My personal documentary festival

Sometimes, I just get in the mood to carpet-bomb my TV with documentaries from Netflix.  I've spent the past couple weeks screening a random assortment of them.  If you're a doc hound like me, perhaps you'll want to catch some of these:

Yellowstone: Battle for Life ***** This is, quite simply, the best nature documentary I've ever seen.  In this three-part series, the BBC follows the wildlife in Yellowstone National Park for an entire year.  The cinematography is breathtaking.  The writing is superb.  The production team gets so close to the wolves, bison, elk and other animals, their struggle for survival is fantastically vivid.  I can't recommend this one enough. 

Crazy Love **1/2 A disturbing look at two disturbed people -- New York attorney Burt Pugach and his, uh, lover Linda Riss.  When Burt realizes he can't have Linda, he hires thugs to throw lye in her face, blinding her for life.  The story doesn't end there, of course.  For the sake of my faith in people, I wish it had.  This pair makes the guests on the Jerry Springer Show seem rational and functional.  The story evokes a morbid fascination, but I certainly wouldn't watch it twice.

Radio Bikini **** This Academy Award-nominated doc uses footage from 1946 to tell the story of an American nuclear bomb test in the central Pacific.  The government chooses the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands as its test site and tells the residents that their evacuation is for the good of all mankind.  What happens after the two bombs are set off has to be seen to be believed, and the reveal at the end of the story is so devastating, I can't put it into words.  Any shred of trust you might have in our government will be obliterated.

A Program About Unusual Buildings and Other Roadside Stuff *** The title pretty much says it all -- a house shaped like a shoe, an upside-down building, a hot dog-shaped hot dog stand.  Only in America.  This PBS show is charming enough, although for the most part, I don't understand the obsession some people have for things like a giant ketchup bottle.  I now have a strong desire to visit the Corn Palace in South Dakota, though.  

Encounters at the End of the World **** I've always enjoyed Werner Herzog's documentaries because they're never predictable.  As he embarks on a trip to Antarctica, Herzog explains that this will not be another documentary about fluffy penguins.  And it certainly isn't.  Herzog takes us inside the lives of the quirky researchers who call the South Pole their home and inside tiny worlds filled with unimaginable creatures.  It's pretty astonishing stuff.  The film drags on a bit, and there's nothing warm and fuzzy about the conclusions Herzog reaches concerning the fate of humanity, but it's thought-provoking and fascinating for the most part.

Where Are All the UFOs? **** This History Channel doc traces the origin of UFO sightings back to a military pilot in the 1940's.  It's more a study of human nature than anything else, especially when it comes to alien abduction stories.  Our brains can really do a number on us.  If you believe the past 70 years have been filled with real sightings of alien spacecraft and people being abducted and returned without a trace, I have a great oceanfront property in Nebraska to sell you.

When You're Strange *** I didn't learn that much about the Doors that I didn't already know, but it's kind of cool to see old footage of the real Jim Morrison, instead of watching Val Kilmer.

Volcanoes of the Deep Sea *** This film could use a re-edit as it's sometimes confusing, but it's worth watching solely for the chance to see what the world looks like 12,000 feet below the ocean's surface.  It's another planet down there, with creatures that thrive in water that is 700 degrees Fahrenheit.  I had no idea volcanoes were constantly erupting that far under water, destroying life and creating it simultaneously.

The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made **** I wouldn't call this a definitive list, but it's quite hilarious and entertaining.  It's also disturbing that human beings can create "art" that is so horribly wretched.

Horses:  The Story of Equus ** I love horses, so I had to see this, but I was pretty disappointed by the whole thing.  This IMAX film tells the story of three horses born on the same day at a stud farm in Australia.  The three of them wind up living very different lives, and while it's beautiful to watch horses run in the wild and at the racetrack, the film feels contrived.  It has a reenactment quality that you'd expect from a show about cold murder cases.  I'd rather watch Seabiscuit again.

I'm always on the hunt for new documentaries, so if you have any recommendations, I'm all ears!