Documentary DVD & Blu-rays 2010 List

A documentary on the outspoken, flamboyant founder of the Playboy empire and Hefner's fierce battles with the government, the religious right and militant feminists.

Over the course of one year, the film follows the Second Platoon in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley, a stronghold of al Qaeda and the Taliban, and observe the soldiers' back breaking labor, deadly firefights, and camaraderie as they push back the Taliban.

The story of an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempt to locate and befriend Banksy, one of the most famous graffiti artists, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner with spectacular results.

A documentary about Jack Rebney, who became infamous with his foul-mouthed outtakes from an RV sales video which was passed hand-to-hand on VHS tapes, years before YouTube turned it into a full-blown viral phenomenon.

Filmmaker Roger Nygard wrote the toughest 85 questions he could think of -- about the purpose of life and the nature of existence -- then asked hundreds of people all over the globe.

A documentary about the making of the Troll 2 and the movie's journey from being crowned the worst film of all time to a cherished cult classic.

A year in Phoenix's life after he publicly gave up acting and tried to establish himself as a hip hop musician.

After viewing this film, you will never look at Wikipedia the same way. The filmmakers engagingly explore the history and cultural implications of one of the most referenced sites on the Web. A whole range of opinion is expressed about the impact of Wikipedia on the archiving of learning, from interviews with founder Jimmy Wales to commentators suspicious of the site's supposed neutrality. Evenhandedly weaving multiple perspectives about the impact of Wikipedia, the film provokes a deeper conversation on how knowledge is formed and what future generations will learn about history and the world.

Directed by legendary producer Don Hahn ("Beauty and the Beast"), this documentary looks at an era of Disney animation celebrated by fans but not yet immortalized by historians. The film will cover the talent behind the movies of the 1980s and '90s, charting the success of such filmmakers as John Lasseter, Brad Bird, John Musker, Ron Clements, Glen Keane, Henry Selick, Tim Burton, and Don Bluth from their time at CalArts in the '70s through the early '90s boom that culminated with Hahn's record-setting hit, "The Lion King".

At the request of the U.S. government, Walt Disney and fellow artists travel to South America to shore up relations during World War II.

Through candid interviews and backstage access, this documentary on Stand-Up explores the world of the working comedian and reveals a funny psychological profile of its practitioners.

Beneath the surface of the sea, on the other side of the mirror, life's primitive harmony reaches down to unsullied depths. The film sets out to meet the creatures of the sea: those that are known and the many that still have to be discovered. It is a venture into the fullness of the sea to show how prodigiously it teems with life, and into the deepest ocean beds to meet living fossils that belong to world prehistory. Follows the whiplash turns of a shark, the speedy swimming of a swordfish and the gliding manta ray. Explores the dens of giant cod, spiny monkfish, orange roughy and the giant squid in their natural habitats.

Film will take viewers to the isolated shores of Lake Natron in northern Tanzania for a birds-eye view of the mysterious lives of flamingos.

Oliver Stone heads to the Southern Hemisphere for chats with seven regional leaders: Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula da Silva (Brazil), Cristina Kirchner (Argentina), Fernando Lugo (Paraguay), Rafael Correa (Ecuador) and Raúl Castro (Cuba).

On a trip to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia in January 2000, filmmaker Anne Bass came across a sixteen year old boy who moved her immensely with his amazing and seemingly natural charms and grace as a dancer. Having been a longtime devotee to the world of dance herself back in the United States, Anne felt compelled to give this young boy the opportunity to leave his home and follow a dream that she felt he hadn’t even yet seen for himself. From the serene countryside of Southeast Asia to the halls of the New York’s School of American Ballet to the stage of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, "Dancing Across Borders" peeks behind the scenes into the world of dance and chronicles the intimate and triumphant story of a boy who was discovered, and who only much later discovered all that he had in himself.

"Racing Dreams" is the award winning coming-of-age story about three kids who dream of one day racing in NASCAR. Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker, Marshall Curry, takes us into the lives of Annabeth (11 years old), Josh (12), and Brandon (13) as they compete for the championship in the World Karting Association's National Series—widely considered the Little League for professional racing.

