Best Documentary Movies of 1998

1.

Divine Trash

4.1
7.7/10 IMDB

The life and times of Baltimore film maker and midnight movie pioneer, John Waters.

Starring: John Waters, Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Steve Buscemi, George Kuchar, Mike Kuchar, Jim Jarmusch, Paul Morrissey ..
Directed by: Steve Yeager
Release date: 1998-01-18
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows
2.

Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows

4.1
8.1/10 IMDB

This documentary follows superstar Bret Hart during his last year in the WWF. The film documents the tensions that resulted in The Montreal Screwjob, one of the most controversial events in the history of professional wrestling, in which Vince McMahon, Shawn Micheals, and others, legitimately conspired behind the scenes to go against the script and remove Bret Hart as champion.

Starring: Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Vince McMahon, Steve Austin, Michael Hickenbottom, Mick Foley, Brian Pillman, Blade Hart, Julie Hart, Stu Hart ..
Directed by: Paul Jay
Release date: 1998-12-20
3.

The Last Days

4.1
7.9/10 IMDB

Five Jewish Hungarians, now U.S. citizens, tell their stories: before March, 1944, when Nazis began to exterminate Hungarian Jews, months in concentration camps, and visiting childhood homes more than 50 years later. An historian, a Sonderkommando, a doctor who experimented on Auschwitz prisoners, and US soldiers who were part of the liberation in April, 1945.

Starring: Bill Basch, Martin Basch, Randolph Braham, Tom Lantos, Alice Lok Cahana, Renee Firestone, Irene Zisblatt ..
Directed by: James Moll
Release date: 1998-10-23
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : The Wall Crawler: The Verticle Adventures of Alain Robert
4.

The Wall Crawler: The Verticle Adventures of Alain Robert

4.0
9.2/10 IMDB

A breathtaking look at The French Spiderman, Alain Robert, a lone climber who scales tall buildings, bridges and cliffs all over the world. His physical training and climbing technique allows him to climb using window sills and frames. From its height of 180 meters, the Citigroup Center in Chicago will be the first of a long series of more than 170 buildings that Alain Robert will climb.

Starring: Alain Robert, Ron Kauk, Jerry Moffatt ..
Directed by: Julie Cohen
Release date: 1998-01-01
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : The Cruise
5.

The Cruise

4.0
7.6/10 IMDB

Affectionate portrait of Timothy "Speed" Levitch, a tour guide for Manhattan's Gray Line double-decker buses.

Starring: Timothy "Speed" Levitch ..
Directed by: Bennett Miller
Release date: 1998-10-23
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Richter The Enigma
6.

Richter The Enigma

4.0
8.8/10 IMDB

Bruno Monsaingeon wrote and directed this 144-minute French documentary about Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter, who died August 1, 1997. Black-and-white performance clips from the 1930s are combined with later Mosfilm color footage, while Richter's personal history is revealed in digital video interviews shot two years before his death.

Starring: Sviatoslav Richter ..
Directed by: Bruno Monsaingeon
Release date: 1998-01-01
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Kurt & Courtney
7.

Kurt & Courtney

3.9
6.1/10 IMDB

After rocker Kurt Cobain's death, ruled a suicide, a film crew arrives in Seattle to make a documentary. Director Nick Broomfield talks to lots of people. Portraits emerge: a shy, slight Kurt, weary of touring, embarrassed by fame, hooked on heroin; an out-going Courtney, dramatic, controlling, moving from groupie to star.

Starring: Nick Broomfield, Dylan Carlson, Kurt Cobain, El Duce, Larry Flynt, Tom Grant, Hank Harrison, Courtney Love, Sam Rubin, Vincent Schiavelli ..
Directed by: Nick Broomfield
Release date: 1998-02-27
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Meeting People Is Easy
8.

Meeting People Is Easy

3.9
7.5/10 IMDB

Meeting People Is Easy takes place during the promotion of Radiohead's 1997 release OK Computer, containing a collage of video clips, sound bites, and dialogue going behind the scenes with the band on their world tour, showing the eventual burn-out of the group as the world tour progresses. The inaugural show of the OK Computer tour began on 22 May 1997 in Barcelona, Spain.

