Best Documentary Movies of 2003

Using archival footage, cabinet conversation recordings, and an interview of the 85-year-old Robert McNamara, The Fog of War depicts his life, from working as a WWII whiz-kid military officer, to being the Ford Motor Company's president, to managing the Vietnam War as defense secretary for presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

The true story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates' disastrous and nearly-fatal mountain climb of 6,344m Siula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.

An Oscar nominated documentary about a middle-class American family who is torn apart when the father Arnold and son Jesse are accused of sexually abusing numerous children. Director Jarecki interviews people from different sides of this tragic story and raises the question of whether they were rightfully tried when they claim they were innocent and there was never any evidence against them.

Home movies, photographs, and recited poetry illustrate the life of Tupac Shakur, one of the most beloved, revolutionary, and volatile hip-hop MCs of all time.

On tour promoting their 2002 studio album 'By the Way', Los Angeles-based funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers performs a sold-out live show to 80,000 people at Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland on August 23, 2003.

As a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his passing, The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 . Organized by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, and arranged under the musical direction of Eric Clapton and Jeff Lynne. A benefit for Harrison's Material World Charitable Foundation, the all-star concert took place on the day of the first anniversary of his death. Proceeds from the film also went to the Material World Charitable Foundation. The film was shot using discreet cameras from over twelve locations.

With a team of the world's foremost historic and marine experts as well as friend Bill Paxton, James Cameron embarks on an unscripted adventure back to the wreck of the Titanic where nearly 1,500 souls lost their lives almost a century ago.

Pop king Michael Jackson solidifies his title with this release of fifteen past number one hits. Songs include "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Thriller," "Black or White," and "Blood on the Dancefloor."

When you experience The Work of Director Spike Jonze, you enter a world where anything can happen and frequently does. From the innovative director of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation., this superior compilation of music videos, documentaries, interviews, and early rarities offers abundant proof that Jonze is the real deal--a filmmaker ablaze with fresh ideas and fresh ways of filming them. Featuring The Beastie Boys, Bjork, Weezer, The Pharcyde, Fatboy Slim and many others.

My Flesh and Blood is a 2003 documentary film by Jonathan Karsh chronicling a year in the life of the Tom family. The Tom family is notable as the mother, Susan, adopted eleven children, most of whom had serious disabilities or diseases. The film itself is notable for handling the sensitive subject matter in an unsentimental way that is more uplifting than one might expect.

He's gone-but he'll never be forgotten. The best of Chris Farley's wildly funny SNL performances are here, including motivational speaker Matt Foley, an aspiring Chippendales dancer, the bashful host of The Chris Farley Show ( m 'member?") and more.

Invisible skateboards, Eric Koston, super duper slo mo, Brandon Biebel, Marc Johnson, Owen Wilson, Rick McCrank, The Skatetrix, Gino Iannucci, Mike Carroll, The Magic Board, Brian Anderson, and the entire Girl and Chocolate Skateboard teams are all part of Girl Skateboard Films’ fourth video feature, Yeah Right!

Hugo Chavez was a colourful, unpredictable folk hero who was beloved by his nation’s working class. He was elected president of Venezuela in 1998, and proved to be a tough, quixotic opponent to the power structure that wanted to depose him. When he was forcibly removed from office on 11 April 2002, two independent filmmakers were inside the presidential palace.

A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time.

Has America entered an Orwellian world of doublespeak where outright lies can pass for truth? The country's leading intellectuals discuss and examine the mix of businesses, politics and ideology that is the mainstream media.

From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.

A years-in-the-making documentary on the legendary punk band the Ramones. Through a mixture of archival footage, archival and new interviews with all members of the band's various lineups, and new interviews with a number of their contemporaries, the film traces the peaks and valleys the band experienced over the course of its 20-plus year career before disbanding in 1995.

Faster is an electrifying tribute to the white-knuckle world of MotoGP™ — the fastest sport on two wheels — where the world’s top riders go wheel to wheel at over 200mph and crash at over 100mph. Narrated by Ewan McGregor, Faster chases two seasons’ worth of the world championship, featuring revealing interviews with riders, mechanics, doctors, commentators and fans. If you want high octane, adrenaline fuelled thrills, Faster will take you on a nerve shredding journey through the most exciting sport on the planet!

