Top Ten Films
The Future of Food (2004)
Before compiling your next grocery list, you might want to watch
this eye-opening documentary, which sheds light on a shadowy relationship
between agriculture, big business and government. By examining
the effects of biotechnology on the nation's smallest farmers,
director Deborah Koons Garcia reveals the unappetizing truth about
genetically modified foods: You could unknowingly be serving them
for dinner. Amazon
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Hacking Democracy (2006)
With electronic voting machines tabulating more than 80 percent
of the ballots cast in America, Seattle grandmother Bev Harris
set out to determine the obvious: Do they work? Based on the evidence
presented here, the answer is "not really" The picture
that emerges as Harris unearths a treasure trove of info about
mishandled votes and the inner workings of the machines is that
they're not only fallible but also highly vulnerable to hacking. Amazon
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A Civil Action (1998)
In this true story, John Travolta stars as a personal-injury lawyer
who sues a major corporation for big bucks when the drinking water
in Woburn, Mass., is found to contain high levels of industrial
solvents. Believing the contamination is responsible for the large
number of leukemia deaths among the town's children, the citizens
-- lead by a woman (Kathleen Quinlan) whose child has died --
hire a lawyer to take on the corporate polluters. Amazon
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Super Size Me (2004)
On the heels of recent lawsuits against McDonald's, director Morgan
Spurlock takes a hilarious and often terrifying look at the effects
of fast food on the human body. For one month, Spurlock eats nothing
but McDonald's food, ordering everything on the menu at least
once and "super-sizing" his order if asked. With obesity
on the rise, Spurlock's film begs the question: Where does personal
responsibility end and corporate responsibility begin? Amazon
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Street Fight (2005)
Raising hard questions about American politics, democracy and
race, Marshall Curry's incisive Oscar-nominated documentary takes
viewers behind the scenes of the Newark, N.J., cutthroat mayoral
race in 2002. The candidates: young Ivy League upstart Cory Booker
vs. incumbent Sharpe James, an old-timer who's not above employing
questionable tactics to achieve victory. The gloves come off as
the contenders lock horns in their battle to win voters. Amazon
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Orwell Rolls in His Grave (2004)
Documentary filmmaker Robert Kane Pappas presents a riveting argument
for his theory that America is under an Orwellian watch with the
rise to prominence of the radical, right-wing Republican party,
an ascent aided, unwittingly or not, by the mainstream media.
Here, Pappas interviews an impressive roster, including Center
for Public Integrity director Charles Lewis, legal analyst Vincent
Bugliosi and liberal filmmaker Michael Moore. Amazon
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American Blackout ( 2006)
In this Sundance prize-winning indictment of the election process,
guerilla journalist Ian Inaba follows the efforts of Georgia Congresswoman
Cynthia McKinney to expose the disturbing tactics that systematically
disenfranchise black voters and silence dissent. A passionate
advocate for civil rights, McKinney calls on all citizens to question
the political machinery and protect democracy from the institutionalized
racism imperiling the country. Amazon
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Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)
Amid ever-increasing gas prices, this documentary delves into
the short life of the GM EV1 electric car -- once all the rage
in the mid-1990s and now fallen by the roadside. How could such
an efficient, green-friendly vehicle fail to transform our garages
and skies? Through interviews with government officials, former
GM employees and concerned celebs (such as EV1 driver Mel Gibson),
Chris Paine (former EV1 owner) seeks to answer the question. Amazon
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Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (2005)
Producer, director and activist Robert Greenwald takes aim at
the corporate giant that's come to symbolize big business in America:
Wal-Mart. Blasting the box-store Goliath for allegedly paying
substandard wages, skimping on employee health benefits and eviscerating
communities, this hard-hitting, emotional documentary profiles
the struggle of everyday folks from around the country who've
committed themselves to fighting the mega-retailer. Amazon
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Ralph Nader: An Unreasonable Man (2006)
The personal and professional life of Ralph Nader, one of America's
most controversial consumer advocates and political activists,
is the subject of this biographical documentary. Nader's willingness
to take on big industry earned him a reputation as both a working-class
hero and a public pariah. Interviews and archival footage help
illuminate this in-depth profile of one of the most influential
political figures in modern history. Amazon
Purchase
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