Starring: Thom Yorke, Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Philip Selway ..
Directed by: Grant Gee
Release date: 1998-03-20
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : John Leguizamo: Freak
9.

John Leguizamo: Freak

3.8
8.2/10 IMDB

John Leguizamo's semi-falsified, one-man stand-up performance as...himself. This is his autobiographical story, about his life growing up, and his journey to try to be accepted by his father. We see this story through a bizarre myriad of characters and situations, which include the eccentric Uncle Sanny, the Fat Boy Called Bitch (John's little brother, Poochie), his mom, his evil grandmothers, and Lee Stratsberg, not to mention a brief appearance by Cantinflas as God.

Starring: John Leguizamo ..
Directed by: Spike Lee
Release date: 1998-10-10
10.

Everest

3.8
7.0/10 IMDB

An international team of climbers ascends Mt. Everest in the spring of 1996. The film depicts their lengthy preparations for the climb, their trek to the summit, and their successful return to Base Camp. It also shows many of the challenges the group faced, including avalanches, lack of oxygen, treacherous ice walls, and a deadly blizzard.

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ed Viesturs, David Breashears, Tracy Pfau, Lhakpa Dorji ..
Directed by: Greg MacGillivray, Stephen Judson, David Breashears
Release date: 1998-03-06
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Jump Off A Building
11.

Jump Off A Building

3.8
7.9/10 IMDB

Toy Machine's 4th video release, "Jump Off A Building", is the follow up to "Welcome to Hell". It is Toy Machine at it's most creative. Featuring the skateboarding of Brian Anderson, Mike Maldonado, Elissa Steamer, Bam Margera, Ed Templeton, Chris Senn and Kerry Getz.

Starring: Brandon DiCamillo, Bam Margera, Mike Maldonado, Elissa Steamer, Chris Senn, Ed Templeton, Kerry Getz, Ed Templeton ..
Release date: 1998-05-06
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Behind the Planet of the Apes
12.

Behind the Planet of the Apes

3.8
7.4/10 IMDB

Roddy McDowall takes you, film by film, from production meetings to make-up sessions, then right onto the movie set to see the actual filming of the science fiction masterpiece. The most comprehensive history of Planet of the Apes ever created, this fascinating 127-minute documentary explores one of the most imaginative and influential series in movie history.

Starring: Roddy McDowall, Charlton Heston, Richard D. Zanuck, John Chambers, Kim Hunter, Linda Harrison, William J. Creber, Mort Abrahams, Ricardo Montalban, Natalie Trundy ..
Directed by: Kevin Burns, David Comtois
Release date: 1998-09-05
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Le cas Howard Phillips Lovecraft
13.

Le cas Howard Phillips Lovecraft

3.7
7.5/10 IMDB

Disgusted by life and uninterested in earthly subjects, Lovecraft intentionally avoided reality when writing, veering into the unknown and inspiring the fear that lurks in nightmares. But, how do you portray the indefinable mythology that gave birth to Dragon, or the mysterious Cthulhu, or the uniquely strange Necronomicon? Directors Patrick Mario Bernard and Pierre Trividic asked themselves this question before responding with this unorthodox documentary that re-creates the atmosphere of claustrophobia, anxiety, and madness of Lovecraft s life and work.

Directed by: Patrick Mario Bernard, Pierre Trividic
Release date: 1998-07-22
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : What's a Carry On?
14.

What's a Carry On?

3.7
7.5/10 IMDB

Documentary commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 'Carry On' comedy film series. Archive clips and out-takes are mixed with interviews with the cast.

Starring: Joan Sims, Jim Dale, Angela Douglas, Barbara Windsor, Leslie Phillips, Jack Douglas, Patsy Rowlands ..
Directed by: John Highlander
Release date: 1998-12-29
15.

