2. Cosmo's Delicious Documentaries MasterClassList
The Greatest 695 or so documentaries made to date by a fanatic whom tends to dig them harder than most.
mostly in order, ish
mostly in order, ish
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- CreatorConnor SchellBill SimmonsJohn DahlStarsBrent MusburgerChuck DLarry BirdA collection of documentary films focused on sports.
- StarsPeter CoyoteWilliam CrononDayton DuncanThe history of the U.S. National Parks system, including the initial ideas which led to the world's first national parks and the expansion of the system over 150 years.
- DirectorJimmy ChinElizabeth Chai VasarhelyiStarsAlex HonnoldTommy CaldwellJimmy ChinAlex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone.
- DirectorAmir Bar-LevStarsMarla OlmsteadLaura OlmsteadMark OlmsteadA 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.
- DirectorPaul CrowderStarsMichael FassbenderLewis HamiltonNiki LaudaSet in the golden era of Grand Prix Racing '1' tells the story of a generation of charismatic drivers who raced on the edge, risking their lives during Formula 1's deadliest period, and the men who stood up and changed the sport forever.
- StarsKeith DavidWynton MarsalisGary GiddinsA survey of the musical form's history and major talents.
- DirectorEzra EdelmanStarsKareem Abdul-JabbarMike AlbaneseMuhammad AliA chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
- DirectorDenis DelestracStarsSumaira AbdulaliGeorge BordenEric ChaumillonIs sand an infinite resource? Can the existing supply satisfy a gigantic demand fueled by construction booms? What are the consequences of intensive beach sand mining for the environment and the neighboring populations?
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsAsia ArgentoAnthony BourdainAriane BourdainA documentary about Anthony Bourdain and his career as a chef, writer and host, revered and renowned for his authentic approach to food, culture and travel.
- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsMelina AbdullahMichelle AlexanderCory BookerAn in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
- StarsKelly CarlinPatrick CarlinChris RockInterviews with George Carlin's family and friends, material from his stand-up specials and footage from his personal archive.
- DirectorDaniel SchmidtStarsPatrick SweeneyThere is one vibratory field that connects all things. It has been called Akasha, Logos, the primordial OM, the music of the spheres, the Higgs field, dark energy, and a thousand other names throughout history.
- DirectorJon BetzTaggart SiegelStarsVandana ShivaAndrew KimbrellJane GoodallA film about the importance of heirloom seeds to the agriculture of the world, focusing on seed keepers and activists from around the world.
- DirectorJimmy ChinElizabeth Chai VasarhelyiStarsBancha DuriyapuntApakorn YoukongkaewAnan SurawanA chronicle of the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand.
- DirectorKurt KuenneStarsKurt KuenneAndrew BagbyDavid BagbyA filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsTimothy 'Speed' LevitchTimothy "Speed" Levitch, an eccentric New York City tour bus guide, takes tourists around the island of Manhattan and shares an archive of beautifully distorted information about the city.
- StarsPeter CoyotePete HamillCatherine Gilbert MurdockThe story of the American activist struggle against the influence of alcohol, climaxing in the failed early 20th century nationwide era when it was banned.
- StarsDaniel OkrentGeorge F. WillJohn ChancellorA documentary on the history of the sport with major topics including Afro-American players, player/team owner relations and the resilience of the game.
- DirectorDave GrohlStarsTrent ReznorTom PettyMick FleetwoodA documentary on the fabled recording studio that was located in Van Nuys, California.
- DirectorCosta BoutsikarisStarsLisa DepianoCharles EisensteinBen FalkInhabit explores the many environmental issues facing us today and examines solutions that are being applied using the ecological design process called 'Permaculture'. Permaculture is a design lens that uses the principles found in ecosystems to help shift our impact from destructive to regenerative. Focused mostly on the Northeastern and Midwestern regions of the United States, Inhabit provides an intimate look at permaculture peoples and practices ranging from rural, suburban, and urban landscapes.
- In January 1969, The Beatles set out to write and record new songs for their first live show in more than two years, culminating in an impromptu concert atop their Savile Row studio.