A homeless musician finds meaning in his life when he starts a friendship with dozens of parrots.

Travel Channel special looks at some of the lesser-known things you can do at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Louis Theroux travels to California to meet the man dubbed "the most dangerous racist in America"; Tom Metzger. Louis meets him, his family and his publicity manager as well as following him to skinhead rallies and on a visit to Mexico.

From the poetic to the philosphical, the heartbreaking to the hilarious, Lubbock Lights explores the phenomenon that is West Texas music.

Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.

Director John Dullaghan’s biographical documentary about infamous poet Charles Bukowski, Bukowski: Born Into This, is as much a touching portrait of the author as it is an exposé of his sordid lifestyle. Interspersed between ample vintage footage of Bukowski’s poetry readings are interviews with the poet’s fans including such legendary figures such as Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Joyce Fante (wife of John), Bono, and Harry Dean Stanton. Filmed in grainy black and white by Bukowski’s friend, Taylor Hackford, due to lack of funding, the old films edited into this movie paint Bukowski’s life of boozing and brawling romantically, securing Bukowski’s legendary status.

The documentary of the Blockbuster sleeper, Kill Bill Vol. 1, and how it was made. There is Quentin Tarrantino, the director and writer of the movie, Uma Thurman, who plays "The Bride", the sort of Hero/Anti-hero of the film when she was betrayed by her old teammates, Lucy Liu, playing O-Ren, the half-Chinese half-Japanese American who is Queen of the Crime Underworld in Japan, Vivica A. Fox, playing the now-retired-assassin-turned-homemaker and Julie Drefus, playing Sofie, O-Ren's lawyer, second-in-command and lawyer.

Louis stays with the residents of a soon to open brothel in Nevada for a few weeks.

If you haven't come across Derren Brown before then Inside your Mind is a great introduction to the considerable skills of the only living Jedi Master. His show, Mind Control debuted on Channel 4 in the wake of a resurgence of interest in magic spearheaded by David Blaine. But what Derren Brown does hardly falls into the category of sleight-of-hand--his "magic" is firmly grounded in the workings of the mind and psychology. The result is a fascinatingly mysterious, but definitely not psychic, phenomenon.

Live at the Showbox captures Pearl Jam playing in the intimate environment of the Showbox Theatre in Seattle, WA. It was released on May 7, 2003. It was recorded on December 6, 2002 at The Showbox in the band's hometown of Seattle, Washington. The show was the second of four warm-up gigs for the band's 2003 Riot Act Tour. The DVD is only available through the band's official website.

A man caught up in the glamor of being a Hollywood celebrity has no idea that the production he's in is a fake.

A look at 1970s Hollywood when it was known as New Hollywood, and the director was the star of the movie.

No special effects. No stuntmen. No stereotypes. No other feeling comes close. Surfers and secret spots from around the world are profiled in this documentary.

A captivating and compelling road trip through the creative spirit of the the South of the USA. Director Andrew Douglas's film follows "Alt" Country singer through a gritty terrain of churches, prisons, truck stops, biker bars and coalmines. This journey takes you through a very real contemporary Southern America,a world of marginalized white people and their unique and homemade culture.

The filmed account of a large Canadian rock festival train tour boasting major acts. In the summer of 1970, a chartered train crossed Canada carrying some of the world's greatest rock bands. The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Band, Buddy Guy, and others lived (and partied) together for five days, stopping in major cities along the way to play live concerts. Their journey was filmed.

World-famous architect Louis Kahn (Exeter Library, Salk Institute, Bangladeshi Capitol Building) had two illegitimate children with two different women outside of his marriage. Son Nathaniel always hoped that someday his father would come and live with him and his mother, but Kahn never left his wife. Instead, Kahn was found dead in a men's room in Penn Station when Nathaniel was only 11.

Three students seek the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhist master, soccer aficionado and filmmaker Khyentse Norbu in this captivating documentary, which takes viewers on a journey from the World Cup in Germany to the isolated Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan. Bernardo Bertolucci and Steven Seagal make appearances in the film, and the world music soundtrack is provided by Sting, Tara Slone and Joydrop, Steve Tibbetts, U.Man.Tek, Kunga 19 and many others.