Angel on My Shoulder

3.7
7.4/10 IMDB

Donna Deitch directed this documentary about the illness and death of her friend, actress Gwen Welles (Nashville). Diagnosed with an cancerous tumor in 1992, Welles chose not to go for conventional treatments, and the film shows her deterioration. Shot on video with a later transfer to 16mm, this film was shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival.

Starring: Donna Deitch, Gwen Welles ..
Directed by: Donna Deitch
Release date: 1998-02-15
16.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

3.7
7.2/10 IMDB

The Decline of Western Civilization III is a 1998 documentary film directed by Penelope Spheeris that chronicles the 'gutter punk' lifestyle of homeless teens in Los Angeles.

Starring: Rick Wilder, Flea, Stephen Chambers, Gary Fredo ..
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Release date: 1998-01-15
17.

PNYC: Portishead - Roseland New York

3.6
8.9/10 IMDB

Portishead concert in the Roseland Ballroom, New York City, on the 24th July 1997 with tracks from the albums "Dummy" and "Portishead" played by the band and a 30 piece orchestra.

Starring: Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, Adrian Utley, Dave MacDonald ..
Directed by: Dick Carruthers
Release date: 1998-11-02
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Godzilla, King of the Monsters
18.

Godzilla, King of the Monsters

3.6
6.9/10 IMDB

Documentary focusing on the Japanese Godzilla, featuring interviews with such people as Director Jun Fukuda, the wide of the late Ishiro Honda and Alex Cox. This documentary incorporates footage from rare shows like "Ultra Q" and films like "King Kong Escapes".

Starring: Haruo Nakajima, Akira Ifukube, Jun Fukuda, Noriaki Yuasa, Kenpachir? Satsuma, Roland Emmerich, Alex Cox, Dean Devlin ..
Release date: 1998-07-11
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Spice Girls in America: A Tour Story
19.

Spice Girls in America: A Tour Story

3.6
6.9/10 IMDB

Want to know what life is like on tour with the Spice Girls? Well here's your chante to get inside the real SpiceWorld. In June 1998, the world's most successful all-girl band wen on tour all over America performing over 40 shows in 35 US cities and America discovered Spice Fever! This rare, behind-the scenes portrait is the story of the Spice Girls' sell-out tour of forty shows, following their progress as they cope with the pressures of life in a world of tour buses & private jets, press conferences & performances. Played out alongside the highs & lows of the World Cup, this is the story of life in the Spice bubble - of photo shoots, TV appearances, shopping trips, hotel rooms & the stresses & strains of life on the long and winding road. "A Tour History" is a unique & intimate snapshot of the Spice Girls during an American summer they will never forget.

Starring: Melanie B, Emma Bunton, Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisholm ..
Directed by: Ian Denyer
Release date: 1998-08-10
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : The Making of 'The Frighteners'
20.

The Making of 'The Frighteners'

3.5
7.9/10 IMDB

Documentary about the making of the 1996 horror-comedy.

Starring: Robert Zemeckis, Jim Fyfe, Trini Alvarado, Peter Jackson, Michael J. Fox, Chi McBride, John Astin, Richard Taylor, Jon Labrie, Matt Aitken ..
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Release date: 1998-11-24
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Marilyn Manson: Dead to the World
21.

Marilyn Manson: Dead to the World

3.5
8.1/10 IMDB

The controversial events from the Antichrist Superstar tour serve as the backdrop for this amazing document, all as seen through the video eye of the band's own cameraman. The picketing zealots, the fulminating moralists, the disingenuous politicians, the tens of thousands who came to see for themselves and, of course, gazing outward from the very heart of the storm, Manson himself. One hour of live concert performances intercut with behind the scene and backstage footage that will help you to understand what it must have been like to be at the center of these extraordinary occurrences.

Starring: Jeordie White, Madonna Wayne Gacy, Zim Zum, Ginger Fish, Marilyn Manson ..
Directed by: Joseph F. Cultice
Release date: 1998-02-10
22.

Party Monster: The Shockumentary

3.5
7.2/10 IMDB

Tells the story of the rise and fall of Michael Alig, a kid from Middle America who aspired to take the place of Andy Warhol. Michael quickly rose to become the biggest party promoter in New York and King of the so-called Club Kids. But after spiraling into drug addiction, Michael brutally murdered his roommate Angel Melendez.

