Why do 11,000 people die in America each year at the hands of gun violence? Talking heads yelling from every TV camera blame everything from Satan to video games. But are we that much different from many other countries? What sets us apart? How have we become both the master and victim of such enormous amounts of violence? This is not a film about gun control. It is a film about the fearful heart and soul of the United States, and the 280 million Americans lucky enough to have the right to a constitutionally protected Uzi. From a look at the Columbine High School security camera tapes to the home of Oscar-winning NRA President Charlton Heston, from a young man who makes homemade napalm with The Anarchist's Cookbook to the murder of a six-year-old girl by another six-year-old, Bowling for Columbine is a journey through America, through our past, hoping to discover why our pursuit of happiness is so riddled with violence.
Starring:
Michael Moore, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Dick Clark, Charlton Heston
Directed by:
Michael Moore
Release date:
2002-10-09
2.
The Life of Mammals
4.8
9.1/10
The Life of Mammals is a nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough. A study of the evolution and habits of the various mammal species, it was the fourth of Attenborough's specialised surveys following his major trilogy that began with Life on Earth. Each of the ten episodes looks at one (or several closely related) mammal groups and discusses the different facets of their day-to-day existence and their evolutionary origins.
Release date:
2002-11-20
3.
Jackass: The Movie
4.6
6.6/10
Johnny Knoxville and his crazy friends appear on the big screen for the very first time in Jackass: The Movie. They wander around Japan in panda outfits, wreak havoc on a once civilized golf course, they even do stunts involving LIVE alligators, and so on. While Johnny Knoxvile and his pals put their life at risk, they are entertaining people at the same time. Get ready for Jackass: The Movie!!
Starring:
Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England
Directed by:
Jeff Tremaine
Release date:
2002-10-21
4.
Spellbound
4.6
7.6/10
This documentary follows 8 teens and pre-teens as they work their way toward the finals of the Scripps Howard national spelling bee championship in Washington D.C.
Directed by:
Jeffrey Blitz
Release date:
2002-11-13
5.
The Century of the Self
4.5
8.9/10
A documentary about the rise of psychoanalysis as a powerful mean of persuasion for both governments and corporations.
Release date:
2002-03-17
6.
Iron Maiden - Rock In Rio
4.5
9.1/10
Rock in Rio is a double DVD set (also available on VHS & UMD[1]) of heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. Besides showing the entire performance at the Rock in Rio show, the second disc also includes three special features with interviews with band members, a short documentary on the day in the life of Iron Maiden, and photos by official photographer, Ross Halfin.
Starring:
Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers
Directed by:
Dean Karr
Release date:
2002-07-16
7.
9/11
4.2
8.4/10
An on-the-scene documentary following the events of September 11, 2001 from an insider's view, through the lens of two French filmmakers who simply set out to make a movie about a rookie NYC fireman and ended up filming the tragic event that changed our lives forever.
Starring:
Tony Benatatos, Jamal Braithwaite, Joseph Casaliggi, James Hanlon, Joseph Pfeifer
Directed by:
Rob Klug, Gédéon Naudet, Jules Naudet, James Hanlon
Release date:
2002-03-10
8.
The Short Films of David Lynch
4.0
7.4/10
The Short Films of David Lynch (2002) is a DVD collection of the early student and commissioned film work of American filmmaker David Lynch. As such, the collection does not include Lynch's later short work, which are listed in the filmography. The films are listed in chronological order, with brief descriptions of each film. The DVD contains introductions by Lynch to each film, which can be viewed individually or in sequence. # 1 Six Figures Getting Sick (Six Times) # 2 The Alphabet # 3 The Grandmother # 4 The Amputee # 5 The Cowboy and the Frenchman # 6 Premonitions Following an Evil Deed
Starring:
David Lynch, Catherine E. Coulson, Harry Dean Stanton, Jack Nance, Frederic Golchan
Directed by:
David Lynch
Release date:
2002-06-01
9.
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
3.9
7.8/10
In 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. gathered the best musicians from Detroit's thriving jazz and blues scene to begin cutting songs for his new record company. Over a fourteen year period they were the heartbeat on every hit from Motown's Detroit era. By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They called themselves the Funk Brothers. Forty-one years after they played their first note on a Motown record and three decades since they were all together, the Funk Brothers reunited back in Detroit to play their music and tell their unforgettable story, with the help of archival footage, still photos, narration, interviews, re-creation scenes, 20 Motown master tracks, and twelve new live performances of Motown classics with the Brothers backing up contemporary performers.
