This excellent doc follows Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Lynsey Addario capturing the Ukraine war while looking back on her career. Both her photography and the video of her life look so alternately beautiful and potent the overall effect is mind blowing. This should come as no surprise as it is a National Geographic production. There is a lot of disturbing content, as Addario is a conflict photographer, but that is balanced with her family life. The mix makes Love+War a well rounded documentary that I highly recommend.
Not available on Blu-ray
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Here is a seriously heavy documentary on Mexican journalists working against drug cartels and government corruption. The brave people featured here I found to be incredibly inspiring. This whole film is informative and extremely well constructed. The director opted to use artistic live action shots instead of the usual bullshit documentary animation. I wish more movies in this category would do the same. State of Silence would have been a rock solid film if it had a standard ominous synthesizer score, but no… they got BEAK> to do the music. If you are not familiar with the band, check out their latest studio album here, and a digital version of the excellent score here. I saw them live earlier this year and they cemented the fact that they are one of my favorite current music groups. I was impressed that the score was mixed tastefully low, the director must have been tempted to have it be more prominent. I give this film a 10/10, and strongly encourage you to watch in spite of the difficult subject matter.
Not available on Blu-ray.
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This is an excellent documentary on how inmates from multiple prisons in Alabama united to fight against abusive conditions. It is definitely a rough watch because of footage of horrific abuse and institutional conditions alone. On top of that, seeing the way that Alabama’s government has gamed their prison system is absolutely infuriating. Need I say this is not a movie for everyone? If you are not afraid to learn about some dark truths for the sake of greater knowledge, I highly recommend this doc. I also highly recommend you stay the hell away from Alabama if possible.
Not available on Blu-ray.
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I first became aware of Anita Pallenberg from seeing the film Performance (1970) for the first time. I watched it on the IFC cable channel back in the ’90s, and they also aired the documentary Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance (1998). That doc truly expanded by understanding of the film, and about Pallenberg’s life at the time. Up until seeing Catching Fire, that was the extent of my knowledge of this person. There is so much more to know. What a life! Do yourself a favor and check out Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg, she’s someone every weirdo should know about. I also highly recommend you get a hold of the Criterion 4k / Blu-ray of Performance. It looks and sounds better than ever AND features a restored version of The Ultimate Performance.
Not available on Blu-ray
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Stuart Swezey is an important figure in my life. When I was 18 I rented the found footage VHS compilation Amok Assault and it blew my fucking mind. Check it out for yourself on Internet Archive but proceed with caution. The pictures are very graphic and you may not want to watch. Anyhow, Amok started as an infamous LA book store and then began publishing books. My favorite title is “Amok Journal: Sensurround Edition” which is somewhat like Amok Assault in book form. Mr. Swezey opened my eyes to a strata of counter culture that I didn’t know existed. Little did I know that years before Amok existed he also organized three legendary music and performing arts events as Desolation Center. I was much too young and far away to witness any of these happenings in person. Thankfully this amazing human being directed a pretty much flawless documentary on the whole story. I will make it simple for you… If you are interested in counter culture in any way, this movie is mandatory viewing. Thank you Stuart.
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Around 1982, when I was 9 or 10 years old, my older brother Chris took me with him to the local big record store, Sound Warehouse. He bought Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast picture disc (which he still has), and from that moment on they became the most important band of my childhood. Fast forward to Middle School and it seemed like Led Zeppelin was a lot more loved among the non-pop music weirdos. Since I had aspirations of getting laid sooner than later, I gave the band a try, and yeah, not too shabby. Not as good as Maiden, or Black Sabbath, but I recall liking Zeppelin II and Houses of the Holy for a while there. Then I discovered thrash metal. Led Who? I sold my Zep LPs and got really into thrash while remaining a Maiden and Sabbath fan (the latter has become arguably my favorite band to this day). FF again to the early 2000s when I was Art Director for Relapse Records. Guess which group I forbid to be played on the office stereo? Correct. Time moved on, my strong opinions softened a bit, and around 15 years ago I listened to some full Zeppelin albums again. Ok fine, I didn’t hate them any more. Here we are in 2025, and a couple of weeks ago I watched this documentary. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I had no clue that John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page had their hands in so many awesome things before the band formed. It also looks and sounds fantastic. I’m not going to go out and BUY any of their albums or anything, but yeah… it’s a damn good movie. I would REALLY like to see a documentary of this caliber made on the early days of Black Sabbath.
Blu-ray coming soon (no official US release date yet).
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Mariska Hargitay does a deep exploration of the life of her mother Jayne Mansfield. What could have easily been a straightforward fluffy biographical documentary is anything but. Hargitay holds nothing back. Many uncomfortable facts are revealed over the runtime. I’d say if you have even a passing interest in the tragic life of Mansfield, you need to watch. This is heavy stuff, and handled very well by the director.
Not available on Blu-ray.
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Hunter S. Thompson was one of America’s most iconoclastic writers, and his life of excess is legendary. This recommendation is for any of you readers that may only be slightly familiar with the man and his work. I personally rate his best writing on par with William S. Burroughs and Kurt Vonnegut. Aside from his books, Thompson made his life into a strange mix of comedy and performance art. There are far more of his antics on video than this documentary could contain, but thankfully most of them are available on YouTube (here’s a personal favorite). Gonzo is a solid overview of his life, and a fun watch too. I strongly suggest you read “Hell’s Angels” and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” if you have not had the pleasure. Also if you haven’t seen Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing… adaptation, watch that before you read the book. I don’t think the other way around would be very satisfying.
Not available on Blu-ray.
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Gordon Parks is probably best known for directing Shaft, which really kicked off the Black Action craze of the ‘70s. While that is no small achievement, he was already a hugely successful photojournalist when he started making films. This documentary is a good overview of his career and also shows his influence on artists during, and after, his lifetime. Parks’ work is mind blowing on multiple levels, so don’t pass on this movie. I give it a 10/10, and my most enthusiastic recommendation.
BONUS: You can watch a short video about the excellent book “Gordon Parks: The Atmosphere of Crime, 1957” here. This publication is sadly out of print (and expensive to buy), but I highly recommend you check to see if your local library carries it. That, or any publication on Parks’ photography, is well worth seeking out. You can also see many of his photos online at the Gordon Parks Foundation website.
Not available on Blu-ray.
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The Chernobyl mini-series got a ton of well-deserved attention. However I have a feeling that only a small fraction of viewers also watched this fantastic documentary. It is just as sad and grim as you can imagine, but I think this is essential viewing for anyone not afraid to look at the dark side of history. I am astonished this was even made, as the sheer amount of source film and video footage must have been daunting. Director James Jones and crew did an amazing job assembling a tasteful and coherent documentary that succeeds in making the story of the Chernobyl disaster comprehensible.
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