Starring: Michael Alig, James St. James ..
Directed by: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato
Release date: 1998-06-11
23.

Serengeti Symphony

3.5
7.4/10 IMDB

Serengeti Symphony is a breathtaking look at the astounding landscape and exotic animals that make up the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The film accounts the daily lives and intricacies of animals such as giraffe, flamingos, leopards and cheetahs, each vivid scene flawlessly paired with a musical score written by Laurens van Rooyen. Serengeti Symphony brings the beauty of Africa to life like never before, with close up colourful images of the terrain and unimaginable glimpses of the wildlife, allowing the true character of the landscape, and the grace and spirit of every animal, to shine through.

Directed by: Hugo van Lawick
Release date: 1998-10-07
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Fearful Symmetry
24.

Fearful Symmetry

3.5
7.2/10 IMDB

A documentary about the making of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Starring: Horton Foote, Robert Mulligan, Alan J. Pakula, Gregory Peck, Phillip Alford, Mary Badham, Elmer Bernstein, Collin Wilcox Paxton, Brock Peters, Robert Duvall ..
Directed by: Charles Kiselyak
Release date: 1998-01-01
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth
25.

Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth

3.5
7.9/10 IMDB

In 1948, Lenny Bruce was just another comic who couldn't get arrested. By 1961, all that would change.

Starring: Robert De Niro, Steve Allen, Lenny Bruce, Honey Harlow ..
Directed by: Robert B. Weide
Release date: 1998-10-21
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Totally Bill Hicks
26.

Totally Bill Hicks

3.4
8.4/10 IMDB

Consisting of two parts: ‘Revelations’, Bill Hicks’ last live performance in the United Kingdom made at the Dominion Theatre; and a documentary about Hicks’ life ‘Just a Ride’ featuring interviews with friends, admirers, and family.

Starring: Bill Hicks, Richard Belzer, Eric Bogosian, Kevin Booth, George H.W. Bush, Brett Butler, William Cook, Allan Havey, Jim Hicks, Mary Hicks ..
Directed by: Rupert Edwards
Release date: 1998-11-23
27.

Full Tilt Boogie

3.4
6.6/10 IMDB

A documentary about the production of From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and the people who made it.

Starring: George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Michael Parks, Fred Williamson, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Robert Rodriguez, Danny Trejo, Salma Hayek, Gregory Nicotero ..
Directed by: Sarah Kelly
Release date: 1998-07-31
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film
28.

Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film

3.4
7.5/10 IMDB

Abraham Zapruder's home-camera footage of the assassination of John F. Kennedy is treated to digital re-mastering.

Directed by: H.D. Motyl
Release date: 1998-01-01
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Talkin' Headz
29.

Talkin' Headz

3.4
8.7/10 IMDB

The Metalheadz Documentary is an intimate and immediate account of a Drum & Bass label poised for world domination. DJs and producers talk openly of the artistic freedom they enjoy, how the label has evolved to represent such a diverse musical scene and why moving forward and pushing the boundaries is so vital. These names have created a global phenomenon and here talk for the first time of how it was achieved, where it's at and what the future holds.

Starring: Goldie ..
Directed by: John Klein
Release date: 1998-11-23
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Kiss: The Second Coming
30.

Kiss: The Second Coming

3.4
7.4/10 IMDB

For over a quarter century, KISS has shaped the face of popular music and rock culture. The KISS Alive Worldwide tour saw the rebirth of rock's most incredible band. Witness firsthand the amazing story of how after 17 years, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace frehley and Peter Criss's paths finally crossed, reuniting one of rock and roll's biggest success stories ever. This bombastic behind-the-scenes documentary details the events that led up to KISS's record-breaking Alive Worldwide tour of 1996-97. Come witness the story of how Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter reunited and strove to write a new chapter in the history of rock & roll. This is KISS - The Second Coming.