- DirectorPeter D. HutchisonKelly NyksJared P. ScottStarsNoam ChomskyAlan GreenspanMalcolm XRenowned academic and author Noam Chomsky elucidates 10 principles of concentration of wealth and power that have led to unprecedented inequality and the hollowing out of the American middle class.
- DirectorJeff FeuerzeigStarsDaniel JohnstonMabel JohnstonBill JohnstonDaniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.
- DirectorDaniel G. KarslakeStarsImogene RobinsonVictor RobinsonGene RobinsonAn exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsAlex GibneyPaul PiffAnne RuethFilmmaker Alex Gibney investigates the fact that the 400 richest Americans control more wealth than the 150 million people in the bottom 50 percent of the population.
- DirectorBanksyStarsBanksyMr. BrainwashSpace InvaderFollowing the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
- DirectorBart LaytonStarsAdam O'BrianNicholas BarclayCarey GibsonA documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years.
- DirectorSteve JamesStarsWilliam GatesArthur AgeeEmma GatesA film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.
- DirectorAmir Bar-LevStarsPat TillmanJosh BrolinMary TillmanChronicles the life of the late Pat Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals in 2002 to join the Army but died from friendly fire in Afghanistan.
- StarsPeter CoyoteHuy DucJames WillbanksA comprehensive history of the United States' involvement in the bitterly divisive armed conflict in Southeast Asia.
- DirectorRobert KennerStarsMichael PollanEric SchlosserRichard LobbAn unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
- DirectorPeter JosephStarsChogyam TrungpaJordan MaxwellGeorge CarlinMythology and belief in society today, presenting uncommon perspectives of common cultural issues.
- DirectorJacob KornbluthStarsRobert ReichCandice BergenConan O'BrienA documentary that follows former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich as he looks to raise awareness of the country's widening economic gap.
- CreatorAnn DruyanCarl SaganSteven SoterStarsCarl SaganJaromír HanzlíkJonathan FahnAstronomer Carl Sagan leads us on an engaging guided tour of the various elements and cosmological theories of the universe.
- StarsNeil deGrasse TysonChristopher EmersonKeythe FarleyAn exploration of our discovery of the laws of nature and coordinates in space and time.
- StarsNeil deGrasse TysonSeth MacFarlaneSasha Sagan"Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey" returns for a second season. Ann Druyan, original creative collaborator to Carl Sagan, serves as executive producer.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsHunter S. ThompsonJohnny DeppJoe CairoA portrait of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
- DirectorTony KayeStarsNoam ChomskyBill BairdFlip BenhamA graphic documentary on both sides of the abortion debate.
- StarsKeith DavidKatharine PhillipsTom HanksA seven-part series focusing on the many ways in which the Second World War impacted the lives of American families.
- DirectorJames ColquhounCarlo LedesmaStarsVicky BlewittIan BrighthopeJerome BurneFood Matters examines how the food we eat can help or hurt our health. Nutritionists, naturopaths, doctors, and journalists weigh in on such topics as organic food, food safety, raw foodism, and nutritional therapy.
- DirectorRobert GreenwaldStarsDouglas CheekWalter CronkiteBob McChesneyDocumentary on reported Conservative bias of the Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox News Channel (FNC), which promotes itself as "Fair and Balanced". Material includes interviews with former FNC employees and the inter-office memos they provided.
- DirectorChris SmithStarsJim CarreyDanny DeVitoMilos FormanA behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon (1999).
- DirectorVanessa GouldStarsErik D. DemaineMartin L. DemaineVincent FlodererDepicts a cast of fine artists and eccentric scientists (from MIT and NASA) who have devoted their lives to the unlikely medium of modern origami. Through their determination to reinterpret the world in paper, they arouse a fascinating mix of sensibilities towards art, form, expressiveness, creativity and meaning.
- DirectorShaun MonsonStarsJoaquin PhoenixUsing hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.
- DirectorTim WardleStarsRobert ShafranMichael DomnitzHoward SchneiderIn 1980 New York, three young men who were all adopted meet each other and find out they're triplets who were separated at birth. But their quest to find out why turns into a bizarre and sinister mystery.