Starring:
Richard 'Pistol' Allen, Jack Ashford, Bob Babbitt, Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin, Eddie 'Bongo' Brown
The remarkable story of The Weather Underground, radical activists of the 1970s, and of radical politics at its best and most disastrous.
Starring:
Lili Taylor, Bernardine Dohrn, Mark Rudd, Brian Flanagan, David Gilbert
Directed by:
Sam Green, Bill Siegel
Release date:
2002-01-01
12.
Comedian
3.8
7.0/10
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.
Starring:
Jerry Seinfeld, Orny Adams, Greg Giraldo, Jim Norton, Sherrod Small
Directed by:
Christian Charles
Release date:
2002-10-25
13.
Space Station 3D
3.7
7.5/10
Some 220 miles above Earth lies the International Space Station, a one-of-a-kind outer space laboratory that 16 nations came together to build. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this extraordinary structure in this spectacular IMAX film. Viewers will blast off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center and the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia for this incredible journey -- IMAX's first-ever space film. Tom Cruise narrates.
Starring:
Tom Cruise, James Arnold, Michael J. Bloomfield, Robert D. Cabana, Leroy Chiao
Directed by:
Toni Myers
Release date:
2002-04-17
14.
Devil's Playground
3.6
7.0/10
The Devil's Playground is a fascinating and moving documentary about a little-known aspect of Amish life. Amish are not permitted to join the church until their late teens, and have to do so of their own volition. The film explores Rumspringa, wherein young Amish are given the opportunity to explore the "English" way of life.
Starring:
Velda Bontrager, Mark Bontrager, Dewayne Chupp, Dylan Cole, Matt Eash
Directed by:
Lucy Walker
Release date:
2002-01-01
15.
Korn: Deuce
3.5
8.1/10
Deuce is the second DVD by the American Nu Metal band, Korn. It was released on June 11, 2002 - the same day as the band's fifth studio release, Untouchables. The DVD was certified platinum by the RIAA. The DVD includes the band's first home video Who Then Now? and features the music video collection from Korn to Issues. Other extras include biographies of each band member, gags, behind-the-scenes of the music videos or live concerts, and various other things.
Starring:
Jonathan Davis, Ice Cube, Fieldy, James "Munky" Shaffer, Brian Phillip "Head" Welch
Directed by:
Nathan Karma Cox, Todd McFarlane
Release date:
2002-01-01
16.
Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Disney, Childhood & Corporate Power
3.5
6.4/10
Mickey Mouse Monopoly takes a close and critical look at the world these films create and the stories they tell about race, gender and class and reaches disturbing conclusions about the values propagated under the guise of innocence and fun. This daring new video insightfully analyzes Disney's cultural pedagogy, examines its corporate power, and explores its vast influence on our global culture. Including interviews with cultural critics, media scholars, child psychologists, kindergarten teachers, multicultural educators, college students and children, Mickey Mouse Monopoly will provoke audiences to confront comfortable assumptions about an American institution that is virtually synonymous with childhood pleasure.
Release date:
2002-03-03
17.
Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony
3.5
7.3/10
The struggle to eradicate apartheid in South Africa has been chronicled over time, but no one has addressed the vital role music plays in this challenge. This documentary by Lee Hirsch recounts a fascinating and little-known part of South Africa's political history through archival footage, interviews and, of course, several mesmerizing musical performances.
Starring:
Walter Cronkite, F.W. de Klerk, Abdullah Ibrahim, Jesse Jackson, Duma Ka Ndlovu
Directed by:
Lee Hirsch
Release date:
2002-09-21
18.
Cinerama Adventure
3.4
7.9/10
A nostalgic and compelling look into the legendary three camera, three projector process that revolutionized motion pictures and led the industry into the widescreen era.
Directed by:
David Strohmaier
Release date:
2002-08-30
19.
The Alien Saga
3.4
7.7/10
In 1979, Alien burst onto the scene with a strong female lead in the form of Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) battling the ultimate biomechanical creature. The brilliant and terrifying result reinvented the horror and science fiction genres, creating one of the most successful and celebrated film franchises in Hollywood history. This award-winning, feature-length documentary explores the series.
Starring:
John Hurt
Directed by:
Brent Zacky
Release date:
2002-01-01
20.
Gigantic (A Tale Of Two Johns)
3.4
7.8/10
Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns is a rock documentary about Brooklyn's finest, They Might Be Giants. Filmed in 2001, the film contains concert footage, interviews, humor, animation, coffee, humor, lyric readings, people wondering about the subject matter of their lyrics, information on our eleventh and sixteenth presidents, and much, much more.
Check out our top containing the Best Documentary Movies of 2002. This top was obtained with our unique algorithm ordered by our unique ranking system.
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