Clocking speeds of up to 70 mph, these young drivers race their way through the year-long National Series that spawned many of NASCAR's top drivers. And at the same time, they navigate the treacherous road between childhood and young adulthood.

The story of an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempt to locate and befriend Banksy, one of the most famous graffiti artists, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner with spectacular results.

A probing investigation into the lies, greed and corruption surrounding D.C. super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his cronies.

"Racing Dreams" is the award winning coming-of-age story about three kids who dream of one day racing in NASCAR. Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker, Marshall Curry, takes us into the lives of Annabeth (11 years old), Josh (12), and Brandon (13) as they compete for the championship in the World Karting Association's National Series—widely considered the Little League for professional racing.

Clocking speeds of up to 70 mph, these young drivers race their way through the year-long National Series that spawned many of NASCAR's top drivers. And at the same time, they navigate the treacherous road between childhood and young adulthood.

Everybody loves... "Babies." This visually stunning new movie simultaneously follows four babies around the world - from first breath to first steps. From Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo, "Babies" joyfully captures on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all.

Michel Gondry's documentary is a personal look at the life of Gondry family matriarch, his aunt Suzette Gondry, and her relationship with her son, Jean-Yves. Michel examines Suzette's years as a school teacher and her life in rural France. During the course of filming the documentary, Michel unearths new family stories and uses his camera to explore them in a subtle and sensitive way.

A future archivist looks at old footage from the year 2008 to understand why humankind failed to address climate change.

A documentary about California's Proposition 8, which restricted the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples, and the influence of Mormon involvement.

A documentary on Daniel Ellsberg, a high-level Pentagon official and Vietnam War strategist, who concluded that the war was based on lies and leaked 7,000 pages of top secret documents to The New York Times.

A comprehensive documentary looking at energy in America, reliance on oil and the potential of alternative energy sources.

With white Jewish lesbians for parents and two adopted brothers - one mixed-race and one Korean-Brooklyn teen Avery grew up in a unique and loving household. But when her curiosity about her African-American roots grows, she decides to contact her birth mother.

Documentary on the Canadian rock group, Rush. A band with a cult-like follow and who are behind only the Beatles and the Rolling Stones for number of consecutive gold and platinum albums.

The work and wisdom of some of the people who've profoundly impacted culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising's "creative revolution" of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in the film were responsible for "Just Do It," "I Love NY," "Where's the Beef?," "Got Milk," "Think Different," and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. They managed to grab the attention of millions and truly move them. Visually interwoven with their stories, TV satellites are launched, billboards are erected, and the social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.

A look at the late '60s and early '70s rock band The Doors, including rare exclusive footage. Narrated by Johnny Depp.

The life and career of Julius Shulman, one of the world's greatest architectural photographer, whose images brought modern architecture to the American mainstream.

Troublemaking duo Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, posing as their industrious alter-egos, expose the people profiting from Hurricane Katrina, the faces behind the environmental disaster in Bhopal, and other shocking events.

Filmed in 20 countries, the documentary explores the insights of Nobel Laureates and others about improving the world.

"Cheech and Chong’s Hey Watch This" is a feature film showcasing the duo’s reunion tour titled "Cheech & Chong: Light Up America", where they performed together for the first time in over 25 years. The duo performed for more than 100 audiences, grossing eight figures, making the act one of the highest grossing tours of 2008-2009.

About the Internet's revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes and artwork of maverick web pioneer, Josh Harris.

"Capitalism: A Love Story" will explore the root causes of the global economic meltdown and take a comical look at the corporate and political shenanigans that culminated in what Moore described as “the biggest robbery in the history of this country” - the massive transfer of U.S. taxpayer money to private financial institutions.

After her boyfriend mysteriously leaves her with little explanation, grad student Sara Quinn is left looking for answers as to what went wrong. Directing all her energies into her anthropological dissertation, Sara conducts a series of interviews with men in an effort to uncover the secret thoughts that drive their behavior. As she records the astonishing and disquieting experiences of various subjects, Sara discovers much more about men and herself than she bargained for.