- DirectorAaron RussoStarsAaron RussoJohn TurnerJoe BanisterA documentary that explores the connection between income tax collection and the erosion of civil liberties in America.
- StarsStevie NicksBonoDr. Dre"The Defiant Ones" examines the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre - one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton - and their leading roles in a chain of transformative events in contemporary culture.
- DirectorCameron CroweStarsEddie VedderStone GossardJeff AmentA documentary on the band Pearl Jam that marks their 20th anniversary in the year 2011.
- DirectorJeremy WorkmanStarsMatt GreenFor over six years, and for reasons he can't explain, Matt Green, 37, has been walking every block of every street in New York City - a journey of more than 8,000 miles. THE WORLD BEFORE YOUR FEET tells the story of one man's unusual personal quest and the unexpected journey of discovery, humanity, and wonder that ensues.
- StarsZe FrankMorgan FreemanZe describes animal oddities. And let's be honest. Aren't all animals odd in some obscure way. So let's not take those differences too seriously and just accept them for what they are; odd.
- DirectorJessica YuStarsHenry DargerDakota FanningLarry PineA documentary on Henry Darger, visionary artist, janitor, and novelist.
- DirectorGary HustwitStarsManfred SchulzMassimo VignelliRick PoynorA documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.
- DirectorClay TweelStarsSteve GleasonMike GleasonScott FujitaAfter he is diagnosed with ALS, former professional football player Steve Gleason begins making a video diary for his unborn son, as he, his wife, and their friends and family work to raise money for ALS patients as his disease progresses.
- DirectorKen BurnsStarsKeith DavidKevin ConwayPhilip BoscoA biographical film about the acclaimed American humourist and author.
- DirectorAngelo J. Guglielmo Jr.StarsTania HeadElia ZedenoGerry BogaczA psychological thriller that goes inside the mind of history's most infamous 9/11 "survivor."
- DirectorLaura PoitrasStarsEdward SnowdenGlenn GreenwaldWilliam BinneyA documentarian and a reporter travel to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden.
- DirectorShane SalernoStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanEdward NortonJudd ApatowAn unprecedented look inside the private world of J.D. Salinger, the reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye.
- DirectorPete McGrainStarsWoody HarrelsonJustin LewisBill HoganHosted by twice Oscar nominated actor Woody Harrelson, Ethos explores the mechanisms in our systems that work against democracy, the environment and our own personal liberty.
- DirectorAlexander NanauStarsDan Alexandru CondreaLiviu IoluRazvan LutacDirector Alexander Nanau follows a crack team of investigators at the Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as they try to uncover a vast health-care fraud that enriched moguls and politicians and led to the deaths of innocent citizens.
- DirectorJoel Allen SchroederStarsBerkeley BreathedJef MallettStephan PastisA documentary about the impact of the newspaper comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes," created by Bill Watterson.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreTucker AlbrizziTony BennA documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.
- 20101h 56mNot Rated7.6 (1.9K)68MetascoreDirectorJohn ScheinfeldStarsGerry BeckleyLee BlackmanPerry Botkin Jr.The life and work of the enigmatic folk rock singer-songwriter.
- DirectorTing PooLeo ScottStarsVal KilmerJack KilmerMercedes KilmerA documentary centering on the daily life of actor Val Kilmer, featuring never-before-seen footage spanning 40 years.
- DirectorDon ArgottStarsJulian BondDavid D'ArcyRichard FeigenDocumentary that follows the struggle for control of Dr. Albert C. Barnes' 25 billion dollar collection of modern and post-impressionist art.
- DirectorStacy PeraltaStarsLaird HamiltonDarrick DoernerDave KalamaDocumentary detailing the origins and history of surf culture.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsMegan Ambuhl GranerJaval DavisKen DavisErrol Morris examines the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.
- DirectorBill HaneyStarsSusan BirdDon BlankenshipRon BurrisA coal mining corporation and a tiny community vie for the last great mountain in Appalachia in a battle for the future of energy that affects us all.