Starring: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Matt Pinfield, KISS ..
Directed by: Tommy Thayer
Release date: 1998-11-24
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Life of Crime 2
31.

Life of Crime 2

3.4
8.2/10 IMDB

This follow-up to the 1989 documentary ONE YEAR IN A LIFE OF CRIME revisits three of the original subjects in New Jersey during a five-year period in the 1990s. We share in their triumphs and setbacks as they navigate lives of poverty, drug abuse, AIDS, and petty crime.

Starring: Robert Steffey, Freddie Rodriguez, Deliris Vasquez ..
Directed by: Jon Alpert
Release date: 1998-12-15
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Backstreet Boys: All Access Video
32.

Backstreet Boys: All Access Video

3.4
7.8/10 IMDB

1. The Making of "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" 2. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" [Extended Dance Mix with Dialogue] 3. On the Set of "As Long As You Love Me" 4. "As Long As You Love Me" 5. "All I Have To Give" (Sneak Preview) 6. "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" 7. Get Down (You're The One For Me)" & "Anywhere For You" [Recorded Live at Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany] 8. "I'll Never Break Your Heart" [Recorded Live at MuchMusic, January 4, 1998] 9. "We've Got It Goin' On"

Starring: Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter ..
Release date: 1998-06-02
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Sex in a Cold Climate
33.

Sex in a Cold Climate

3.3
8.1/10 IMDB

Interlocking interviews of 4 women interred in various Magdalene asylums and/or orphanages because of out-of-wedlock pregnancies, being sexually assaulted, or just being "too pretty".

Starring: Dervla Kirwan ..
Directed by: Steve Humphries
Release date: 1998-03-16
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : American Experience: A Midwife's Tale
34.

American Experience: A Midwife's Tale

3.3
7.8/10 IMDB

A docudrama adaptation of Ulrich's Pulitzer-winning book, which was based on thousands of entries in the journal of Martha Ballard, a Maine midwife, in the late 1700's and early 1800's. The movie intercuts between reenactments of Ballard doing her Maine midwifery and related tasks, and Ulrich in her eight years of research on her book; in the end, clear comparisons are made between the work of the two women.

Starring: Kaiulani Lee, Andrew Elvis Miller, J. Smith-Cameron ..
Directed by: Richard P. Rogers
Release date: 1998-01-19
35.

A Place Called Chiapas

3.3
7.4/10 IMDB

In 1994, the Zapatista National Liberation Army, made up of impoverished Mayan Indians from the state of Chiapas, took over five towns and 500 ranches in southern Mexico. The government deployed its troops and at least 145 people died in the ensuing battle. Filmmaker Nettie Wild travelled to the country's jungle canyons to film the elusive and fragile life of this uprising.

Starring: Rafael Sebastián Guillén Vicente, Samuel Ruiz García, Javier Elorriaga, Jorge Kanter, Gonzalo Ituarte Icario ..
Directed by: Nettie Wild
Release date: 1998-02-20
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : The Making of 'American Graffiti'
36.

The Making of 'American Graffiti'

3.3
7.3/10 IMDB

Documentary that features many interviews and other footage of the cast and crew for the film American Graffiti (1973)

Starring: George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Richard Dreyfuss, Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, Walter Murch, Fred Roos, Paul Le Mat ..
Directed by: Laurent Bouzereau
Release date: 1998-09-15
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters
37.

Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters

3.3
8.0/10 IMDB

A fascinating look at one of the most unforgettable groups of the '70s. You'll see Richard and Karen Carpenter performing lots of their classic songs, plus rare archival footage and tributes by Herb Alpert, Les Paul, Burt Bacharach and more. Contains exclusive footage not seen on the PBS broadcast. 1997/color/75 min/NR/fullscreen.

Release date: 1998-03-30
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : The Thing: Terror Takes Shape
38.

The Thing: Terror Takes Shape

3.3
7.7/10 IMDB

An in-depth look at the making of John Carpenter's cult classic sci-fi horror The Thing, telling the story of a group of researchers in Antarctica who encounter a parasitic extra-terrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates other organisms.

