2004 Movies : Documentary

With Marc Savoy • Mosie Burks • Minnie Bates Yancey • Louis Schwartzberg • Jan Ross • Ann Savoy • Vincent Ueber • Roudy Roudebush

America is a vast country--three thousand miles from end to end. But it's not the land that makes America so special--it's the people. Filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg packed-up his camera and hit the road, with a goal of capturing both the unparalleled beauty of the land and the incomparable spirit of the people. He connects with people, capturing their values, dreams, and passion in a journey that reveals the stories--unusual, captivating, inspiring and emotional--that make Americans into something more than a collection of individuals. It's a celebration of a nation told through the voices of its people.

With James Hetfield • Bob Rock • Joe Berlinger • Kirk Hammett • Jason Newsted • Lars Ulrich • Torben Ulrich • Phil Towle • Robert Trujillo • Dave Mustaine • Bruce Sinofsky

Three years in the making, this new film from acclaimed documentary filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky provides a fascinating, in-depth portrait of the most successful heavy metal band of all time, as they faced monumental personal and professional challenges while recording their first studio album of original songs in five years. In the tradition of such seminal music documentaries as "Don't Look Back" and "Gimme Shelter", "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" seeks to transcend the conventions of the "rock 'n' roll movie" genre, trading rock-star posing for truthful introspection, and revealing an intimate portrait of the individuals behind a legendary band and their unique creative journey.

With Darrick Doerner • Jane Kachmer • Stacy Peralta • Titus Kinimaka • Greg Noll • Dave Kalama • Peter Mel • Agi Orsi

" Riding Giants" takes us along surfing's timeline from it's early Polynesian roots, to its rebirth in the early 20th Century, to the development of a fledgling surf culture along the coast of Southern California in the 1940s highlighting the group of extraordinary adventurers that emerged: surfers who, not satisfied with the mere recreational and social aspects of the sport, began searching for bigger and bigger waves, pushing the boundaries of performance to explore the "unridden realm." Riding Giants is the story of these big wave riders, of where and how their quest began, of the classic characters who throughout the eras chased their dreams out into the blue water, and of the surfers who still do today, riding 50, 60 and even 70 foot waves in a manner once considered the realm of fantasy.

With James Cullingham • Ken Walker • The Flying Burrito Bros • Sha Na Na • Bob Weir • Rob Bowman • Janis Joplin • The Grateful Dead • Buddy Guy • Phil Lesh • Rick Danko • John Till • Kenny Gradney • Eric Andersen • Mickey Hart • Richard Bell • Sylvia Tyson • Jerry Mercer • David Dalton • Mash Makan • Jerry Garcia • Ken Pearson • Bob Smeaton

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 together for five days, stopping in major cities along the way to play live concerts. Their journey was filmed.