- DirectorBrett HarveyStarsSnoop DoggJoe RoganRonald ReaganScours the deep-seated roots of this morally induced Marijuana campaign and reveal the fascinating path it has taken to get to where it is today.
- DirectorMathieu RoyHarold CrooksStarsRonald WrightMark LevineRobert WrightTheorists consider the evolution of human society and question the sustainability of the current paradigm.
- DirectorAsif KapadiaStarsDiego MaradonaDalma MaradonaPeléConstructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the career of celebrated football player Diego Maradona, who played for S.S.C. Napoli in the 1980s.
- DirectorLuke BoughenRebekah FergussonGwendolyn OxenhamAway from the bright lights and manicured fields, there's another side of soccer. Two players, twenty-five countries, one game.
- DirectorMitch SchultzStarsJoe RoganRalph AbrahamJoel BakstAn investigation into the long-obscured mystery of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a molecule found in nearly every living organism and considered the most potent psychedelic on Earth.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsBob MarleyZiggy MarleyRita MarleyA documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.
- DirectorDavis GuggenheimStarsJimmy PageThe EdgeJack WhiteA documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians: The Edge, Jimmy Page, and Jack White.
- 20081h 18mUnrated6.6 (502)DirectorBrendan TollerStarsGlenn BrancaPat CarneyNoam ChomskyA documentary feature examining why over 3000 independent record stores have closed across the U.S. in the past decade. Many sources all pose threats on the very well being of our favorite record stores. Will these stores die or will they survive?
- DirectorScott WillisStarsFrancesca WoodmanGeorge WoodmanBetty WoodmanThe story of a family that suffers a tragedy, but perseveres and finds redemption through each other and their work - making art.
- DirectorMatt WolfStarsJena MaloneBen WhishawJulia HummerTeenagers did not always exist. In this living collage of rare archival material, filmed portraits, and voices lifted from early 20th Century diary entries, a struggle erupts between adults and adolescents to define a new idea of youth.
- DirectorHenriette MantelSteve SkrovanStarsRalph NaderPat BuchananHoward ZinnA look at the career of consumer advocate Ralph Nader.
- DirectorAbby EpsteinStarsMary Helen AyresJulia BarnettSylvie BlausteinBirth: it's a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to explore the maternity care system in America.
- CreatorKen BurnsStarsPeter CoyoteTantoo CardinalMichael PunkeA journey through more than 10,000 years of North American history and across some of the continent's most iconic landscapes, tracing the mammal's evolution.
- DirectorMatthew BateStarsEddie Lee SausageMitch DepreyDaniel ClowesWhen two friends tape-recorded the fights of their violently noisy neighbors, they accidentally created one of the world's first 'viral' pop-culture sensations.
- DirectorPeter LiechtiStarsPeter MettlerAlexander TschernekNikola WeisseA hunter in a remote and idyllic forest stumbles on a make shift tent fashioned from sheets of plastic and containing the mummified remains of a corpse. A detailed journal found on site reveals the man committed suicide by self-imposed starvation. Who was this man? Why did he kill himself in such a manner? Inspired by this true event and by the novella 'Until I Am a Mummy' by Shimada Masahiko, Insects sensuously evokes the mysterious man's last days.
- DirectorMichael WebberStarsTim HarrisonTerry BrumfieldRuss ClearTake a journey deep inside the fascinating world where wild exotic animals are kept as household pets.
- DirectorVictoria BruceKarin HayesStarsJames S. HenryChuck CollinsBernie SandersAn exposé on how the government has allowed U.S. corporations to avoid paying taxes and the growing wave of discontent that it has fostered.
- 2006–20075 epsTV-MA8.5 (4.8K)TV Mini Series89MetascoreStarsDarleen AsevedoJay AsevedoShelton Shakespear AlexanderAn examination of the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina.
- DirectorLiz GarbusStarsCarol BurnettVincent CasselLouis MalleA look at the life, passions, achievements and tragedies surrounding the famous explorer and environmentalist Jacques Cousteau, featuring an archive of his newly restored footage.