Starring: John Carpenter, David Foster, Bill Lancaster, John J. Lloyd, Dean Cundey, Rob Bottin, Kurt Russell, Richard Masur, Charles Hallahan, Peter Kuran ..
Directed by: Michael Matessino
Release date: 1998-09-08
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Spotlight on Location: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
39.

Spotlight on Location: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

3.3
7.2/10 IMDB

Behind the scenes of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Starring: Benicio del Toro, Johnny Depp, Terry Gilliam ..
Directed by: Keith Fulton
Release date: 1998-11-17
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Six Days in Roswell
40.

Six Days in Roswell

3.2
7.2/10 IMDB

A feature film docu-comedy about UFOs, Aliens, Sightings, Abductions, Other Worldly Visitors, Extra Terrestrials, UFO Researchers, Government Cover-ups, Close Encounters, Flying Saucers, Alien Spacecraft, an Impact Site, Alien Bodies, an Alien Autopsy, the 509th Bomb Group, Atomic Bomb Testing, The Trinity Site, the White Sands Missile Test Range, Los Alamos, the crash of 1947 at Roswell, New Mexico, U.S.A. which became known as the Roswell Incident, and the people of the town of Roswell who now commemorate the UFO crash every july 4th weekend at the Roswell UFO Encounter celebration.

Starring: Richard Kronfeld ..
Directed by: Timothy Johnson
Release date: 1998-01-02
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Lucky People Center International
41.

Lucky People Center International

3.2
8.0/10 IMDB

Lucky People Center International takes us on a journey around the world through human souls. Music's rhythms and the film's pulsing form reminiscent of the music video aesthetics and gives the documentary a new face. The film traveled around the world for two years to find people and lifestyles that reflect the world before 2000.

Starring: Alexander Brener, Toyoshige Sekiguchi, Björn Merker, Djossou Dotche, Sogyal Rinpoche, Annie Sprinkle ..
Directed by: Johan Söderberg, Erik Pauser
Release date: 1998-03-27
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Dire Straits: Sultans of Swing, The Very Best of Dire Straits
42.

Dire Straits: Sultans of Swing, The Very Best of Dire Straits

3.2
7.8/10 IMDB

Sultans of swing - Lady writer - Romeo and Juliet - Tunnel of love - Private investigations - Twisting by the pool - Love over gold (live 1983) - So far away - Money for nothing - Brothers in arms - Walk of life - Calling Elvis - Heavy fuel - On every street (live 1992) - Your latest trick (live 1992) - Local hero - Wild theme (live 1992)

Starring: Mark Knopfler, Alan Clark, John Illsley, Terry Williams, Hal Lindes ..
Release date: 1998-08-01
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Human Remains
43.

Human Remains

3.2
7.7/10 IMDB

Human Remains is a haunting documentary which illustrates the banality of evil by creating intimate portraits of five of the 20th century's most reviled dictators. The film unveils the personal lives of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Francisco Franco and Mao Tse Tung. We learn the private and mundane details of their everyday lives -- their favorite foods, films, habits and sexual preferences. There is no mention of their public lives or of their place in history. The intentional omission of the horrors for which these men were responsible hovers over the film.

Starring: Eva Braun, Francisco Franco, Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, Paul von Hindenburg ..
Directed by: Jay Rosenblatt
Release date: 1998-03-21
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : B.B. King: Live In Africa '74
44.

B.B. King: Live In Africa '74

3.2
8.1/10 IMDB

In 1974, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman held their heavyweight title fight in Zaire, billing it as the "Rumble in the Jungle". A three-day music festival was staged concurrently, and B.B. King was the headlining act. Anyone who has ever had the fortune to see B.B. King play live, even in his later, seated years knows that he is a consummate showman. B.B. King: Live in Africa '74 presents the man at the peak of his powers, as a performer and as a player.

Starring: B.B. King, Muhammad Ali, Bobby Forte, Sonny Freeman, Don King ..
Directed by: Leon Gast
Release date: 1998-05-13
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Kisangani Diary
45.