What is weakening Earth’s invisible shield? Magnets have the power to attract and repel—sometimes on a massive scale. The Earth’s molten core—a violent mix of searing heat, crushing pressure, and a billion trillion tons of liquid iron—creates an invisible shield that surrounds the globe, guarding against a constant barrage of deadly radiation from space. But over the last few decades, the Earth’s magnetic field has weakened dramatically, intriguing scientists across the globe. The power generated 2000 miles beneath our feet protects us every day, but the loss of Earth’s magnetic field is a brewing storm that affects us all. While experts research and debate, persistent questions remain. Is a rare geomagnetic reversal the cause of earth’s inner turmoil? And if the magnetic field were to vanish altogether, would Earth become as lifeless as Mars?

Deep Blue is a major documentary feature film shot by the BBC Natural History Unit. An epic cinematic rollercoaster ride for all ages, Deep Blue uses amazing footage to tell us the story of our oceans and the life they support.

Live in Texas is Linkin Park's first live album and third CD, originally released on November 18, 2003. Tracklist: 01. Don't Stay 02. Somewhere I Belong 03. Lying From You 04. Papercut 05. Points Of Authority 06. Runaway 07. Faint 08. From The Inside 09. Figure.09 10. With You 11. By Myself 12. P5hng Me A*wy 13. Numb 14. Crawling 15. In The End 16. A Place For My Head 17. One Step Closer

A comic, biting and revelatory documentary following a small group of prankster activists as they gain worldwide notoriety for impersonating the World Trade Organization (WTO) on television and at business conferences around the world.

British documentarian Nick Broomfield creates a follow-up piece to his 1992 documentary of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was convicted of killing six men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. Interviewing an increasingly mentally unstable Wuornos, Broomfield captures the distorted mind of a murderer whom the state of Florida deems of sound mind -- and therefore fit to execute. Throughout the film, Broomfield includes footage of his testimony at Wuornos' trial.

Woody Harrelson hosts a special tribute to the Three Stooges in honor of their 75th Anniversary. In addition to classic Stooges routines, there are feature film clips, ultra-rare shorts, solo appearances, and TV performances, rare home movies, and interviews with Stooge family members and special guest stars. A must for any Stooge fan? Why soitenly!

A look at the history of fame in the world through the eyes of pop star impresario, Rodney Bingenheimer

In the mid-1990s, spurred on by both the sudden world-domination of bands such as Oasis and Prime Minister Tony Blair's "Cool Brittania" campaign, British culture experienced a brief and powerful boost that made it appear as if Anglophilia was everywhere--at least if you believed the press. Pop music was the beating heart of this idea, and suddenly, "Britpop" was a movement. Oasis, their would-be rivals Blur, Pulp, The Verve, and many more bands rode this wave to international chart success. But was Britpop a real phenomenon, or just a marketing ploy? This smart and often hilarious documentary probes the question with copious interviews from Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn of Blur, Sleeper's Louise Wener, and many other artists and critics who suddenly found themselves at the cultural forefront.

Avril Lavigne is up-front, outrageous and totally in control. And now her first DVD gives you a front-row seat at her Buffalo, NY concert and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her amazing life. Go deeper into Avril's world and see and hear for yourself why Avril is real, rockin' and anything but ordinary.

The comedic stylings of four sort-of famous funnymen are brought to the big screen courtesy of this 2002 documentary.

Alternately hilarious and horrifying, Overnight chronicles one man's misadventures of making a Hollywood movie. It starts out as a rags to riches story as Troy Duffy, a Boston-bred bartender, sells his first screenplay for The Boondock Saints.

Swedish documentary film on consumerism and globalization, created by director Erik Gandini and editor Johan Söderberg. It looks at the arguments for capitalism and technology, such as greater efficiency, more time and less work, and argues that these are not being fulfilled, and they never will be. The film leans towards anarcho-primitivist ideology and argues for "a simple and fulfilling life".

Plagued by depression, diabetes and alcoholism, and always searching for greater meaning-any meaning, Gunnar Hall Jensen travels to the spiritual promised land of many soul searches-India. It is there that he hits rock bottom, yet he soon emerges from the darkness with a new outlook on life.