- DirectorJoshua TickellRebecca Harrell TickellStarsWoody HarrelsonRay ArchuletaJohn WickA revolutionary group of activists, scientists, farmers, and politicians band together in a global movement of "Regenerative Agriculture" that could balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world.
- StarsMichael JordanPhil JacksonScottie PippenLed by Michael Jordan, the 1990s Chicago Bulls establish themselves as one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.
- DirectorRoy GermanoBased on over 700 interviews in Mexican towns where about half the population has left to work in the United States, The Other Side of Immigration asks why so many Mexicans come to the U.S. and what happens to the families and communities they leave behind. Through an approach that is both subtle and thought-provoking, filmmaker Roy Germano provides a perspective on undocumented immigration rarely witnessed by American eyes, challenging audiences to imagine more creative and effective solutions to the problem. "There are inevitably real people behind the strident slogans and ideological labels in today's immigration debate. Roy Germano's The Other Side of Immigration does more than any other work to give people otherwise disparaged as 'threatening' and 'illegal' a human face and to reveal the devastating personal effects of U.S. immigration and economic policies on our closest neighbors." - Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University
- DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
- DirectorJoshua OppenheimerStarsAdi RukunM.Y. BasrunVolker HanischA family that survived the genocide in Indonesia confronts the men who killed one of their brothers.
- DirectorB.Z. GoldbergJustine ShapiroCarlos BoladoStarsMoishe Bar AmB.Z. GoldbergShlomo GreenSeveral Jewish and Palestinian children are followed for three years and put in touch with each other, in this alternative look at the Jewish-Palestinian conflict. The three filmmakers followed a group of seven local children between 1995 and 1998. They all have a totally different background. These seven children tell their own story about growing up in Jerusalem. Through this portrait of their generation, we see how deep rooted and almost insoluble the problems of the Middle East have become. When the protagonists speak out in an epilogue a couple of years later, it becomes apparent that all have lost their childlike innocence.
- DirectorKen BurnsSarah BurnsDavid McMahonStarsAntron McCrayKevin RichardsonKharey WiseA documentary that examines the 1989 case of five black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park. After having spent between 6 and 13 years each in prison, a serial rapist confessed to the crime.
- DirectorJason HehirStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerCary ElwesRobin WrightA look at the life and career of professional wrestler André Roussimoff, who gained notoriety in the 1980s as Andre the Giant.
- DirectorSam JonesStarsTony HawkStacy PeraltaRob Roy FitzgeraldFollows famous skater Tony Hawk's personal life, career and relationship with skateboarding, including never-before-seen footage and unprecedented access to Hawk, along with interviews with figures from the skateboarding world.
- DirectorMarie-Monique RobinStarsDavid BakerKen CookDavid CarpenterYou do not have to believe that God exists, but you will after this movie know that the devil poster! Monsanto is the largest global company that produces agricultural products: pesticides, hormones in raising animals, and genetically modified soybean seeds, corn and other crops. Monsanto has made some of the toxins that are responsible for many diseases, cancer, dementia and the rules are and say Napalm was used in the Vietnam War or PCB oils of which turned out to be a carcinogen as a small atomic bomb.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughPeter DrostGoetz BielefeldtMillions of years ago incredible forces ripped apart the Earth's crust creating our seven continents - each with its own distinct climate, its own distinct terrain and its own unique animal life. From the colourful paradise of South America to the scorching heat of Africa, Seven Worlds: One Planet showcases the true character of each continent in turn and reveals just how it has shaped all life there. Be surprised by unexpected stories. Marvel at iconic landscapes. And be awestruck by spectacular wildlife. Seven Worlds: One Planet is an eye-opening journey around a world you thought you knew.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughChadden HunterGordon BuchananDavid Attenborough returns with a new wildlife documentary that shows life in a variety of habitats.
- DirectorAnton CorbijnStarsPaul McCartneyDavid GilmourJimmy PageThe story of the album art design studio, Hipgnosis, who created some of the most iconic album covers of all time.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughTravel back 66 million years to when majestic dinosaurs and extraordinary creatures roamed the lands, seas, and skies.