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford, Zach Galifianakis
Votes: 2,651 | Gross: $0.00M
Follow my favorite comedians tour around the U.S.
21. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)
R | 84 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old.
Directors: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg | Stars: Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Kathy Griffin, Jocelyn Pickett
Votes: 3,820 | Gross: $2.93M
75-years old and still working. Still funny. Legend. Money whore.
22. Confessions of a Superhero (2007)
R | 92 min | Documentary
Chronicles the lives of four mortal men and women who work as characters on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard.
Director: Matthew Ogens | Stars: Christopher Lloyd Dennis, Maxwell Allen, Jennifer Wenger, Joe McQueen
Votes: 2,270
23. Air Guitar Nation (2006)
R | 81 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
The guitars may be fake, but the talent is real at the U.S. Air Guitar Championships, where performers rock out on invisible guitars in hilarious ways.
Director: Alexandra Lipsitz | Stars: Dan Crane, David S. Jung, Hadia Ackerman, Lance Kasten
Votes: 1,374 | Gross: $0.07M
24. 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: 60,249 | Gross: $13.00M
Bill Maher!
25. This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
Unrated | 98 min | Documentary
Kirby Dick's exposé about the American movie ratings board.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Kirby Dick, Kimberly Peirce, Darren Aronofsky, Atom Egoyan
Votes: 28,626 | Gross: $0.30M
Why films are rated R, and why some aren't.
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