Kisangani Diary

3.2
8.0/10 IMDB

Along an overgrown rail track south of the Zairean town Kisangani, a UN expedition together with a handful of journalists discover “lost” refugees. They are eighty thousand Hutus from far away Rwanda, the last survivors of three years of hunger and armed persecution that transpired throughout the vast Congo basin. The Hutu-refugees leave the forest, gathering in two gigantic camps. Hundreds of refugees die every day from diseases and malnutrition The Rwandans are promised repatriation with airplanes out of Kisangani. The film traces those refugees into the heart of the rainforest, and the hopeless attempts to help them.. But only four weeks later, the unprotected UN-camps are again attacked by machine-gun fire, deliberately massacred by factions of the rebel army (AFDL) of today’s Democratic Republic Congo. Eighty thousand men, women and children disappear once again back into the jungle. (jedensvet.cz)

Directed by: Hubert Sauper
Release date: 1998-02-20
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Universal Horror
46.

Universal Horror

3.2
7.6/10 IMDB

A documentary about the era of classic monster movies that were made at Universal Studios during the 1930s and 1940s.

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Ray Bradbury, Nina Foch, James Karen, Carla Laemmle, Sara Karloff, Forrest J. Ackerman, Gloria Stuart, Fay Wray, Lupita Tovar ..
Directed by: Kevin Brownlow
Release date: 1998-10-08
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Bruce Lee: In His Own Words
47.

Bruce Lee: In His Own Words

3.2
6.7/10 IMDB

A collection of old interviews with Bruce Lee show us his beliefs, thoughts on fighting and what martial arts means to him.

Starring: Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Linda Lee Cadwell, James Garner, Brandon Lee, Shannon Lee ..
Directed by: John Little
Release date: 1998-07-01
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu
48.

Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu

3.2
7.6/10 IMDB

Documentary recounting the life story of Louise Brooks in 5 sections: "Lulu in Toe Shoes"; "Lulu in Hollywood"; "Lulu in Berlin"; "Lulu in Hell"; and "Resurrection".

Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Louise Brooks, Dana Delany, Roddy McDowall, Paolo Cherchi Usai, Jane Sherman Lehac, Adolph Green, Roseanna Brooks, Margaret Brooks ..
Directed by: Hugh Munro Neely
Release date: 1998-05-05
49.

Modulations

3.1
7.2/10 IMDB

Less a documentary than a primer on all electronic music. Featuring interviews with nearly every major player past and present, as well as a few energetic live clips, Modulations delves into one of electronica's forgotten facets: the human element. Lee travels the globe from the American Midwest to Europe to Japan to try to express the appeal of music often dismissed as soulless. Modulations shows that behind even the most foreign or alien electronic composition lies a real human being, and Lee lets many of these Frankenstein-like creators express and expound upon their personal philosophies and tech-heavy theories. Lee understands that a cultural movement as massive and diverse as dance music can't be contained.

Starring: Karlheinz Stockhausen, Moby, Afrika Bambaataa, Derrick May, Genesis P-Orridge, Liam Howlett, Giorgio Moroder, Ken Ishii, Terre Thaemlitz, Ken Ishii ..
Directed by: Iara Lee
Release date: 1998-09-18
Best Documentary Movies of 1998 : The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist
50.

The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist

3.1
7.8/10 IMDB

A behind-the-scenes retrospective made for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the classic horror film, The Exorcist. Includes interviews with Linda Blair and the other stars of the film, along with commentary from the director and writer on some of the deeper meanings behind the elements they used to terrify their audiences, and previously unreleased footage including make-up tests and deleted scenes.

Starring: Mark Kermode, Ellen Burstyn, William O'Malley, William Friedkin, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, William Peter Blatty, Thomas Bermingham, Jason Miller, Terence A. Donnelly ..
Directed by: Mark Kermode, Nick Freand Jones
Release date: 1998-06-13

Also check Best documentary movies of 1999.

Check out our top containing the Best Documentary Movies of 1998 - PickTheMovie.com. This top was obtained with our unique algorithm ordered by our unique ranking system.

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