This new IMAX adventure transports moviegoers to some of the most exotic and isolated undersea locations on Earth, including Southern Australia, New Guinea and others in the Indo-Pacific region, allowing them to experience face-to-face encounters with some of the most mysterious and stunning creatures of the sea. It offers a uniquely inspirational and entertaining way to explore the beauty and natural wonder of the oceans, as well as the impact of global climate change. In IMAX 3D, the images will literally leap off the screen and float around the theatre, putting the audience in the movie.

The movie, which will mix archival footage and family memorabilia with fresh interviews, follows LeBron James' high school basketball days, following the five starters on the varsity team at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. The team travels a winding road from a rundown gymnasium to national glory and NBA riches, seeking to remain a tight-knit quintet even as James becomes a megamillionaire. James was drafted out of high school in 2003 and led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007. He becomes a free agent in 2010.

When Chris Rock's daughter, Lola, came up to him crying and asked, "Daddy, how come I don't have good hair?" the bewildered comic committed himself to search the ends of the earth and the depths of black culture to find out who had put that question into his little girl's head! Director Jeff Stilson's camera followed the funnyman, and the result is Good Hair, a wonderfully insightful and entertaining, yet remarkably serious, documentary about African American hair culture. An exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, Good Hair visits hair salons and styling battles, scientific laboratories, and Indian temples to explore the way black hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of black people. Celebrities such as Ice-T, Kerry Washington, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Raven Symoné, Maya Angelou, and Reverend Al Sharpton all candidly offer their stories and observations to Rock while he struggles with the task of figuring out how to respond to his daughter's question. What he discovers is that black hair is a big business that doesn't always benefit the black community and little Lola's question might well be bigger than his ability to convince her that the stuff on top of her head is nowhere near as important as what is inside.

After her boyfriend mysteriously leaves her with little explanation, grad student Sara Quinn is left looking for answers as to what went wrong. Directing all her energies into her anthropological dissertation, Sara conducts a series of interviews with men in an effort to uncover the secret thoughts that drive their behavior. As she records the astonishing and disquieting experiences of various subjects, Sara discovers much more about men and herself than she bargained for.

Filmmaker Astra Taylor accompanies some of today's most influential thinkers on a series of unique excursions through places and spaces that hold particular resonance for them and their ideas.

Documentary focuses on the lawsuit by tens of thousands of Ecuadorans against Chevron over contamination of the Ecuadorean Amazon.

With a desire to know his brothers better, and see the war in Iraq first hand, Jake Rademacher journeys to Mosul, Iraq to embed in his brother's unit. Capt. Isaac Rademacher, a West Point graduate, and 2nd in command of an elite Long Range Surveillance Company, gives him access to the world of Intelligence and Operations before embedding him on a secret mission to recon the Syrian Border. During this humorous and perilous journey, he not only sees insurgents sneak across the border, but more importantly gains insight into the heart of the American Soldier. As Jake further explores Iraq, by heading north to Kurdistan, Isaac returns to a young daughter who does not remember him. After six weeks of adventures in Iraq, Jake returns only to have his experience rejected by his 19 year old youngest brother, Corporal Joseph Rademacher, a combat veteran and sniper with the 82nd Airborne. Jake returns to Iraq, and embeds with three combat units in the heart of the Sunni Triangle. As the combat action intensifies, so does his understanding of his brothers' war in Iraq. In addition to providing an up close and personal view of our soldiers at war, "Brothers at War" is a deeply personal view of a family divided, but ultimately profoundly bonded by the crucible of war.

"X Games 3D: The Movie" captures the drama and spectacle that play out every year at the X Games events, highlighting the behind-the-scenes stories of the featured athletes and the sacrifices they make in pursuit of glory and the advancement of their sports on the biggest stage in action sports.

Colin Beavan, author, and newly self-proclaimed environmentalist, decides to leave behind a life of liberal complacency for a vow to make zero environmental impact for one year. No more automated transportation, no more electricity, no more non-local food, no more material consumption... no problem. That is, until his espresso-guzzling, Prada-worshipping wife Michelle, and their young toddler, enter the fray.

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from March through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson's "This Is It" captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius, and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show.

The film profiles a 1974 concert of R&B performers during the "rumble in the jungle" boxing match between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali.