Summer Viewing List

In case you've been living in a cave, I'll remind you that there's a general election coming up. November is very close. So, in the interest of making an informed decision, I offer a selection of documentary films to remind you of the issues facing this country and the world; issues that should be born in mind when selecting our next president (and Senators and Representatives, should you live in a state electing one).

And so, I give you your Summer Reading List. But, since I know reading is so passé, they'll all be movies, instead. And, when at all possible, I shall give Netflix and Blockbuster online links, so you can queue or even watch the films online.

Fahrenheit 911 | IMdB | Netflix | Blockbuster
Michael Moore, in his usual fervor, goes after the US Government for its actions before, during, and after 9-11, and the ensuing war in Iraq.

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib | IMdB | Netflix | Blockbuster
What's most amazing about this film from HBO is how early they broke this story. The Abu Ghraib conspiracy may be past, but bear in mind as you watch this film, that if this could happen in Iraq, where access was available, what could possibly be happening at Guantanamo Bay, where there is no outside access.

An Inconvenient Truth | IMdB | Netflix | Blockbuster
Al Gore prevents the hard facts about Global Warming. Maybe you think another month of nice weather is good thing, or don't understand why the people of Greenland are pissed that their country is going from icy white to green... maybe it'll make more sense to you when New York City is under water.

Jesus Camp | IMdB | Netflix | Blockbuster
Not so much a political issue, but this film shows the utter indoctrination of young Evangelicals, being raised and trained to enact the political agenda of what is possibly the largest voting sect in America. If the image of 8 year olds praying to a cardboard icon of George W. Bush disgusts you in the slightest, remember this image as you vote and remind everyone you know to do the same.

Recount | IMdB | Netflix | Not available on Blockbuster
8 years ago, we had a national election, between our current president and a would-be Nobel Prize winner. The election came down to one hotly contested, disputed, and possibly cheated state. HBO films again presents the events surrounding the controversy of the election that wasn't decided by the people, but in the end, by the United States Supreme Court.

Sicko | IMdB | Netflix | Blockbuster
Michael Moore, again. Love him or hate him, he makes compelling documentaries. Before he formally endorsed Barack Obama this Spring, Moore was a supporter of the Hillary Clinton heathcare initiative. Take a look at Moore's view of the American healthcare crisis, and see what other countries, from Brance to Cuba, have done about the situation.

Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties | IMdB | Netflix | Blockbuster
A hard look into the Patriot Act. Did our political leader sell out our freedoms? For what price? And what was our price? Also looks at internment at Guantanamo Bay, is this just a replay of the Japanese internment camps in World War II? Is that what we've become... again?

Also available from this producer:
Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War | IMdB | Netflix | Blockbuster
Uncovered: The War on Iraq (follow-up to above) | IMdB | Netflix
Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election | IMdB | Netflix | Blockbuster

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price | IMdB | Netflix | Blockbuster
Robert Greenwald again (Unprecedented, Uncovered, Unconstitutional), shows us that we indeed get what we pay for. From the lacking standards for their employees, and refusal to allow them to unionize, to the conditions under which their products are made, to the effects the mega-store has on small-town business and their environment, Greenwald takes aim at America's Superstore with brilliant accuracy.

WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception | IMdB | Netflix | Blockbuster
Fair and Balanced? Take a look into the role the media played in "Operation Iraqi Freedom". Who was on-board the administration's Spin Machine? The answer may shock you.

There are many more fine documentaries available. I can only offer the few I've had the opportunity to see just the Spring. I hope that you have the opportunity to see some, if not all of these titles, before the upcoming election, and that just one of these points echoes in your head as you pull that voting booth lever.